Some of Greater Manchester’s most iconic locations are set to be featured as part of a new “milestone” M&S campaign.
Mancs will soon be able to spot our city taking centre stage in a new TV advert.
This is because M&S has launched its brand-new autumn menswear campaign today, and well-known sites such as the iconic exterior of Salford Lads’ Club, the industrial arches of Castlefield, and plenty of other familiar haunts, form what is a pretty integral part of the marketing of it all.
Titled ‘Anything but Ordinary’, this is M&S’s first standalone menswear campaign since all the way back in 2015 – which is why the retailer is calling it a “significant milestone”.
As M&S puts it, the new campaign has been “captured against the vibrant city of Manchester”.
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Iconic Manchester locations take centre stage in new M&S fashion campaign / Credit: M&S
As well as the Greater Manchester streets featuring front and centre in all the new promotional material, including editorial imagery, influencer partnerships, coordinated website and social media channel takeovers, and more, the new video advert for the campaign is also soundtracked by one of the city’s most famous bands.
New Order’s 1981′ B-side track, ‘Ceremony’, can be heard blasting out as the models in the commercial make their way around Manchester.
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M&S says the new campaign has been launched as it continues on with its “style perception journey”, and the company hopes it will inspire customers with outfitting ideas and different ways to wear key pieces throughout the season.
According to the retailer, the new clothing collection apparently focuses on what are “easy-to-style” and “versatile” wardrobe staples, as well as “elevated” outerwear and “tonal dressing” too, that’s all underpinned by the “quality and innovation” that M&S is known and loved for.
M&S’s Clothing & Home Marketing Director, Anna Braithwaite, said the marketing team’s main goal with the campaign was to create something “visually arresting”, which is why Greater Manchester was chosen as the backdrop.
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Speaking as the campaign launched this week, Anna explained: To reach new, lapsed, and younger audiences, we knew we had to create something that would challenge the existing male perception of M&S and take it to where we know our audience is consuming content and most engaged.
“As a result, we have a campaign that’s bold, disruptive, and embodies the attitude and style of today’s menswear customer.”
Featured Image – M&S
Shopping
The Boots recycling scheme where you can get £5 off every shop
Thomas Melia
UK high street retailer and healthcare shop Boots has launched an innovative recycling scheme that entitles customers to £5 off their future shopping trips.
If you’re still struggling to come up with a New Year’s resolution, why not try a spot of recycling and earn some money off your next cosmetics shop while you’re at it?
Started in 2020, the Boots Recycling Scheme allows Advantage Card holders the opportunity to get money while also being more conscious about how we recycle our used health and beauty products.
Their third-party app, Recycle at Boots, uses a ‘Scan2Recycle‘ system where users can upload items from various beauty brands by taking a picture of the empty packaging before identifying its form.
This scheme takes items that can’t usually be recycled at home, such as lotion pumps, toothpaste tubes, lipstick, mascaras, travel minis, make-up palettes and more.
Once you have five items approved, head over to your nearest participating Boots store, drop off your empties and scan the QR code on the deposit box.
After you’ve followed all these steps, a voucher will appear entitling you to 500 Advantage Points when you spend £10 in-store at your nearest location, and not only do you have £5 worth of points with your name on it, you’re also an eco-warrior.
There’s even a dedicated section of the app to recycling empty medicine and vitamin blister packs, which gives customers 100 Advantage Points when they spend £5 in-store.
Brilliant.
Credit: Publicity pictures (supplied)
Items dropped into these deposit boxes are taken to MyGroup, a recycling and waste management service which works around the clock to help divert waste from landfill.
These empties will be washed and traditionally recycled into a material called MyBoard, a construction board material most similar to plywood, with lots of different uses.
Nearest Boots locations in Manchester running the Recycle at Boots scheme:
Manchester Market Street – 32 Market Street, M1 1PL
Salford Regent Park – Regents Park, M5 3TP
Manchester Didsbury – 736-740 Wilmslow Road, M20 2DW
The Trafford Centre – 10 Peel Avenue, M17 8BD
Trafford Retail Park – Neary Way, M41 7FN
If you’re up for getting money off your next Boots splurge while also helping recycle cosmetics containers and more, you can download the Recycle at Boots app and find your nearest HERE.
Tesco reveals what the UK’s most popular meal deal was in 2025
Emily Sergeant
Tesco has revealed what the UK’s most popular meal deal combination was in 2025, and some newbies have taken the top spots.
We all know meal deals are a classic lunch option for hungry office workers and for those looking for something quick to grab on the go, and it’s fair to say Tesco’s is one of the most popular on the market – but which combination was the most popular over the past 12 months? Which meal deal was the most commonly-picked from supermarket shelves in 2025?
Well, after last year saw a change in both the main and snack categories, this time around they have stayed the same and it’s actually the drink option where we see a change.
For the second year running, the Tesco Chicken Club Sandwich was the most popular choice of main, while the Tesco Egg Protein Pot took the top snack title.
Tesco has revealed what the UK’s most popular meal deal was in 2025 / Credit: The Manc Group
It’s time, however, to wave goodbye to the Coca-Cola (500ml) bottle, which has taken the title of the nation’s favourite meal deal drink for the past three years now, and say hello to the nation’s new favourite drink… a can of Red Bull.
When it comes to the North West’s favourite combo, the snack and drink choices remain the same to the rest of the UK’s, but the main is slightly different, as we favour a Tesco Just Ham Sandwich instead.
As always, the meal deal statistics for 2025 were revealed as part of Tesco’s annual ‘Clubcard Unpacked’ series, which is basically like ‘Spotify Wrapped’ but for Clubcard customers, giving loyalty card members a unique insight into what they shopped for and how much they saved over the last year.
The series also gives Clubcard holders the chance to find out what their personal favourite meal deal combination was in 2025, and see how that compares to the rest of the nation.
You’ll just need to open your Tesco Clubcard app on your mobile to find out, or you can head to the Tesco website here and login to your account.
Results are available now for a limited time only.
As well as getting to find out their own most-bought meal deal items, this year’s video also shows Clubcard members further insights into how they shopped at Tesco last year – from their most frequently-purchased products, to how many points they saved and spent.
Emily Sergeant -
13th October 2023 
