The ad agency was in trouble. Morale was low, our creative product sucked, and our clients were bullying us into making some really crap ads. We just didn’t seem to be able to do anything right. It’s not like we didn’t have creative or strategic talent. We did. We lacked the leadership to stand up…
Category: advertising
What do Agatha Christie, social media and advertising have in common and what can they teach us about our emotional needs?
I recently re-read Agatha Christie’s ‘And then there were None’. The book has sold over 100 million copies since it was first printed in 1939. Only 5 other works of fiction share this accolade, and if you want to know which books they are, knock yourself out. So, why did the book do so well?…
Businesses have forgotten how to win
I was in a fist fight once. I was fighting Greg. Greg was bigger than me. But I was tougher, at least, that’s what I thought. I was confident I’d win the fight. Greg and met in the common room of our boarding house. It was late, after lights out. It was winter. We circled…
Advertising works because we think it doesn’t
Why did the oil and gas industry spend $10 million on Facebook advertising in 2020 in the US? Because it works. This report lays out how the oil and gas industry use Facebook as a channel to promote their climate friendliness, using misleading content and information that doesn’t align with the science of climate change….
I hate Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
I hate Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. The pyramid is too simplistic a representation of human need states. The theory can’t be tested empirically, I haven’t recognised the hierarchy in any person I have met (and I have met a few) and when you really think about it, it just feels wrong. As an example, babies…
Walk without rhythm to overcome the algorithms and the sandworms
In Frank Herbert’s, Dune the desert planet of Arrakis is home to colossal sandworms. These creatures grow to be hundreds of metres long and the largest is around 80 metres in diameter. The blind worms hunt by detecting rhythmic sounds on the sand. The only way to escape their notice as you travel over the…
Changing the world requires sacrifice
We play it too safe. We spend our lives trying to please others, trying to fit in; not stand out. And we end up small, hiding and obedient. As humans we tell ourselves we’re free, but it’s an illusion. We are surrounded by instructions, by people telling us what to do and how to live….
Social media is designed to be addictive.
A number of people who’ve watched Social Dilemma on Netflix seem surprised at the revelation that social media is designed to keep them on the platform for as long as possible. This surprised me. So, either watch the movie, or keep reading. The only reason I’m writing this post is because most people don’t seem…
News is an illusion
All definitions of the term ‘news’ are a variation on: newly received or noteworthy information, especially about recent events. News, for those of you who don’t know, is an acronym that stands for: notable events, weather, sports. I am a recovering news and political addict. I listened to the news constantly on my commute, read…