Monthly Archives: May 2025

A Few Quotes to Feed Your Soul.

When executing advertising, it’s best to think of yourself as an uninvited guest in the living room of a prospect who has the magical power to make you disappear instantly. — John O’Toole, member, Advertising Hall of Fame

A good advertisement is one which sells the product without drawing attention to itself. — David Ogilvy, member, Advertising Hall of Fame

Creative imagination — the lamp that lit the world — can light our lives.– Alex F. Osborn, member, Advertising Hall of Fame

I have always believed that writing advertisements is the second most profitable form of writing. The first, of course, is ransom notes. — Philip Dusenberry, member, Advertising Hall of Fame

If you have anything really valuable to contribute to the world, it will come through the expression of your own personality, that single spark of divinity that sets you off and makes you different from every other living creature. — Bruce Barton, member, Advertising Hall of Fame

The soft stuff is always harder than the hard stuff. — Roger A. Enrico, member, Advertising Hall of Fame

Let us blaze new trails. Let us prove to the world that good taste, good art and good writing can be good selling. — William Bernbach, member, Advertising Hall of Fame

Creative people thrive in environments that stimulate and reward original thinking — where freedom is valued and controls are kept to a minimum. — Keith Reinhard, member, Advertising Hall of Fame

The advertisers who believe in the selling power of jingles have never had to sell anything. — David Ogilvy, member, Advertising Hall of Fame

Know what the client wants, know what the client needs, and know how to cause the client to want what the client needs. — Keith Reinhard, member, Advertising Hall of Fame

Anyone who thinks that people can be fooled or pushed around has an inaccurate and pretty low estimate of people — and he won’t do very well in advertising. — Leo Burnett, member, Advertising Hall of Fame

Hopefully making a ruckus, one blog post at a time!

Be sure to check out my other blog, Joe’s Journey, for selected short stories and personal insights on life and its detours.

Misfits: Leading the Way in Innovation

Recently I came across this article on innovation but from a point of view I had not really thought about before. Its author, Gonçalo Melo, is an inspiring designer who has also authored many articles on design and design thinking. It’s an interesting read and I thought I’d share it with you.

Innovation has a history of being driven by those who refuse to conform, the self-proclaimed misfits of society. These individuals, often labeled as unconventional or rebellious, have a unique approach to innovation — they prioritize passion over convention. Let’s delve into the captivating world of misfit innovators and discover why their focus on passion is a key to their success.

The Power of Nonconformity:

Misfits have an innate resistance to conformity. They’re not motivated by societal norms or traditional paths; instead, they are driven by their own vision and unbridled passion. This refusal to adhere to the status quo allows them to see opportunities others might miss.

Passion as the North Star:

For misfit innovators, passion serves as their guiding star. They don’t embark on projects solely for profit or recognition; they pursue endeavors that genuinely excite them. This unwavering passion fuels their creativity and determination.

Embracing Failure as Fuel:

Misfits understand that innovation often involves risk and failure. They don’t shy away from challenges or setbacks; instead, they use them as stepping stones to refine their ideas and achieve their goals. Failure is not a deterrent but a source of motivation.

The Art of Authenticity:

Misfits are unapologetically themselves. They don’t conform to corporate or societal expectations of how they should behave or present themselves. This authenticity resonates with others and attracts like-minded individuals who share their passion.

Reshaping Industries:

History is rife with examples of misfits who disrupted entire industries. Think of Steve Jobs, who transformed technology and entertainment with his passion for design and user experience. His unconventional approach redefined what was possible.

Igniting Collaborative Fires:

Misfits have a magnetic quality that draws in collaborators who share their vision. These partnerships are not built on hierarchy but on a shared passion for innovation. Together, they challenge norms and drive progress.

The Passion-Driven Workforce:

In today’s competitive job market, misfit innovators are reshaping the workforce. They prioritize meaningful work over traditional employment, valuing companies that align with their passions and values.

Cultivating Inclusive Environments:

Misfits foster inclusive environments where diversity of thought is celebrated. They recognize that innovation thrives when individuals from varied backgrounds and perspectives come together in pursuit of a common passion.

A Misfit Renaissance:

As society evolves, the misfit spirit is on the rise. Increasingly, individuals are prioritizing their passions over conventional career paths, leading to a renaissance of innovation driven by authenticity and purpose.

The Challenge to Conventional Wisdom:

Misfit innovators challenge us to question conventional wisdom and explore new horizons. They remind us that passion is a powerful force capable of reshaping industries, redefining success, and inspiring a brighter, more innovative future.

In a world often driven by conformity and convention, misfit innovators serve as beacons of inspiration. Their unwavering focus on passion demonstrates that tru innovation arises not from adherence to norms but from the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire. As we celebrate the misfits, we celebrate the future of innovation itself.

Hopefully making a ruckus, one blog post at a time!

Be sure to check out my other blog, Joe’s Journey, for selected short stories and personal insights on life and its detours.

Brands shy away from creative risk

Periodically I come across articles of interest that I want to share. Below is one such piece. It’s written by Aaron Baar and delves into the mindsets of marketers and their respective brands when it comes to taking risks. Given the current socio-political environment, it’s no wonder that companies are backing away from and giving second thought to creative risks. So, let’s get to it, shall we?

Among marketers, 63% are focused on short-term tactics rather than long-term brand building, up from 53% in 2023. Photo via Adobe Stock

Dive Brief:

  • Only 13% of brand marketers and creatives view their companies as “risk-friendly” when it comes to creativity, while 29% are highly risk averse, according to the 2025 State of Creativity report from Lions, which produces the annual Cannes Lions creativity festival.
  • The report, now in its fifth year, surveys more than 1,000 marketers and creatives around the world and includes qualitative information from one-on-one industry leaders. More than half of respondents (51%) said their customer insights are too weak to develop bold creative, and 57% said they struggle to react quickly to cultural moments. 
  • The survey also revealed that brands are increasingly focusing on short-term marketing activities, rather than long-term brand building. In the 2025 survey, nearly two-thirds (63%) of respondents said their brands were focusing on such tactics, up from 53% in 2023. 

Dive Insight:

Brand and agency executives are becoming more risk-averse when it comes to marketing creative, which could negatively impact growth, according to the largest creativity festival. Outside data cited in the report backs up the assertion that stronger creativity leads to better business results. Brands that take creative risks generate four times higher profit margins than those that don’t, per WARC and Kantar. Additionally, brands with an appetite for creative risk are 33% more likely to see long-term revenue growth, according to Deloitte.

The aversion to “creative risk-taking,” defined by the survey as “bold, unconventional ideas that challenge norms and engage audiences in unexpected ways,” boils down to issues marketers face like poor insights and an inability to respond to cultural moments quickly, per the report. 

With regard to insights, 51% of respondents said their ability to develop high-quality insights was poor or very poor. Conversely, only 13% said their ability was very good or excellent. The main barriers to developing quality insights were a lack of understanding and clarity as to what makes a good insight, not enough priority on insight development and insufficient time allocated to insight exploration. 

The report noted that strong agency-brand relationships and more diverse teams and methods yielded better, more actionable insights. Additionally, AI use also increased efficiency and reduced bias.

A lack of confidence in consumer insights is also leading to brands’ inability to respond to cultural moments. According to the report, 57% of brands struggle to react quickly when something happens, and only 12% rate their ability to do so as “excellent.” Other challenges include too many layers in the approval process and limited resources and investment. Recommendations include streamlining internal processes and shaping culture rather than chasing it.

Interesting take, wouldn’t you say? I’d be curious as to your take on this report and, given your perspectives, what comments you may have. Let me know, okay?

Hopefully making a ruckus, one blog post at a time!

Be sure to check out my other blog, Joe’s Journey, for selected short stories and personal insights on life and its detours.

Creativity Without Productivity?

Though I’m not sure where I first read this post, I believe its author is a designer named Noah Kay. It intrigued me so I thought I’d pass it on to my fellow creatives, and those who want to be.

I’ve always considered myself a “creative person”. I’ve always been into art, always had a deep appreciation for it. Paintings, drawings, sculpture, music, writings, movies, games, you name it. I have a distinct appreciation for all of them and the uniqueness for what each can accomplish only in their own medium. Eventually design was tacked onto that list and became seriously entrenched in the idea of doing it for a living. And now that’s what I do. I’m a designer, for my real life job, right now in this timeline.

I feel like there’s something I need to create. Something I need to make on almost this instinctual level, but nothing really seems to really hit this imaginary mark I seem to have created for myself.

Looking back I feel like so many outlets for my creativity throughout my life have been rooted in some sort of need for productivity surrounding work or potential work: Highschool and college classes giving out artistic or design related assignments, pursuits for the prospect of getting a specific type of job, or to potentially expand my skills of a job I already have.

I told myself that I want to “get back to making things just for me” about a year ago now, since I was in a “creative rut” for a good 3 years beforehand. Well, less of a rut and more of a prison.

My previous job would leave me so exhausted that the idea of coming home and working on endeavors that didn’t melt my brain was not in the cards. Brain was out of gas. But because I wanted out of my then job, I forced myself to other things. But many of those things were for the purpose of getting a different job or furthering my career: Working for non-profits, honing my skills in After Effects to be able to add that extra bullet point on my resume, working on my portfolio endlessly to make it feel like something I both don’t hate and recruiters don’t hate.

I didn’t entirely hate what I was doing since I had a bit more creative freedom in choosing and executing on these projects, but there was still this veneer of “these things need to make me hirable”. That same veneer was on school projects made through the relatively narrow framework we’re taught in design school. The same veneer was on the extremely restricted world of haphazard corporate design that suffocated me for almost 3 years.

What drew me to design in the first place was the artistic side, which has been beaten out of so much of what we see today. I’ve always loved looking through old design history books, looking at techniques and pieces from non-European designers, seeing how people crack and break that Unimark-crafted framework that has been beaten into us by both big money and Eurocentric dominance influencing design curriculum.

This is the first time in my life that I don’t desperately want to leave my job, I don’t have any mandated assignments to finish, I don’t have any mandated guidelines to follow. And honestly I think that’s why I’m feeling this way because to be honest, I’ve never done my design work like this before. Photography has always kind of been my “fuck around and find out” medium of choice, but applying that same mode of thinking to a form of creativity which I have done my entire life in the exact opposite way is…more difficult.

I think that’s why I’ve been trying other things I haven’t done before too, like this whole “writing” thing I’ve been doing sporadically or even making a couple of YouTube videos that I hope people never see. Mentally breaking that restriction of “will making this get me a job” as the primary motive for whether I go pursuing a project or not. This general sense of aimlessness has me throwing darts at the proverbial dartboard to see if trying something else completely unrelated will tick that box I’m desperately trying to erase.

I tell other people things like this in regards to creativity all the time, “if you like it and you want to try it then fuck it dude, ball out. go nuts. see what happens.” and I really need to start taking my own advice here.

I don’t need to know why, I don’t need to rationalize it, I don’t need to be “productive”, I just need to make.

Where this fellow is a designer, I’m a writer with design instincts. I can relate to a lot of what he says, especially the corporate aspect.

To my readers, I hope you get something out of this as well.