readtrung.com

Nathan Fielder and the Most Meta Documentary Ever

'There were certain things that are not true,' Arnold explained about Pumping Iron. 'And that's why we never called it a documentary, we called it always a docu-drama because certain things were created in order to make it more interesting because it was very clear to us that the only way we could raise the money for the movie was by making it more dramatic. So therefore, let's create some drama, some conflict. Let's create a villain. Let's create a hero. Let's create the guy that has the psychological power over people.'

whyisthisinteresting

The Better Mousetrap Edition

For most consumers, brand has functioned as a research shortcut. Nobody generally has ten hours to hone in on the greatest mousetrap, mattress or dishwasher, so we outsource the decision to familiarity: the name we've heard, the logo we trust, the thing our parents bought. "Nobody ever got fired for buying IBM" is perfect shorthand.

whyisthisinteresting

The Streaky Vinyl Edition

This is a much smarter idea than inventing another artificial flavor. The company takes the unavoidable residue of production that's normally discarded or cleaned away, and sells it as a mystery. A transitional record is the same thing, except it gets listed on Discogs, with somebody claiming that 'the black streaks make it sound warmer...'

lennysnewsletter.com

60+ new creative growth ideas

Attention always goes to what people don't see coming. The unexpected gets shared for free, remembered for months, and usually costs less than one week of ad spend.

whyisthisinteresting

The Pizza Hut Classic Edition

What is most interesting to me is this isn't really a stunt, but something that cost some CapEx, and also likely required some serious crate digging into the archives. It's an interesting example of a brand leaning into some latent emotional equity, and not just turning it into a campaign, but doubling down with actual spending and immersion.

whyisthisinteresting

The Multi-Player World Cup Ad Edition

It's why you have never seen Messi (Adidas) and Ronaldo (Nike) square off in a World Cup ad, despite it being the single most obvious creative idea in the sport.

whyisthisinteresting

The Saturday Selection, Vol. 103

Before purchasing the dress, she was asked to sign a legal waiver acknowledging that the dress did not represent her current size.

whyisthisinteresting

The Monday Media Diet with Tom Junod

one of the ironies of writing a book is that your publisher asks to you sharpen your Instagram skills so that you can sell it on a platform that is wildly post-literate and is the same time the home of many writers dancing as fast as they can to create attention for the product of all that sweat and toil.

readtheprofile.com

The Profile: The companies gamifying truth & the parenting guru who built a massive business

A lot of brands mistake data for real insight. You don't learn about people or culture by reading research reports or by studying them afar.

whyisthisinteresting

The Casual Fridays Edition

A small island industry didn't just manufacture demand for a product, they manufactured an entire social norm.