Our Exciting, Viral Lives
Greetings from The Internet, where we recently made an Instagram account — partly because our Gen Z population has recently doubled, but mostly because we're all about the people we work with and we want to show appreciation for them the best way we know how: on social media. Click that follow button for exclusive Behind the Scenes looks at our WFH set ups, our Slack channels, and a healthy dose of merch-envy.
We've also added two new members to our team in November, so suck it Covid-19. They are:
Heather Freiser - VP, Clients
Heather comes to us by way of Likeable Media, Contently, and Bloomberg TV, and most importantly from Beginnings bar in Long Beach which she co-owns with her husband. Her job, other than basically running the company, is to supply us with booze for our holiday parties.
Ben Harris - VP, Interns
Ben comes str8 outta winter break from college, but he's also the co-founder of his very own agency, Two Big Doors. LHC: where even our interns have their own companies.
On to the #content:
The perpetual presence of the past
If you've noticed that more and more marketing campaigns are turning to vintage aesthetics to take their audiences on nostalgia trips through 70s typography and retro inspired styling, you're not alone. Every brand, it seems, wants us to remember the good old days.
Moodboards in particular are becoming ubiquitous on social media, with brands flashing us their inspirations on Instagram — a deep pop culture cut here, a saturated clip of a vintage ad there. In 2020 of all years, this makes sense. Who doesn’t want to be reminded of slightly less insane times? And since social distancing makes original content more challenging to execute, it’s easier for brands to turn to the recognizable aesthetics of yore.
In a lot of ways, this strategy takes the guesswork out of creating elaborate marketing campaigns. By leaning on pop cultural ephemera, brands reap the benefits of nostalgic good-feelings and even get cool points if they introduce their audiences to more niche references.
But there’s a danger in relying too heavily on nostalgia: the past wasn’t all good. There’s a reason ads don’t look like they did in the 70s — our values have changed. Many old campaigns focus on status symbols and visions of success that feel outdated and even elitist. Some brands like Sporty & Rich, which started as an Instagram mood board, have found success in their specificity but have also recently come under fire for their narrow scope of reference. And as audience expectations for diversity and representation are increasing, those old ads can seem out of touch and problematic.
In a recent study, Getty Images found that younger consumers are looking for more substantial representation which reflects their cultures and lifestyles. Acclimated to algorithms and personalized experiences, they want images that feel true to their real lives. So while they may engage with a brand posting stills from 90s movies or retro Jordans ads, true brand loyalty will come from a dedication to what they’re feeling and experiencing in the present.
For now, the moodboard thing is working. And every decade leans a little on the former ones to find its shape. But the appeal of escapism is ephemeral. Brands can’t build lasting identities by staying in the past, and moving forward means recognizing the flaws of even the things that bring us nostalgia.
Things are happening
Did Trump just … forget about banning TikTok?
Salesforce is buying Slack. We’re thinking about buying Slack shoes.
Marketing buzzwords keep getting stranger but still none of them help us explain our jobs to our relatives.
Science news has really been hitting lately – mostly, the vaccine and this study about our bond with dogs.
Thinking about: obscure Pavement B Sides and the ever-elusive Spotify algorithm.
Spotify Wrapped is out and if you weren’t listening to our playlists, then what were you listening to?
It’s officially December, which means we’re getting fucking festive by sending bougie client gifts and moonlighting as merch deliverymen.
What We're Listening To
It’s that time of year when it gets dark egregiously early and the hours preceding are depressingly dreary at best. And while we’re putting happy lamps on our holiday wishlists and commiserating over Zoom, our new intern, Ben, calls in from California where apparently they still know the sun. Enter Ben’s playlist, “Sunny Day,” through which he keeps our serotonin from fully depleting with songs that either have the word “sun” in the title or feel like they should.