Six totally realistic marketing predictions for 2021
From drunk shopping and sponsored souls to the rise of 'menimism' and the advent of 'out out of home' advertising, Culture Editor Amy Kean cracks open her fortune cookies to see where the industry in 2021 is most definitely headed.
Selling 2021; young creatives rise to next year's biggest challenge
After the year we've just had, you'd be forgiven for not being too excited for the one that's around the corner. We challenged a cavalcade of young creatives to inspire and excite us for the year ahead, with some brilliantly unusual results.
How not to... hate your brain
In this edition of our new video series, How not to..., Amy Kean chats to Amelia-Eve Warden, the "award-winning and bullshit-smashing entrepreneur", about mental health, toxic work cultures and the crushing banality of 'head-clutcher' pictures.
The Imposter Virus, and why hurt people hurt people
If you've ever felt under-qualified, over-promoted or out of your depth, says Amy Kean, it's not you, it's them: the bullies and belittlers whose own pain compels them to spread torment like a virus. From a 15th century misogynist to an experience much closer to home, Kean examines how Imposter Syndrome isn't something you have, it's something you're given.
The ad world’s unproductive obsession with TikTok
This month, in Amy Kean's ongoing series about culture within advertising, she examines the industry's obsession with - but lack of understanding about - TikTok. “It’s like Reddit or Mumsnet, but with fewer nazis and mums,” says one junior creative who thinks agencies are missing a social media trick.
Tomorrow's creatives: How has the pandemic affected the industry's next generation?
This new series sees our Culture Editor, Amy Kean, talk to younger members of the industry about a range of topics. In her inaugural piece she asks junior creatives how the events of 2020 have affected them, if working from home has been a boon, and whether the industry is doing enough to support them.
How not to... be a terrible person on social media
In the first of an ongoing, monthly series about various aspects of culture and their impact on advertising, shots' Culture Editor Amy Kean talks to comedian Sooz Kempner about how to conduct yourself on social media and avoid being a Reply Guy, or worse...
Social media is breaking us; why we need something radical to save ourselves
Social media; enabler of free speech and global communication tool, but also harbinger of 'Reply Guys', spiralling depression, increasing suicide rates and 'angry, racist, sexist, red-faced Tommy Robinson fanboys'. Is it time social media was blocked?
Give me some f*cking credit; should petty creative thieves be punished?
When does inspiration become outright theft? Why do some people think it's ok to spin your idea as their own? This month Amy Kean examines advertising's fine line between inspiration and appropriation.
Stay classy! Why we need to unpack adland’s beef with common people
The power of voice has been a hot topic in advertising circles of late. But, in Amy Kean's latest column, there're no Alexas or Cortanas involved, just old fashioned class bias, the deification of gravitas, and a plea to listen without prejudice.
Feeling depressed? Have a bagel (and other weak attempts at creating company culture)
Free snacks and unlimited coffee does not a happy organisation make. Having seen first hand the toxic nature of some companies' so-called culture, and the debilitating effects of shameful contracts, Amy Kean states that the industry needs to be far more accountable for the mental well-being of its employees.
Liars & lipstick pigs: why lockdown has revealed an urgent need for media revolution
From brands' attempts to 'premiumise' products to Facebook's fabrication of its origin, the truth is harder to divine than ever. Trust in the system - and especially in the media - is eroding at an alarming pace so, argues Amy Kean, now more than ever, we need to prioritise integrity over tradition.
