In 1944, a marketing campaign for Grape Nuts would be unleashed called “Eat a Good Breakfast — Do a Better Job”. Radio ads used to say: “nutrition experts say breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” This marketing phrase became soaked into our lexicon ever since.
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When they were writing this legendary horror film, the creators asked themselves: “What’s the cheapest thing we can do?” Their answer: “Two guys in one room with no windows. We’ll chain them up so they can’t go anywhere. We’ll keep them in this room. That’s cheap. That’s all we’ve got the money for.” They hit the nail on the head: ” It’s weird, I think restrictions can give you freedom sometimes.”
The third Monday of January is supposedly when national sadness peaks. But it has no basis in science: Blue Monday was dreamt up by now-defunct holiday agency Sky Travel in 2005 as a way to sell more winter holidays. To be fair they commissioned a former university lecturer to calculate the day, but the calculation was largely subjective (e.g. time passed since Christmas).
The iconic Japanese toymaker is no longer just a toymaker – it’s a high-margin global licensing platform. Nearly half of its revenue now comes from royalties and IP partnerships.
What temperature becomes dangerous for the elderly? Both extremes: -3C has the same mortality risk as 27C. The safest is right in the middle, at 17C.
17 year olds and 85 year olds don’t have much in common, but dangerous driving is an exception.
Being underweight is just as dangerous as being obese. In fact, many people who are deemed as overweight (according to BMI) have a lower mortality risk than those deemed as healthy.
80% idea, 80% execution
An idea is only as good as the way it's expressed.
Advertising DOES work on me
Ads can stay in our heads forever, even if we never buy the brand.
Bad market research
Lazy thinking makes it hard to gauge public opinion.
Bothism
In a world of binary thinking, we forget that opposites co-exist.
Clever innovation
Creative ideas for brand growth and behaviour change.
Comparative advertising gone wrong
Showing another brand can prove superiority, but only if it's clear who is advertising.
Consumer first thinking
Catering to the needs and behaviours of real people - not marketers.
Creativity copies
Forget true originality. Creativity requires external inspiration.
Culture shaped by marketing
Brands largely fail to tap into culture - but a rare few shape it forever.
Cursed success
Awards aren't always beneficial.
Do things that don't scale
To get big you first need to think small.
Easy preferred to best
We like decisions that require little effort.
Familiarity bias
We like what we know, regardless of merit.
Framing effects
Value is a matter of perspective.
Friction as a force for good
In a world of seamlessness, brands can stand out by making life hard for consumers.
Goodhart's law
When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure.
Great expectations
Beliefs have the power to shape reality.
Humans behind the data
Numbers are objective, but the people who make them are not.
Identical extremes
Polar opposites actually look the same
Inferring meaning where none exists
We use complex theories to explain events, but the truth is more straightforward.
Innovating by saying no
Brands often win by limiting their options instead of expanding them.
Intelligent naivety
It's easy to break category norms when you don't know they exist.
IRL will never die
The internet provides unparalleled freedom, but nothing beats the in-person experience.
Joy of constraints
Forget creative freedom. The best ideas come from restrictions.
Knowledge ≠ power
Information isn't enough to spark action.
Magical language
Words don't just describe our thinking - they shape it too.
Making data concrete
Numbers need context to be meaningful.
Marginal gains
Small changes make a big difference.
Misleading metrics
Don't take statistics at face value.
Myths that aren't true
Our understanding of the world is often based on fiction.
New normal that never was
Covid-19 changed our behaviour forever...or did it?
Old school Behavioural Science
The field was created in the 2000s, but its principles are centuries old.
Penetration led growth
Brands grow by expanding their usage occasions.
Perverse incentives
Be careful what you wish for.
Power laws in the wild
A lot do a little and a little do a lot - and a reminder that averages are often meaningless.
Power of brands
Brands - both people and products - are the ultimate trendsetters.
Power of distribution
Less celebrated than ads, but vital for brand growth.
Products of our environment
Our behaviour is shaped by forces outside our control.
Random legacy
Our rules and frameworks have strange origins.
Redefining the category
Categories are artificial - they can be re-shaped for success.
Revenge marketing
Examples of brands built out of spite.
Say doesn't equal do
Our actions reveal our true intentions.
Selfish innovation
The best source of inspiration is our own frustrations.
Shifting status symbols
The way we show off has evolved over time.
Slowly then suddenly
Not all behaviour is linear: some moments count more than others.
Social desirability bias
We care deeply about what others think.
Tech is neutral, but we are not
Human subjectivity still dictates how technology is used.
The (not so) golden rule
We don't treat others as we treat ourselves.
To speak to many, speak to one
Reaching a mass audience first requires sharp focus.
Topsy turvy behaviours
Products are used in unexpected ways, by unexpected people.
Topsy turvy business models
Businesses have surprising revenue streams.
Veblen goods
The more expensive they are, the more we like them.
When fiction becomes reality
Stories have the power to shape society.
When history rhymes
Nothing is ever as new as we think.
You are not the consumer
The more experienced you become, the more detached you become from the people you serve.
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