Filed under: Advertising, Airports, Attitude & Aptitude, Communication Strategy, Corporate Gaslighting, Embarrassing Moments, Empathy, Tourism, Toxic Positivity
If you don’t want to read all this shit … just skip to the ad [and the point of this post] at the bottom of this page.
However, if you want the context and backstory … read on:
So I saw this ad yesterday. Yes, yesterday – which means this may be the most topical post I’ve written in 20 years.
And while it is supposedly for Emirates Airlines, the reality is it’s a Dubai Government ad.
Look I get how important tourism is to the nation …
I also appreciate how instrumental Dubai has been in helping change the perspectives of the Middle East …
But while they have been incredibly successful in doing that, the situation in the Middle East has impacted its appeal … as have the claims the Government are clamping down on anyone who uses social media to express a perspective that doesn’t match the image the powers-that-be want to present to the World.
I have friends who have/are living there and it’s fascinating talking to the ones who left and the ones who are still there.
It’s like talking to people who reside o different planets …
And while some of that may be because things have changed in the time they have gone, I can’t help but feel that for the guys still there – who talk to me with a robotic smile – the reasons are either:
1. They fear the possible implications of being found to have said anything negative to anyone.
2. It allows them to deflect having to ask themselves, ‘why are we still here?’
Or said another way, there’s commercial reasons to be deliberately positive.
Could be wrong … may not be such a binary answer … but whatever the reality, it definitely isn’t all Unicorns and Rainbows over there, which is why this ad blows my mind.
Because not does Emirates/Dubai Government fail to acknowledge any element of the situation happening in the region, they basically are doubling-down and saying the World’s media are lying to everyone.
Look at the headline on the fake newspaper at the beginning of the ad!!
It’s straight out the Trump playbook … deny, deflect, dismiss.
OK … OK … so they do say ‘some of the stories are even true’.
And then add ‘we know Dubai is not everyone’s cup of tea’.
But not only do they gloss over it faster than Usain Bolt after 19 espresso’s, they adopt a tone that suggests anyone who is not convinced by their words is a parochial idiot.
Or said another way, even more gaslighting.
And while that approach will probably convince some, for others they will be left asking ‘how do you trust a nation that’s so willing to lie to itself?’
There were so many other ways they could have done this.
Approaches that could have built bridges and provided clarity rather than just gaslight and create greater doubt.
[For example my ‘8 mile’ strategy approach could have been one way to tackle it]
But instead they went for this condescending, patronizing, ego-satisfying rubbish …
Another example of an organization who views ‘understanding audiences’ as an inconvenience when all they want to do is tell people what they want them to think.
Which is sad as Dubai is an interesting place. Full of wonderful people and with a far richer and more interesting culture and history than this work conveys.
So enjoy … it’s a great example of crisis management, wrapped in ego and denial.
Filed under: 2026, A Bit Of Inspiration, Dad, Death, Gambling, Goodbye, Life, Love, Mum, Mum & Dad
This is a weird post but I watched something recently that reminded me how grateful I am I was present for two of the worst moments of my life.
When I was younger, the idea of being with my parents when they were about to die was horrific to me. Not because I didn’t love my parents – but because I did.
Massively.
I’ve written a lot about how wonderful they were.
How grateful I am to have had them as my Mum and Dad … for their unshakeable love, support, encouragement and care – even when I pushed my luck with all that to the absolute extreme.
And it was that force of love that made me think being there when they were about to die, would be the worst pain I could ever experience.
And I was right. It is the worst pain. But it would have been even worse if I’d not been there when it was the end.
Because being with loved ones at the final goodbye is not really about you. It’s about them.
Letting them know they can go without being alone.
That the people who care for them the most are there to give them the love, support and acceptance they need to make their final step.
Is it horrible?
That doesn’t even come close to summing up how bad it feels.
Is it important?
Neither does that …
Because being with a loved one at the most tragic of times helps prepare you for welcoming in the memories of the best of times.
It won’t happen immediately.
It won’t happen without incredible pain and sadness.
It may – like it did for me – require therapy to help you deal with it.
But it will happen.
Because underpinning all of it is the knowledge you were there when they needed you most.
They say when you put a dog down, the last thing they look for is you.
That you are the person who has always given them the sense of safety and love that lets them live the happiest of lives.
Of course, humans are not dogs … but that sentiment feels right.
The ultimate demonstration of love is being with someone at the most painful of times you could both ever face.
And while I appreciate that some people will be physically unable to get there … and while I truly understand the idea of doing it is horrific and tragic … I implore you, if there is a chance to say goodbye at the final curtain – do it.
It is OK to feel scared.
It is OK to be upset.
It is OK to not know what to do or say.
But I assure you, going will make you feel better in the long run.
Because at the end, we all want to feel we showed how much someone mattered to us and we all want to know we meant something to someone … which is why I am eternally grateful I was able to be at my Mum and Dad’s side when it was the end for them. And while it took a long time to move past the final days that relived over and over again in my head – and while I hate I have to refer to the same few photographs I have of them over and over again – I am so happy my mind is now filled with the colour and joy they added to my life.
That they still do.
And I know they would love that too.
Filed under: Comment
So, I’m back and – touch wood – that’s the last major trip of the year.
I know that’s unlikely and I appreciate this is a massive first world problem, but I’ve had enough of long haul for this year.
How bizarre that when we first moved to NZ, I thought that was going to be the end of my life on planes and yet it seems to have become even more extreme – albeit when you live on the other side of the world, everywhere is an inconvenience, ha.
Anyway, as it’s the first day back, I thought I’d ease you [and me] back into the stupidity of this blog and to do that I want to talk about Anthony Bourdain.
Just to be clear, I am not saying he was stupid.
And even if he was, he’d do it in such a magnificent and generous way, we’d all be thanking him for it.
But the reality is he did appreciate the importance of enjoying life. That as much as there are a lot of expectations and pressures placed upon us, doing all we can to find the space to taste a bit of everything is important – best exemplified by this piece of his writing.
Eat at a local restaurant tonight.
Get the cream sauce.
Have a cold pint at 4 o’clock in a mostly empty bar.
Go somewhere you’ve never been.
Listen to someone you think may have nothing in common with you.
Order the steak rare.
Eat an oyster.
Have a Negroni.
Have two.
Be open to a world where you may not understand or agree with the person next to you, but have a drink with them anyways.
Eat slowly.
Tip your server.
Check in on your friends.
Check in on yourself.
Enjoy the ride.
The thing that few talk about is how hard it was for him to learn this.
How long it took him to understand this.
Which is why – as brilliant and valuable as it is – making sure we teach this to kids is arguably even more important than waiting till everyone is an adult.
And that explains why I adored this piece of writing from American author, Kurt Vonnegut.
In a world of seriousness, trying stuff – for the sheer pleasure of trying stuff – may be the most sensible way to ensure you get to live a life rather than are worn down by it.
Filed under: 2026, A Bit Of Inspiration, Career, Children, Comment, Daddyhood, Emotion, Empathy, Experience, Love, Loyalty, Mental Health, Mum & Dad, My Fatherhood, R/GA
This is my last post for a week because I’m away for the next 10 days.
I know. Again.
And as ridiculous as my travel itinerary has been this year, this trip is the most ridiculous of them all.
Not for where I’m going, but why.
And with whom I’ll be rubbing shoulders with.
But that’s for another day – especially as this post is earnest-as-fuck and my trip is arguably superficial-as-hell [even though it’s not] – so I’ll see you a week on Tuesday and until then, remember that sometimes the best way to show you care about someone is to not do anything special for them.
Read on, it will hopefully explain all …
So as toxic as social media is, there are still moments where good things shine through – and I saw one of them this week.
It’s this:
Now whether this is a real message or not – I’m not sure. But what I do know is it not only reflects the sort of situation many people are experiencing right now, but it’s how I hope I’d respond if Otis ever found himself in a similar situation.
Too often – especially with parents, or more specifically male parents – we try to ‘fix’ problems that our loved ones face. And while it no doubt comes from a good place, sometimes all we need to provide is reassurance that we love them, we’re proud of them and we empathise with the situation they face but don’t judge them for it.
No pressure.
Not expectations.
No forcing yourself into their situation.
Just love, empathy and – I can’t stress this enough – normality.
If you’ve done a good job with your kids, they will hopefully work it out for themselves or ask for some help if they can’t. And while being interested in what they’re interested in is important – that doesn’t extend to making demands of them or adding additional pressure to them.
This is even more important when a child is in a situation they didn’t ask for or hope for … of which losing a job is one of those situations.
Too often redundancy suggests the individual failed, rather than the company.
This is not by accident.
Companies love to suggest this narrative as it means the focus of attention is on the individual rather than the organization and the shame attached to redundancy keeps the person quiet so the company can act in public like all is well.
I talked about this in The Observer Newspaper back in 2020 when when I found myself being made redundant by R/GA … and while my ex-employer generally treated me OK, I still heard comments from people that seemed to suggest I should feel embarrassed I lost my job and was being professionally irresponsible speaking so openly about it.
Look, no one wants to lose their job, but it happens – and it’s going to happen a fuckload more as corporates increasingly value short-term profits over long-term trust and responsibility – which is why my attitude at the time was the more people knew I was on the market, the more likely I would find someone who wanted to take me off it.
And I was lucky because that is exactly what happened.
But a lot has changed in the past 4+ years in terms of how companies operate … and given I have a young son who will one day need to find his own career path, I guess that’s why that Twitter/X message made such an impression on me.
But the real lesson in it is that it doesn’t matter how old you are … everyone needs to feel there is someone out there who sees – and values them – for who they are, not what job they have or what things they own.
That doesn’t mean you provide blind faith.
Nor does it mean you offer false promises or hope.
It simply means you know when the best thing you can do to show how much you care, is to do absolutely nothing special for them.
Because at a time where there is so much ‘performative’ compassion, sometimes, the greatest gift you can give someone is ‘mundane normality’.
Something I now realise my parents were also brilliant at doing.
See you on Tuesday the 27th.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Agency Culture, Attitude & Aptitude, Colleagues, Corporate Evil, Corporate Gaslighting, Work
Back in Jan 2021, I wrote a post about the ridiculousness of ‘unlimited leave’ policies.
By that, I mean companies pretending they mean it when we all know that they would lose their shit if someone said they wanted 4 weeks off, let alone 4 months!
Which is why I found this post I saw on Twitter/X recently, so funny.
Because while it’s taking the piss, it’s also never been so serious in its life:
