Filed under: 2026, A Bit Of Inspiration, Advertising, Agency Culture, Aspiration, Attitude & Aptitude, Cannes, Clients, Collaboration, Conformity, Consultants, Content, Context, Contribution, Craft, Creative Development, Creativity, Culture, Football, Professionalism, Rigor, World Cup
Once upon a time, newspapers were dismissed as ‘tomorrow’s chip shop’ packaging.
Many would consider themselves fortunate to be described in such a way today.
Most people either see them as outdated, irrelevant or simply the play thing of the rich and powerful.
And while many are increasingly relying on ‘click bait’ headlines to drive any sort of reach and impact – occasionally, you read something where you just want to clap at the brilliance of the writing.
During the World Cup, I saw such a piece – of which the image above, is part of it.
It revolves around the ex-USA footballer and pundit Alexi Lalas and as character assassination pieces go … this is top tier, pro-hitman standard by The Guardian.
They’re not wrong either …
Though I couldn’t help think it could also be a description of 73.6% of the tech/consultant/holding company attendees at Cannes.
The people who speak with unshakable, absolute certainty, despite having never actually done anything of note.
Nothing.
And yet, that doesn’t stop them judging, passing-comment or undermining whatever anyone else does. Or thinks.
Or worse …
Claiming their approach is revolutionary when it isn’t, especially when you see the drivel that comes out the other end.
A perfect example of how gusto and blind confidence is destroying our industry by people who evaluate success by profit, not work.
Of course money is important but as someone once told me, “anyone can make money, but its what others experience and remember because of it that reveals whether you’re full of shit or not”.
There’s a lot of shit out there right now.
In very senior positions.
So here’s hoping it’s not just The Guardian who pierce the flimsy steel bravado shell of these big talking peddlers in the future.
Not because hate is good … but we won’t create the conditions for good to thrive again unless we start calling out and fighting for what is right.
You can read the rest of the article here.
Happy bloody Monday, hahaha.
Filed under: 2026, Advertising, Airports, Attitude & Aptitude, Birthday, Brand, Brand Suicide, Creativity, Culture, Customer Service, Effectiveness, Experience, Loyalty, Management, Marketing, Marketing Fail, Privilege, Professionalism, Reputation, Travel, Trust, Uncommon, World Cup
The next few weeks are big for me.
My birthday.
Jill’s birthday.
Paul’s birthday.
The World Cup starting.
Trips to LA, Milan, Berlin, London and Amsterdam.
Meetings and dinners with legends of film, fashion and music.
And a bunch of lovely planners in Germany, hahaha.
I’d love to pretend I’m nonchalant about it all, but that would be a massive fucking lie as I’m exited to fuck about it all – bar my birthday.
But this post isn’t about my impending weeks of mega-madness, it’s about the madness of dealing with British Airways.
I am in the incredibly lucky situation of having someone pay for all my flights.
Better yet, they are paying for them to all be Business Class.
I booked on Air New Zealand, who – because of the flight itinerary – also scheduled some of the flights on BA.
So far. So good.
Having chosen my seats on Air NZ, I went to BA to do the same with them … except my booking reference didn’t work.
I then tried logging into my British Airways Frequent Flyer account, but got the same response.
No problems, maybe they use a different booking reference, so I contacted Air NZ to ask – and they told me, they use the same number and so it should work.
So I tried again. Nothing.
So I tried calling. No answer.
So I tried their chatbot. No reply.
It was getting frustrating so I went on the website to see if there was another way to contact them and there was.
A customer service contact button. So I clicked on it and what did I find when I did that …
A postal address.
A fucking postal address!
They want me to write – from New Zealand – to work out why my booking reference number doesn’t work. Mind blowing.
But it gets worse …
You see, I went back to Air NZ and told them the situation and they said they would talk to BA on my behalf. And they did.
So after 3 attempts for the website to accept my login details, I go on there to choose my business class seats and what do I find?
Yep, they want to CHARGE ME for choosing a seat.
This on top of the fact it has already cost a fuck-ton of cash.
Now I appreciate this is a first world problem.
I totally get I’m incredibly fortunate to be able to experience this.
But it blows-my-fucking mind that BA wants to charge me even more money to choose which seat I fly in – especially when airlines like Air NZ, let you do it when you fly economy.
Now I should point out BA have said once check-in is open – ie: 24 hours before the flight leaves – I can choose my seat for free, but apart from that still being bollocks, I am pretty sure when I try to do it, they’ll tell me I have to mail in my request by post.
Uncommon have done some amazing work for British Airways.
They have elevated their standing and prestige with some beautiful work.
And the line they created – A British Original – sounds great, until you remember that the British Leyland Mini Metro and also one of those and was a fucking shit experience as well.
Filed under: 2026, Comment, Football, Loyalty, Nottingham, Nottingham Forest, Sport, World Cup
The football season is over …
I should be happy because not only did Forest get to the semi-finals of the Europa Cup, they will be in the Premiership next year … their 5th consecutive year in the top flight, which is their longest period since the Premiership began, way back in 1992.
Add to this the impending World Cup and I should be basking in football delight.
But I’m not. If anything, I’m suffering from PTSD.
Yes, I appreciate to use a term like that could be deemed disrespectful to those who have truly suffered – but it genuinely is how I feel thanks to the mental and emotional impact Forest’s season has had on me and the disgusting way FIFA are approaching the World Cup in the US.
Now you can say this is ridiculous. And on one hand I’d agree with you. But while nothing surprises me in the behavior of FIFA – and the US government – Forest has been a deep part of my life for pretty much all my life and while it may appear to have been a positive season, it’s been anything but.
Put simply, this season has been a shitshow.
The sacking of a beloved manager.
Followed by the appointment of 2 disastrous choices.
Resulting in us needing to hire a 4th manager for the season. FOUR!!!
Which led to the constant mocking of the team, owner and management by media and opposition fans.
A season of almost unprecedented underperformance.
Endless unnecessary, self-destructive decisions that caused pain on and off the field.
The constant, realistic pressure and threat of relegation.
The tragedy of seeing players suffer injury and – in Elliott Anderson’s case – personal loss.
In fact, if it wasn’t for basically the last 6 weeks of the season, it could have been one of the worst seasons in the clubs entire history.
What made it even more worse is that after 3 seasons of fighting for our lives to stay in the Premiership, we had an unbelievably successful season last year – resulting in us getting into Europe for the first time in 43 years.
FORTY THREE!!!
This filled the fandom with excitement and dreams … the belief this was the start of a new era for the club, one filled with the sort of nights and memories that previous generations never got to experience but heard about from fans who were there for Forest’s magical run from the late 70’s to the late 80’s.
But instead, we faced a torrent of turmoil and the impact – mentally – has been huge on me. And no doubt countless others.
Is that ridiculous?
Of course it is … especially for me, given I have such a charmed life by all accounts.
However, the old Liverpool manager – Bill Shankley – once perfectly captured the impact a team can have on a fan when he said: “Football isn’t a matter of life and death. It’s more important than that”.
Now I’m not saying Forest are more important than my family, but it is far to say they feel like an extension of my family.
Over half a century they have helped define who I am and where I’m from.
They’ve forged memories and moments that will stay with me for the rest of my life.
They’ve created friendships and connections that are truly significant to me.
They’ve made me feel proud of the city I was born in and the team I support.
They’ve shaped my identity, values and beliefs about how the World game should be played.
Huge and important things and in return, I’ve given them time, commitment, money and belief.
I’ve stuck with them through the darkest of times.
I’ve celebrated them in the moments of glory.
I’ve travelled ridiculous distances to show my support.
I’ve got up in the middle of the night and early in the day to see them.
I’ve endured rain, sleet and snow to watch them get thrashed by lesser opposition
I’ve backed them, defended them and protected them when faced with unfairness or ridicule.
I’ve never wavered, even when they’ve tested my patience to the extreme.
It’s why I don’t ‘support’ Nottingham Forest, I am a member of them.
Admittedly not on the pitch, but definitely in terms of my thoughts, choices and considerations … which is why seeing them do so badly for so much of this past season, was like watching a loved one go through major illness. Where you’re there for them, but you wish you weren’t.
Not because you don’t care, but because you do.
Too much.
So there every moment of pain and discomfort destroys you with a similar ferocity.
Yes, I appreciate most of the players don’t come from Nottingham.
Yes, I appreciate all the players earn more than I could ever imagine.
Yes, I appreciate most of the team would move without hesitation in certain circumstances.
But while they play for my club, they are my family.
It’s why when they were going through their constant run of losses, it started to harm me.
Changed my mood.
Impacted how I behaved.
Affected how I was feeling
It’s also why, when they found their spirit – even if they lost the game – I experienced feelings of hope that were completely disproportionate to the reality of the situation.
Because when you support a team, the reality is it gets conflated with who you think you are.
Or hope to be.
Your hopes, dreams, ambitions and possibilities.
So, when they fail, you feel you’re failed too.
In terms of who you are, who you can become and who you give your time, love and support and time.
It’s a level of attachment that – if it was with a human – would be deemed as highly problematic.
Which helps explains why – despite the club taking a massive step backwards over the previous season – Forest fans are incredibly happy we will be in the top tier for another year.
Not simply because we love Forest, but because it means our ‘fan delusion’ can continue for another season too. Where all the hopes, dreams ambitions and possibilities we have for the club’s future represent the hopes, dreams, ambitions and possibilities we have for our own future too.
Because sometimes, it’s less about achieving our goals as much as it is knowing they haven’t been erased.
As they say, ‘it’s the hope that kills you’ … but it is also what keeps you coming back.
Filed under: Apathy, Attitude & Aptitude, Authenticity, Childhood, Context, Corporate Evil, Culture, Emotion, Empathy, England, Entertainment, Football, Mediocrity, Music, Nottingham, Nottingham Forest, Paul, Queen, Sentimentality, Sport, World Cup
Recently I came across this photo of the old Wembley being demolished …
And while I know the new stadium is better – albeit with terrible wifi/phone signal access, which is ironic given it’s sponsored by O2 – there was something about that photo that made me sad.
Of course it’s because I’m a sentimental fart.
Because despite seeing my beloved Nottingham Forest gain promotion in the new stadium, that old one has even more significant memories for me.
Live Aid.
Seeing Queen there.
And the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert.
Not to mention Bruce Springsteen, Madonna and countless other bands and singers.
Then there’s watching Brian Clough lead Nottingham Forest out for their various cup finals.
There was something magical about that old stadium when I was growing up.
It was the pinnacle. Where World Cups and Legends were celebrated and made.
And while there were other venues around the World that could lay claim to a similar standing … this was mine. In England. In our capital. A way to reinforce that for all the Madison Square Gardens and Giant Stadiums out there, we had ours. We still mattered. A bit.
Now I should point out I’m not saying this from a xenophobic ‘ENG-GER-LAND’ perspective … I mean it more in the same way I viewed Raleigh Bikes in Nottingham.
And while we replaced Wembley with a new and improved version – which is far more than Raleigh managed to do – there’s something about that photo that still hurts.
Not because I don’t love change – because even though I’m a sentimental, old fart, I do – but maybe because the replacement feels a bit soulless. Designed to look the part without ever really demonstrating they understand what it takes to be the part. Efficiency over character. Optimisation over soul. Money over memory.
I get this is probably only felt by people of a certain age.
I get the times have changed and so Wembley is not as unique as it once was.
But what shapes our identity is often the weird, the inconvenient and the personal symbols of possibility … and somewhere along the line, we’ve been made to think these aren’t as important as efficiency and complicity. Of course the irony of this thinking is that this is the sort of shit that is keeping us down rather than lifting us up.
Or maybe that’s exactly what some people intend it to do.
Jesus, I’ve become a conspiracy theorist now. That’s all we need.
See you tomorrow. Unless the FBI pick me up before then.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Advertising, Agency Culture, Attitude & Aptitude, Brand, Craft, Creative Brief, Creative Development, Creativity, Culture, Emotion, Football, Nottingham, Nottingham Forest, Sport, Wieden+Kennedy, World Cup
Once upon a time, Nottingham Forest were magic.
So magic, they were Kings of Europe. Twice in a row.
So magic, they had a song about it.
So magic, Adidas used them as proof of their football credentials in ads …
That team was amazing.
I even remember those boots.
But I must admit I don’t remember Adidas being the ‘science of sport’ – even though that is the most German sport tagline ever written – all I remember is that at my school, Adidas stood for All Day I Dream About Sex”.
Even though I probably didn’t even know what sex was back then,.
And while I still find it hard to accept my beloved team wore the football gear of the enemy – though I did try to get NIKE to sponsor them, once even including it as a recommendation in a strategy deck which was met by howling laughter – I accept it is nice to see at least one international brand recognised their incredible achievements.
But for all that, Adidas – and Nottingham Forest – will never beat Nike for this.
Still the best World Cup spot. Ever.
Unlikely ever to be beaten.
And trust me, we tried. Hard.
Which maybe says more about what clients want these days than creative ambition.
Maybe,