Paddy Gilmore

Dec 16, 2024 | thedrum.com | Paddy Gilmore

It’s not great. Inflation might be calming, but the forecast for global growth over the next five years – 3.1% – is, according to the International Monetary Fund, “at its lowest in decades.” Sure, many countries might not be in a recession, but it feels like a recession. In the UK alone, the past five years have seen double the number of food banks while a culture of zero-hour contracts and job losses due to AI hardly adds to the festive spirit. Want to go deeper?

Oct 16, 2024 | mediacatmagazine.co.uk | Paddy Gilmore |Mark Byrne |Emily Fairhead-Keen |Olivia Wedderburn

The long-running embrace of brand purpose increasingly seen as an example of marketers living on another planet. Buying a packet of Rana pasta, for instance, we are told to Live Life Generously, but nothing at all about, y’know, pasta. The epitome of this trend is perhaps The Drum magazine’s slogan Marketing can change the world, which sounds both hilarious and bland at the same time.

Jul 15, 2024 | mediacatmagazine.co.uk | Paddy Gilmore |Mark Byrne |Emily Fairhead-Keen |David Juul Ledstrup

Using humour in advertising doesn’t just make people laugh or smile. It can be a critical tool in getting brands that much-needed asset — fame. It does this subtly but effectively, using a technique that’s been used for years by global brands such as Škoda, McDonald’s and IKEA. Humour often functions by playing with a commonly-held view or fact. Take this joke: Did you hear about the cargo ship carrying yo-yos? It sank 44 times.

Oct 2, 2023 | brandsandhumour.substack.com | Paddy Gilmore

Back in February, I did my first Ask Me Anything. Alex Smith of Basic Arts kindly asked: I was looking the other day at a book of mid-century ads: you know the type, like VW’s Lemon [below]. They struck me as incredibly strong, clever, and persuasive, and I was wondering why. Whereas somehow now ads aren’t “selling”… I’m not sure what they’re doing… more stating points of view?

May 1, 2023 | brandsandhumour.substack.com | Paddy Gilmore

Here’s a little quiz. First, take a look at this New Yorker cartoon: Now answer this question:If the answer’s yes, you might find the cartoon amusing. If the answer’s no, you might find it all a bit, well… baffling. Let’s look at it again. The answer? The insect in a bed refers to a short story called Metamorphosis, in which a man — Gregor Samsa — wakes up transformed into a giant insect. It was written by Franz Kafka, the Czech novelist.