In today's missive, we're reflecting on sad boy thirst trap advertising, sharing some work, dissecting the freelance market, joining in the in/out trend (had to), and spotlighting another brilliant brand leader.

 

 

 

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past week, you'll have seen the ubiquitous new Jeremy Allen White campaign for Calvin Klein. As far as reach and earned media go, surely this is a win! The same goes for Paul Mescal's recent outing for Gucci, in which he gives horsebit loafers a new resonance with a pair of white athletic socks and a soulful gaze. Both of these men are at the white hot center of the zeitgeist. And as a prototypical, heterosexual Millennial woman, I don't hate it. Not one bit.

 

But while on one hand, Gucci and Calvin Klein have hit the bullseye by casting Paul and Jeremy for these campaigns, there's something about it that feels a bit obvious to me. Following – not leading – the cultural conversation.

 

Since the dawn of time (or at least Hollywood), the value exchange of celebrity spokespeople is simple: brands earn credibility, talk value, and cachet by their association with famous faces (and abs). Actors earn serious cash, which allows them to be choosier with their roles and more strategic with their careers.

 

It's a fair trade, and it works well for both parties. But for me, the most exciting examples of fashion advertising and celebrity endorsements have an element of surprise about them. If we look back at Alessandro Michele's early tenure at Gucci, he made the moment, rather than drafting off it. Loewe recently featured Dame Maggie Smith at 89 years young, looking fierce as anything. 

 

But back to the boys. 

 

Loewe's recent Jamie Dornan series does, at least, have an element of newness to it. This is not Jamie circa “50 Shades of Grey". He's older, wiser, and hotter than ever. Prada's embrace of Euphoria's Troye Sivan brings Gen Z to the party, but again, there's no smiling or joy to be found.

 

I suppose it's a reflection of the time we're living in that these beautiful men we're talking about are all shown looking wistful – brows furrowed, jaws clenched. But then again, maybe it's just because they've not spent their whole lives being told to smile?

 

I was struck by a headline in Campaign last week: “Why Many in Adland Might Quit and Go Freelance in 2024.” It felt remarkably behind the times to me. When I set out as an independent brand strategy consultant in the spring of 2019, I felt (for once) like I was right on time with the cool kids. But perhaps we've only just reached the tipping point.

 

There are over 72 million freelancers in the US. Even Google is powered to a large extent by non-employee talent. And it's not a mystery why: the pandemic happened, we have the technology to bridge physical and operational divides, the culture of remote work has changed, people have reevaluated their priorities, and flexibility benefits both companies and workers. You don't need me to tell you any of that.

 

But what might be interesting to you is the three things I've been surprised by since becoming a freelancer/consultant/solopreneur:

 

 

Coming up through creative agencies, especially big ones, it's very easy to lose visibility into other people's roles. Strategists are told (allowed?) to nerd out on research and deck writing, without worrying about pesky jobs like scoping and chasing invoices. Similarly, account leaders are told (allowed?) to focus on profitability and client satisfaction, without diving deep on the data or strategic recommendations. Having spent time on both sides of this divide has given me greater fluency than many of my fellow strategists who've gone out on their own.

 

 

Even with the strongest agency-client relationships, nurtured by smart and committed people on both sides of the equation, there's still a strong sense of “us” and “them”. As a solo artist, I've found myself able to become a member of the client team in a way I don't think would ever have been truly possible while working for an agency. In turn, this has led to deeper personal relationships – even true friendships. And it's these relationships that have, in some instances, led clients to bring me with them as they've changed roles or even companies. It's not to say that this doesn't happen within the confines of agencies, but I think the opportunities for this level of relationship are greater as an independent player.

 

 

Here's the thing: freelancing isn't for everyone. Plenty of people in my life have found themselves missing teams, predictability, management, resources, benefits, or any number of other aspects of employee life when they've been freelancing. But man – when it's a good fit, there's just no going back.

 

 

 

We don't really know what's on the horizon. Sure, we've skimmed all those trend reports, but isn't it more fun to throw out some hunches & wishes for the year ahead?