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Brand Purpose & Responsibility

Average is Killing Us.

By Brand Purpose & ResponsibilityNo Comments

Yes. Average is killing us.
Not in the “meh, mid” kind of way.
In the planet’s-on-fire, democracy’s-on-life-support, sea-level’s-in-your-living-room kind of way.

The world is burning.
Not just literally, but spiritually.
And not because of evil masterminds—but because of average ones.
The mildly indifferent.
The conveniently neutral.
The people who say “I’m not political” while doomscrolling in silence.

No, it wasn’t the monsters.
It was middle managers with mid opinions.
It was boards that chose “safe growth.”
It was influencers selling green juice during a civil rights protest.
It was all of us, quietly nodding along because “hey, it’s not that bad.”

Average didn’t just happen.
It was engineered.
In offices, algorithms, and open-plan brainstorms.
Mediocrity became a system.
A culture.
A lifestyle sold in three easy payments and a Buy Now Pay Later option.

We replaced curiosity with consensus.
We replaced depth with deliverables.
We replaced “why” with “whatever works.”

And the worst part?
It feels normal.
Comfy.
Like a lukewarm bath filled with lukewarm opinions.
Safe from extremes.
Safe from progress.

We designed a world where fitting in is rewarded, standing out is risky,
and being brilliant is only cool if it’s profitable.
Genius gets watered down until it can be printed on a tote bag.
Rebellion gets packaged into an NFT drop and sold out by lunch.

And I should know.
I’m The Average Adman.

I’ve sold the slogans.
Branded the mediocrity.
Helped turn radical ideas into digestible deliverables.

I used to think average was harmless.
Now I realize: average is how the worst ideas go unchecked.
Average is what lets crisis become content.
Average is the speed at which the soul evaporates.

So no—this isn’t a call to action.
This isn’t “let’s do better” or “be the change.”
That’s average too.

This is a confession.
A reckoning.
A mirror held up by someone wearing the same black t-shirt as everyone else.

Because here’s the truth:
Average is killing us.
And the scariest part?

We’re clapping while it happens.
We’re double-tapping mediocrity.
We’re subscribing to the end of the world in monthly email blasts titled “Top 5 Ways to Save the Planet (Without Changing Anything).”

We’re watching it all crumble, nodding politely, and saying:
“Well… at least the UX is clean.”

So yeah—Average is killing us.
And we’re letting it.

Because fighting it would mean thinking.
Caring.
Risking our precious LinkedIn Personal Brands™.

But don’t worry.
I’m The Average Adman.
I’ve got tote bags.
I’ve got merch.
I’ve got a training course on how to stand out by blending in better than anyone else.

Average is killing us.
And business, frankly, is booming.

The World is Broken. Your Brand Should be Trying to Fix It.

By Brand Purpose & ResponsibilityNo Comments

CRITICIZING PURPOSE IS SO AVERAGE ADMAN. SO I MADE A POST ABOUT IT, TOO.

The planet’s melting. Democracies are glitching. Billionaires are launching themselves into space while your cousin can’t afford rent.
And somewhere in the middle of this dystopian musical…
your snack brand drops a climate-positive tortilla chip.

Because in the face of global collapse, what we need isn’t policy or action.
It’s branded content.
Short-form. Optimized. Shot in 4K with subtle lens flares and a whispered voiceover that says:
“We believe in better.”

Humanity is crumbling under environmental, societal, and economic pressure…
and brands are showing up with moodboards.
Ticking boxes. Chasing KPIs.
Launching Purpose™ like it’s a limited-edition product drop.

And sure—some brands do try.
Patagonia. Dove. Ben & Jerry’s.
The Holy Trinity of Case Study Slides.
But for every one of them, there are a thousand others trying to solve systemic inequality with a seasonal hashtag and a DE&I panel moderated by their Head of HR.

We keep saying brands have power.
That they should lead society toward change.
But most can’t even lead their own creative approval process without a nine-person Zoom and a six-week delay.

Still, the narrative persists:
“Your brand can be a catalyst for good.”
Translation: Make it look like you care—but not enough to scare shareholders.

Because real change?
That’s hard.
It’s messy.
It’s not A/B tested.

Want to change the world?
Start by paying your interns.
Then maybe don’t brief your creative team to solve racism in 48 hours with a stock image and a pun.

Let’s be honest:
Half of us only discovered social issues existed when your intern suggested a Pride post in 2018.

But now?
You’re here to save the world.
One climate-positive oat milk collab at a time.

Unless your brand is doing more than launching a new SKU with a recycled manifesto…
you’re not fixing anything.
You’re cosplaying impact.

We don’t need more brands pretending to be saviors.
We need fewer pretending they’re not part of the problem.

But still, in my next brief, I’ll probably drop another Purpose Capsule™.
Call it Hope 2.0.
Put it on a tote bag.
Sell it for €101.
(visit store for actual price)

Because if the world’s going down…
you might as well monetize the fall.

So sure—I’ll slap a purpose line under my logo. It’s cheaper than therapy..

And then what happened? As I finish “writing” this article. Chat GTP asks me: Do you want me to write a new article titled How to Save the World in 6 Paid Posts or Less”?