INCMI: September

Did you know a hamburger is statistically way more likely to kill you than the AstraZeneca vaccine? Advertising agencies have come together and created a campaign focusing on debunking the myths behind vaccination safety, serving as a reminder that oh, yeah, I need to call the chemist.

Another PSA doing a fantastic job is Adam and Eve’s funny, irreverent Paralympic campaign designed to destigmatise those with disabilities by changing the usual narrative. It turns out that disabled people don’t want to be either pitied or put on a pedestal, but rather treated as human beings. Who knew?

OkCupid’s new campaign is a love letter to inclusivity. Promoting their inclusion of 22 gender identities and 20 sexual orientations when personalising one’s options, their colourful, fun new ads highlight that they are for ‘every single person.’ So you can now come as you are, as a friend, as you want your prospective romantic partner to be.

Mood Tea encourages us to ‘sip selflessly’ with their new ads to combat youth suicide. Over sixty media and marketing businesses have come together to create this new campaign and all profits raised will go towards funding mental health charities which are helping save young lives.

Also making steps to help the mental health of others, Instagram is rolling out new features to combat racism and hate speech on their platform. Featuring stronger warnings and the ability to limit comments to stop those people who randomly join in a post to shout racist bullshit. If only we had that feature in real life, you wouldn’t have to talk to that one weird uncle anymore.

Instagram has also recently decreed that an Yves Saint Laurentfashion ad has breached the health and safety section of their advertising code for featuring a model that’s too skinny, as it turns out forcing women to starve themselves to meet an unachievable goal set by an ever changing industry isn’t actually very healthy. Time will tell if other brands start rethinking the kinds of models they use, even if only out of fear of ad standards.

One change in the fashion industry has been noticed in a recent Vox article linking the rise in thrifting and sustainability amongst young shoppers with the fact that Gen Z has never known a world without unethical fast fashion. Gen Z is rejecting the idea that fashion is inherently disposable and taking a more DIY approach like they’re all Molly Ringwald at the end of Pretty in Pink. The kids are alright, and they can sew now too.

While we’re on the subject of those young whippersnappers, Tiktok has set a challenge to recreate three classic commercials for Skittles,Snickers and Old Spice. Yes, they probably are the ads you’re thinking of right now. Because one thing will always be eternal, and it’s the way everyone can still hear the voice of the man your man can smell like when they look at an Old Spice bottle.

But how do you shine a light on your branding when you work in an industry that hides in the shadows? Sex, drugs and, presumably, rock and roll are front and centre in this spotlight on three products that are part of a taboo industry and the challenges that come with marketing in that world.

The State Library Victoria’s newest collection is highlighting the history of an iconic Australian brand, Redhead Matches. Take a lesson in how design and storytelling can transform a disposable object into something still being collected after seventy years.

For those still not done learning from history, here’s a collection of the top movie taglines of all time, so that you too can start a debate with your roommate over whether it was wrong to rank Superman below Taxi Driver.