Wardour

The Oxford Word of the Year for 2024 is brain rot—and it's capturing widespread attention.    First coined by Henry David Thoreau in Walden (1854), the term originally critiqued society’s decline in intellectual effort. Today, it describes the overconsumption of trivial, low-value online content—a trend that has gained massive traction, particularly among younger audiences.   Viral trends like 'Skibidi Toilet' videos and 'only in Ohio' memes are frequently associated with brain rot (if you're not familiar, consider yourself lucky). While much of this is humorous, there's a growing concern about its mental health impact, especially for kids and teens.   For marketers, this shift is a clear sign that online culture is increasingly shaping offline language – and embracing new phrases and memes could help brands stay relevant and in tune with the latest trends.   That said, quality still matters. Balancing engaging with trending content while maintaining value will be key for brands moving forward.

ICYMI 👉 This Wednesday our Executive Director Ben Rosser will be chatting with Grant Thornton UK's Maria McDonagh. Together, they'll dive into what defines a strong client-agency relationship to make sure everyone is getting the most bang for their buck 💥 Don't forget to tune in on Wednesday at 11am! Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/e5yJfvV2

Cut through the noise with our storytelling workshops 💪 Partner with Wardour’s strategy team for a half-day workshop built on established storytelling principles that can set you up for success in 2025. Because content should count. Get in touch today.

Check out 2025 social trends from our Head of Social Media, Seonaid Strachan 👇

A happy, productive partnership is the key to business success: so how can clients protect their investment and get the most agency bang for their buck? On 4 December, join Wardour's Ben Rosser and Chief Marketing Officer at Grant Thornton UK Maria McDonagh for an in-depth talk about the joys - and the frustrations - that can come with working with an agency. ✍️ Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/e5yJfvV2

What’s so wrong with ordinary?   Today’s brand repositioning from Jaguar is a lesson in rebranding in a vacuum.    The brand has opted for a 70’s space age nostalgia-come-luxury fashion brand style that ultimately alienates its core customer groups, in an effort (it would seem) to get to new ‘younger’ ones.   The question on many commentators minds is “how did this happen?”, and it really is as simple as keeping their focus too narrow in favour of the potential buying power of ‘trendier’ audiences, and forgetting about the heritage and history that has served the iconic brand for decades.    Ultimately, it has lost sight of its core purpose and value in an effort to ‘delete ordinary’.     To us, this edgy stance is about being different for the sake of it, rather than speaking to their ‘ordinary’ audience. But it’s this ‘ordinary’ audience that celebrates the brand heritage that has made Jaguar “Jaguar” for decades.    We’re intrigued to see how Jaguar (and parent JLR) respond to the backlash its already received. Perhaps even more so, we’re intrigued to see what’s coming – from a glance at the website, we’re in for a campaign built around content (our predictions are influencer collaborations…but maybe they’ll opt for a luxury magazine…)   If you’re in the market for real content, built with purpose, get in touch. #Jaguar #Branding #Purpose

The subject of food is often debated at Wardour HQ.   With a few Americans in the office, chocolate in particular is something we can’t quite agree on. But yesterday, a lunchtime debate turned into a full office discussion about the nomenclature of different chocolate treats, or candy as our US colleagues will call it.   We discovered the beloved British MilkyWay is more like a Mars bar to our friends across the pond, and if you stick an almond on top of a Bounty, it’s an American ‘Almond Joy’. (We also agreed that Bounty blows it’s American counterpart out of the water when it comes to branding🌴)   While sweet treats are so often associated with childhood memories and, as we get older, grown-up respite, the experience of a treat is ultimately distinctly personal.    What will next week’s snack delivery unearth, we wonder?

✨"Why should I care?"✨ A question we have front of mind here at Wardour when developing content for any audience, and a question talented Writers and Directors like Ollie Parsons are asking themselves too. The 'so what?' factor helps us to define content across multiple audiences, and engage them in the most powerful way - whether that's for social media, articles, web-pages, digital magazines or, in Ollie's case, for award-winning character writing. Interested to learn more? Get in touch to see the full 'Storytelling with power' webinar.

What's the best way to beat the anticylonic gloom? Getting out of the office! Last week, CEO Martin MacConnol, Chief of Staff Julian Thomas and Content Director Leah Kennedy Clarkson leaned into the gothic autumnal vibe, heading offsite for one of our agency's favourite activities – facilitating a messaging house workshop for a new client in Cambridge. The best antidote for indifferent weather is always the warm spark of collective inspiration! #CreativeAgency #MarketingAgency #WorkTravel 

Did you catch our founder, Martin MacConnol, on Antiques Roadshow this weekend? Martin brought along a family heirloom—a diamond necklace passed down through generations. "I love this piece. As a little boy, I remember my grandmother wearing it, then my mother, and finally, in 2021, just before she passed, she gifted it to me for my wife to enjoy," Martin shared. Check out the full story here: https://lnkd.in/eWGn8ruA