Last week, we all witnessed the world’s richest man give what was blatantly a fascist salute. While some dismissed it, it is hard to look past the fact that Elon has been flirting with the far right for a while now, openly supporting the likes of Tommy Robinson and the AfD. Yet what was equally worrying was the total lack of response from our industry.

A 2019 study by Ipsos showed advertising to be one of the least trusted professions in the world. Is this really a surprise when we consider how rarely our profession steps up when it really matters? There is almost a constant cognitive dissonance at play in our industry. Because despite many of us pushing brand purpose for over a decade and heralding campaigns such as Dove’s Real Beauty or Bodyform’s Viva La Vulva, we too often remain quiet when it really counts.

Look, I get it. Many of you are scared. Scared to take a stand and get muddied in politics. You worry about the effects it may have on current client relationships & new business. Yet, looking at the bigger picture, let me show you why taking a stand isn’t just the right thing to do—it might actually be the best thing for the bottom line.

Purpose works

Let’s look at breakthrough brands unlocking exponential growth in their respective categories. Liquid Death is taking a stand against plastic bottle pollution and is now valued at over $1bn. Duolingo is shaking up the boring education system and is now valued at $15bn. And Olipop is taking the fight to Big Soda and is now valued at $800m. While these brands operate in different categories, they share common traits. First, they push back against everything wrong in their legacy category. Second, they don’t have to do it in a worthy or serious way. In fact, the best embrace humor, wit, and charm. 

Turning back to our industry, perhaps we can learn from these brands and unlock exponential growth by doing the right thing. Because in an industry with record-low trust scores, where so many leaders remain silent when it really matters, taking a stand is the ultimate point of disruption.

Am I saying we have to be overly political and worthy in all we do? No. Am I saying we should leverage what we do best; creativity, humor, and sparking conversation? 100%. In fact, at a time when so much of new media is owned by a powerful few, Musk included, the need for creative ways to call truth to power has never been greater. Because while the bro-ligarchy may be able to manipulate algorithms, remove fact-checking, and push their own agenda, we have to lean on our most powerful weapon: creativity.

The legendary Bill Benbach once said:  “A principle is not a principle until it costs you money”. Yet perhaps in a world where big agencies all look the same, and rarely take a stand, having principles can do wonders for your bottom line.