Got a newsletter this morning from self-proclaimed marketing guru Clotaire Rapeille of Archetype Discoveries Worldwide ("the reptilian always wins"). It reports, among other things, that while they're both reptilian, Hummers aren't selling and Minis are because "the Hummer represents the Bush, masculine side - let's go and kill them" and "we are now into the feminine side - everything should be green, protect the environment and be sustainable. The key words are protecting, saving and caring - not attack and destroy."
Whew, that' s a relief. Here I thought it had something to do with geopolitics and the price of gas. But no - no need to do all that work. Just follow the archetypes. Think about one simple thing, not many complex things, and everybody'll be fine.
No wonder this stuff appeals to marketers. Marketers are always looking for the shortcut. Magic beans, not hard work. "All you have to do is... X!" In this case, remember that The Reptilian Always Wins.
It gets worse:
Hillary lost the nomination because she was not wearing a skirt; she missed the feminine trend. She did not lose because she is a woman, she lost because she is not "left" enough of a woman – she is not feminine enough. Nancy Pelosi is a woman surrounded by children and who always dresses like a woman.
Obama won because he was more feminine than Hillary. He is soft, integrative, is not exclusive and for unity. Men make definitions by exclusion. Woman are into inclusion, they make definitions by adding – “this is it, this is it too, and this is also it” and it never really ends. This is the Obama structure. He integrates different countries, different races, different classes and this is what is appealing to the world.
Bush, the Hummer is out, Obama the Mini is in.
More evidence of the joy of simplicity: Adweek sent a bunch of creative directors off to bake some political ads. The sad results are here and there are some additional ones and good commentary here. Head nod to Andrew Sullivan for both writeups.
Sure beats grappling with reality.
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