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INTERESTING HUMANS PODCAST: EPISODE 16
Today’s guest, Chris Sadlier, has worked in advertising for 25 years. He’s currently Creative Director for a Detroit-based advertising firm, GTB, an affiliate of WPP, one of he largest advertising agencies in the world. He’s worked throughout the country and the world on ad agencies large and small creating collaborating on print, tv and now digital advertising.
My instagram feed is exactly like my brain—scattered and broad. It runs from images and reels of idyllic travel destinations with waterfalls and mountains, to runners on trails, to depictions of van life, to accounts of my friends’ kids being cute between Zoom school classes or their pets stealing the show, to artist friends displaying their latest work, to tons of architecture and design articles.
In between are advertisements. I have to admit some have hooked me too. I’ve bought healthy snacks from the tropical rain forest, smoothie powders from a nutrition company, workout shorts and sneakers, cleaning products, even these nifty tablets that dissolve into toothpaste. And it’s not just Instagram. My Facebook page has ads too; when I look up certain products I’ve been curious about, the companies follow me onto both my Facebook page and the online pages when I’m reading the New York Times or local news too.
It’s election season and I’ve been thinking about ads quite a bit lately. I grew up in the 1970’s in a different era of advertising. Advertising was carefully regulated and a place with incredible creativity. Today we are barraged with an unending array of commercials before, during and following programs so that in 30 minutes you get 15 minutes of ads. Social media is so packed with ads that every other post is a an ad for something.
CLASSIC CLIVE OWEN COMMERCIAL FOR BMW: https://youtu.be/rco6XEbwNf8
That’s the thing about online advertising. It’s less generic and much more targeted, which to me is a bit scary. Especially after the release of two documentaries on Netflix, 2019’s “The Great Hack” and more recently, “The Social Dilemma.”
The Great Hack explains the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal and how millions of data points were collected and specific information was filtered to people’s Facebook feeds to influence both the 2016 US elections and the Brexit in the UK.
Even scarier is The Social Dilemma, which details the specific use of advertising and content on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and other platforms to keep us hooked and to boldly affect our opinions and our behaviors and to generate millions of ad revenue dollars for the platforms. If you haven’t seen the film I recommend you watch it and watch it with your kids if they are into social media.
This discussion is far ranging and I warn you, it gets political at times. While Chris’ focus is his main client, Ford, he is an astute observer of trends, both in advertising and culture and he brings it all here. Hope you enjoy today’s conversation.
LINKS:
Chris, Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/csadlier212/
The Great Hack, Netflix: https://youtu.be/iX8GxLP1FHo
The Social Dilemma, Netflix: https://youtu.be/uaaC57tcci0
Jude Law for Johnny Walker Blue ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWEv2Z2e9NE
Alexander Skarsgård for Calvin Klein: https://youtu.be/Udk6uinLkIk
Clive Owen for BMW 5 SERIES: https://youtu.be/rco6XEbwNf8. Funny Jeep commercial: https://youtu.be/p_CvNP64g4g
INTRO AND OUTRO MUSIC FOR INTERESTING HUMANS: Wildes https://youtu.be/apL4dG2ObAo Website: https://www.wildesmusic.com/