Do you like ironing?

Do you like ironing?

4 Dec

Written By riccardo sai

Or, to put it differently, can brands be the unexpected heroes we need to inspire hope and drive positive change?

Let us tell you a story.

Tonight, as we were leaving our house, we noticed a sleek black van parked just outside.

At first, we assumed it was a cab. But then we noticed the carefully designed, stylish, and minimal typeface logo on the side of the van. It said, "We hate ironing." That's when we realised it was a commercial van, not a taxicab.

We paused for a moment and thought to ourselves, "Wow, that's incredible—what a clever idea." It reminded us that companies and brands exist to help us by addressing a need, also known as a "pain point."

A brand should not instill in us a desire we do not have or persuade us that we require something unnecessary. Instead, it should serve a purpose. Some brands get this concept right, while others go too far.

The problem arises with overconsumption, which tricks us into believing things that aren't true or necessary.

Given where the world is heading and the current state of the planet, brands must shift their perspective. They should aim to be role models, leveraging their communication power and sharp societal insights to provide services and products that the world needs. In doing so, they can encourage us to think differently, inspire behaviour change, and make us believe that a better, more sustainable and ethical world is possible.

Brands have immense power to inspire and move us to act.

If brands can connect their messaging—for example, "We hate ironing," which taps into a universal pain point (who enjoys ironing, anyway?)—to more significant, global needs, such as "We hate climate change" or "We hate plastic pollution," they will unlock an extraordinary opportunity.

We hope more brands will feel empowered to think differently—not only about their internal culture and values but also how they communicate. They hold the power to drive change and influence society in meaningful ways and are essential for creating a better world.