A time machine for the client who wanted it yesterday.
Something ugly and ill-considered for the client who only knows what they do like when they see something they don’t.
A traditional, white-collar job somewhere like Ancestry.co.uk, BBC Weather or “iPad” for your Boomer relatives who don’t understand what you do or where you work.
A stocking full of coal for the in-house lawyer who said (and I quote) “Branding people are SO annoying”.
A cup of coffee and an hour of your time for the juniors and new grads finding their feet in a really weird market.
A third monitor for your kid who wants to watch Bluey on your lap while you work.
A round of applause for those who shared awesome strategic thinking this year. Most notably Sonder & Tell’s The Word newsletter, FF Studio’s admirably lo-fi g-doc series, Robert Jones’ Brand of the Week on LinkedIn, and Lauren Sherman’s Line Sheet for Puck.
A forever bookmark for those who made content that moved you and changed your perspective. Shout out to my friend Noor Norman for Why I’ve Decided To Delay Taking Testosterone As Part Of My Transition, Ann Friedman for her serialised essay on her uncertain and ambivalent journey towards motherhood, and Andrew Benfield and Richard Horsey for their radio series on the Yeti.
A tidal wave of gratitude and good vibes for the friends and industry peers who championed you this year, who make it all worthwhile. For me, that’s Zosia at Opening Line, Tom and Tom at Outsiders Agency, Dan at Green & Sons, Tom Cavill at Supercritical, Dan Howells, Rex at Oldie Films, Nik Roope, Richard Houston, Anna Goss at FF Studio, Jack Laurence, Steve Price at Plan B Studio. Ben Philips at Mekanism, Alice, Tom and James at Koto, Lucinda at Sonder & Tell. Scott Suiter, John at Work Less Ordinary, Ally Carter, Natalia Castanho, Bee Eveleigh-Evans, and – last but not least – Joe, Mark, Katy and the whole gang at That Thing.
And, for you – my lovely, clever, curious subscribers – a huge thank you for your ongoing support and conversation. Unlike The Fashion of Business “sister substack”, which I just didn’t manage to get to in Q4 and will pick up again next year, I have recently completed a large, self-initiated project that I made with you in mind and based on your input. I think you’re going to love it and find really useful. More on that in January!
Happy holidays all!