The Most Personal is the Most Creative

This week, YOU, , are joining 1000+ people who’ll get this 3rd edition with a new style.

I’m trying to turn this into a newsletter that’s more example-led with insights ranging from marketing and advertising to copywriting, messaging and positioning.

The first edition has turned out to be pretty exciting.

Let’s get going!👇🏻

When I get really bored, I go down weird rabbit holes on YouTube. One of my favorites is award show speeches.

Whether it’s a comedian giving a wild opening monologue (hello, Ricky Gervais at the Golden Globes) or a filmmaker accepting an award, I get a kick out of seeing how they address the crowd.

One such speech caught my eye again last night.

It was from Bong Joon Ho, when he accepted the award for Best Director for the movie Parasite.

In the speech, he gushes about Martin Scorsese, one of the greatest living directors of all time…

And he mentions a quote that Marty lives by, which has also inspired his filmmaking: “The most personal is the most creative.”

And I’m sitting there thinking: Holy shit.

This is why 99% of marketing feels like it was written by ChatGPT having an identity crisis.

It’s not personal enough. And before you come at me with “I don’t have anything personal,” let me just say: stop lying.

Being personal isn’t just about being vulnerable or sharing your success or failure stories. It can be more—if you allow it to be.

Let me show you some of the best examples of how being personal is being creative…

Example #1

1. British Airways

You don't need either of the two reasons to travel. Sometimes, it's sillier, more personal and diverse.

That's what this campaign celebrates.

Example #2

2. Coors Light

Coors Light intentionally printed a typo on a Times Square billboard and let the internet rage about it. 

When they finally "owned up" to the mistake, they called it "a case of the Mondays" and released special edition "Case of the Mondays" beer packs. 

The campaign sparked a 400% surge in social media conversations.

Example #3

3. Go-to Skincare

On some days, we’re all the kind of people who advise others to prioritize sleep to improve their lifestyle…

And yet our own sleep schedule is more fucked up than folks on LinkedIn waking up early just to write AI comments on everybody’s posts.

Being personal is being relatable.

Example #4

4. Really Good Emails

When Really Good Emails sent out a newsletter with a broken link, they could have sent a boring correction. 

Instead, they sent a follow-up with the subject "Oops! Speaking of Templates..." and turned their mistake into a teaching moment about email marketing.

Example #5

5. Propercorn

What makes this work is that it's written from Cassandra's personal perspective, not as generic brand copy. 

You're literally reading her thoughts about making popcorn, which makes it feel authentic rather than manufactured.

The Uncomfortable Truth About "Authenticity"

Every brand says they want to be "authentic." What they mean is they want to be safely, focus-group-approved, legal-department-cleared authentic.

Real authenticity is messier.

Real authenticity means:

Your lawyers will be nervous (good)

Some people will hate you (even better)

You can't pivot without losing your soul (terrifying but true)

Your brand guidelines are just "be yourself but louder" (revolutionary concept)

The brands we remember aren't the smoothest or safest. They're the most human.

Your Homework

Stop asking "What does our audience want to hear?"

Start asking: "How would I say if I was talking to a close friend?"

That cynical observation? That thing that makes you irrationally angry about your industry? That weird habit your product solves that you're embarrassed to admit?

That's your voice.

That’s it for today!

What do you think about being personal to be creative and today’s newsletter?

Hit reply & let me know your thoughts, !

P.S. Don’t forget to tell me your favourite thing about this newsletter. I’m collecting responses to build the next thing in this space.

Cheers! :)

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