FRESH MINDS #004
November 2024
Intro
Welcome to FRESH MINDS Issue 4!
If you haven’t seen this article by an anonymous Junior Creative in Campaign UK, it’s a great reminder of why spaces like FRESH MINDS are important. For those outside the paywall, the dejected Junior creative describes how a constant cycle of rejection and lack of support has them questioning their place in the industry… Ooof.
It’s so important for such experiences and let-downs to be highlighted — to let fellow Juniors know they aren’t alone, but vitally also to encourage conversations around how the industry can better lift up their new talent.
We’ve got BIG plans for our FRESH MINDS community in 2025— think networking, mentoring, training…
Two big, snazzy updates in the meantime…
Join our lil Junior meet-up in January! On Tuesday 14th January at 7pm, we’ll be hanging out in Lauche Soho, if anybody fancies a pint (of juice, larger, whatever you fancy) and to meet some fellow friendly Juniors from across the industry. We’re very nice, we promise! Juniors only for now, soz x
Join our WhatsApp group! If you’d like to receive a monthly reminder of our FRESH MINDS writing prompts and to join a WhatsApp group of lovely fellow Juniors, please reply to freshminds2024@gmail.com!
As ever, we’d love to hear from you if you have recommendations for the newsletter or questions you’d like to pose to our Junior writers.
This month, we asked Juniors to reflect on how the momentous US election results are shaping their view of the future; to comment on the perception of young people as “willing to cancel anyone”; and to suggest what they believe makes a good boss — though only 1 person chose to answer this 👀
We’re pausing the newsletter till January (new prompts are now live HERE), so until we return, we wish y’all very happy holidays!!
Huge ol THANK YOU to our writers and supporters in 2024 🙌
Holding Space for Juniors,
A & Z
P.S. Plz enjoy one of our new very official very great FRESH MINDS press photos
TOPIC 1:
“It’s hard to see an optimistic future (…) they’re reaching a boiling point, making the unthinkable more of a reality.”
As a history graduate, a lot of what’s happening in the world politically is so eerily similar to the JSTOR articles I used to read on the rise of the far right pre-WWII.
Following the US election, I’ve been seeing a lot of short thought pieces going around TikTok on how we should have expected Trump to win anyway. From cultural trends like old money fashion and tradwives to the conservative radicalisation of young men, it was only a matter of time that the far right was going to become mainstream.
However, I do think that there is a need to stop making the US the standard for global issues. While I get that they ‘won’ the Cold War in the 1990s and that they are arguably the world’s leader (again, up for debate), the rise of the far right is something that’s been happening all around the world in both developed and developing nations, whether that’s in Europe or Asia. The US election only confirmed this ongoing, and frankly, terrifying trend.
It’s hard to see an optimistic future, especially for us Gen Zs, in this economic turmoil where many of us are struggling to find jobs or maybe even stuck in jobs that are giving us just enough to scrape by. On a larger scale, geopolitical conflicts, wars and genocides feel like they’re reaching a boiling point, making the unthinkable more of a reality.
- Ally Azizi (Junior Strategist)
“Afraid it can happen at home.”
I’m afraid it can happen at home.
Maybe it is already here.
This strong polarisation of public debate with alternate narratives on all side. Not to be that guy, but I do believe we have got to understand each other more. No one has offered an alternate solution yet.
To stay work-related, how am I suppose to create work that will speak to the majority when there is no mutual agreement or middle ground I can rely on? We are not there yet, right? Right?
- Thomas Clement (Junior Strategist)
“The election weighed heavily on my mind the entire year”
As someone who closely followed the entire campaign cycle, the endless twists and turns felt like a soap opera at times. The election weighed heavily on my mind the entire year, being constantly anxious about how my family (in America) will be impacted by the promises/threats of a potential Trump presidency.
On election night I stayed up to watch the initial polling come in, and my worst fear was confirmed. The American people had spoken. They wanted a convicted felon, promising to take down the ruling class, to run the country.
Now, I hope the incoming presidency shows the world who they really are, but it's hard to see positives right now. I hope that the people on both sides of the aisle stand up for the human rights of the American people. With the current picks it doesn't look likely.
- Benjamin Mehta (Junior Strategist)
TOPIC 2:
“If someone’s behaviour shocks me, I’m not supporting them anymore - no matter how much ‘Bad Boy for Life’ slaps”
I feel like there is two parts to this.
Yes, young people are outspoken. That doesn’t mean they’re “willing to cancel anyone” indiscriminately. I’m outspoken too, but I understand there’s a time and place. Instead of generalising, we should ask: why is the person being cancelled in the first place? Context matters.
Young people - let’s call it the 18-24 y/o Gen Z crowd - are often scapegoated as the problem because it’s the “easy option.” But let’s step back and look at the bigger picture before rushing to critique them. Many times, their outspokenness isn’t about trivial things but real accountability. Only after understanding their reasons should we critique their actions.
For example, when the Diddy scandal broke a few months ago, I discussed it with a coworker who said he’d “still listen to his music, just separate the art from the artist.” After agreeing how serious the allegations were! We were at work, so I silently nodded, but internally, I thought, “WTF?” Celebrities are just people, not immune to scrutiny. If someone’s behaviour shocks me, I’m not supporting them anymore - no matter how much ‘Bad Boy for Life’ slaps.
That’s probably a hot take to even people my age but hey, I’m just being outspoken. Don’t cancel me.
- Tabitha Dudley (Junior Graphic Designer)
“A mixture of ideals and wisdom is essential to become a more tolerant person.”
I love that the younger generations are outspoken, taking no sh*t from anyone and standing up for what they believe in. People shouldn't be silent. A mixture of ideals and wisdom is essential to become a more tolerant person. Cancelling people is a different subject, there are unforgivable things that some people deserve to be ostracised for, but I also believe in second chances for people. As someone who has changed and matured a lot I have made my fair share of mistakes but this is all inservice of becoming a better person in my own eyes.
- Benjamin Mehta (Junior Strategist)
“If this flawed brief is the price to pay to get the job done, come at me boomer.”
First, I'd rephrase it in a less boomery way by "Young people hold others accountable and question the way the world works". Even if sometimes (emphasise on sometimes) there's abuse and they cancel something for a questionable reason, let's not forget fans and audiences have the right to choose to like you or not.
Second, it does not matter if it's true or false because the starting point is wrong. Because "young people" as a groups do not exist. "Gen Z" today designate at the same time people working 2 lowpay jobs to afford rent as well as those projected to be the "wealthiest generation ever" (i.e. heirs).
"Young people" are the young men voting for Trump on mass and the young women who chose Kamala. Same generation, different believes, codes, goals, interests, sensitivities... Different people entirely.
But sometimes targeting "young people" is not a bad idea, I myself have been convinced by the ideas of Byron Sharp regarding the supremacy of mass marketing, so if this flawed brief is the price to pay to get the job done, come at me boomer.
- Thomas Clement (Junior Strategist)
“Previous generations have been boycotting and calling for change for decades, it just wasn’t called ‘cancel culture’.”
The idea that young people are quick to cancel anyone is an oversimplification. Yes, we’re vocal about accountability, but this isn’t new. Previous generations have been boycotting and calling for change for decades, it just wasn’t called ‘cancel culture’. What’s changed is the speed and visibility of these conversations thanks to social media.
What’s often misunderstood is the nuance. People don’t expect brands to be perfect, but they do expect honesty. Owning up to mistakes, addressing the issue, and showing genuine commitment to change can actually strengthen a brand’s reputation. We’ve seen time and time again that when brands are transparent and proactive, they often gain respect and loyalty. What frustrates people is when companies try to deflect or ignore the problem altogether, and that’s when backlash spirals.
The real issue is when brands view this as black and white, either they’re "canceled” or they double down defensively. The truth is, consumers, especially younger ones, are much more open to brands that engage authentically. Not every person approaches accountability the same way; some call for boycotts, while others want constructive dialogue. Brands that understand this diversity and show they’re listening are far better equipped to navigate today’s evolving standards for accountability… And, as a bonus, they also avoid being called out by “outspoken young people”.
- Amy Nicholson (Marketing Strategist)
TOPIC 3:
“Emotional intelligence & giving room to grow.”
- Thomas Clement (Junior Strategist)
Something interesting you’ve spotted?
This new Pokemon TGCP trend. It's incredible how the whole app is engineered to be addictive, with its daily dose of dopamine. And incredible that it works so well (on me too…)
- Thomas Clement (Junior Strategist)
Resources & tips from our FRESH community:
The AI Storm by Stanford University is one of the rare AI systems that manages to avoid one of the main shortcomings of today's AI : reliable, verifiable sources and information. It's an AI that writes wikipedia-like articles on the topic of your choice, random as it can be, with references you can check instantly
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Have some POVs to share? Check out the next month’s prompts HERE.
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