FRESH MINDS #007
March 2025
Hey folks!
Welcome to edition 7 of FRESH MINDS!
This month’s fresh musings consider the dangers of the ‘Rage Bait’ online phenomenon, plus a lighter lament on the struggles of defining your office aesthetic as a Junior.
We hope that wherever you are reading this, the sun is shining, the wifi is strong and you’re working on projects that excite you!
Hasta la pasta,
A&Z
P.S. Juniors — next month’s prompts will be updated in the form at the start of April, but feel free to answer the open prompt if inspiration hits in the meantime x
We showed Juniors an example of the type of ‘Rage Bait’ commentary common across Socials (screenshotted to avoid giving that particular post any more traffic), and asked them to discuss the phenomenon of Rage Baiting…
“I find rage bait most irritating because it intentionally weaponises people’s passion“
It’s irritating because I’ve seen the beauty of an amazing hook. And I appreciate there’s a spectrum with rage bait, trolling and shit-posting at the end of it.
I usually don’t label content as rage bait. I mean, when does content deviate from clickbait to engagement farming to rage bait?
To cut through the noise and catch attention, content needs a strong hook. Even outside of the industry, an engaging hook is accepted and, at times, celebrated. A good hook can be missed. When you do notice it, it might catch you off guard; make you smile as you nod, knowing you’ve been caught in the trap.
A step further throws you back to 2015 YouTube with crazy story-time titles and the guaranteed disappointment that clickbait offers. Last year, I saw the term “engagement farming” being tossed about. In that case, it can be clear. Like a TikTok obviously claiming a lie to entice comments from people eager to correct.
So where’s the line? How else do you differentiate? Perhaps it’s more to do with the type of emotion that’s provoked. Or, maybe the severity. Does it need to go beyond the initial hook to be classed as rage bait?
Biased, I know, but where and how I’m consuming massively impacts things. When scrolling Twitter, I swipe on by deeming it rage bait and refuse to engage. But, my algorithm and Instagram feed offers less combative or controversial content. So, I might say it’s clickbait, engagement farming or a random piece of content that opposes my typical consumption and views - not necessarily rage bait.
Clickbait feels open about the deceit, and engagement farming knowingly unsophisticated.
I find rage bait most irritating because it intentionally weaponises people’s passion and beliefs for only the creator’s benefit. Then worst of all, tries to smugly hide behind genuineness with a shabby disguise. Honestly, it feels kind of insulting when you’ve seen the art and craft behind a fab hook.
- Ibukun Oluleye (Brand Executive)
“Despite its name, it’s not all bad and it also depends on who exactly you’re offending“
Rage bait comes in different forms, but what they all have in common is their unified goal in trying to gain reach and engagement.
Despite its name, it’s not all bad and it also depends on who exactly you’re offending - the Jaguar rebrand could be classified as rage bait with how mad it got all our auto bros out there; the Pot Noodles ASMR ads have also annoyed people who squirm at the amplified chewing and eating noises; the recent Boots Christmas ad made everyone mad with its diverse and ‘woke’ cast. Controversial as they are, they’re not totally bad. In Adland where we’re told to be disruptive (I know I gave myself the ick typing this overused word) and unconventional, we’re bound to be behind some rage bait content even if we don’t mean to wildly provoke people.
At the same time, nonetheless, there’s the other type of rage bait that’s potentially dangerous in the age where the internet is freely accessible and speech is democratised. We’ve been seeing it across a range of influencers from the slow-life, trad wives of TikTok, to random LinkedIn bros, where people actually believe in the content that they post. They believe that Nara Smith actually cooks and bakes in her extravagant gowns everyday all by herself. They believe that the best way to talk about marketing is to use inappropriate body analogies - and don’t even get me started on Elon Musk.
As more and more people believe in these extreme mindsets, rage bait starts to become normalised and impressionable online audiences, especially minors, would begin to think that these are societal expectations.
It’s not always bad to be controversial, but you have to think critically - is whatever controversy I’m about to disseminate on the internet going to productively contribute to a more progressive society? Is my content or ad going to address actual societal issues in the face? There’s never going to be a right answer for this as humans perceive things differently from each other and have various lived experiences and perhaps what one person sees as progressive is actually regressive and vice versa…
- Ally Azizi, Junior Strategist
Genuine conundrum, hear me out — what should you wear in an office as a Junior?
Admittedly, on the list of challenges faced by Juniors (paying rent, fighting to secure another placement, comprehending econometrics, etc…), fashion is hardly the most serious issue — but that doesn’t make it insignificant.
After all, it’s a dilemma faced 5 days per week.
(Though only half a dilemma on WFH days, when you can still get away with pyjama bottoms).
Heading into an environment where you already feel an outsider, desperate for acceptance, the importance of feeling confident in how you show up can’t be understated.
Staring at your reflection in the bus window, hoping this’ll do.
Do you attempt to dress up smarter, to maybe appear a little older, wiser, more ‘professional’?
Do you exhume the worryingly crusty iron from deep within your landlord’s supply closet?
Do you pick exclusively monochrome fits, because that seems safest and will help you blend in?
Or do you attempt to embrace the Junior stereotype and work hard to curate an edgier, ‘thrifted-this-weekend’ aesthetic?
Do you mimic your bosses’ style, in the hope that’ll subconsciously buy you respect?
Do you steal from your mum’s closet, or pick up Zara staples?
Do you go for punchy slogan tees that can help spark conversations?
Do you embrace the unofficial, but somehow universally accepted department uniforms of Adland: smart-casual chic for suits and marketeers; stripes and big specs for Strats; informal yet edgy attire for creatives.
As a Junior, you’re in a strange, paradoxical place of wanting to fit in, but also to be noticed.
Do you try to show you understand the latest trends?
How do you navigate the concerning ‘office siren aesthetic’, and balance guilt around fast fashion with wanting to show up looking your best, on a minimal budget?
Do you feel your authentic self will be embraced in the office?
Will it advance you, or could it set you back?
Are old stereotypes around different styles or even cultural fashions actually as accepted as we’d like to hope?
I’d love to say that we’ve moved well beyond caring how people appear - that as long as you’re moderately clothed and fully capable, you’ll be treated based on your ability, not your style.
But we all know it isn’t fully true.
Particularly in an industry where ✨PERSONAL BRANDING✨ is preached like gospel.
From what I can observe, there comes a point where, once you’ve made your mark / sufficiently flogged your personal brand / proved your value / simply done it enough times you don’t care what others think, it seemingly becomes easier to rock a two-piece suit on a Tuesday, or wear exclusively pink, or football shirts…
^This iconic Kardashian meme is playing in my head as I type… because what you wear into the office probably isn’t worth losing sleep over. But when you’re desperate to feel part of this world, to be liked and respected, feeling like you’ve made the right decision to start the day, is significant.
So the way we dress matters, and for the foreseeable future, I’ll continue to second-guess my outfits, my untameable fly-aways, whether my glasses are funky enough, my backpack too basic, my trainers too scuffed…
- Alex, Creative Strategist
Resources & tips from our FRESH community:
Check out InsanelyNormal — a great blog created by a great marketeer, encouraging us to be more open and honest about Mental Health in Adland
Thanks for supporting FRESH MINDS
Have some POVs to share? Check out the next month’s prompts HERE.
We’d love to hear your feedback: freshminds2024@gmail.com