Ironically, in the age of AI, that may be exactly why brands should reconsider it.  We are entering a world where polished, competent communication is abundant. AI can now write headlines, captions, scripts and campaign ideas with frightening efficiency.

But efficient is not memorable.

The more AI-generated sameness floods our screens, the more people will gravitate toward things that feel recognisably human. Not just human in language, but human in observation, timing, imperfection and wit.
Humour carries those fingerprints.
Not because AI cannot technically generate jokes. It can. But real humour rarely comes from structure alone. It comes from social observation, emotional intelligence and recognising the tiny absurdities of everyday life that everyone notices but few articulate.
That is why people trust comedians.

A good comedian walks onto a stage with nothing but observation and delivery, yet entire audiences lean forward because they believe this person understands something about life they themselves have felt but never fully expressed.
That is powerful territory for brands.

Science supports this too. Humour releases dopamine and endorphins associated with pleasure, bonding and reward. Studies have also shown humour improves memorability and lowers resistance to persuasion.
In simple terms: when people are amused, they become more open.
And consumers today are exhausted.
Exhausted by interruption.
Exhausted by hard selling.
Exhausted by algorithmic sameness.
Exhausted by “buy me, buy me, buy me.”
Humour cuts through because it does not arrive as a demand. It arrives as a gift.  I think about shows like Cheers and The Bob Newhart Show. The humour was often understated and observational. Sometimes you had to work a little to get it. It respected the audience enough not to overexplain itself.

Modern advertising often does the opposite.
Everything is over-signalled.
Over-written.
Over-explained.
Over-reviewed.
Over-approved.
But sophisticated humour trusts the audience.
And trust is a branding asset.
Who decided categories like banking, mayonnaise, mortgages or investments must permanently speak in the tone of a tax form?
Humour makes serious subjects more approachable and emotionally intelligent.

The challenge, of course, is that humour is difficult. Timing matters. Tone matters. One wrong read can turn clever into cringe very quickly.
Which is precisely why humour may become even more valuable in the AI era.  Because while AI can generate competence endlessly, genuine wit still requires taste.  And taste is hard to automate.
Maybe that is where brands need to find their funny bone
Not louder.
Not more chaotic.
Just more human.

I’m serious.  Get funny.

The post Humour Me appeared first on Pepper Advertising.

Because the way we consume messages changed.
Nobody “reads ads” the way they used to.
They scroll. Glance. Half-watch. Start and move on to something else that caught their eye.
So if your whole system is:
“Make sure the logo is there and the tagline is at the end”, then you’re relying on the weakest kind of branding = compliance branding.
And before anyone runs to the comments section; yes, I said it and I have company too in Marty Neumeier, one of the most influential modern thinkers on branding, design, and brand strategy.  He’s especially known for challenging logo-centric, surface-level branding.
“A brand is not a logo.  It’s a person’s gut feeling about a product, service, or company.”  The new rule is recognition.  Not ritual.

Strong brands don’t build memory with a logo alone.
They build it with a stack of distinctive signals, repeated until their audience can spot them in half a second, like:

• pack silhouette
• dominant colour field
• a framing device (badge, keystone, ribbon, pattern)
• typography style that’s recognisable
• characters/icons
  and yes, also the logo as confirmation.

Because here’s some truth from another guru:
“If people don’t know who your ad is for, you have just wasted your money.” – Les Binet

And taglines?
Most taglines aren’t distinctive enough to do real work.
They sound “brand-ish”.
But they don’t trigger memory.
A tagline only earns “sacred” status if people can see it without the logo and still know it’s you.
If it can’t do that, it’s not a brand asset, it’s just copy.
One practical test for Marketing & Brand Managers
If I remove the logo, can the audience still tell it’s us?
If the answer is “no”, your brand codes are too weak.

So, if your brand disappears the moment the logo is removed,
 you don’t have a branding problem.
You have a recognition problem.
And no amount of logo policing, font enforcement, or tagline worship
 is going to save work that isn’t instantly identifiable.
Your logo isn’t the brand.
Build a system people recognize from a mile away

The post Stop Worshipping the Logo. Start Building Memory. appeared first on Pepper Advertising.

It used to be table for two, just me & you
Now is ah whole set a people in the stew

You told me that you didn’t love him
And you were gonna say goodbye
But if you really didn’t mean it
Why did you have to lie?

Once a upon a time, I was your world
The only way your products got sold

If you had had a sudden change of heart
I wish that you would tell me so
Don’t leave me hangin’ on the promises
You’ve got to let me know

Influencer, in-house graphics, Canva
Freelancer, 99 designs , your new fella

Oh, how I wish I never met you (won’t go that far)
I guess it must have been my fate
To fall in love with someone else’s love
All I can do is wait
That’s all I can do
Ay, yeah

Now AI come and you stop calling
Me and my accountant now bawling
But I’m not giving up on you
All of dem just passing thru

If the world was ending, I’d wanna be next to you
A good wukkin’ ol’ ting, better than that whole crew
I promise to make your brands soar and you too
If the world was ending, I’d wanna be next to you.

Happy Valentines to all pepper’s clients who still love us and to the others, thank you for when you did. Where is the love?

The post Where is the love? appeared first on Pepper Advertising.

Confession: I wasn’t always a fan of influencers. But I have come around, because people trust them.

Influencers have moved from the fringes of marketing to its front lines, yet they still sit awkwardly between channels. Are they PR? Digital? Word of mouth? The answer is yes. They’re the new distribution system for social proof.  Marketing frameworks I grew up on named the big five drivers as: advertising, PR, direct mail, sponsorships/events, and digital. Today, we should add Word of Mouth and Experiences/Community. Influencers live where those three overlap: credibility, scalability, and conversation.

When (and When Not) to Use Them
They work best when you need relevance fast, demonstration, or borrowed trust, like food, beauty, or tech tutorials. They struggle when the category is low-interest or heavily regulated. One FMCG marketer said:
“An influencer is repeatable word of mouth. You’re paying to make it happen on Tuesday, not hoping it happens in six months.”

In B2B, it’s the same idea, just slower: credibility beats reach. Think respected experts, not entertainers.

Macro, Micro, and the Mix (in T&T numbers)
Macros (25K+) bring signal and speed. Micros (10–25K) bring engagement and local relevance. Nanos (<10K) bring authenticity. The strongest programmes blend all three, visibility, believability, and community.

How to Choose
Start with fit, not followers:
 1. Audience match
 2. Content style and tone
 3. Engagement quality (real comments)
 4. Brand safety – keep an eye on posts for language, values, or partnerships that could clash with your brand’s image
 5. Performance history
As one brand manager put it:
“Will our brand look like an invited guest on their feed or an interruption?” or  alternatively, “are they over promoting, trying too hard, people spot fake love”

How to Use and Measure
Think in programmes, not one-offs. Combine:
– Campaign activations (launches, holidays)
– Evergreen creator content
– Community collabs (lives, cook-alongs, events)
– Measure both outputs (reach, engagement, saves, clicks) and outcomes (traffic lift, redemptions, search volume). Compare influencer CPMs or cost-per-engaged view to your paid media benchmarks.

Where AI Fits In
AI already underpins discovery (fake-follower checks), briefing (auto-generated creator guides), and analytics. Some brands test virtual influencers, but the real power is hybrid, AI for scale, humans for trust.
AI helps us spot the patterns, “AI can tell you who performs best on paper, but it still takes human judgement to know who people will genuinely listen to,” said one agency director.

Influencers: where PR meets the group chat.
Influencers are a way to humanize and distribute every other channel. When chosen and measured wisely, they help brands do what every marketer is now asked to do: achieve more, with less.

The post Influencers: where PR meets the group chat. appeared first on Pepper Advertising.

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Brands give themselves awards.
They pay to receive them.
They pay to collect them in fauncy ceremonies that often involve tuxedoes and long dresses.
They pay for the pictures of themselves paying for awards and then pay to put it in the press and all over the place.
They shop at award factories and leave with a shelf full of validation.

All so they can say,
“Look! Someone with a spotlight machine says I’m a star.”

And for a moment, for just a moment, the world believes them.  But what sweet in goat mouth does sour in he bam bam.

Because awards don’t make you better. Results do.  You can’t buy results; only build and invest sweat equity. Work that connects people to brands in distinctive ways, in the case of ad agencies.

So what if we agencies recognized the real stars?
The creatives, the thinkers, the doers.
The workers who sweat, sketch, code, edit, and make the connections happen.  Not the snake-oil salesman buying empty accolades to varnish their reputation.

We could:
Celebrate peer-to-peer recognition, where colleagues honor each other’s contributions.

Send personalized notes of gratitude that actually show we see the work.

Highlight real achievements, not just the glossy outcomes.

Invest in growth opportunities: training, mentorship, stretch projects.

Offer flexibility and trust; respecting the balance that fuels creativity.

Share the story behind the work so that effort is visible and valued.

So yes, polish your trophy.  Frame your plaque. Toast your “win.”

But let’s also build a culture where work gets recognition. Where merit is earned, celebrated, and shared. Where the work, not the award, is the only true judge of excellence.

Whoever said that money can’t buy you love have not been on LinkedIn. Not all certificates are certified.

Picture shows trophies coming off the assembly line at the Award Factory, destined for a full page ad or social media post near you.

The post A Ward of Caution appeared first on Pepper Advertising.

What Changed (15 Things)

1. From partners to vendors. We used to be the confidants. Now, we’re sometimes the salt-passers. Solution: earn our seat back through sharper insights, not louder voices.

2. Speed is the new strategy. “By tomorrow” is no longer an ask.  It’s the default.

3. DIY first, call Pepper later. In-house teams try, then reach out when the campaign needs more than Canva or an artist with a resume thick like a dollar note.

4. AI: the uninvited intern.  The prompt is the biggie.  Then the massaging.  Don’t use that machine without experience.  Handle with care.

5. Budgets under the microscope. Every proposal now gets CSI-level scrutiny. Answer: transparency plus showing ROI.

6. Talent on tour. Creative nomads hop quickly. Our retention hack? Keep the culture spicy and the work meaningful.  And always learning.

7. Tech is now the measuring stick. If you don’t have the tools, you don’t get the briefs. Solution: invest smart, not big.  And don’t chase the tool of the week.

8. Creativity married speed. The honeymoon phase is over.  Fast and good is the only acceptable union.

9. Results or bust. No one buys “cool” anymore unless it delivers clicks, shares, or sales.

10. Collab apps killed email hell. Slack and Drive turned “Can you see this?” into “It’s already in the thread.”

11. Blurry lines. Clients co-create. Sometimes that means “partnering.” Sometimes it means “too many cooks.” Either way, sometimes it’s best to let Pecos rob the train by himself..

12. David still beats Goliath. Small agencies win with agility, chemistry, and local smarts.  And they more hungry.

13. Less fluff, more stuff. Big metaphors are fine, but big clarity gets approved.

14. Specialists win. Trying to “do it all” looks like “doing it halfway.” Niche agencies stand out.

15. Culture is king. Trini humour, Carnival colour, Caribbean insight  Global trends won’t land without local seasoning.

What Hasn’t Changed (5 Things)

1. Tactics still tempt. The quick win often trumps the long game.

2. Relationships matter. People still buy people. No app or AI 10.5 replaces trust.

3. Ideas survive. AI drafts are fine, but goosebumps still come from human thinking.

4. Strategy matters. Clients need guidance.  Sometimes with a nudge, sometimes with a push.  Cajones sometimes come in handy.

5. Ethics endure. Automation can mimic tone. It can’t mimic integrity.

Shout-Out

Big thanks to every Pepper team member, past and present. You’ve kept the wit sharp and the hustle human. And to our clients, you’re the ones who kept Pepper in the pot. Without you, this would just be a bright idea scribbled on a vomit bag you get on the plane.

The post Two Decades Later: The Briefs Got Shorter, In more ways than one appeared first on Pepper Advertising.

• Find a consumer insight
• Differentiate
• Zig when others zag
  Because what really worries me isn’t that AI will do too much.
  It’s that we’ll stop doing the real work.
  All the mentorships,
  trade visits,
  brainstorms,
  promotions,
  press conferences,
  media schedules, campaigns and new product launches
  That we’ve lived
  They are what equip us to manage AI, not worship it.
  If we stop doing what falls under the 4 P’s
  with passion and discipline,
  we’ll be like the emperor in his new clothes:
  Dependent on the magical powers of AI,
  and naked of any real skill or talent.
  So yes,
  Learn AI.
  But also,
  Keep learning to think.
  To discern.
  To sell.
  To persuade.
  To zig.
  Or to zag.
  To be a good marketer.
  Because, if we abandon the craft,
  if we unlearn the chase,
  if we trade instinct for autocomplete
  we’ll be marketers in name only.
  Polished. Efficient. And empty.
  And the worst part?
  We won’t even notice we’ve been replaced.
  (photo: My ChatGPT collab for Carnival 2026. You can see. I’m no Minsh)

The post The Emperor’s New Clothes appeared first on Pepper Advertising.

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“I don’t know what it is, but it’s shiny, so it must be good” -18 year old (f) at Starbucks

this was said off the cuff, but may reflect how people value things
shiny things are valued more than unshiny things
that’s why we foil print an invitation or POP to raise its premiumness
shiny things are tactics
relatively easy to do, once you have the cheque book and of course the PO
and then there are shiny things as metaphor
any passing fad, or style or new graphics or video treatment that is popular
anything that’s getting plenty attention
we want
shiny things are tactics
satisfying our insatiable desire for attention
anything will do
virality is the prize we seek
and any shiny thing that delivers the V is the one for me
on the other hand
strategy is hard
it’s messy
it means saying no
it means narrowing whose available to you
it means pissing some people off
it means not being available everywhere or being available everywhere
it means we may have to price higher than the market
it means doing grungy work to find your unique brand purpose
it’s like cleaning an oven that has not seen love for 6 months
the cake, Christmas ham, macaroni pie and chicken wings; all rolled into one grimy mess of gunk
no one likes gunk
so we are always happy to clean mirrors
swish swish, wipe wipe, done
any easy will do
any tactic will do
so, let’s do it fast
let’s do it before, [insert name of competing brand]
but shiny things must be put through a filter
does it fit my brand?
That’s the work.
Strategy before shine.

The post Foil Me Once appeared first on Pepper Advertising.