Conceptless Nothingness

Nothingness is all around us.

How many ads, or whatever, have we seen that start with ‘Be’?

As in;
Be bold.
Be yourself.
Be free.
Be powerful.
Be cool.
Be the change.

We call that nothingness. Especially brands telling you to ‘be the change.’

Cause-Branding or Purpose-Branding relies on this kind of writing a lot.

Take luxury brands who are trying so much to ‘Be Cool.’

But how many people can afford to ‘Be Cool,’ ‘Be Bold,’ ‘Be Themselves,’ or ‘Be The Effing Change,’ wearing a Gucci jacket or carrying the latest Louis Vuitton bag?

Countless new drinks are introduced every year, telling you to ‘Be conscientious,’ to ‘Be Aware’ of the environment, and to ‘Be Seen’ with their recycled bottle in your hands.

This kind of marketing removes the urgency of true purpose and real causes.

It’s trendy. It’s a cop-out. And it will always ‘Be Conceptless Nothingness.’

So uh…‘Be Aware,’ and please ‘Be Real’ in your marketing.