Cultural Intelligence connects brands with how and why consumers think, feel and act – both now and in the future. Every quarter, AMV BBDO’s Head of Cultural Strategy, Gerard Crichlow and Cultural Strategist, Lore Oxford connect brands with culture fast and slow – from the latest movie and music drops to the macro shifts that impact society – translating key cultural moments into sharp commercial recommendations. This time around, Elon Musk's love life, Rihanna’s latest business venture and the cultural events that shaped Gen Z.

1. Culture Watch: Connecting
brands with culture
Lore Oxford + Gerard Crichlow
September 2018

2. C U L T U R A L
S T R A T E G Y

3. We generate ideas that
connect brands with culture.

4. Wait a sec!
What even is culture?

5. Culture is what shapes the
behavioural norms shared by a
select group of people.
These are the things that are
learned socially, rather than
inherited genetically.

6. Culture was once largely
shaped by geography.
But digitisation has
created a global culture.

7. Importantly, some
elements of culture move
faster than others.

8. THE DRUM
FAST SLOW

9. Every quarter, we’ll give you an insight
into fast culture that’s happening right
now, and then a deep dive into one
element of slow(er) culture.

10. Fast Culture.
A cultural summary of recent months.
Elon Musk, Love Island and Rihanna’s
latest business venture.

11. JUN JUL AUG
The Cambridge
Analytica scandal
SEPMAYMAR APR

12. JUN JUL AUG
The Cambridge
Analytica scandal
Uber’s driverless
car crash
SEPMAYMAR APR

13. JUN JUL AUG
The Cambridge
Analytica scandal
Uber’s driverless
car crash
SEP
CGI influencer Lil
Miquela gets hacked
MAYMAR APR

14. Lil Miquela has
become a legitimate
celebrity – complete
with brand
partnerships and
magazine covers

15. Lil Miquela has
become a legitimate
celebrity – complete
with brand
partnerships and
magazine covers –
signalling that
people are no longer
averse to interacting
with robots.
In the first quarter
of 2018, Google
shipped 3.2 million
Google Home
devices, while
Amazon sold 2.5
million Echo
devices
(Canalys, 2018)

16. TECH SUPPORT
How can brands capitalise
on this new era of comfort
in the company of tech?

17. Margot, Shudu and Zhi
Balmain Army

18. JUN JUL AUG
The Cambridge
Analytica scandal
Uber’s driverless
car crash
SEP
CGI influencer Lil
Miquela gets hacked
GDPR deadline sees
businesses adapt to
new privacy laws
MAYMAR APR

19. JUN JUL AUG
The Cambridge
Analytica scandal
Uber’s driverless
car crash
SEP
CGI influencer Lil
Miquela gets hacked
GDPR deadline sees
businesses adapt to
new privacy laws
Childish Gambino
releases This is
America
MAYMAR APR

20. JUN JUL AUG
The Cambridge
Analytica scandal
Uber’s driverless
car crash
SEP
CGI influencer Lil
Miquela gets hacked
GDPR deadline sees
businesses adapt to
new privacy laws
Childish Gambino
releases This is
America
Elon Musk
and Grimes
start dating
MAYMAR APR

21. Elon Musk and
Grimes’ relationship
has been received
with outrage
21

22. Elon Musk and
Grimes’ relationship
has been received
with outrage,
demonstrating a
growing aversion
among consumers
to those who sit
on the fence.
In 2016, opposing political
views led to nearly 1.6
million people in the UK
ending a relationship
(ICM x eHarmony, 2017)

23. DEATH OF THE MIDDLE
How can brands ensure
they’re not perceived to
be sitting on the fence?

24. JUN JUL AUG
The Cambridge
Analytica scandal
Uber’s driverless
car crash
SEP
CGI influencer Lil
Miquela gets hacked
GDPR deadline sees
businesses adapt to
new privacy laws
Childish Gambino
releases This is
America
Elon Musk
and Grimes
start dating
Love Island demonstrates its
power as a mass platform
MAYMAR APR

25. Love Island
demonstrates its
cultural power as
a mass market
platform

26. Love Island
demonstrates its
cultural power as
a mass market
platform, reflecting
the fragmentation of
consumers’ media
consumption.
There were around 85,000
applications to appear on Love Island
in 2018, compared to 37,000 Oxford
and Cambridge undergraduate
degrees entries.
(ITV, 2018)

27. Instagram
@ripannanicolesmith

28. NO BROW
How can brands form cultural
partnerships that reflect the
fluidity of consumer tastes?

29. JUN JUL AUG
The Cambridge
Analytica scandal
Uber’s driverless
car crash
SEP
CGI influencer Lil
Miquela gets hacked
GDPR deadline sees
businesses adapt to
new privacy laws
Childish Gambino
releases This is
America
Elon Musk
and Grimes
start dating
Fortnite hits
125 million
players
Love Island demonstrates its
power as a mass platform
MAYMAR APR

30. JUN JUL AUG
The Cambridge
Analytica scandal
Uber’s driverless
car crash
SEP
CGI influencer Lil
Miquela gets hacked
GDPR deadline sees
businesses adapt to
new privacy laws
Childish Gambino
releases This is
America
Elon Musk
and Grimes
start dating
Fortnite hits
125 million
players
Love Island demonstrates its
power as a mass platform
Spotify attempts
to ban R Kelly
from its platform
MAYMAR APR

31. JUN JUL AUG
The Cambridge
Analytica scandal
Uber’s driverless
car crash
SEP
CGI influencer Lil
Miquela gets hacked
GDPR deadline sees
businesses adapt to
new privacy laws
Childish Gambino
releases This is
America
Elon Musk
and Grimes
start dating
Fortnite hits
125 million
players
Love Island demonstrates its
power as a mass platform
Spotify attempts
to ban R Kelly
from its platform
Google fined €4.3
billion by the EU
MAYMAR APR

32. JUN JUL AUG
The Cambridge
Analytica scandal
Uber’s driverless
car crash
SEP
CGI influencer Lil
Miquela gets hacked
GDPR deadline sees
businesses adapt to
new privacy laws
Childish Gambino
releases This is
America
Elon Musk
and Grimes
start dating
Fortnite hits
125 million
players
Love Island demonstrates its
power as a mass platform
Spotify attempts
to ban R Kelly
from its platform
Google fined €4.3
billion by the EU
The World Cup
draws a growing
female viewership
MAYMAR APR

33. JUN JUL AUG
The Cambridge
Analytica scandal
Uber’s driverless
car crash
SEP
CGI influencer Lil
Miquela gets hacked
GDPR deadline sees
businesses adapt to
new privacy laws
Childish Gambino
releases This is
America
Elon Musk
and Grimes
start dating
Fortnite hits
125 million
players
Love Island demonstrates its
power as a mass platform
Spotify attempts
to ban R Kelly
from its platform
Google fined €4.3
billion by the EU
The World Cup
draws a growing
female viewership
Kylie Jenner is
on the cover
of Forbes
MAYMAR APR

34. JUN JUL AUG
The Cambridge
Analytica scandal
Uber’s driverless
car crash
SEP
CGI influencer Lil
Miquela gets hacked
GDPR deadline sees
businesses adapt to
new privacy laws
Childish Gambino
releases This is
America
Elon Musk
and Grimes
start dating
Fortnite hits
125 million
players
Love Island demonstrates its
power as a mass platform
Spotify attempts
to ban R Kelly
from its platform
Google fined €4.3
billion by the EU
The World Cup
draws a growing
female viewership
Kylie Jenner is
on the cover
of Forbes
Louis CK
makes his
return to
comedy
MAYMAR APR

35. Nike’s NFL ad
receives huge
kick-back
JUN JUL AUG
The Cambridge
Analytica scandal
Uber’s driverless
car crash
SEP
CGI influencer Lil
Miquela gets hacked
GDPR deadline sees
businesses adapt to
new privacy laws
Childish Gambino
releases This is
America
Elon Musk
and Grimes
start dating
Fortnite hits
125 million
players
Love Island demonstrates its
power as a mass platform
Spotify attempts
to ban R Kelly
from its platform
Google fined €4.3
billion by the EU
The World Cup
draws a growing
female viewership
Kylie Jenner is
on the cover
of Forbes
Louis CK
makes his
return to
comedy
MAYMAR APR

36. Nike
‘Believe In Something’ (2018)

37. Nike partners with
Colin Kaepernick for
NFL opener ad

38. Nike partners with
Colin Kaepernick for
NFL opener ad, and
polarised responses
from both sides have
demonstrated the
publicity benefits of
courting controversy.
Following the ad, Nike’s shares
fell 3.2%, before rising 5%
(Nike, 2018)

39. RISKY BUSINESS
How can brands assert
which risks are the right
risks to take?

41. Nike’s NFL ad
receives huge
kick-back
Savage x
Fenty takes
inclusivity
to new
heights
JUN JUL AUG
The Cambridge
Analytica scandal
Uber’s driverless
car crash
SEP
CGI influencer Lil
Miquela gets hacked
GDPR deadline sees
businesses adapt to
new privacy laws
Childish Gambino
releases This is
America
Elon Musk
and Grimes
start dating
Fortnite hits
125 million
players
Love Island demonstrates its
power as a mass platform
Spotify attempts
to ban R Kelly
from its platform
Google fined €4.3
billion by the EU
The World Cup
draws a growing
female viewership
Kylie Jenner is
on the cover
of Forbes
Louis CK
makes his
return to
comedy
MAYMAR APR

42. Savage X Fenty
‘This is Savage X’ (2018)

44. Rihanna’s Savage x
Fenty FW18 show
saw traditional size
zeroes and
pregnant women
model side-by-side

45. Rihanna’s Savage x
Fenty FW18 show
saw traditional size
zeroes and
pregnant women
model side-by-side,
setting a new bar for
female inclusivity
that transcends
looks alone.
68% of Victoria’s Secret
customers say they like
the brand ‘less than
they used to’
(Wells Fargo, 2017)

46. HIGHER BARS
How can brands challenge
even the most ingrained
societal assumptions?

47. Nike’s NFL ad
receives huge
kick-back
Savage x
Fenty takes
inclusivity
to new
heights
JUN JUL AUG
The Cambridge
Analytica scandal
Uber’s driverless
car crash
SEP
CGI influencer Lil
Miquela gets hacked
GDPR deadline sees
businesses adapt to
new privacy laws
Childish Gambino
releases This is
America
Elon Musk
and Grimes
start dating
Fortnite hits
125 million
players
Love Island demonstrates its
power as a mass platform
Spotify attempts
to ban R Kelly
from its platform
Google fined €4.3
billion by the EU
The World Cup
draws a growing
female viewership
Kylie Jenner is
on the cover
of Forbes
Louis CK
makes his
return to
comedy
MAYMAR APR

48. Capitalise
on people’s
willingness
to interact
with tech
Make a stand
and pick a
side, instead
of sitting on
the fence
Form cultural
partnerships
that reflect
the fluidity of
people’s tastes
Take risks –
but ensure
they’re the
right risks
to take
Challenge
even the most
ingrained
societal
assumptions
TECH
SUPPORT
DEATH OF
THE MIDDLE
NO
BROW
RISKY
BUSINESS
HIGHER
BARS
1 2 3 4 5

49. Slow Culture.
A deep dive into long-term cultural shifts.
What’s shaped the way Gen Z
perceive and understand cool?

50. Hang on.
Who are Gen Z?

51. Hang on.
Who are Gen Z?

52. Importantly, they’re an
increasingly powerful
consumer group.

54. What’s shaped the
way Gen Z perceive and
understand cool?

55. The way Gen Z
experiences cool is
fundamentally different
to prior generations.

56. Teens and
young adults
aren’t rebelling
like this age
group used to.
Teens and
young adults
are suffering
with mental
health issues.
Teens and
young adults
are playing
with identity
online.
1 2 3
The cultural factors
shaping cool...

57. Teens and
young adults
aren’t rebelling
like this age
group used to.
Teens and
young adults
are suffering
with mental
health issues.
Teens and
young adults
are playing
with identity
online.
1 2 3
The cultural factors
shaping cool...

58. Teens today are the least
likely to work, drive, date,
drink alcohol, go out without
their parents, and have sex.

59. Rebellion is still happening,
but in different ways.

60. But in
2018, offline
rebellion
comes with
higher risks
attached.

61. How has this changed
perceptions of cool?

62. Before,
going against the system was cool.
.
James Dean (1955)

63. Now,
having your shit together is cool.
Neo Yokio (2017)

64. Among a risk-averse
generation, getting ahead
is more important than
getting your drink on.

65. Gen Zers love practical
brands that solve problems
and help them be their best.

66. Three
‘Oh Snap’ (2017)

67. Teens and
young adults
aren’t rebelling
like this age
group used to.
Teens and
young adults
are suffering
with mental
health issues.
Teens and
young adults
are playing
with identity
online.
1 2 3
The cultural factors
shaping cool...

68. They’re constantly comparing
themselves to others.

69. Social interactions have
become quantified.

70. And mental
health issues
are spiking.

71. How has this changed
perceptions of cool?

72. Before,
being unapproachable was cool.
.
Mean Girls (2000)

73. Now,
showing your emotions is cool.
13 Reasons Why (2018)

74. Owning your ‘flaws’
is championed, while
having none is basic.

75. Gen Zers love brands that
help them feel comfortable
in their own skin.

76. Diesel
‘Haute Couture’ (2018)

77. Teens and
young adults
aren’t rebelling
like this age
group used to.
Teens and
young adults
are suffering
with mental
health issues.
Teens and
young adults
are playing
with identity
online.
1 2 3
The cultural factors
shaping cool...

78. For young people today,
identity is more fluid.

79. They’re
comfortable
trialling different
‘versions’ of
themselves in
the public
sphere.

80. And so performing no longer
means sacrificing authenticity.

81. How has this changed
perceptions of cool?

82. Before,
being part of something was cool.
Bring It On (2000)

83. Now,
being yourself is cool.
Patti Cake$ (2017)

84. It’s about existing as an
‘authentic’ individual within
multiple more fluid tribes.

85. Gen Zers love brands that
relinquish control, and let
them make their mark.

86. Depop
‘Don’t Stay Still’ (2018)

87. Before, going
against the system
was cool, now
having your shit
together is cool...
Before, being
unapproachable
was cool, now
showing your
emotions is cool...
1 2
To recap
3
Before,
being part of
something was
cool, now being
yourself is cool...

88. Before, going
against the system
was cool, now
having your shit
together is cool...
Before, being
unapproachable
was cool, now
showing your
emotions is cool...
1 2
To recap
… so provide
solutions to
their problems.
… so help them
feel confident
to do so.
3
Before,
being part of
something was
cool, now being
yourself is cool...
… so invite
participation
& co-creation.

89. Any questions?
Lore Oxford + Gerard Crichlow
Cultural Strategy
September 2018
Lore Oxford
Cultural Strategist
oxfordl@amvbbdo.com
Gerard Crichlow
Head of Cultural Strategy
crichlowg@amvbbdo.com