While everyone is rushing to predict what lies ahead, we took some time to look back. Here are 7 lessons from the past to sell the future in the present. Yep, even in our current present.

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Remember when we had dreams of the future;
not nightmares?
When we were in awe of technology, even if it
came in the shape of a brick-sized phone?
Seems like a long time ago, right?
Nowadays, that magic has been covered in dust.
Not just because of the problems we face, also
because of bad marketing.
Too much hype created future fatigue: people are
tired of the future before it happens. This creates
an extra challenge when trying to convince
people to change their ways.
The future
was better.

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SUPERMACHINE is on a mission to fight this
futigue (new word alert!)
We want people to look at the future the same
way they looked at the moon landing.
Fist pumping! Whistling! The future seemed so
much more appealing back then.
Yes, we are facing some serious issues today.
But we believe we can learn from the past to get
people excited about the future once more.
7 Lessons from
the Past to sell
the Future in
the Present.

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Seems obvious, but easily forgotten.
It’s tempting to make predictions. Yet, it’s more
powerful to find new applications for old lessons.
Sure, we adopt innovations differently today, but
Roger's Model of Innovation Diffusion from 1962
is still worth a read.
“Ugh, marketing models,” you say? In that case
you can learn from old ads for innovation.
Like this one, the first commercial ever for mobile
phones. It has sheep. Looks like we've been
desperate to find unique use cases since the
early days!
Roger’s Model of Innovation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffusion_of_innovations
First Mobile Phone Commercial
https://youtu.be/ptbJZ9HBw2k
1.
Learn from
the past.

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Have we mentioned the moon landing?
Yes, we have, but there is so much to learn from it;
not just about space.
JFK's moon speech emphasized how hard it was
going to be (haaahd!) and didn't set a clear
deadline (this decade or the next).
Yet it created a wave of excitement that lasted
almost a decade and billions of dollars.
The takeaway? Honesty with ambition beats hype
when selling the future.
Even when it’s a hard sell.JFK Moon Speech
https://youtu.be/TuW4oGKzVKc
2.
Honesty with
ambition
beats hype.

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It takes vision to see the future.
Unfortunately, you seeing it doesn't mean that
others will believe in it. Oh, what to do?
Walt Disney gave us a pretty good clue.
Use your imagination to wrap innovation in a story
people want to believe. Or give them a way to
experience the magic you see ahead, like he did
with EPCOT.
To make people come along for the ride to the
future, innovation needs imagination.
And maybe a magic carpet.Walt Disney’s EPCOT
https://youtu.be/sLCHg9mUBag
3.
Innovation
needs
imagination.

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Apple and Steve Jobs have sold us on the future,
one more thing at a time.
The iconic 1984 commercial is an interesting one
to revisit. Its recipe? A grim view of the future and
the promise that only the Macintosh can save us.
Praise the lord!
Times have changed. Innovation will save us, but
promoting it as the ultimate solution to fend off
certain doom no longer works.
We believe in rational optimism: confidence that
we have solutions, but also realism about the
human effort required to adopt them.Apple’s 1984
https://youtu.be/zIE-5hg7FoA
4.
The future needs
rational optimism.

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When the future looks daunting, we crave a return
to the past. We can use this to our advantage.
The future has been illustrated in comics and
portrayed in movies for decades. Sometimes dark
and gloomy, but often bright and colorful.
If you ask us, it never looked as good as it did on
the covers of old sci-fi novels.
NASA and JPL seem to agree. Their Visions of the
Future series really brings back the excitement
from the old days.
In other words, making the future look familiar
helps to make people feel more comfortable.
Old Sci-fi Novels
https://www.itsnicethat.com/news/louis-vuitton-pre-fall-2020-graphic-
design-240120?
utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=intsocial
NASA Vision of the Future
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/visions-of-the-future/
5.
Nostalgia
sells the future.

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Innovators rush to announce new products with
seemingly impossible deadlines. Often, these
deadlines turn out to be… impossible.
Perhaps they watched too many movies?
Blade Runner promised flying cars by 2019, but
we didn’t even get to self-driving cars.
Disappointed!
Pop culture sets expectations we need to
consider. We can use this to our advantage by
normalizing future innovations through fiction.
Like Flight of the Navigator introducing the idea
of a voice interface. Compliance!
Blade Runner
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LotXeU__jOo
Flight of the Navigator
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wThavuF8lI
6.
Pop culture
sets expectations.

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Bonus! Extra!
Where's that hoverboard, Marty?!

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Finally, a lesson from recent history.
The lesson is: start early. Invest in marketing from
the beginning to gain advantage in the future.
Apple doubled down on advertising its
smartwatch when everybody was giving up. Now,
they dominate the market in their tracked sleep.
Careful: it’s not about creating hype, but about
sharing your vision and intentions.
Self-driving car companies were so busy yelling
deadlines at each other, they forgot to tell people
how they would make the world better. Now, they
have to build confidence all over again.Apple Watch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HF0wF5WBVfU
7.
Start selling
the future early.

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7 Lessons from
the Past to sell
the Future in
the Present.
1. Learn from the past
2. Honesty with ambition
3. Innovation needs imagination
4. Rational optimism
5. Nostalgia sells the future
6. Pop culture sets expectations
7. Start early
You’re welcome,
you disruptor you.
Previous slide: 10,000 Year Clock
http://longnow.org/clock/

22. CONFIDENTIAL|SUPERMACHINE|Hammerhead
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hello@supermachine.be
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0032 9 210 16 33
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0031 20 303 05 80
SUPERMACHINE believes the future deserves better marketing.
And so do the innovations that shape it.
Our team brings back wonder to help you win. We combine
innovation with imagination to deliver impactful strategy and
creative with lasting effects.
Whether you are looking to tell the story behind your innovation,
to build market share before there is a market or to stand out in a
sea of sameness…
... we can help.
Let’s build your future together.