Paul Burke

Just do it

Why does it keep up the charade of being compassionate and caring?

issue 03 August 2019

Am I allowed to mention Nigel Farage? Of course I am, this is The Spectator, and its readers enjoy analysing all kinds of people and ideas, even those they find unpalatable. Readers of Campaign, however, aren’t quite as broad-minded. Campaign is the trade magazine of the advertising industry, and when it published an interview with Farage some of its readers went into meltdown.

Why? Surely Farage is the ideal subject for Campaign. He’s connected with millions of loyal consumers in ways other brands can only dream of. You’d think that people in the advertising world would want to hear how he did it, given that building brands and connecting with people are exactly what they’re supposed to do. You’d think they might want to learn from someone who’s done these things so recently, quickly and successfully. But you’d be wrong.

For about 20 years, the advertising industry has engaged itself in a bizarre charade called ‘Pretending to be left-wing’.

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