This is my favourite ad, or content if you will.
I was 13 or 14 when it came out, playing team tennis. I loved playing, I viscerally hated the culture in British tennis.Wear white, follow the rules, juniors always make way for seniors on the court and, worst of all, in lessons and team coaching, play like they did 40 years ago.
This ad represented everything I felt, and to be honest, everything I felt as a teenager. It was just the right time.
It helped sell a hell of a lot of overpriced tennis gear for Nike, but also made loads of young tennis players feel like they could take on the establishment. It didn't matter how you played, how you showed up, as long as performed and had a bloody good time doing it.
I think strategy folks could do with a hefty dose of ignoring 'the rules' in service of actually getting results too.
The dull arguments over brand models, including the latest fashion over 'purpose'.
TV is dead, TV is brilliant.
Outspend your market share, build fame.
And the new, equally constricting rules over big data.
It's really easy to hide behind the models and received wisdom and a lot harder to put your neck on the line, tear up the rules and try and do stuff that works .
But not only is that more stimulating and more satisfying, it will also create disproportionate success for you and your clients.
It's also more fun.
I'm leaving my job to have more fun.
The real rules still apply of course.
By the way, the fact that Agassi is now bald and so am I is nothing to do with it. (and yes I bought those pink shorts)
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