The geopolitics of ads

Sometimes when riding the subway to work, you just need to take a break from all the ads on your phone and really look up so you can, you know, see all the ads on the subway.

Sure, they’re trying to sell you the burrito at the front-end, the gym membership at the back-end, and the booze and gambling to numb any pain in between.

But if you mute the noise, there are also some subtle signals about who we are, who we trust, and which version of the world we want to believe in.

So grab that passport and join us for a quick trip ‘round the world, starting in…

1. Sweden, ja?

Countries are constantly hustling to rebrand themselves in hopes of carving out a bigger slice of that sweet sweet tourism market. But we’ve never quite seen a campaign like Sweden’s, pitching itself (with a wink) as the world’s first destination prescribed by doctors!

It’s a reference to Sweden’s famed saunas, ice baths, and wilderness, all now essential (and data-backed) routines for any 40-something who suddenly realised they’re mortal.

The deeper signals for our anxious and busy world?

• As our lives get more synthetic, there’s a premium on anything authentic

• As our world gets more hectic, there’s a premium on anything tranquil, and

• As Sweden’s neighbourhood grapples with Putin’s war, there’s a premium on emphasising at home and abroad that Sweden still carries on (even as Stockholm casually gives everyone a handy war preparedness guide).

The Swedes aren’t alone, of course: the Norwegians next door crushed it with last year’s ad highlighting Oslo’s calm, just as cities elsewhere were protesting against overtourism.

Anyway, let’s now head to…

2. Germany and Indonesia!

If you ever find yourself hopping on a flight from Germany to Indonesia, that’s wild given there are no direct flights. But itineraries aside, you’ll feel military vibes at each end.

Ubering to Munich airport, you’ll notice young Bundeswehr recruits smiling down from billboards, calling on citizens to "Do something that really counts" (ie, enlist).

Then once you land 10,000km (6,200mi) away in Jakarta, grab a copy of Indonesia’s biggest daily paper and you’ll see the president himself (Prabowo) just took out a full page ad defending his growing use of the military for random tasks — from school lunches and medicine-making, to agricultural projects and palm oil operations.

Prabowo even dusted off his inner Don Draper via a crisp new slogan — No Longer Just Military: Indonesian-style People’s Defense.

The deeper signals for our rattled and gridlocked world?

• As our democracies get more gridlocked, populists like Prabowo will increasingly wheel the military out to get stuff done (or be seen to do so), but…

• The need to take out a full-page ad is a reminder that folks won’t just swallow it, particularly if they’re processing an authoritarian history. Speaking of which…

• Germany’s recruitment campaign aims to strike that balance, responding to the realities of Putin’s aggression without playing into Putin’s anti-West propaganda.

Anyway, time for our ‘Murican Intriguers to head home to…

3. The US of A 

Once you stagger through your front door and lunge for the Maxwell House coffee in your pantry, you’ll notice it just temporarily rebranded as Maxwell Apartment in a marketing stunt appealing to anyone struggling in the US housing market.

And you can chuckle to yourself about it later while waiting in line for your McDonald’s $5 Meal Deal, wearing those new low-cost Old Navy basics, watching Netflix’s cheaper ad-supported service, or engaging with any of the other countless brands now refreshing their value offerings as US households report feeling the pinch.  

And that concludes our (free) trip.