It's the glorious end-of-year extravaganza!

Presenting the very best (and worst) of 2023 in one easy-to-skim-read newsletter

2023, what a year. We started and finished with the same PM and the same monarch, which is pretty rare for this decade. Other than that, not much seemed to happen for me. I fell down the stairs in March, that was fun.

So to mark the end of a year that’ll go down in history as “a 12 month period in which numerous events occurred,” I’d like to share with you some of the very best and very worst of the year’s marketing, advertising and general copywriting bits and bobs.

Best Email Subject Line: This from Surreal

I’ve waxed lyrical about Surreal. A full breakdown of their messaging will be one of the launch posts on the new HNW website in 2024. But an email from November has the best subject line I’ve read all year. What happens when you relaunch your Oreo-flavour cereal because Oreo won’t let you say Oreo?

The world’s most legally compliant cereal

Magic. Piss-takey, on-message magic.

Best Advert I Saw: That KY Jelly Ad on The Heights in February

Remember this one? I shared it way back in February. I keep thinking about it. It’s fun, on message, timely (or it was), and genuinely surprising. I really hope we see more of this in 2024, and less of whatever the hell John Lewis thought they were doing with that angry houseplant.

Worst Piece of Brand Ambassadorship: This Moustache

We didn’t say a word to him at the time because it was a cry for attention/help, but everyone at my mate Nick’s rugby club grew a moustache and he attempted to follow suit like a not-particularly hirsute lemming.

We pay money to sponsor him, and that’s how he presents himself to potential HNW customers?

It shows that as bad as some ads are, nothing can be quite as terrible as the decisions men make in large groups.

Best HNW Client: Cogent Hire

Trusted me with their brand, bought me a pizza, hired my wife. Talk about going above and beyond. It was a 12" pepperoni hot from Pizza Express too. Cannot fault Cogent Hire in the slightest. Anyone who gets Laura out of my hair for two days a week deserves all the plaudits imaginable. Kudos.

Best Speaker/Book: Steve Harrison

I saw Steve at Fix Fest, and you can read all about that here. But the best industry-related book I’ve read this year is undoubtedly Can’t Sell, Won’t Sell.

Here’s what I learned from it back in September.

You’ve got to realise people do the things they do because they think it’s a good idea.

You’ve got to understand people’s motivations instead of imposing values on them.

You don’t have to agree with what people say or do, or how they vote, but you need to understand them. Especially if you want to convince them.

I 100% recommend you picking up a copy. It’s less than a tenner on Amazon.

Worst Thing Anyone Said to Me in a Professional Context: This…

“So why should I pay you instead of using ChatGPT”

Aren’t enough pixels in the world for me to write a newsletter explaining why an automated research compiler can’t sell products.

Best Thing Anyone Said About Something I Wrote:

“Your emails are my fave.” - copy legend, speaker and author Sarah Townsend.

Take that, Nick Parker’s Tone Knob.

And Finally… The Most Average Piece of Marketing of 2023:

Made me smile, as puns often do. But as Ben said when I shared it, this was there for the taking. An obvious idea, delivered competently. A benchmark. Maybe that should be our key question for next year?

“Is this idea better than the half-baked bean one?”

Like all sensible people, I’m about to take a well earned Christmas break. Which means no Unmemorable Title for you all on December 29. I’ll be back on January 5, so make sure you’re all good and subscribed to avoid missing out.

Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year to you.

Andy.