Smoking as a Signal
Why is smoking showing up everywhere again? Not because the habit has returned, but because the image has—reshaped by culture, identity, and the growing demand for control.
FADS Forward 2026
My 2026 FADS predictions explore GLP-1 drugs, AI sex education, masculinity-coded protein, cannabis normalization, and alcohol moderation.
Five Predictions from FADS Marketing (the book) — and What Really Happened
Eight years after publishing FADS Marketing, let’s revisit the predictions to see what landed, what broke, and what mutated into something bigger.
Marketing the Comedown
Black Friday spikes urgency. December sells relief. A look at how marketing engineers the comedown and trains us to expect comfort instead of pause.
Black Friday: How Marketers Turned a Regular Friday Into a National Emergency
A FADS-style deep dive into how Black Friday evolved from the day after Thanksgiving into a high-pressure shopping ritual engineered by marketers to trigger our insecurities.
Blue Light Glasses & the Business of Fake Science
Blue light glasses promise to save your eyes and your productivity. The science says otherwise. Here is how marketers sold us a fake fix for a fake problem.
Why Everyone’s Obsessed with Smelling Edible
What do cinnamon roll lotion, childhood memories, and appetite-suppressing drugs have in common? Welcome to the strange psychology of sweet scents.
Micro-Influencers in 2025
Brands are shifting back to celebrity influencers—so what happens to micro-influencers? Discover how data-driven strategies balance reach, authenticity, and sustainability in influencer marketing.
Super Bowl LIX: FADS on Full Display
Dive into our annual FADS analysis of Super Bowl ads. Explore how brands use Food, Alcohol, Drugs, and Sex to shape behavior, spark trends, and extend their reach beyond TV to social media.
2024 in Review: FADS in Action and What’s Coming in 2025
2024’s top marketing trends revealed—how FADS shaped us and what’s next for 2025, from AI to rebranded vices.