Looksmaxxing: Optimizing Attractiveness
Lookmaxxing may sound like internet slang, but the behavior behind it is ancient. FADS examines how appearance optimization is becoming a modern industry.
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.
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.
The New Sex Economy
In 2025, AI and fashion are rewriting intimacy. From verified erotica to faux-hair thongs, the new sex economy sells fantasy as authenticity.
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 Brands Are Selling You Friendship in the Belonging Economy
Discover how brands like Panera, Peloton, and Ben & Jerry’s are turning loneliness into loyalty by selling community, identity, and the illusion of connection.
Summer’s Almost Here—and Marketers Want You to Hate Yourself
As May begins, marketers shift into full gear, using shame and seasonal anxiety to sell summer readiness. From deodorant fear to detox diets, discover how the FADS formula fuels the pressure—and how to push back.
Primp or Perish
Explore how men’s grooming turned into marketing’s newest battlefield, leveraging shame and redefining masculinity. Are today’s men primping for pleasure or fear?
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.