52 weeks of Figment!

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Hello, Creative Souls!

One year ago, we set out to crack the code behind unforgettable advertising—the kind that lingers in minds, shapes culture, and changes behavior. Over the past 52 weeks, Figment has deconstructed the sharpest campaigns, uncovered the patterns behind the world’s most effective marketing, and built a playbook for creativity that works.

But here’s the real magic: you.

Every open, every share, every conversation sparked from these insights has helped turn Figment into more than a newsletter—it’s become a creative pulse for marketers, strategists, and storytellers who believe in the power of bold ideas.

So, as we celebrate our first anniversary, we have just one request: share this edition with the ad and marketing minds in your network. Whether it’s a strategist who loves behavioral design, a brand manager looking for the next big move, or a creative director hunting for inspiration—let’s get this playbook into the right hands.

And if you’re looking for something custom, we have a new offering just for you: 52 Ideas. 52 Weeks. One Inbox. Every week, one bold idea tailored to your business that is built for impact, crafted for virality, and designed to break through the noise will be sent to your inbox. Just reply back to this mail, and we can cook up something bespoke for you.

The best brands don’t just wait for inspiration—they build systems that generate it. Let’s create something unforgettable together.

Here’s to the next year of breaking rules, flipping expectations, and making ads that don’t just sell, but stick.

For this edition, we’re giving you a sneak peek into something we’re coming up with - The Figment Mega Insights Playbook. Here’s an excerpt:

INSIGHT #1: CHANGE BEHAVIOR, DON’T JUST CHANGE MINDS

The Best Ads Don’t Just Inform—They Intervene.

Most brands focus on telling consumers what to do. But the smartest campaigns actually shape behavior—sometimes without the audience even realizing it.

• WWF’s “Save as WWF” File Format made reducing paper waste the default, not just a suggestion. Instead of asking people to print less, they removed the option entirely.

• Volkswagen’s “Reduce Speed Dial” turned a speedometer into an emotional trigger by replacing numbers with personal messages from a driver's children, making road safety personal rather than abstract.

Lesson:

If you want real impact, don’t just persuade—engineer the change into daily habits.

INSIGHT #2: WHEN BRANDS PARTNER, THEY BUILD WORLDS

Collaboration Can Turn Marketing Into Culture.

Some of the biggest advertising successes happen when brands team up, not just to share audiences but to create an experience greater than the sum of its parts.

• Bing x Jay-Z’s “Decoded” turned a book launch into a global scavenger hunt, proving that partnerships aren’t just about exposure—they’re about creating stories people want to engage with.

• Nike x Apple’s Nike+ Running App showed that a fitness brand and a tech giant could merge product and marketing into one, making tracking your run feel as essential as the run itself.

Lesson:

Look for brand pairings that complement rather than compete—like peanut butter and jelly, not oil and water.

INSIGHT #3: MAKE IT A GAME, NOT AN AD

Audiences Engage When They Have Skin in the Game.

Nobody wants to watch another ad—but give them a challenge, and they’ll lean in.

• The British Army’s “Start Thinking Soldier” campaign turned recruitment into an interactive decision-making experience, making military strategy feel real before a single enlistment form was signed.

• Carlsberg’s “Puts Friends to the Test” created a live social experiment that tested friendships under pressure, proving that ads don’t need scripts—they need stakes.

Lesson:

People remember what they participate in far more than what they consume.

INSIGHT #4: MINIMALISM CAN BE MAXIMUM IMPACT

Constraints Make Ideas Sharper, Not Smaller.

You don’t need an unlimited budget or CGI explosions to make an impact. Sometimes, the less you have, the more creative you get.

• Nike’s “Find Your Greatness” stripped away stadiums and superstars, focusing instead on an everyday jogger to redefine what greatness actually means.

• Sprite’s “Pole Dancer” ad embraced radical minimalism by stripping away dialogue, flashy effects, and distractions—focusing only on a man pole-dancing for a cold Sprite, proving that pure visual storytelling can be just as refreshing as the drink itself.

Lesson:

Don’t just ask what you can add—ask what you can remove to make the idea stronger.

INSIGHT #5: TELL STORIES THAT FLIP EXPECTATIONS

The Most Shareable Ads Are the Ones That Surprise

People love a good twist—especially when it makes them rethink what they thought they knew.

• Guinness’ “Good Things Come to Those Who Wait” flipped expectations by making waiting—something typically seen as frustrating—feel like a reward, reinforcing its brand story with slow-poured perfection.

• The Guilty Clothes Fashion Show turned fashion into protest, using a runway—normally a space of glamour—to highlight the absurdity of victim-blaming, proving that powerful storytelling is about where you tell the story, not just what you say.

Lesson:

Make the familiar unfamiliar, and you’ll grab attention instantly.

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FINAL TAKEAWAYS FROM 1 YEAR OF FIGMENT:

1. Don’t just talk—design the behavior you want to see.

2. Great partnerships don’t just share audiences—they create culture.

3. Give people something to do, not just something to watch.

4. Constraints breed creativity—use them to your advantage.

5. The best stories flip expectations and challenge assumptions.

One year, dozens of campaigns, countless insights. Figment has been a journey of uncovering what makes ads unforgettable, and if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s this:

The best advertising doesn’t feel like advertising. It feels like a moment—a game, a challenge, a conversation, a movement.

And in the next year, we’ll keep finding and sharing the moments that matter.

Here’s to another year of creativity, bold ideas, and ads worth talking about.

See you in the next edition and coming soon is a ready to download playbook with all insights compiled into one downloadable doc.

- Team Figment

Figment is written by Abbhinav Kastura, a writer/producer who has spent a decade making impactful internet videos and Guru Nicketan, an advertising nerd, B2B Marketer, stand-up comedian, and a film buff.