“The person who first said, ‘business isn’t personal’, was probably Edward Bernays - am I right?! Am I right..?”

That’s a line I’d use if I was at some sort of networking event to test the ethical-waters. Three possible responses:

1) No words, just wide-eyed stares, and the sense of being willed out of the circle

2) “.. Who TF is Bernays?” (result = me worrying that I’d come across as a know-it-all as*hole, and wondering whether I’ll ever be paid again)

3) “Bernays, wow, you’re so in the know, what are your thoughts around the ethics of advertising post 1928?”

For the uninitiated, I was in your camp just four days ago, and am now Bernays OBSESSED. You know when you have a crush on someone and you want to bring them into conversation all the time (omg, I know someone who eats bread, too!) - don’t talk to me until my obsession dies down.. Whether this obsession is because Bernays is a positive figure, however, is a question that’s up for debate.

See, Bernays was a relative of Sigmund Freud, and saw his rise to fame in the 20th century. He is celebrated for being the first person to marry psychoanalysis and advertising; aka, using emotional triggers to sell us things we don’t need; and is credited for the invention of public relations.

*(Edward and myself in the future, chatting in the next realm)*

Eddie - How was your life, Lucy?

L-dog - Yeah, pretty good, managed to wake up at 6.30am and go for a run this one time, what about you?

Ed-meister - Oh, I invented public relations.

L-diggity - Riiight … Did I also mention I high-fived Richie McCaw..?

There is no doubt that Bernays was a very smart man - but also, he sort of changed the world as we know it - and arguably, not all for the better.

Bernays had the amazing (and terrifying) ability to manipulate the perception of the masses as a means to generate a type of fame, as well as financial gain, for his clients. In his time, Bernays worked on PR campaigns that linked smoking to being slim and fashionable; used fear as a driver to use disposable cups over reusable ones (he associated reusable cups with bad health); he even worked on a campaign that made bacon and eggs the optimal breakfast for American’s (he conducted a ‘study’, ie, paid a doctor to endorse a heavy breakfast over a light one, who in turn asked his friends to endorse the same thing).

Everything Bernays touched seemed to pull at strings that compelled human-beings to action, be they heartstrings or pursestrings - and this was no fluke. Look at this quote from a book he wrote in 1928 called, ‘Propaganda’:

The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country (America). We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, and our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of…. It is they who pull the wires that control the public mind.

Manipulate the unseen mechanism of society? Pull the wires that control the public mind?! Pretty triggering stuff there, Ed!

For me, watching this documentary series, I felt it easy to judge and point fingers and feel high and mighty and self-fulfilling; ‘wow, that’s so bad, how could anyone fall asleep at night knowing that their work contributed to lung-cancer and bacon-cancer and the whole ocean being plastic?’

But then I had a very humbling realisation... My role and goal in business is the same as that of Edward Bernays.

As a writer, content advisor and a storyteller, I’m in the trade of feelings. When done right, my work impacts the lives real people, emotionally, financially and idealistically. I may choose to not write with the end goal of selling Vapes or an ideal body type, but boundaries aside, who’s to say that my work is morally good? Who am I to wield this power? Is it only in hindsight that we can look at some of the work Bernays did and ask ourselves whether his motivators and mechanisms were questionable? Are his strategies a lesson in how not to treat our audiences, or should we celebrate and build upon the gains he made? Is it up to us as advertisers or people as consumers to draw the line as to what constitutes fair advertising game in the society we live in?

After I watched the documentary on Bernays, I had a crisis, then decided I had three options.

1) Become a hermit

2) Drink wine at 11am, quit what I know and live the life of a guilty sceptic

3) Hone in on and do my absolute best to create, build and grow with integrity, while supporting industry-wide conversations about how we do the best we can

I chose option 3.

In my work, my sense of integrity equals keeping real people at the top of my creative equation.

When working with brands, I find out about the people who make up that business, the story of how it came to be, what the most authentic motivations are and, not just the vision for business success, but the vision for societal success. When writing for audiences and crafting campaigns, I wonder about what the end-consumers’ day is like, what things they might be searching for, the ways in which they could be feeling flawed or stressed, and where they could be vulnerable to messaging and manipulation (hot tip: avoid capitalising on the latter).

Knowing that my work impacts real people, I hold a high-preference for working on campaigns that foster community, challenge the status quo and facilitate real world experiences. I strive to create content that starts important conversations, that elicits feelings of inclusion, excitement, acceptance and understanding, and allows people to feel great, just as they are.

I don’t claim to be perfect in my process, and I won’t ever get this 100% right; but as storytellers, in an ever-changing climate, I believe that the best thing we can do is to acknowledge the power we have, take responsibility in gaining clarity around our true North and remain open to learning along the way.

Do we want to sell plastic cups by leveraging fear - or do we want to create a more connected global community, using actual proper kindness? Because you’ve read to the end of this blog post, I’m assuming you’re more excited by the latter - so, partner, knowing what we know - where to from here?

If you have any thoughts on the above, know of any brands who are doing storytelling in an amazing way, or want to discuss the ethics of advertising over a coffee (or gin), please send me an email: lucyohello@gmail.com.