Haven't I Seen You Somewhere Before?

The money men in Hollywood are currently scratching their heads in confusion.
Despite being written off over a decade ago, Sylvester Stallone is spending his second week at number one.
His movie, The Expendables, is an over-the-top throwback to the action movies of the 80s.
Meanwhile, Edgar Wright's innovative and interesting film Scott Pilgrim Vs The World has barely troubled the top ten.
So who cares, and why does it matter?
Glad you asked.
I'll tell you.
Everyone, including you, dislikes the unknown.
It's basic human nature.
We all like to know exactly what we're getting.
Why else would sequels be so popular?
But what does that mean for creative agencies - who're constantly being asked for something different?
It means we need to wake up to what people really want.
In my long (x10) career, I've found that the wild, the wacky and the avant garde don't win pitches.
Sure, they grab attention in the room.
They might even trigger some interesting conversations.
But they'll never win the account.
We're all looking for something recognisable.
Identifiable.
Something that will strike a chord and draw us in.
Then we'll happily listen to the brand story.
To paraphrase a popular aphorism, familiarity breeds contentment.