Dispatch from an advertising future #22

Old El Paso uses conversations to power restaurant

He’d not made a ‘contribution’ for 15 minutes. The ‘teamometer’ was moving into the orange zone. Power was ebbing away and he needed to “top up for the team” (™). Nodding or noting weren’t enough. He needed a “zig-zag contribution”. They sent the teamometer soaring as the wearable measured arousal hormones, synaptic activity and stress levels. He looked at Chris’ wrist. Her’s was not orange but he knew she too was looking for the moment. He had to move first. He reached for the insight he’d been saving. His wearable turned a welcome shade of green. Safe for another meeting.


His wearable buzzed as the agenda moved on to item 14.

He’d not made a ‘contribution’ for 15 minutes and the ‘teamometer’ was moving into the orange zone. Power was ebbing away and his team needed to “top up for the team” (™). There was no point in doing it right now. Any contribution now would be ‘low power’, acknowledging an item, nodding or noting an action point. No, the time to jump in was when there was a debate, a call for ideas or a chance to appear o think differently. These ‘generation moments’ (™) particularly the most cherished “zig zag generation moments” (™) were the ones to go for. They sent the teamometer soaring as the wearable measured arousal hormones, synaptic activity and stress levels.

He looked at Chris’ wrist. Her’s was not orange but he knew she too was looking for the moment. He couldn’t afford to let his team down. They were back in their office powering everything from the coffee machine and the games console to the locks on the chill rooms through their own ‘generation moments’ (™). If he didn’t get his own contribution up in this meeting, they’d all lose power.

As he reached for the insight he’d been holding onto for just this movement, he watched the lights swing around towards his seat, casting Chris into shadow. They intensified and his wearable turned a welcome shade of green. Safe for another meeting.