The Taboo Focus

From the 'unsettling' menopause to 'unmentionable' menstruation, taboos exist all around us. But breaking them often moves us forward, and advertising has an important part to play...

Craft

How to eat a human

In terms of taboo, chowing down on one's own species leaves a nasty taste in the mouth. The Swedish Food Federation's mockumentary, Eat A Swede, justly deserved this year's Cannes Grand Prix win (Entertainment category) for its exploration of putting homo sapiens on the menu. Here, Adrian Botan, McCann Europe CCO and ECD/producer Markus Ahlm, reveal the ingredients behind the campaign.

Insight

The Unmentionables

Taboos can be the source of stories, and the reason why they can’t be told. Tim Cumming talks to a range of creatives about the power and pitfalls of taboos, and how to crack them.

Craft

Telling authentic stories; the 50 families behind CALM’s The Last Photo

Discussions around suicide are never easy which is why Amy Simmons, Integrated Producer at adam&eveDDB, had to be especially sensitive when creating their recent campaign, The Last Photo. Here, she explains how inclusivity, understanding and involvement were the cornerstones of this powerful piece of work.

Insight

Avoiding the 'NG' factor: how do you advertise condoms in Japan?

Yousuke Ozawa, Creative Director at UltraSuperNew Tokyo, reveals that far from the perceived 'anything goes' nature of Japan, it's a country that has many taboos, advertising condoms being one of them. Here, he explains how they avoided getting their fingers caught in the potential 'no good' trap.

Insight

Sorcery and success – tackling the taboo of menopause

What is it about female maturity that so unsettles society and the world of advertising? Carol Cooper speaks to a range of industry and professional women about the hot topic of hot flushes and other curses.

Craft

Canesten undresses the truth about vaginas

We hear from AnalogFolk about a new campaign for Canesten which combines myth-busting with education to radically alter the way we approach vaginal health, embracing truths and destroying taboos.

Insight

shots Fired... with Laura Blake_REMOVED ON REQUEST (27/07/23)

Kicking off our July Taboo Focus, shots Culture Editor Amy Kean, talks to presenter, DJ, comedian, actor and Twitch streamer, Laura Blake, about her anger at going through the wrong puberty and why transgender people are "the last taboo".

Craft

How Anouk Jans and Togetherr burst the industry bubble

As part of our Taboo Focus, we speak to the people behind the Cannes-premiered convention-questioning documentary, Kill Your Darlings, about why now was the time to challenge advertising's modus operandi.

Insight

Talking about talking; brands, bravado and positive male mental health messaging

While the one-time taboo of male mental health has stepped out of the shadows, Martin Jordan, Director of Innovation at Equator, argues that brands need to stay the course as men continue to walk the post-Covid tightrope of loneliness and depression.

Insight

Why we must spell out the creative differences dyslexics can make

Amelia Boyce, Senior Account Manager at INITIALS CX, says that dyslexia shouldn't be a taboo issue and, in fact, dyslexic employees should be celebrated for the potential creative edge they give a company.

Insight

Break taboos... win awards?

Half of the battle, says The Moon Unit, is to attract attention, and breaking taboos can certainly do that. Whether it's admitting your product was terrible, bulldozing women's health barriers or alluding to defecating your pants, it'll get you noticed and possibly win you an award or two. But things don't always go to plan... especially if you're conjuring images of incest.

Insight

Exploring identity in the metaverse

As the metaverse expands, so do the possibilities for self-expression. Yuliana Safari, Associate Director, Marketing at R/GA, argues that, if the metaverse truly becomes a utopia of self-expression, not only will taboos be broken in this nascent reality, they will transcend to the real world, helping to create meaningful progress.

Insight

Candour on the Croisette: a climate protester's Cannes ban

As the world’s summers heat up, the inconvenient truth that humans seem to be hurtling towards self-destruction could be deemed taboo. Gustav Martner, Head Of Creative (Nordics) at Greenpeace, was ejected and banned from Cannes Lions 2022 for his protest against fossil fuel advertising – here he explains his mission to urge creative communicators to speak up.

Insight

Maybe it’s time we gave Christmas a rebrand

Despite the recent Europe-wide heatwave, much of the industry is already working on festive spots. Surely it's taboo to criticise the joyful excesses of Christmas, isn't it? Not for Nick Sadeghian, Campaign Director at Ingenuity, who says this year might not be the time to empty the wallets of a world in crisis.

Insight

How to tackle tough topics with sensitivity

As shots' taboo focus looks into handling sensitive subject matter, director, photographer and Associate Creative Director at Amplify, Daniel Alexander Harris, discusses the making of Young Blood - Young Men on Masculinity and explains the best ways to approach sensitive subjects.

Insight

How to add purpose and break taboos

Can every brand reap benefits from jumping on the purpose-led bandwagon and promoting their products as sustainable, social, or particularly zeitgeisty? Here, Maren Seitz, Senior Director of analytics solutions provider Analytic Partners, shares her thoughts on the effectiveness of purpose-driven marketing campaigns and the potential pitfalls brands need to look out for.

The Future Focus

What will tomorrow bring? Is creativity, or humanity, at risk from Artificial Intelligence? How will increasing eco-awareness impact consumerism? In a topsy-turvy world seeing fast-moving culture shifts, shots devotes two months to garnering insights from the soothsayers of ad-land on the shape of things to come.

The Short Films & Documentary Focus

shots looks at the synergies between condensed cinematic storytelling and advertising. We also delve into factual content and how brands – and charities – are increasingly leveraging the power of reality to connect with audiences.

The New Talent Focus

Who are the rookie directors/producers/creatives who’ve been waiting in the wings to level-up ad-land? Where do you find them, how can we nurture them, and what fresh ideas will they bring?

The Animation Focus

With toons on-trend during lockdown, now that live-action is back what is the state of the animation nation today? This focus draws on opinions and profiles of animation directors, producers and studios and looks at new trends and technologies in the medium.

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