Welcome to The Spark, home to everything Team Mission Drive has found fascinating this month.
As my Uber driver exclaimed one particularly hot and humid Sunday afternoon, desperately opening all the car windows in an attempt to escape the heat: “Bring the winter back!”
A whole year’s worth of sunshine had our northwestern colleagues perplexed by the unusual amount of vitamin D they’ve been exposed to, sparking some philosophical inquiries, questioning whether the apocalypse is nearing and debating if it’s too soon to slather on another layer of sunscreen.
Welcome to The Spark, June Edition, where we can’t resist providing a quick weather update, before jumping right into this month’s vibrant collection of streams of consciousness our team put down on virtual paper.
From surprising parallels between Bojack Horseman and AI, to explorations of sexuality, and revelations about how businesses capitalise on consumer buying patterns, you’ll surely find something to pique your curiosity.
Rather dig into our usual marketing stuff? We have a sneaking suspicion you’ll love our Little Missions – a bite-sized collection of the battle-tested tactics we share with marketing-inclined readers. Have a little look, or better yet, subscribe to get them delivered to your inbox twice a week.
This month's Big World Stuff:
- What do Bojack Horseman and AI have in common?
- My sexuality isn’t the most interesting thing about me
- Does it pay to be prepared? A review of how businesses capitalise on your buying patterns
- My monthly musings
- Eat well, friends
This month's Big Recommendations:
- Five LGBTQ+ films to watch beyond Pride Month
- A book to feed your mind
- A TV show to keep you up at night
This month’s Big World Stuff
What do Bojack Horseman and AI have in common?
Agne Suipyte
To honour the start of my second rewatching of BoJack Horseman and my never-ending quest to write increasingly better prompts for ChatGPT, I decided to draw some parallels between the two seemingly unrelated matters.
Because that’s how a writer’s brain works. Like a centrifuge, spinning a random mix of ingredients and occasionally producing something concrete, something worthwhile the sacred time of the reader.
Don’t quote me on the exact workings of a centrifuge. For content purposes, we’ll continue with the assumption that it works exactly as I’ve said.
So watching my favourite animated series once again got me thinking about ChatGPT. Why?
BoJack Horseman delves into the emotional struggles of its characters, particularly BoJack himself, who grapples with depression, addiction, and his own sense of identity. In a similar vein, AI and machine learning algorithms are often designed to mimic human emotions or exhibit forms of consciousness.
Throughout the series, one question has been constantly playing on my mind – does BoJack truly comprehend the depths of his own being?
With moments of introspection and remorse, at times we almost believe Bojack’s inherent good nature. Yet at the slightest jab (most likely perceived) at his own identity and motives, he caves in and goes back to all too familiar routines of self-sabotage and self-loathing.
Even when prompted to do good, Bojack leans towards destruction. A hurricane with no regard for anything but his own path. That’s the force of nature. He can’t help it, he believes.
Similarly to our protagonist, AI systems can be influenced by biases or interpret inputs in ways that affect their behaviour, potentially leading to negative or unwanted outcomes due to misinterpreted intentions or distorted perceptions.
The quality of ChatGPT's responses is directly tied to the prompts we feed it. And with Bojack’s deep sense of inner emptiness and validation-seeking tendencies with the world around him defining his sense of identity and behaviours, he and ChatGPT may share more common ground than we dare to imagine.
My sexuality isn’t the most interesting thing about me
Coeli Uy
Sometimes you watch or read something and it just sticks. And it changes you. For me, that was in 2014 during an episode of ‘Orphan Black’, when Cosima, a bisexual character, (the first I’d encountered at the time) said: “My sexuality is not the most interesting thing about me”.
That to me, especially my 16-year-old self who was just trying to figure out her identity, is so important to remember. I am more than my sexuality. I'm also defined by my achievements, my intelligence, my hobbies, my flaws, other communities I belong to, my culture, and everything in between. Like Cosima, I refuse to be confined to a single archetype.
I was the first and only openly out person in my school. Outside of my close group of friends, I don’t even remember ‘coming out’. I sort of just started dropping ‘I have a girlfriend’ or ‘my girlfriend’ in conversations as if I was just talking about something completely ordinary. Because to me it is!
This isn't to say that my sexuality isn’t important to me. I absolutely love identifying as bisexual and take great pride in it. There’s nothing better than meeting people who went through the same identity struggles and continue to transcend the challenges that come with it.
And that’s why my sexuality isn’t the most interesting thing about me. Yes, I’m bisexual and I’m proud of it. But that doesn’t define me. I’m not just bisexual full stop. I’m bisexual and... I’m Filipino and I have two university degrees and I love film photography and creating digital content. I’d love to raise awareness around LGBTQ+ and mental health. I’m bisexual and yes, there’s more to me than that.
My message to anyone in the LGBTQ+ community or anyone who’s started their journey to figuring out their identity: how you identify doesn’t have to fit a stereotype or be limited to a word or tick a check box. It just has to make sense to you. Remember that you’re more than what you’re attracted to. There’s more to you than a simple label could ever begin to explain.
Does it pay to be prepared? A review of how businesses capitalise on your buying patterns
Johnny Lloyd
What’s a better way to understand how brands behave than by applying to a Brit’s favourite conversation starter – the weather.
By Britain’s standards, June 2023 was an absolute scorcher. We rarely get a week of unbroken sunshine – let alone most of a month! Let’s be honest, the weather caught a lot of people off guard. It feels like a matter of minutes since we were begrudgingly switching the heating on, and now we’re frantically searching for desk fans and paddling pools. The Google Trends data below backs this up. And this is precisely the predicament I was in, which led me to do some research of my own.
In the research, I found it was common practice for many popular hot weather products like fans and pools to see price increases of between 10% and 30% in the summer season. The example below shows that you could have picked up a prized Dyson fan for nearly £200 less just a couple of months ago. 
It raises the question – is this practice unfair? In general, if demand increases for a product with limited supply – the price will soon follow. The price of the last train ticket or a ticket for a World Cup Final is a good example of how prices can increase dramatically. Here’s a handy diagram that shows this theory in action – one for the Economists out there! 
We know why these price increases happen, but is this practice fair? Some laws are in place to prevent consumers from being ripped off and these are enforced by The Competition & Markets Authority. However, the CMA are often busy focusing on the bigger picture. Here are some interesting cases they are currently working on. Ultimately, who can blame these retailers if no one’s stopping them?
All of this shows that preparedness pays off. A round of applause for you if you’re in the minority that buys seasonal products when demand is low. Save those pennies for something more important! Maybe next year’s energy bill?
My monthly musings
Seb Daniels
This month hasn’t provided me with any deeper, random acts of kindness or the quietest place on Earth thoughts… which is okay. Sometimes my mind prefers short, more digestible musings on life. So here are a few of my thoughts from the month:
1. Heath Ledger DIDN’T improvise part of the iconic hospital explosion scene from The Dark Knight
It’s widely believed that Heath Ledger improvised part of the iconic hospital explosion scene from The Dark Knight, and thus, his Hollywood legend status was enhanced. But in reality, the pause before the explosion is intentional as it gives Ledger time to be a safe distance away.
Musing: not everything is how it appears on the surface – one person's genius could easily be someone else’s plan.
2. AI vs Mayonnaise
Generative AI’s development over the past 6 months has been incredible and it’s predicted to become a $1.3 trillion market by 2032. It's clear that AI is amazing and will revolutionise many industries. However, AI vs Mayonnaise is a great example of the infancy of this new technology and a further Twitter search for #AIFails reveals this isn’t a one-off.
Musings: humans are still needed – a point beautifully illustrated by this advert from impact.be, a Belgian agency specialising in construction jobs.
3. Roger Moore can teach us all a lesson in creating magic.
This story of Roger Moore committing his life to playing James Bond both on and off screen is incredibly heartwarming and the comments are a testament to the man himself.
Musing: everyone is capable of generosity and humour – and it's up to you to use it like it's your superpower!
Bonus random parting musing: Have you ever seen an owl's ear?
Eat well, friends
Candice Bullmore
Prepping, cooking, sharing, and eating good food, especially for and with friends and family is one of my absolute all-time favourite pastimes. Hands down.
I feel fortunate to have formed a healthy relationship with food from a very young age – thanks Ma & Pops! And, I’ve married a man who really knows how to cook. I’m conscious about what I buy and eat, and I can’t agree more with the sentiment that we are what we eat.
When I eat rubbish – I feel like rubbish.
When I eat well, my body and mind thank me for it.
The British Foundation celebrate its 11th Healthy Eating week this month. It’s about supporting and promoting healthier lifestyles and this year’s theme was Healthy Eating Week – for everyone.
More prevalently, the cost of living crisis is making eating well even more of a challenge. One of the first handy tips from the campaign is how to save money on food. You can also find inspiration and tips on how to:
Some of my favourite go-to cookbooks packed with the good stuff are:
- Cape Town Food
- Ottolenghi: The Cookbook
- Rick Stein’s Mediterranean Escapes
- Meera Sodha’s Fresh India
Bon appétit!
This month's Big Recommendations
Five LGBTQ+ films to watch beyond Pride Month
Coeli Uy
1. Carol (2015). This is my number one LGBTQ+ film and it has been since it first came out in the cinemas in 2015, when I paid to see it three times in one week! The cinematography combined with Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara’s performances is just a magical pairing.
2. Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019). This is another romantic period drama and a must-watch. It’s beautifully written and produced, and it’s one of the best LGBTQ+ films of the century.
3. Love, Simon (2018). Okay, let’s move away from the period dramas and talk about the coming-of-age tale of a young boy going through the stages of coming to terms with his sexuality. Charming and funny, it portrays inspiring messages of courage, integrity, and empathy.
4. Billie and Emma (2018). It wouldn’t be a complete LGBTQ+ film recommendation from me if I didn’t include a Filipino film. So here’s Billie and Emma. A story about a reckless girl who’s sent to an all-girls Catholic school to make her more lady-like and to stop her from embracing her lesbian nature. An accurate depiction of the struggles of many LGBTQ+ Filipinos growing up in religious households.
5. Imagine Me and You (2005). Quite honestly, it’s one of the only romantic comedy LGBTQ+ films that focuses on the comedy part and, more importantly, actually has a happy ending.
A book to feed your mind
Simon Bullmore
The Social Brain, Tracey Camilleri, Samantha Rockey, Robin Dunbar (£22, Cornerstone Press)
This accessible and insightful new book adopts an intriguing angle for effective business building – examining the most human of things ‘the social brain’.
When it comes to building teams, there’s a lot to figure out. How many people do you need on a team for optimal performance? How do you build trust and create a shared identity? And, perhaps most importantly, how do you foster an environment that can adapt to change while still allowing individuals to thrive?
Humans are hardwired for social interaction, so shouldn’t all this be easy?
The challenge is that the ‘social brain’ evolved to help your distant ancestors survive as part of small hunter-gatherer groups, not the remote and open-plan office environments you may experience today. If you care about shaping a good work-life you must therefore address a fundamental challenge – understanding and addressing both the limitations and the advantages evolution has given humans.
In The Social Brain, experts from both evolutionary psychology and business management join forces to provide insights into effective teamwork and organisational structure. They explore the ideal size for a team based on the task at hand (normally, around four people) and offer practical tips for diffusing tension and promoting cooperation. Importantly, they also stress the importance of balancing unity with diverse perspectives.
The book is a timely reminder that organisations are biological, even in the internet age. Rigid technological structures stifle your humanity. A more organic approach, one that reflects your wonderfully diverse ancestry, will help you and your team to grow.
A TV show to keep you up at night
Agne Suipyte
The imminent apocalypse we’ve mentioned at the start of this newsletter? A very real possibility in the latest season of Black Mirror, of course.
If you haven’t binged all five episodes in one sitting, what’s the delay? As always, the show masterfully weaves in elements of dystopian horror and satire to tell us a narrative of how our not-very-distant future could turn out to be.
The last episode, Demon 79, surprisingly detracts from the bleakness of the season, introducing an intoxicatingly charming demon into an ordinary existence of a timid shoe sales assistant.
Now faced with the task of committing unspeakable acts of violence to avert the apocalypse, she must confront the internal and external demons for the greater good. How far away will she stray from her true nature? You'll have to watch it yourself – our lips are sealed.
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Take care and we’ll see you next time,
The Mission Drive Team
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