I can see why you might think is. Because yes, it has visual elements. It’s great for location scouting, outfit choices, prop ideation, general themes and vibes. That stuff matters. Of course it does. But if you think that's creative direction heading into a shoot, you're about to spend thousands of dollars for a bunch of pretty images you have absolutely no idea how to use. And I’m not about to let you throw away your hard-earned money on that. So before you do, here’s how to make sure you never waste a shoot again.

-Sophie Randell, Writer

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And what a morning it is, because the Pentagon/OpenAI/Anthropic situation is officially spiralling. Here’s the full rundown: negotiations between Anthropic and the Department of Defence collapsed after Anthropic refused to allow its AI to be used for mass surveillance of Americans or fully autonomous weapons. So OpenAI, ever the opportunist, stepped in and struck a deal to provide its tools for classified defence systems. ChatGPT uninstalls jumped 295% day-over-day. Claude surged to number one on the App Store, briefly overtaking ChatGPT.

This is shaping up to be the first real culture war of the AI era. Anthropic is positioning itself as the safety-first company willing to walk away from military work. OpenAI argues that if governments are going to use AI anyway, it's better to be in the room shaping how. Both arguments have merit, and both are convenient for the companies making them. What's clear is that users are voting with their installs. And right now, they're siding with the company that said no to the Pentagon. Turns out, when you build powerful tools and hand them to institutions with zero accountability, people get upset. Who knew?

Next on the list: the U.S. Supreme Court just declined to hear an AI copyright case, which is a huge non-decision that leaves everyone in legal limbo. The case involved whether AI-generated art can be copyrighted, and more importantly, whether training AI models on copyrighted works without permission counts as infringement. By refusing to hear it, the Supreme Court basically punted the issue back to lower courts. This means there's still no clear legal framework for how copyright applies to AI. Artists and creators wanted clarity, tech companies wanted protection, and instead we got nothing. Fun!

And more teen social media bans are coming. But the real question is whether they'll actually work. After Australia passed legislation restricting access for anyone under 16, other countries are considering similar measures. The UK is drafting something. Several U.S. states are exploring it. And the momentum is building. But enforcement is the problem no one has solved. Do you age-verify everyone? Do platforms get fined if kids slip through? Do parents get penalised? The logistics are messy and the effectiveness is questionable. Kids are resourceful. They'll find workarounds. But banning access doesn't address the underlying issue, which is that these platforms are designed to be addictive and harmful regardless of age. 

-Sophie Randell, Writer

Specifically, it starts with these questions:

And most importantly: What are the ASSETS WE NEED to fuel the marketing efforts we're spending these dollars on?

If you can't answer these questions before you start pinning moody film photography to a board, you're not doing creative direction. You're doing vibes, which I know is fun, but vibes don't move product, unfortunately.

Every platform wants something different. Instagram needs Reels, carousels, and static posts. TikTok needs vertical video. Your website needs hero images, product shots, lifestyle content. Email needs headers and inline imagery. Paid ads need multiple formats and variations.

If you go into a shoot with just a Pinterest board and a "vibe," you're going to come out with beautiful images that don't fit any of your actual needs. You'll have stunning hero shots but no product close-ups. Gorgeous lifestyle content but nothing that works for ads. Moody atmospheric photos but nothing that converts on your landing page.

And then you're stuck. You spent five figures on a shoot and you still can't execute your marketing plan because you don't have the assets you actually need.

Create a detailed shot list:

Not "we want some lifestyle shots." You need specific shots. "Model holding product at eye level, shot vertically for Reels." "Product on white background, square crop for carousel post 3." "Hands interacting with product, close-up for email header." Every shot should have a purpose.

Map your offers:

What are you selling in the next quarter? What campaigns are running? What launches are coming? Your shoot assets need to support these specific offers, not just look pretty in isolation.

Link shots to offers and platforms:

For every offer, identify what assets you need and where they'll be used. "New product launch needs: hero image for homepage, 3 lifestyle shots for Instagram carousel, 5 detail shots for product page, 2 vertical videos for TikTok, email header." Get specific.

Account for platform requirements:

Instagram carousels are 1:1. Reels are 9:16. TikTok needs vertical. Your website might need horizontal hero images. Don't assume you can crop everything later!!! Shoot for the formats you need!!!

Build in variations:

You need multiple options for testing. Different angles. Different compositions. Different expressions. Don't just shoot one version of each shot and hope it works.

Look, I get it. Pinterest boards are fun, and cute, and exciting. They're the sexy part of planning a shoot: putting together mood boards and picking locations and choosing outfits feels creative and inspiring.

But that's only one tool in the creative direction toolkit. It helps communicate visual style to your creative team and ensures everyone's aligned on the aesthetic. That's valuable. But it's not strategy. It's not a shot list or asset planning. It's not mapping to your marketing calendar or business objectives.

There's a massive difference.

What happens when you skip this step? You hire a creative team, show them your Pinterest board, you do the shoot, they deliver gorgeous images, you post a few on Instagram and then... nothing.

The images sit in a folder because they don't fit your email template dimensions… or they're all horizontal but you need vertical for Stories… or they're atmospheric but your ads need product-focused.

So you end up shooting again in six months, using iPhone photos because at least those work for what you need, and struggling to execute your marketing plan because you don't have the right assets.

And you've wasted your money. Not because the creative team was bad, but because you didn't do the work upfront to figure out what you actually needed.

Spend time on the boring strategic stuff before you get to the fun aesthetic stuff.

Figure out what you're selling and when!! Map your marketing calendar!! Identify the specific assets you need to support your business objectives!!!!!!! Create a detailed shot list that accounts for platform requirements and use cases!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THEN make your Pinterest board. THEN use it to communicate visual direction to your team. But don't confuse it with creative direction itself.

Creative direction is strategy first, aesthetics second. Get that order right, and your shoot will actually deliver what you need. Get it wrong, and you'll have a beautiful Pinterest board and a folder full of images collecting digital dust. 

-Sophie Randell, Writer

It comes from the adult animated show Big Mouth on Netflix. In the scene, two Dutch characters are describing their, um, unique holiday traditions (to the horror of anyone who hears). They start by saying, "In our country, Christmas is quite different." Then they go on to explain that their “Santa” is called Vader Johan, a nightmarish character who eats children.

The actual quote in the trending sound goes, "In our country, it does not matter if you are naughty or nice. For all the bones taste the same to Vader Johan" (sorry kids!). Creators are using this to depict situations where reality doesn't match what you might assume to be true. For example,

Start with the trending sound. Use OST and an image or clip to set up your situation during the first half of the quote: "In our country, it does not matter if you are naughty or nice." During the second half of the audio, put up either an image or a clip showing the reality of the situation. Add OST explaining why that thing you just said doesn't matter.

A few examples to get you started:

- Charlotte Ellis, Editor ♡

😂Yap’s funniest home videos: I love this ASAP Rocky clip
✨Daily inspo: Pressure is a privilige
🎧Soooo tingly: 48 seconds of straight ASMR crushing
🍝What you should make for dinner tonight: 10 min one-pot orzo

Hey Raewyn,

It's absolutely possible to get into the industry without a degree in marketing. Of course, it is definitely helpful to have an understanding of consumer behaviour and marketing principles. But with all the free resources out there, you can take it upon yourself to learn from books, podcasts, YouTube, etc.

As far as getting experience, if I were you, I would immerse myself in the industry as much as possible. Go to in-person marketing events. Follow and connect with marketers on LinkedIn. Book coffee chats with anyone who will give you 30 minutes of their time. Not only is this the best way to learn, but it may even lead to an opportunity to intern or get some actual work experience.

- Charlotte Ellis, Editor ♡

We get it. Creating content that does numbers is harder than it looks. But doing those big numbers is the fastest way to grow your brand. So if you’re tired of throwing sh*t at the wall and seeing what sticks, you’re in luck. Because making our clients go viral is kinda what we do every single day.