This is NOT another advertising Substack

No, really.

Hi 👋 and welcome to the inaugural dispatch of subZAK, a new blog from the folks at Zulu Alpha Kilo.

You may know us from some of our work, like our viral Booking.com Super Bowl ad with Tina Fey or the bulletproof Tough Turban we made so Sikh motorcyclists don’t have to choose between protection of a helmet or their turbans or the time we turned a German car wash into an immersive trip to British Columbia.

It’s possible you know us from our YouTube videos about the ridiculousness of agency award chasing, the wild discrepancy between ads that are acclaimed and ads that are actually well-known, and the head-scratching logic of spec work. (Forbes called us “the Saturday Night Live of agencies” for those…not to brag or anything.)

Or, maybe you don’t know us at all. Maybe you’ve just stumbled upon this blog sometime late in the evening—let’s say midnight—sprawled out on your couch, the lonely streets of Roku City on your big screen, 17 tabs (11 of which are Wikipedia) open on your medium screen, and a Meg Stalter TikTok your little screen. You can barely keep your eyes open, but you’re continuing to scroll for no real reason other than to procrastinate the sleep you so desperately need because nighttime is the only time of day in which you are free, and therefore you must commit yourself to as much screentime as possible. Which, relatable. And, also, you’re probably just the right audience for this, actually. 

We’re a global creative company, yes, but this isn’t a stereotypical agency newsletter. We’re not here to be yet another voice weighing in on industry trends, serving you stale strategy tips, or standing on a soapbox preaching dry thought leadership. Because at ZAK, we have two major beliefs:

👉The world needs more creativity.

👉Sameness is boring.

So instead of giving you the same old been-there-done-that industry newsletter, we’ll be hitting your inbox with something different. Consider us your creative and eclectic group of friends who just happen to work at an agency. We’ll hit up your inbox with our hyperfixations—recommendations of creative work out there in the world, from movies to books to galleries, museum exhibits to music videos that move us, catch our attention, and inspire us to create ourselves—and post our group chat debates to main. Okay, sure, we’ll occasionally share our workplace icks. And, yes, alright, sometimes we’ll talk about our big deal campaigns—but in a “we’re getting drinks and catching up on each other’s lives” way, not a “you did not ask about work but I’m telling you in minute detail even though you have no idea what I’m talking about nor do you care” way. 

If you’re in the advertising industry and want to talk shop, this might be for you. But if you’re just a creative person who wants to know what makes other creative people tick, a person who is merely curious about a world not their own, or a person just looking for a laugh or two—then sign up, baby. Because this is definitely for you. 

Talk soon,
Carrie Global Head of Agency Profile at Zulu Alpha Kilo