Ad-verse Reactions by Omar Oakes
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Trump’s attack on Iran isn’t ‘wag the dog’. It’s so much worse than that.
The Iran strikes aren't a distraction from the Epstein Files. They're part of a content strategy that is rewarded in the age of social media.
Mar 3
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Omar Oakes
4
1
1
February 2026
YouTube has conquered the TV set. That still doesn't make it television
Stories That Matter: More than half of in-home YouTube viewing happens on TV screens, but UK data shows that how it's watched on the big screen is…
Feb 24
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Omar Oakes
6
An 'exodus' in advertising? Something doesn't add up
Stories That Matter: Something literally doesn't add up when it comes to the 'AI is taking our jobs' narrative
Feb 17
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Omar Oakes
6
1
1
If you make $5bn a year from scam ads, are they a feature or a bug?
Stories That Matter: Scam ads don't persist on Meta because they are out of control. Eliminating them would mean slowing the very growth engines…
Feb 10
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Omar Oakes
6
5
1
Why it’s a question of when, not if, ChatGPT enshittifies
Stories That Matter: can an AI bot which offers itself as a 'trusted thinking partner' also be a successful ad platform?
Feb 3
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Omar Oakes
3
2
1
January 2026
What Google's legal threat really means: stop treating YouTube like it's TV
The real reason Google doesn’t want YouTube measured like television.
Jan 29
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Omar Oakes
7
2
Stories That Matter: Are we the bad guys?
Whether you think the ad industry is too wimpy or too woke, it's become convenient to express moral virtue while hiding behind the reality of being…
Jan 27
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Omar Oakes
3
1
The truth about going freelance: more fun but much harder than a full-time job
After a year of going solo, I’ve learned that freelancing doesn’t raise your income ceiling first — it removes the floor. What you gain isn’t freedom so…
Jan 22
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Omar Oakes
9
4
1
Stories That Matter: when formats stop explaining how media works
Plus social media bans, ads on ChatGPT, the 'advertising is a Bellwether' delusion, and Netflix.
Jan 20
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Omar Oakes
1
Interview: Why public screens still matter in a private-feed world
From DOOH growth to attention metrics, out-of-home has the numbers. What it lacks is advocacy, coherence, and a shared story — a gap laid bare in my…
Jan 15
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Omar Oakes
3
1
Stories that matter: publishers need to convert authority to value
Plus X, Netflix/Paramount, Spotify and a word on all these agency AI announcements.
Jan 13
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Omar Oakes
4
2
Stories that matter: Why media industry prediction pieces always fail
Saying nothing about the future turns out to have real consequences.
Jan 6
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Omar Oakes
6
3
1
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