Éric Blais

Zohran Mamdani's campaign proved that design can win the ground game, and an election

Zohran Mamdani's campaign proved that design can win the ground game, and an election

“When every party starts to look the same, design becomes one of the few levers left to stand out,” says Éric Blais in his latest Free to Disagree column.

The utopia and harsh reality of brand activism

The utopia and harsh reality of brand activism

It’s been 25 years since Ben & Jerry’s “merged” with Unilever. The company that gave us Cherry Garcia ice cream retained the values it was founded on longer than expected, but those hippie ideals are fading, Éric Blais writes.

The pitch market’s couples therapy

The pitch market’s couples therapy

Anxious agencies should initiate discussions with clients in order to improve their relationship. Strong relationships are rarely found, they’re built, writes Éric Blais.

Marketing failed Del Monte: Éric Blais

Marketing failed Del Monte: Éric Blais

Canned food has a good story to tell, but Del Monte was unable to make it stick.

‘It’s never just coffee,’ says Starbucks. That’s true, but the joe still matters

‘It’s never just coffee,’ says Starbucks. That’s true, but the joe still matters

A recent focus on the brand’s communal experience falls short of conveying what Éric Blais believes makes Starbucks truly unique: well-crafted coffee.

Want to optimise your digital campaign? Add some good old print to the mix

Want to optimise your digital campaign? Add some good old print to the mix

“Print is being rediscovered as a premium channel… precisely because everyone’s eyes are glazed over from too many digital ads,” says Éric Blais in his latest Free to Disagree column.

The madness of US election advertising, where it's quantity over quality

The madness of US election advertising, where it's quantity over quality

The shift from a “craft” approach to a “factory” approach in political advertising is now complete, with ad-makers throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks, says Éric Blais in his latest Free to Disagree column

Go-to-market strategy: The art of stating the obvious and still getting it wrong

Go-to-market strategy: The art of stating the obvious and still getting it wrong

Coca-Cola and Sonos both showed how things can go wrong for big brands when they want to act like startups, says Éric Blais in his latest Free to Disagree column.