The Forgotten Art That Makes Advertising Work

Why Advertising Must Return to Showmanship

Over the past two decades, a fundamental shift has occurred in advertising. Once prized for its creativity, emotional resonance, and ability to lodge a brand in memory, advertising now often feels transactional, literal, and narrowly goal‑oriented. In his work at System1, Orlando Wood argues that this drift (from “showmanship” to “salesmanship”) has ero…