--- title: "The100: Grey is the new Black" description: La La Land? Interesting to see adland realise that they need to talk more about getting out there and connecting with ‘real’ people. Ogilvy telling us that they’re returning to primary research, just a week after Saatchi had told us that planners needed to ‘get away from their laptops and into the homes of their customers’. Ogilvy … image: https://hello.watchmethink.com/hubfs/Untitled%20design%20(4)-2.png --- [![Bombayworks logotype](https://hello.watchmethink.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/WatchMeThink_September_2023/images/wmt-logo_inverse.svg "Bombayworks logotype")](https://watchmethink.com/) - [What we do](https://watchmethink.com/#) - [Watch Me Explore](https://watchmethink.com/what-we-do/watch-me-explore) - [Watch Me Develop](https://watchmethink.com/what-we-do/watch-me-develop) - [Watch Me Use](https://watchmethink.com/what-we-do/watch-me-use) - [Watch Me Shop](https://watchmethink.com/what-we-do/watch-me-shop) - [Who it's for](https://watchmethink.com/#) - [Consumer Insights](https://watchmethink.com/who-its-for/consumer-insights) - [Shopper Insights](https://watchmethink.com/who-its-for/shopper-insights) - [Category Management](https://watchmethink.com/who-its-for/category-mangement) - [Innovation & Product Development](https://watchmethink.com/who-its-for/innovation) - [Sensory & Consumer Science](https://watchmethink.com/who-its-for/consumer-science) - [Packaging](https://watchmethink.com/who-its-for/packaging) - [Marketing](https://watchmethink.com/who-its-for/marketing) - [About](https://watchmethink.com/about) - [The 100 Blog](https://blog.watchmethink.com/) - [Contact](https://watchmethink.com/contact) - [Login](https://watchmethink.com/dashboard) - [Sign up](https://watchmethink.com/#) - [Corporate users](https://watchmethink.com/account/register/client) - [Request registration here](https://watchmethink.com/account/register/client) - [Consumer](https://watchmethink.com/account/register/contributor) - [Get paid to review products](https://watchmethink.com/account/register/contributor) Menu # The100: Grey is the new Black - Home - [Blog](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog) - The100: Grey is the new Black - [Blog home /](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog) [Alistair Vince](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/author/alistair-vince) 03/03/2017 [The100](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/tag/the100) [0 Comments](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-grey-is-the-new-black#postComment) 2 Minutes **La La Land?** Interesting to see adland realise that they need to talk more about getting out there and connecting with ‘real’ people. Ogilvy telling us that they’re [returning to primary research](http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/planning-wild-ogilvy-planners-getting-connect-real-people/1421098), just a week after [Saatchi had told us that planners](http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/planners-need-echo-chamber-year/1420459) needed to* ‘get away from their laptops and into the homes of their customers’*. Ogilvy are not being patronising at all (honest, guv) by [recording videos](https://medium.com/@GetOutThere/) in those outposts they visit… make sure you pack wisely intrepid explorer! Who knows what you might find. I mean, seriously. Anyway, whilst we admire the intent, this is what we thought about the slightly off ‘[real people](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-f-real-person-alistair-vince?trk=prof-post)’ description. **110% sure that statistics have lost their power** Did you know the BBC doesn’t even employ a statistician any more? It seems that stats of old (think: GDP, Polling) are becoming old hat compared to the new crunching of numbers (think: all things passively, massively, digitally connected).  [So  this (long read)](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jan/19/crisis-of-statistics-big-data-democracy) on why old stats are failing and how* “new data sets can be mined in search of patterns, trends, correlations and emergent moods”* should cause a few arches in the old eyebrows. **Grey is the new Black** Every week we’re seeing more articles about the ageing population, with life expectancy growing by 5 hours a day, and how this is [how it is transforming Britain](https://www.theguardian.com/membership/2017/jan/16/the-new-retirement-how-an-ageing-population-is-transforming-britain) – retirement being the new (unavoidable) black. And the Adcontrarian can always be relied upon to remind us all [why marketers should NOT ignore the over 50s](http://adcontrarian.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/the-crazy-logic-of-media-strategy.html), in his own (wonderful) style:  *“You want to use young people in your commercials? Fine, use young people. But direct the spots at the people who actually buy the \*$34%& cars.”* **Making a Splash** We like to report on the things that made us go WOW, and [this ad](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NKvN7U5RXQ) did it. Originally from 2015, it was revived and spots were bought on YouTube after a certain new President’s  [alleged activities](http://www.cosmopolitan.com/sex-love/a8584701/reports-allege-trump-hired-prostitutes-golden-showers/) in Moscow hotel rooms came to the world’s attention. Whatever your views, a nod has to go to its masterful placement for maximum impact. The 2nd thing that caught our eye was [this infographic](http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/based-on-a-true-true-story/), showing Facts vs. those ole [Alternative Facts](http://www.npr.org/2017/01/29/512068148/this-week-in-trumps-alternative-facts) in Hollywood films. Which, if anyone was wondering, is exactly how interactive infographics should be done. Genius. **My Ology needs a new Method** Firstly, friend of Watch Me Think, the one, the only Alex Batchelor (of Brainjuicer), wrote a fantastic article about [t](http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/insights-industry-reinvent-itself-disastrous-2016/1420434)[he challenges for MRX over the next 12 months](http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/insights-industry-reinvent-itself-disastrous-2016/1420434). Plenty there for all to ponder. The study he writes about mentions how marketers view their insights partners. It was both a worrying read and a tremendous opportunity – worth the 7 minute investment if you missed it. The [2017 buzzwords](http://www.research-live.stfi.re/article/features/2017-preview-the-buzzwords/id/5015852?sf=rgwgolb#aa) was less exciting. I mean. Are *speed* and *emotion* really that new? And AI? It already made an appearance in [2016](https://www.research-live.com/article/features/2016-preview-buzzwords/id/5000872). The buzzword, it seems, is *buzzword*. And then this, from another of our favourites here at the grand old Watch Me Think towers: Richard Huntington. It’s about the [7 deadly sins of planning](http://www.slideshare.net/adliterate/seven-deadly-sins-of-planning). There will be an 8th if its lessons aren’t taken across to Insights 🙂 **The world’s on wire** Simon Kemp has produced an impressive [overview of ‘digital’ around the world](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/digital-2017-global-overview-simon-kemp). Quite a feat. There are 2 decks: a 100 slide one and a 225 slide one. In fact, in all, there are 3,300+ slides of data, statistics and trends for 239 countries. I’ll do a summary for you: It’s growing. (Shouldn’t “The Internet” be in the 2017 buzzwords?) 4.92 billion people have a mobile phone now! Wow. Though we think “what is a mobile phone” has been long overdue a change of definition. Finally, looking again at the UK – hotbed(pan) that it is – [the mass observation project](http://www.massobs.org.uk/about/history-of-mo) is celebrating its 80th year. The aim: ‘an anthropology of ourselves’. If you didn’t know about it, it’s superb. Especially the co-project on [Observing the 80s](http://blogs.sussex.ac.uk/observingthe80s/blog/).   --- #### Tag: [The100](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/tag/the100) #### Share: - [Follow us on Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-grey-is-the-new-black) - [Follow us on Twitter](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-grey-is-the-new-black&text=The100:%20Grey%20is%20the%20new%20Black) - [Follow us on Linkedin](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-grey-is-the-new-black) - [Follow us on Pinterest](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-grey-is-the-new-black&text=The100:%20Grey%20is%20the%20new%20Blackdescription=La%20La%20Land?&media=https://3461170.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/3461170/Untitled%20design%20%284%29-2.png) --- --- ## From the archives If you like The100, maybe even found it vaguely enjoyable (steady now), you can have a ganders at our previous issues. 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[The100](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/tag/the100) 04 September, 2026 #### [The100: Patterns that aren't, time well spent and the knights of Arundel](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-patterns-that-arent-time-well-spent-and-the-knights-of-arundel) The leadership of sound bites It’s a strange old time in research and insights at the moment, eh?… [Read More](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-patterns-that-arent-time-well-spent-and-the-knights-of-arundel) [The100](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/tag/the100) 21 August, 2026 #### [The100: Neurononsense, the gym test and the Republic of Olvana](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-neurononsense-the-gym-test-and-the-republic-of-olvana) Cite me if you can If I had a cent for every time I heard “95% of purchase decisions are… [Read More](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-neurononsense-the-gym-test-and-the-republic-of-olvana) [The100](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/tag/the100) 07 August, 2026 #### [The100: Discount loops, The Batman Effect and crimes against the Y axis](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-discount-loops-the-batman-effect-and-crimes-against-the-y-axis) Yellow sticker syndrome Mark Ritson has staged an intervention against price promotions and given… [Read More](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-discount-loops-the-batman-effect-and-crimes-against-the-y-axis) - Get started - [Login](https://watchmethink.com/account/login) - [Sign up: Corporate User](https://watchmethink.com/account/register/client) - [Sign up: Consumer](https://watchmethink.com/account/register/contributor) - Resources - [Terms for Thinkers](https://watchmethink.com/terms) - [Terms for Adhoc Work](https://watchmethink.com/terms-for-adhoc-work) - [Terms for Subscriptions](https://watchmethink.com/terms-for-subscriptions) - [Terms for Agents](https://watchmethink.com/agent) - About - [Contact us](https://watchmethink.com/contact) - [About us](https://watchmethink.com/about) - [Blog](https://blog.watchmethink.com/) - [Privacy policy](https://watchmethink.com/privacy) - [Equality, diversity and labour standards](https://watchmethink.com/equality-diversity-labour-standards) - Social - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/watch-me-think) - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/watchmethink) ![cyber-essentials-plus](https://hello.watchmethink.com/hs-fs/hubfs/WatchMeThink_September_2023/images/cyber-essentials-plus.png?width=96&name=cyber-essentials-plus.png "cyber-essentials-plus") ![mrs-logo-cps](https://hello.watchmethink.com/hs-fs/hubfs/WatchMeThink_September_2023/images/mrs-logo-cps.png?width=216&name=mrs-logo-cps.png "mrs-logo-cps") ![watch](https://hello.watchmethink.com/hs-fs/hubfs/WatchMeThink_September_2023/images/watch.png?width=213&name=watch.png "watch") Watch Me Think © 2025. 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