The return of decandence

We are in a credit crunch, times are looking tough. However, whenever we are in tough times our natural instinct is to live life to the full. It is human nature that in times of trouble we do not to think about the long term but just concentrate on the short time. We all want to pick ourselves up - we want to feel like we are having a more joyous time than we are.

This often means that we are more likely to party. Think of the parties that were performed during the blitz, the parties in the Weimer Republic, the parties that happened when Berlin fell.
Also hardship leads to creativity - the most amazing art often comes in times of trouble as artists start to express the times or paint a more Utopian picture of the world.

So what does this mean for advertising? Well I predict a whole rafter of joyful ads and ads with humour as their basis. The current Barclycard ad is a good example of a more joyous ad, one that goes against the grain of the times. However let's all hope and pray that Howard does not make a come back.