Dagli Oasis ai love brand: viaggio nei desideri del consumatore | Francesco Martini | TEDxBiella

Desire and Brands

• The concept of desire in communication is often considered obvious, but it's necessary to explore it further to understand its significance (27s).
• The idea that advertising has the power to instill false desires in people's minds is a misconception, and in reality, most brands only respond to people's needs rather than creating desires (59s).
• Only a small percentage of brands, referred to as "love brands," can access the dimension of desire, which is more complicated than responding to a need (1m33s).
• The difference between a regular brand and a love brand lies in their ability to create desire and connect with people on a deeper level (2m34s).
• Love brands are characterized as relationships rather than simple transactions, allowing them to access a human level of conversation with their audience (3m8s).
• According to Kevin Roberts, the former CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi UK, love brands are able to form connections with people and create a sense of desire (3m6s).
• Examples of love brands include well-known companies that have managed to create a strong emotional connection with their audience (3m36s).
• One notable example of a love brand that has successfully worked with desire is the Italian baker Gabriele Bonci, who has managed to create a loyal following and long queues outside his shop (2m17s).
• Another example of a love brand that has effectively tapped into people's desires is the Italian company Oasis, which has created a strong emotional connection with its audience (4m10s).

The Oasis Reunion: A Case Study in Desire

• The Oasis band, composed of Noel and Liam Gallagher, has been widely discussed in recent months, and their reunion has generated immense interest, with nearly 1.5 million tickets sold in a short time, and potentially 10 times more if they had wanted to (4m47s).
• The band's reunion has been a successful operation, even surpassing what the most refined brands could have achieved with their marketing strategies, and it's unclear how they managed to generate such desire (5m43s).
• Despite the brothers not getting along and having publicly declared their dislike for each other over the past 15 years, they have become a "love brand" built on hate, which may seem paradoxical but is actually a common phenomenon in storytelling (6m27s).
• The conflict in stories is what generates desire, and in the case of the Oasis reunion, the desire to see the end of the story and find out what happens next drove people's interest (7m13s).
• The conflict, or "hate," has been the driving force behind the Oasis reunion's success, creating an operation that is hard to surpass (7m47s).
• However, it's worth questioning what the true desire was behind the Oasis reunion - was it the music, the spirit of the music, or something else (8m14s).
• It's suggested that the desire was not necessarily for the music itself, but rather for something else, as many people in the queues for tickets were not necessarily fans of the band's music (8m30s).

The Nature of Desire

• The concept of desire is questioned, particularly in the context of consumerism, where people may desire something just to have it, rather than due to an inherent passion or need (8m31s).
• The difference between a desire to have something and a desire to be something is highlighted, with the latter being a more profound and existential longing (10m27s).
• The idea of a "lack of being" is introduced, referring to a fundamental dissatisfaction or void within oneself that drives the search for meaning and identity (10m32s).
• This concept is attributed to French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan, who viewed desire as originating from a lack or void, rather than a specific object or goal (9m57s).
• According to Lacan, desire is an inherent and indelible part of human nature, accompanying individuals from birth to death, and cannot be satisfied through material possessions or fleeting pleasures (11m4s).
• The paradox is noted that true desire, as understood by Lacan, cannot be fulfilled through the consumption of goods or services, which only serves to perpetuate a cycle of desire and dissatisfaction (11m32s).
• This cycle is exemplified by the constant pursuit of new products or experiences, such as buying Nike shoes, an Apple computer, or watching a Disney movie, only to crave something else (11m50s).
• The example of people taking screenshots of a queue, presumably to post on social media, is cited as an illustration of how desires are often driven by a desire for validation or self-presentation, rather than genuine passion or interest (8m46s).

The Ethics of Desire

• The concept of desire is unique to each individual, and everyone tends to strive for their own singular desire, which can be seen as the ultimate goal of one's sense of self (12m11s).
• This perspective is reflected in the idea of an "ethics of desire," which challenges the traditional Western notion that desire is opposed to duty (12m34s).
• In this view, the only sin is to give up on one's desire and not pursue it, rather than following one's duty (13m24s).
• The iconic phrase "have you acted in conformity with the desire that inhabits you?" is a question that everyone should ask themselves to understand where they are in life (13m40s).

Beethoven and the Power of Desire

• The story of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, which was composed over the course of 30 years, is an example of how desire can drive creativity and perseverance (14m33s).
• Beethoven's desire to set Schiller's "Ode to Joy" to music was a driving force behind the composition of the symphony, which was finally completed after decades of work (14m40s).
• The symphony's message of joy, brotherhood, and humanity is a testament to the power of desire to create something beautiful and meaningful, even in the face of adversity (15m26s).
• Beethoven's own life, marked by poverty, partial blindness, and complete deafness, is a testament to the human spirit's ability to create something extraordinary despite challenges (15m32s).

The Importance of Pursuing One's Desire

• The lesson of the "ethics of desire" is that desire is a fundamental driving force behind human creativity and perseverance, and that it is essential to pursue one's desires in order to create something meaningful (15m55s).
• Everyone has a unique desire that drives them, similar to the force that drove Beethoven to create his music, and it's up to each individual to recognize and pursue their own desire (16m1s).
• If one doesn't follow their true desire, they risk being unhappy and psychologically unwell, as stated by Massimo Recalcati, who said that "when one renounces their own desire, life becomes ill" (16m52s).
• Beethoven, despite being completely deaf, was able to compose his ninth symphony by using his conductor's baton to feel the vibrations of the music, illustrating the power of desire to bring joy even in adversity (17m11s).
• This image contrasts with the artificial desires created by society, which can lead to unhappiness and a lack of joy, and instead, true desire can be a silent and invisible force that brings fulfillment (17m46s).

A Different Approach to Desire in Society

• The speaker acknowledges the contradiction that, as an advertiser, they are contributing to the creation of artificial desires, but suggests that there may be a different way to approach this within society (18m33s).
• The speaker references Adriano Olivetti, a capitalist who envisioned a different kind of society, and quotes the title of one of his books, "We dream of silence," highlighting the need to move away from the artificial desires and noise of modern society (19m48s).