Every so often in this job, someone sends you an email that makes you laugh it’s a joke, but because it captures the exact mood of the moment with such brutal accuracy it almost hurts.
This is what landed in my inbox the other day from a creative team:
Hi Dean,
This is Echo-One transmission #2089.
We’re broadcasting from the remnants of what used to be Creative Sector 14, if anyone’s still out there.
Power’s low.
Hope’s lower.
We were a creative team before the sky fell.
Our specialisms now are rebel radio scripts, resistance TVC broadcasts, anti-social campaigns.
Bunker work or on-site after nightfall.
If this signal reaches you, anyone, we’re available.
God-speed please.
We’re running out of SPAM.
Stay human.
Funny, right? But also… not?
Because underneath the wit, this hits a bit close to home. The creative industry right now does feel like a war zone. Ghost-town briefs. Endless holds. Radio silence from brands. Roles pulled. Budgets cut. Teams gutted.
And what’s left? A lot of brilliant people stuck underground, sending out flares and hoping someone still needs what they do.
This post isn’t just a tribute to a clever email, it’s a nod to all the people out there keeping their humour intact while navigating an industry in flux. Creative work hasn’t died. It’s just gone deeper underground. More resourceful. More self-aware. Maybe even more powerful, if we get it right.
So if you’re out there, still making, still reaching out — stay human.
There’s life beyond the bunker.
– Dean
Digital Dean | Dispatches from the digital front line
