The Dangers of Therapeutic Culture
Lessons for Modern Brands
Today, I came across another of David Brooks’ thought-provoking columns in the New York Times. As you are no doubt aware, Brooks is one of America's most insightful cultural and social commentators, and I frequently find parallels to my own work in his writing.
Hey, America, Grow Up!
In today's column, Brooks warns about the rise of "therapeutic culture" and its negative effects on American society. The term "Therapeutic Culture" refers to a cultural phenomenon in which people's sense of self-worth is determined by their subjective feelings about themselves. "Do I think I like myself? Do I like me?”
While Brooks doesn't explicitly warn against conflating "Therapeutic Culture" with therapy and counseling, I will do so here. Every day, therapists help countless individuals deal with trauma in their lives, and nothing in this article should be interpreted as being critical of their good work or their patients' very real health concerns.
Brooks traces the phenomenon of "Therapeutic Culture" back to the post-World War II era, when many Americans began seeking self-worth through subjective feelings and introspection rather than through religion or professional success. As Brooks outlined, the big problem with so many people embracing this inward-looking worldview is that society is now dominated by a culture of fragility, victimhood, and narcissism.
Strong stuff, right?
Brooks claims that this therapeutic mindset has resulted in immature public discourse and has undermined people's confidence in themselves and, in fact, everything else they encounter in life. "The instability of the self has created an immature public culture—impulsive, dramatic, erratic, and cruel."
Important Lessons For Brands
As I reflected on his observations, I realized that this malignancy poses significant risks for brands that have long sought to engage customers by vibrating positively in their culture. Or, as my very good friend Tom Morton sums it up ever so eloquently, competing more effectively in a marketplace of ideas.
And after I re-read Brooks’ column a couple more times, it occurred to me that his critique offers some important lessons for brands looking to connect through culture:
1. Put maturity ahead of flash. In a self-absorbed, inward-obsessed culture, the loudest, most histrionic voices often seem to dominate. However, loudness shouldn't be confused with insight. Mature brands might benefit from prioritizing substance over spectacle and championing wise voices instead of loud mouths.
2. Refuse to be a victim. A "culture of trauma" has taken root on both the left and right, with people clinging to past hurts as their core identity. Culturally conscious brands should be careful not to play into this attitude and instead project positivity and empowerment.
3. Keep social cohesion in mind. Therapeutic culture promotes lone-wolf individualism. However, people don't tend to find meaning in life by themselves. Brands need to recognize that interconnectedness and fostering strong communal bonds are important jobs to be-done for millions of Americans.
4. Lead with compassion. Cruelty breeds immaturity, particularly online. But over the last century, the world's most powerful brands have accepted the responsibility to model empathy and understanding in both their messaging and their experiential marketing.
5. Champion resilience. In Brooks' own reading of the research on this topic, he finds that coddling the weak often makes people feel weaker. Strong brands should take every opportunity to promote emotional resilience and a growth mindset.
6. Inspire maturity. Brooks cites maturity indicators such as seeing things from multiple perspectives, sacrificing for others, and responding with grace. Wise brands can and should also promote these qualities.
7. Provide a secure foundation. When traditional anchors such as faith or family are lost, people tend to become very disoriented. With traditional religiosity and the nuclear family on the decline in society, secular brands should strive to provide a consistent sense of meaning and belonging. Dr. Marcus Collins has written authoritatively and persuasively on the significance of this, so read his work for a more in-depth understanding.
Brooks concludes that the radical individualism of "therapeutic culture" has robbed people of their inner confidence for generations. But if the success of Barbie and Ken has taught us anything in recent weeks, it's that culturally resonant brands can help illuminate a pathway back to maturity and compassion. Brand owners can contribute to building the emotional resilience that society so desperately needs by demonstrating empathy, wisdom, and care when they communicate with people.
Yogababble
Now, is this all just a flimsy theory based on my long-standing professional crush on Mr. Brooks? Or is it just more Yogababble that profgalloway rightfully ridicules? I'm not sure. So I decided to put this hypothesis to the test with the help of my new best friend, Claude. He's a tad humorless, young Claude, but try to hear him out.
Catalyst
Claude, using the insights from David Brooks NYT column "Hey, America, Grow Up!" analyzes the most popular ads in the 2023 Super Bowl to identify brands that have found a way to successfully resonate in culture.
Claude
Here's an analysis of some of the most popular ads from the 2023 Super Bowl that successfully resonated in culture, using David Brooks' commentary as a guide:
Budweiser: "The Journey of a Clydesdale"
This nostalgic ad avoids victimhood and promotes resilience by telling the inspiring story of an injured Clydesdale who overcomes obstacles with perseverance and the help of a caring community. Budweiser avoids spectacle in favor of appealing to the viewers' maturity and compassion.
"Maya Rudolph as the Green M&M" from M&M's
M&M's favors maturity and substance over flashiness, abandoning the sexy Green M&M in favor of a grounded character played by the likeable and substantial comedic talent Maya Rudolph. This shift corresponds to our culture's fatigue with flashy immaturity.
Workday: “Rock Stars”
The ad for Workday celebrates ordinary people's heroic work ethic, emphasizing interconnectedness and sacrifice over individualism. Uplifting ordinary workers instills maturity in viewers.
"How To Not Miss Important Things" on Google
This advertisement employs humor and wisdom to provide perspective on technology overload while encouraging responsible usage. Google positions itself as a partner in providing balance, appealing to the maturity of viewers.
"Premature Electrification" by Ram
Ram rejects victimhood and celebrates resilience in the face of adversity, such as high gas prices. Positioning itself as a reliable rock inspires trust and confidence.
These brands avoided immature tropes and spectacle while exhibiting the substantive qualities David Brooks highlights, like compassion, wisdom, responsibility, and grace.
Catalyst
Claude, which of these commercials was the most popular during the Super Bowl?
Claude
The Ram "Premature Electrification" ad was consistently ranked as the top ad from Super Bowl LVII in 2023, according to multiple rankings and surveys of the most popular ads from the game.
For example:
The Ram commercial received the highest score from USA Today's AdMeter, which measures real-time viewer response.
According to Morning Consult polling, the Ram ad was the most effective Super Bowl commercial, with nearly 40% of viewers saying it made them more likely to buy a Ram truck.
The Ram ad generated the most positive buzz and likeability ratings among viewers, according to a Harris Poll post-game survey.
Several news outlets and ad industry publications, including Adweek, Forbes, and CBS Sports, ranked the Rams "Premature Electrification" spot first in their Super Bowl ad rankings.
So, by nearly every major metric, Ram's defiant, resilience-centered ad resonated the most strongly with Super Bowl LVII audiences, both in terms of popularity and effectiveness.
Catalyst
Claude, is Dodge's Ram model line selling very well lately, and where else in pop culture is this brand playing a resonant role besides the Super Bowl?
Claude
Yes, the Ram truck brand has been performing very well recently.
Despite industry-wide supply chain issues and chip shortages, Ram truck sales in the United States increased by 4% in 2022. It was one of the few brands to see growth.
Ram trucks averaged over 40% of the segment share of full-size truck sales in 2022, leading competitors.
For many years, the Ram 1500 has been America's best-selling truck.
Ram trucks have recently had a strong presence in pop culture, in addition to their popular Super Bowl ad.
Ram trucks are frequently featured and used as hero props in films, TV shows, and music videos aimed at male audiences. The John Wick films and NCIS: Los Angeles are two examples.
Country music stars such as Florida Georgia Line, Kane Brown, and Cole Swindell have partnered with Ram to promote the trucks and have used them in their music videos.
Ram sponsors are frequently seen on the vehicles and uniforms of professional race car drivers in NASCAR and other series.
Ram has taken advantage of "product placement" deals to prominently feature their trucks in various media.
So, the Rams' brand has spread far beyond their prominent Super Bowl appearance, so much so that the brand has now become a fixture in entertainment aimed at male-dominated audiences, and it has appeared in a number of high-profile sponsorships and placements. The rugged, masculine image of its trucks clearly resonates in popular culture.
Conclusion
Let's let David Brooks have the last word here. After all, word play is what he gets paid the big bucks for.
"The best life is a series of daring explorations launched from a secure base. The therapeutic culture undermined that inner security for several generations of Americans. Maybe we can try to build a culture around the ideal of maturity and it's quiet strength."
And when he says we," I think he's talking to us marketing professionals.