All Posts By

James Forr

A chair and a hospital bed in a hospital room

Pull up a chair…

By Z-Files
Hospitals conduct lots of surveys aimed at improving patient satisfaction. However, it is unlikely those surveys revealed one very easy answer that researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical…
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Closeup of a hand holding a cigarette

A real drag

By Z-Files
Credit: Irina Iriser / Unsplash When things are changing rapidly, many of us cling to something old or familiar to moor ourselves against the storm. One such anchor for Gen…
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A toddler and a puppy sitting together

Pets > kids

By Z-Files
A recent market research report is going to leave a lot of would-be-grandparents a little less hopeful. In July, The Harris Poll published a pet-focused survey of over 2,000 Americans…
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Image of an elderly woman in a fur coat with the caption "LOEWE"

Here’s a shocker

By Z-Files
Surprise was a topic at Cannes this summer. According to this WARC article, the session centered on how eliciting surprise—via packaging, messaging, or innovation—invites consumers to rethink their perceptions of…
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Closeup of a packaged KitKat bar on a table

Gamifying crime

By Z-Files
We’re continuing with our theme of Cannes Lions winners this week with a campaign built on a mystery. I remember being amused back in March of this year when I…
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Image of a dog next to a logo that reads "Caramelo Patrimonio Cultural Braslerio"

Every dog has its day

By Z-Files
Pedigree Brasil won Gold this year at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2026 for its “Caramelo” campaign. The campaign, which won for “Creative Effectiveness,” highlights how a brand…
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An image of flags from around the world

Origin stories

By Z-Files
As we know well, what consumers say is not always what they do. For example, consumers often say they want to support brands that "do good" in the world, but…
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