William Dobell - Young Man Sleeping , 1935

‘All happy families are alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.’
Leo Tolstoy, ‘Anna Karenina’

I read recently about a study into the brain activity of optimists and pessimists. (Kaya Burgess, The Times, 21 July 2025. Full report published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.)

Japanese researchers recruited 87 respondents with predispositions ranging from sunny optimism to grim pessimism. The subjects were fitted with equipment that recorded their brain activity through functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). They were then asked to imagine themselves or their partners experiencing various future scenarios. These included positive events, such as taking a trip around the world; neutral events, such as submitting their CV for a job application; and negative events, such as being diagnosed with a serious illness.

The researchers found that participants who scored highly for optimism displayed very similar patterns of neural activity. Pessimists, however, exhibited a much wider, more diverse, idiosyncratic, range of brain activity.

‘Optimistic individuals consistently exhibit convergent neural representations, reflecting shared patterns of episodic future thinking, whereas less optimistic individuals demonstrate increased variability.’

In short, as The Times put it, 'optimists are on the same wavelength, but no two pessimists are alike.'

This study prompted me to reflect on my own experiences developing communication strategies across different sectors, target groups and geographies.

It is often noted that brands can achieve intimate connections with consumers by reflecting nuanced insight into the particular realities of their everyday lives; that winning campaigns are characterised by well observed, granular analysis of the challenges that ordinary people face. This is true. But when one is advertising big brands over broad territories, it is harder to find unifying behaviours and beliefs. Cultures and communities differ so dramatically.

Nonetheless, diverse consumer groups do tend to share the same general hopes and dreams for the future: for romance, freedom and independence; for trust, security and wellbeing; for friendship, family and community. And so the ambitious international advertiser is wise to focus on aspiration: fundamental desires, shared yearnings, unifying goals.

As we used to say back then: we are united in dreams, but divided by realities.

'Don't let the sun catch you crying.
The night's the time for all your tears.
Your heart may be broken tonight,
But tomorrow in the morning light
Don't let the sun catch you crying.
The night time shadows disappear
And with them go all your tears.
For the morning will bring joy
For every girl and boy.
So don't let the sun catch you crying.’

Gerry and the Pacemakers, 'Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying’ (G Marsden, F Marsden, L Chadwick, L Maguire)

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