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WHAT CAN DIGITAL ADVERTISING LEARN FROM JOHNNY CASH'S COVER OF 'HURT'? I was listening to Johnny Cash today. It struck me that alongside being an absolute banger, his cover of “Hurt” isn’t just a song—it’s a lesson in how to connect on a fundamental and deeply personal level. It’s raw, it’s real, and it resonates in a way few covers do. The digital advertising industry, which often finds itself caught in a loop of neophilia and data obsession, can learn a lot from how Cash approached this track. This is a man who had lived through addiction, loss, and redemption, and when he sang the words “I hurt myself today"... it just hits differently. The track is a masterpiece in brutal authenticity. It wasn’t just a performance; it was a reflection of his life. It was raw and real. People can tell when something feels real versus when it’s just lip service. In a digital world full of polished lives, shiny veneers and influencers, a brand’s genuine voice cuts through the noise, just like Cash’s cover did. Reality. It’s often way more powerful - and certainly more relatable - than the most perfectly curated campaign. Cash also shows the raw power of emotional storytelling. The video for “Hurt” is haunting—shots of his life, his old footage, intertwined with moments of vulnerability. It wasn’t flashy, it wasn’t overproduced, and it didn’t need to be. It was about evoking emotion. We often get too caught up in analytics and ROI, sometimes forgetting that, at the end of the day, it’s about making people feel something. Marketing that tell a compelling, emotional story sticks with people long after they’ve seen it. Cash, at this stage of his career, was well into his later years but that didn’t stop him from taking on a contemporary song and making it his own. It’s a story of reinvention. In media, many often get stuck in old habits—the same old plan, year after year. But there’s real power in changing things up. Cash didn’t shy away from taking a classic by Nine Inch Nails, a band with a different vibe from his own, and turned it into something that felt deeply personal and timeless. It’s a perfect metaphor for how brands can embrace change, experiment with newer trends or voices, and make them work for their own story. Collabs, anyone? Reinvention isn’t about abandoning what made you great in the first place—it’s about evolving while staying true to your core values. Cash took a song that seemed like an odd fit on the surface and infused it with his life’s emotion, making it resonate with an entirely different audience. Finding a way to take new ideas, adapt them in ways that still align with your DNA, and deliver something that feels both fresh and authentic - that's where the opportunity is. Advertising, especially in digital, could benefit from a bit of Johnny Cash—more authenticity, more emotional depth, and more willingness to take risks and reinvent. Will it happen? It might Hurt a bit, but's it's gonna have to. https://lnkd.in/ezm9SPQS

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Ryan Edward Martin

Agency and Client Partner at LiveScore

1mo

Great post, great song 👏🏻

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