Flying ✈️ Solo #06

#06

Hello!

If you've been in the UK lately, you'll know it's been near-impossible to escape the Oasis mania that's gripped the nation. If you haven't — don't worry — the boys are venturing overseas soon, so your turn's coming.

I was there the first time round. I remember buying Supersonic on CD single after watching them make their UK TV debut on The Word — Channel 4's legendary late-night 'yoof' culture show — back in '94 (31 years ago — madness).

Fast-forward to today, and the once warring siblings are everywhere (again) — even Adidas stores have been taken over by Oasis-branded merch. You'll be pleased (or perhaps relieved) to hear I didn't drop 40 of the King's pounds on a bucket hat — though a track jacket briefly tempted me. But given their somewhat figure-hugging cut, I decided to forgo the opportunity.

But anyway — the reason I'm banging on about this isn't (just) to reminisce. It's because Lidl — yes, Lidl, the discount supermarket chain more commonly associated with its own-brand dupes than Britpop couture — pulled off one of the smartest bits of opportunistic marketing I've seen in ages.

While Berghaus teamed up officially with Liam for a timely reissue, Lidl decided to hijack the hype and dropped their own version: the Lidl by Lidl jacket.

It's brilliant on so many levels — a nod to one of Oasis's songs, tongue-in-cheek, totally on-brand, and a great way to turn someone else's spotlight into attention for their brand. Even Rolling Stone covered it.

Say what you like about our kid, but he knows how to wear a parka. And clearly, so does Lidl's marketing team.

Have you ever "hijacked the hype"? If so, let me know, I'd love to hear.

In Issue #06

Craft+Work: London 2025 Presenters
Recent Blog Posts
3 links from The Vault

Craft+Work: London 2025 Presenters

This year for Craft+Work: London, I've managed to persuade four brilliant people to share their personal stories and insights. From rebuilding brands to navigating bureaucracy, choosing agencies to wrestling with AI. I think you're going to love what they have to say.

Tim Richardson: AI in Commerce: Past, Present & Future

Tim's back with his annual address — and yes, this year it's all about AI. From sceptic to reluctant maximalist, he'll share how his views have evolved, what AI is already changing in our industry, and where it might take us next.

Sophie Seaton: Standing Out in The Age of Blending In

As Underwaterpistol grew, Sophie realised they'd started playing it safe — too polished, too vanilla, and too tied to the founder. Somewhere along the way, they lost some of what made the brand them. This talk is about reclaiming your voice and rebuilding a brand that feels like you.

Dan Conboy: From Leading the Agency to Choosing the Agency

Dan used to run an agency. Today, he helps brands choose one. From standout pitches to total misfires, he'll share what agencies get right (and wrong) and what it takes to stand out in 2025 as client expectations and tech keep evolving.

Ashley Baxter: Why It Took 6 Years to Build a Calculator

Ashley spent six years building quote-and-bind software for the insurance industry — solo, unfunded, and with no prior experience. Writing the code was the easy bit. The real challenge? Fighting through layers of bureaucracy just to be allowed to start!

Alongside our four guest presenters, you can expect our Conversation Stations group activity, hot-seat interviews, and ample time for group discussions on the issues affecting our industry, our businesses, and our teams.

Info and tickets: keirwhitaker.com/craftandwork/

Recent Blog Posts

Do me a small favour and give my website analytics a small workout (it needs it) by reading one of my recent blog posts. No thousand-word essays here — just a few posts and interviews that you might find interesting.

Why I Started Craft+Work — We don't do things differently just to be different. We do things differently to create a different experience.
9 Questions for…Ashley Baxter — In this edition of 9 Questions For…, we chat with Ashley Baxter, the founder of freelance insurance specialists With Jack.
Maybe You Need a Co-Pilot — If you're fed up of doing everything on your own, then perhaps my 1-1 Coaching & Advisory service is just what you need.
Consistency Beats Complexity — When it comes to marketing, getting started is often the most challenging part of the journey.
9 Questions for…Tu Pham — A digital trip to the California coast to chat with Tu Pham, co-founder of the Shopify app Cleverific.

Oh yes, there's even RSS for the old-skool out there!

From the Vault

The Vault now contains 93 links to tools, articles, resources, and events. Here are three recent choice cuts:

Thinkable Desktop Studio — An instrument for thinking by hand through writing, sketching, and visualising ideas.
Favicon Extractor — A free online tool that allows you to instantly check and download or link to favicons from any website.
Deck.Gallery — "We curate beautifully designed decks, slides, keynotes, guidelines — or whatever you call them."

That's it for issue 6, and I managed to get through it without even mentioning the weather, result!

As always, thanks for reading,
Keir

PS: I recently reworked my services page. Why not give it a read?

This is Flying Solo issue #06 by Keir Whitaker. Why not connect on LinkedIn and follow me on Bluesky? Subscribe for future updates.