Hidden Psychology Of The World’s Best Advertising - Rory Sutherland - #735

**Chris Williamson** (0:00)
Hello, everybody. welcome back to the show. My guest today is Rory Sutherland. He's one of the world's leading consumer behavior experts, the vice chairman of Ogilvy Advertising, and an author. The advertising industry creates a unique intersection between psychology and creativity. By looking at what works in the world of ad campaigns, we can learn even more about the human mind, and Rory might have the best insight on the planet for this. Expect to learn how dating apps can improve by being more like property websites, why women actually wear engagement rings, Rory's thoughts on Jordan Peterson, how you can become more creative every day, what Rory thinks of Twitter changing their name to X, how hotel rooms have residual sexism baked into the design, why rational people ruin creativity, and much more. If this is your first introduction to Rory, I am so jealous of you. This man is a force of nature. I think it's maybe his fifth or sixth time on the podcast, and I adore sitting down with him. He is an absolute whirlwind of classic British energy and psychological insights. And he's brilliant. He's fantastic. Very, very much looking forward to you listening to this one today. In other news, some exciting things happening. The first episode that I've recorded for Modern Wisdom Cinema of this year goes live one week today with Alex Hormozi, back on for another huge three-hour episode, digging into some of my favorite insights with him. This was the most shared episode of the entire year last year. So make sure you hit subscribe or you're going to miss it. You won't know when it's up. So go to Apple podcasts or Spotify and press the subscribe button. It helps to support the show. It ensures that you don't miss episodes when they go up. And it makes me very happy indeed. So go and do it. I thank you. This episode is brought to you by Shopify. Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. From the launch your online shop stage to the first real life store stage, all the way to the did we just hit a million orders stage, Shopify is there to help you grow. Whether you're selling scented soap or offering outdoor outfits, Shopify helps you sell everywhere. From that all in one e-commerce platform to their in-person POS system, wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify has got you covered. Shopify helps you turn browsers into buyers with the internet's best converting checkout, 36% better on average compared to other leading commerce platforms. You would be amazed at how many massive brands you love use Shopify. Gymshark, perhaps one of the biggest independent sportswear companies in the world uses Shopify, and if it is good enough for them, it is good enough for you. So if you are looking to get started at selling something online, Shopify is the easiest, quickest and most convenient way to do it. Plus, you can sign up for a $1 per month trial period at shopify.com/modernwisdom, all lowercase, that's shopify.com/modernwisdom to grow your business no matter what stage you're in. This episode is brought to you by Nomatic. No, it's literally brought to you by Nomatic. I am on tour using their backpack to carry my laptop and my clothing across Austin and the rest of the world. I use their Carry On Pro to transport my recording gear everywhere. The team at Nomatic creates the most functional, durable and innovative backpacks, bags, luggage and accessories on the market. They will literally last you a lifetime with their lifetime guarantee. And if you don't love your purchase, you can return or exchange it up to 30 days after you've received it for any reason. You need good luggage in your life. It does make a change to the quality of your travels and this is the place to go. Nomatic is offering an exclusive 20% discount on your first purchase when you go to nomatic.com/modernwisdom and use the code modern wisdom at checkout. That's nomatic.com/modernwisdom and modern wisdom at checkout. But now ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Rory Sutherland.
I heard a quote from you, a mutual friend, George Mack, sent me a quote that said, A rich man is anyone who earns more than his wife's sister's husband. Yeah, that actually isn't me.

**Rory Sutherland** (4:25)
I wish it were me, because I would have retired on the basis of that quote. Happily. I think it's, what's the chap called? A brilliant American humorist called The Sage of Baltimore. The Americans will know.

**Chris Williamson** (4:37)
No idea.

**Rory Sutherland** (4:39)
A fantastic comic writer, and I've briefly forgotten his name. But it is interesting how, interestingly I was having a conversation yesterday with someone at an addiction clinic in Switzerland, which I can't name. I wasn't there as a patient, just in case. I was there, a very, very interested outsider. And he said that, you know, comparison is the enemy of happiness. That, you know, one of the things that seems to be a curse for all humankind, and you've obviously read, you've probably interviewed the author of The Status Game.