The Sunny Side Podcast - Insights on Creativity, Marketing and Brand Building
Vasanth Seshadri, founder of independent creative agency The Sunny Side, shares learnings on various aspects of marketing, advertising and creativity.
Episodes
Google Gemini, My Gardening Partner
Can Generative AI tools like Google Gemini be the ultimate gardening companion? They can! Generative AI's utility in this field (pun intended) is limited only by our imagination. And I'm not talking about robots, but about the intelligence aspect of "artificial intelligence". We can glean lessons from this for whichever sector we employ AI in.
My explorations of 7 Generative AI tools
I evaluated Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude, Grok, Perplexity and DeepSeek for their usefulness in marketing and advertising tasks. Which tools were helpful and which were less so? What were their varying strengths and limitations? Here are my thoughts.
Saudi Arabia throws down the gauntlet in AI
On 13th May 2025, US President Donald Trump and an entourage of US CEOs such as Jensen Huang, Arvind Krishna, Andy Jassy, Lisa Su, Alex Karp, Travis Kalanick, Jane Fraser and Elon Musk visited the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.Its Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman took this opportunity to announce ambitious plans to establish the kingdom as a world leader in AI. This included the launch of the government
My review of BBDO's new global positioning "Do Big Things"
Last week, BBDO, one of the world's most celebrated agencies, launched a new global positioning: Do Big Things. What's working well about it and what's not working so well about it? Here are my thoughts.
The right level of regulation for AI
One of the most common conundrums in AI is the ideal level of regulation. Are we regulating it sufficiently to prevent the well-documented risks of AI such as copyright violations, amplification of human biases, and the extreme scenario of an AI apocalypse? At the same time, are we ensuring that a quagmire of over-regulation doesn't strangle this nascent revolution in its crib? That's wh
Episode 14: The People From Beyond The Mountains
My second book and first novel, The People From Beyond The Mountains, came out recently. Here are my thoughts about this climate change novel and how I went about writing it. Please get your copy from the links below.E-book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09C38C5G5Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09BY81SNV
Episode 13: How To Make Others Build Your Brand?
When Coca-Cola fans went to town with memes after Cristiano Ronaldo picked up a water bottle, it showed the power of a brand like Coca-Cola to inspire people to build the brand for them. Is it just a case of lightning in a bottle, or is there more method to fan-driven brand building?
Episode 12: Does Great Copywriting Still Have a Place Today?
Why do we always need to go back several decades for the greatest examples of advertising copywriting? Has the craft taken a beating in recent years? Or has it simply evolved?
Episode 11: The Crisis of Masculinity in Advertising
Advertising's portrayal of men gravitates towards two extremes: Powerful alpha males and powerless weaklings. Why don't we have a more nuanced portrayal of men and masculinity?
Episode 10: What We Can Learn From Those Who Overcome Ageism In Advertising
Ageism in advertising is a topic that rears its head from time to time. What can older professionals do to shield themselves from it? What can they learn from those who have successfully stayed relevant in their 60s and 70s?
Episode 9: Cultural Engineering
A sneak peek into my new book (Cultural Engineering: The role of brands in a changing world) and the philosophy underpinning it.For the full scoop, get the Paperback from https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08F6MVD12 or the E-book from https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CXKRPMT
Episode 8: The Father-Son Trope in Advertising
It's Father's Day. That's a good day to look at one of the most enduring tropes in advertising: the father-son trope.
Episode 7: Brand responses to Black Lives Matter - Purposeful or Lip Service?
Brands today know that they cannot be silent on social issues. Black Lives Matter is no exception. But are brands wading into the topic in the right way? Which brands are a shining example of brand purpose and which are just virtue signaling?
Episode 6: The Changing Face of Healthcare Marketing
Healthcare marketing has become a happening space over the past few years. What has caused this wave of excitement in a category that was not always exciting in the past?
Episode 5: Trendjacking
A new marketing discipline has exploded onto the scene in recent years: Trendjacking. What's the best way to do it? Why are some attempts more successful than others?
Episode 4: The Gap Between Idea and Execution
There's a big difference between a good idea and a good piece of work. So many ideas get lost in the gap between idea and execution. What can ensure that the original vision comes to fruition?
Episode 3: Are Local Insights Really Local?
We've often extolled the virtues of local insights in advertising. But how many of these local insights are truly local? Are universal insights masquerading as local insights?
Episode 2: The Symbiosis of Data and Creativity
Some people think of it as a conflict between Data and Creativity. I believe that Data and creativity can do wonderful things together, and the symbiosis can power creativity and the greater good.
Episode 1: In-House Creative Teams or External Creative Agencies?
Kicking off The Sunny Side podcast with a hot topic in advertising today: Are marketers better-off with in-house creative teams or external creative agencies?
Recommended
2819 Church
Markus Schulz presents Global DJ Broadcast
The Daily
The Joe Rogan Experience
The Church of What's Happening Now: The New Testament
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
The Bread and Banter Podcast
Solved Murders - True Crime Stories
紐約鳥｜New York Aperture
Stand In The Circle
Doctor Zhivago Slow Read
The Swerve Podcast: Obscure Topics | Conspiracy Theories
