Marketing Accountability Council (MAC)
@mactruth.bsky.social
Calling bullshit in branding, buzzwords, and behavior design.
Marketing should respect attention, not exploit it.
No mercy for manipulative metrics.
Marketing should respect attention, not exploit it.
No mercy for manipulative metrics.
Grubhub agreed to a major settlement after regulators said it misled customers about delivery costs and added hidden charges.
Now we’re seeing fee-free promotions and clearer pricing.
That’s how markets actually change:
Not from brand values
From enforcement + customer backlash
Now we’re seeing fee-free promotions and clearer pricing.
That’s how markets actually change:
Not from brand values
From enforcement + customer backlash
February 9, 2026 at 2:18 AM
Grubhub agreed to a major settlement after regulators said it misled customers about delivery costs and added hidden charges.
Now we’re seeing fee-free promotions and clearer pricing.
That’s how markets actually change:
Not from brand values
From enforcement + customer backlash
Now we’re seeing fee-free promotions and clearer pricing.
That’s how markets actually change:
Not from brand values
From enforcement + customer backlash
Lina Khan didn’t just talk about junk fees.
She made them a regulatory target.
The FTC has been pushing rules requiring total price transparency and going after companies that hide fees or use drip pricing.
So when a delivery app waives fees today, it’s not generosity.
It’s adaptation.
She made them a regulatory target.
The FTC has been pushing rules requiring total price transparency and going after companies that hide fees or use drip pricing.
So when a delivery app waives fees today, it’s not generosity.
It’s adaptation.
February 9, 2026 at 2:18 AM
Lina Khan didn’t just talk about junk fees.
She made them a regulatory target.
The FTC has been pushing rules requiring total price transparency and going after companies that hide fees or use drip pricing.
So when a delivery app waives fees today, it’s not generosity.
It’s adaptation.
She made them a regulatory target.
The FTC has been pushing rules requiring total price transparency and going after companies that hide fees or use drip pricing.
So when a delivery app waives fees today, it’s not generosity.
It’s adaptation.
“Grubhub will eat the fees” isn’t just marketing.
It’s a response to pressure.
Customers revolted against junk fees.
Regulators started cracking down.
The FTC literally sued them over deceptive pricing.
Funny how transparency suddenly becomes a feature when enforcement shows up.
It’s a response to pressure.
Customers revolted against junk fees.
Regulators started cracking down.
The FTC literally sued them over deceptive pricing.
Funny how transparency suddenly becomes a feature when enforcement shows up.
February 9, 2026 at 2:17 AM
“Grubhub will eat the fees” isn’t just marketing.
It’s a response to pressure.
Customers revolted against junk fees.
Regulators started cracking down.
The FTC literally sued them over deceptive pricing.
Funny how transparency suddenly becomes a feature when enforcement shows up.
It’s a response to pressure.
Customers revolted against junk fees.
Regulators started cracking down.
The FTC literally sued them over deceptive pricing.
Funny how transparency suddenly becomes a feature when enforcement shows up.
We used to watch TV and endure commercials.
Now we watch content and tolerate brands.
That’s a completely different power dynamic, and a lot of companies haven’t caught up yet.
Now we watch content and tolerate brands.
That’s a completely different power dynamic, and a lot of companies haven’t caught up yet.
February 9, 2026 at 1:42 AM
We used to watch TV and endure commercials.
Now we watch content and tolerate brands.
That’s a completely different power dynamic, and a lot of companies haven’t caught up yet.
Now we watch content and tolerate brands.
That’s a completely different power dynamic, and a lot of companies haven’t caught up yet.
When brands say an ad got “millions of views,” look closer.
A lot of those views aren’t people watching TV.
They’re people seeing the ad on their phone the next day.
The distribution changed.
The story about the ad became the real media.
A lot of those views aren’t people watching TV.
They’re people seeing the ad on their phone the next day.
The distribution changed.
The story about the ad became the real media.
February 9, 2026 at 1:42 AM
When brands say an ad got “millions of views,” look closer.
A lot of those views aren’t people watching TV.
They’re people seeing the ad on their phone the next day.
The distribution changed.
The story about the ad became the real media.
A lot of those views aren’t people watching TV.
They’re people seeing the ad on their phone the next day.
The distribution changed.
The story about the ad became the real media.
The old model of advertising was interruption.
The new model is spectacle.
If an ad can’t get shared, clipped, memed, or debated, it basically didn’t happen.
The new model is spectacle.
If an ad can’t get shared, clipped, memed, or debated, it basically didn’t happen.
February 9, 2026 at 1:41 AM
The old model of advertising was interruption.
The new model is spectacle.
If an ad can’t get shared, clipped, memed, or debated, it basically didn’t happen.
The new model is spectacle.
If an ad can’t get shared, clipped, memed, or debated, it basically didn’t happen.
I hate seeing the Dave’s Hot Chicken ads.
Not because the ads are bad… but because the brand used to feel like something you found, not something pushed at you.
That’s the trade-off with scale:
You gain reach.
You lose a little magic.
Not because the ads are bad… but because the brand used to feel like something you found, not something pushed at you.
That’s the trade-off with scale:
You gain reach.
You lose a little magic.
February 9, 2026 at 1:41 AM
I hate seeing the Dave’s Hot Chicken ads.
Not because the ads are bad… but because the brand used to feel like something you found, not something pushed at you.
That’s the trade-off with scale:
You gain reach.
You lose a little magic.
Not because the ads are bad… but because the brand used to feel like something you found, not something pushed at you.
That’s the trade-off with scale:
You gain reach.
You lose a little magic.
Mike Tyson looked dead in the camera and said “stop f*ing up your life” in 30 seconds flatter than most therapists can in 10 years. Meanwhile, 9 agencies are still in a Slack channel debating whether the VO should sound ‘aspirational but grounded.
February 9, 2026 at 1:38 AM
Mike Tyson looked dead in the camera and said “stop f*ing up your life” in 30 seconds flatter than most therapists can in 10 years. Meanwhile, 9 agencies are still in a Slack channel debating whether the VO should sound ‘aspirational but grounded.
they tried to boycott bad bunny—for what? joy? pride? spanish? a puerto rican man loving his people out loud without asking permission? if that offends you, you’re not “protecting values.” you’re just scared of culture you don’t control.
February 9, 2026 at 1:34 AM
they tried to boycott bad bunny—for what? joy? pride? spanish? a puerto rican man loving his people out loud without asking permission? if that offends you, you’re not “protecting values.” you’re just scared of culture you don’t control.
The William Shatner “Will Shat” Raisin Bran commercial made me laugh. It’s dumb in exactly the way it’s supposed to be. And it works. If you can’t win the narrative, interrupt it.
youtu.be/b7Tb1qF6BQ8
youtu.be/b7Tb1qF6BQ8
Kellogg's Raisin Bran Super Bowl Commercial 2026 Will Shat
YouTube video by Ad Vault
youtu.be
February 9, 2026 at 1:20 AM
The William Shatner “Will Shat” Raisin Bran commercial made me laugh. It’s dumb in exactly the way it’s supposed to be. And it works. If you can’t win the narrative, interrupt it.
youtu.be/b7Tb1qF6BQ8
youtu.be/b7Tb1qF6BQ8
Scammers don’t need urgency.
They just need plausibility.
A calm tone. A nice layout. A few testimonials.
That’s enough to bypass your brain—and drain your bank.
Fraud doesn’t scream. It whispers, “this looks legit.”
They just need plausibility.
A calm tone. A nice layout. A few testimonials.
That’s enough to bypass your brain—and drain your bank.
Fraud doesn’t scream. It whispers, “this looks legit.”
January 8, 2026 at 4:46 PM
Scammers don’t need urgency.
They just need plausibility.
A calm tone. A nice layout. A few testimonials.
That’s enough to bypass your brain—and drain your bank.
Fraud doesn’t scream. It whispers, “this looks legit.”
They just need plausibility.
A calm tone. A nice layout. A few testimonials.
That’s enough to bypass your brain—and drain your bank.
Fraud doesn’t scream. It whispers, “this looks legit.”
Platforms don’t catch scammers.
They amplify them.
Because engagement ≠ ethics.
We built trust systems on vibes, not verification.
So don’t act surprised when it all collapses.
They amplify them.
Because engagement ≠ ethics.
We built trust systems on vibes, not verification.
So don’t act surprised when it all collapses.
January 8, 2026 at 4:46 PM
Platforms don’t catch scammers.
They amplify them.
Because engagement ≠ ethics.
We built trust systems on vibes, not verification.
So don’t act surprised when it all collapses.
They amplify them.
Because engagement ≠ ethics.
We built trust systems on vibes, not verification.
So don’t act surprised when it all collapses.
“I’d never fall for that.”
The most dangerous marketing myth of all.
Modern scams don’t feel shady. They feel plausible.
They sound like LinkedIn. They look like Shopify.
They are us—on autoplay.
The most dangerous marketing myth of all.
Modern scams don’t feel shady. They feel plausible.
They sound like LinkedIn. They look like Shopify.
They are us—on autoplay.
January 8, 2026 at 4:46 PM
“I’d never fall for that.”
The most dangerous marketing myth of all.
Modern scams don’t feel shady. They feel plausible.
They sound like LinkedIn. They look like Shopify.
They are us—on autoplay.
The most dangerous marketing myth of all.
Modern scams don’t feel shady. They feel plausible.
They sound like LinkedIn. They look like Shopify.
They are us—on autoplay.
Visibility ≠ Credibility.
Repeat it. Tattoo it.
The number of followers, frequency of posts, and Canva-quality design do not equal trust.
But we built a system where they feel like they do.
And that’s the scam.
Repeat it. Tattoo it.
The number of followers, frequency of posts, and Canva-quality design do not equal trust.
But we built a system where they feel like they do.
And that’s the scam.
January 8, 2026 at 4:45 PM
Visibility ≠ Credibility.
Repeat it. Tattoo it.
The number of followers, frequency of posts, and Canva-quality design do not equal trust.
But we built a system where they feel like they do.
And that’s the scam.
Repeat it. Tattoo it.
The number of followers, frequency of posts, and Canva-quality design do not equal trust.
But we built a system where they feel like they do.
And that’s the scam.
If a scam looks like marketing and works like marketing... is it still a scam?
Or is it just marketing that dropped the pretense?
The line is gone.
We trained consumers to trust aesthetics, repetition, and social proof.
Now those tools are getting used against them.
Or is it just marketing that dropped the pretense?
The line is gone.
We trained consumers to trust aesthetics, repetition, and social proof.
Now those tools are getting used against them.
January 8, 2026 at 4:45 PM
If a scam looks like marketing and works like marketing... is it still a scam?
Or is it just marketing that dropped the pretense?
The line is gone.
We trained consumers to trust aesthetics, repetition, and social proof.
Now those tools are getting used against them.
Or is it just marketing that dropped the pretense?
The line is gone.
We trained consumers to trust aesthetics, repetition, and social proof.
Now those tools are getting used against them.
“Thank you for your continued patience.”
That phrase is the verbal equivalent of handing me a juice box after lighting my house on fire.
That phrase is the verbal equivalent of handing me a juice box after lighting my house on fire.
January 3, 2026 at 3:51 AM
“Thank you for your continued patience.”
That phrase is the verbal equivalent of handing me a juice box after lighting my house on fire.
That phrase is the verbal equivalent of handing me a juice box after lighting my house on fire.
“We’re experiencing higher-than-usual call volume…”
It’s not higher-than-usual.
It’s always like this.
That’s not an exception. That’s your business model.
It’s not higher-than-usual.
It’s always like this.
That’s not an exception. That’s your business model.
January 3, 2026 at 3:51 AM
“We’re experiencing higher-than-usual call volume…”
It’s not higher-than-usual.
It’s always like this.
That’s not an exception. That’s your business model.
It’s not higher-than-usual.
It’s always like this.
That’s not an exception. That’s your business model.
Customer service today isn’t service.
It’s a simulation of empathy built to manage outrage, not resolve it.
Polite language wrapped around contempt.
It’s a simulation of empathy built to manage outrage, not resolve it.
Polite language wrapped around contempt.
January 3, 2026 at 3:51 AM
Customer service today isn’t service.
It’s a simulation of empathy built to manage outrage, not resolve it.
Polite language wrapped around contempt.
It’s a simulation of empathy built to manage outrage, not resolve it.
Polite language wrapped around contempt.
“Your call is very important to us.”
Then why am I 23 minutes into a loop that sounds like the inside of a migraine?
If you cared, you’d fix the system—not gaslight me every 30 seconds.
Then why am I 23 minutes into a loop that sounds like the inside of a migraine?
If you cared, you’d fix the system—not gaslight me every 30 seconds.
January 3, 2026 at 3:51 AM
“Your call is very important to us.”
Then why am I 23 minutes into a loop that sounds like the inside of a migraine?
If you cared, you’d fix the system—not gaslight me every 30 seconds.
Then why am I 23 minutes into a loop that sounds like the inside of a migraine?
If you cared, you’d fix the system—not gaslight me every 30 seconds.
“Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.”
Unless you used roadside too often.
Then your “perk” becomes a penalty.
That slogan didn’t age badly.
It was never honest to begin with.
Unless you used roadside too often.
Then your “perk” becomes a penalty.
That slogan didn’t age badly.
It was never honest to begin with.
January 3, 2026 at 3:49 AM
“Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.”
Unless you used roadside too often.
Then your “perk” becomes a penalty.
That slogan didn’t age badly.
It was never honest to begin with.
Unless you used roadside too often.
Then your “perk” becomes a penalty.
That slogan didn’t age badly.
It was never honest to begin with.
Insurance ads used to say:
“We’re not like the others.”
Now they are the others—
same jokes, same loopholes, same fine print.
If everyone’s quirky, no one’s trustworthy.
“We’re not like the others.”
Now they are the others—
same jokes, same loopholes, same fine print.
If everyone’s quirky, no one’s trustworthy.
January 3, 2026 at 3:49 AM
Insurance ads used to say:
“We’re not like the others.”
Now they are the others—
same jokes, same loopholes, same fine print.
If everyone’s quirky, no one’s trustworthy.
“We’re not like the others.”
Now they are the others—
same jokes, same loopholes, same fine print.
If everyone’s quirky, no one’s trustworthy.
Humor builds fast familiarity.
But when your house floods or your car's totaled,
you realize:
The mascot doesn’t pick up the phone.
The promise was always vibes, not substance.
But when your house floods or your car's totaled,
you realize:
The mascot doesn’t pick up the phone.
The promise was always vibes, not substance.
January 3, 2026 at 3:49 AM
Humor builds fast familiarity.
But when your house floods or your car's totaled,
you realize:
The mascot doesn’t pick up the phone.
The promise was always vibes, not substance.
But when your house floods or your car's totaled,
you realize:
The mascot doesn’t pick up the phone.
The promise was always vibes, not substance.
Insurance ads got funnier.
Claims got harder.
Roadside “perks” became risk signals.
The humor didn’t make it better.
It made the betrayal feel smug.
Claims got harder.
Roadside “perks” became risk signals.
The humor didn’t make it better.
It made the betrayal feel smug.
January 3, 2026 at 3:48 AM
Insurance ads got funnier.
Claims got harder.
Roadside “perks” became risk signals.
The humor didn’t make it better.
It made the betrayal feel smug.
Claims got harder.
Roadside “perks” became risk signals.
The humor didn’t make it better.
It made the betrayal feel smug.
You trusted the gecko.
You laughed at Mayhem.
You bought into the sitcom-friendly “Jake.”
Then your premiums tripled, and your claim got denied.
That wasn’t a mistake. That was the model.
Insurance didn’t break trust. It rented it, then took it back.
You laughed at Mayhem.
You bought into the sitcom-friendly “Jake.”
Then your premiums tripled, and your claim got denied.
That wasn’t a mistake. That was the model.
Insurance didn’t break trust. It rented it, then took it back.
January 3, 2026 at 3:48 AM
You trusted the gecko.
You laughed at Mayhem.
You bought into the sitcom-friendly “Jake.”
Then your premiums tripled, and your claim got denied.
That wasn’t a mistake. That was the model.
Insurance didn’t break trust. It rented it, then took it back.
You laughed at Mayhem.
You bought into the sitcom-friendly “Jake.”
Then your premiums tripled, and your claim got denied.
That wasn’t a mistake. That was the model.
Insurance didn’t break trust. It rented it, then took it back.
Not all marketing is evil.
But a lot of it is quietly manipulative and profitable because of that.
That’s why we built the BS Continuum.
A map of where your tactics land:
Honest Signal → Theater → Manipulation → Deception
Know the difference. And own where you stand.
But a lot of it is quietly manipulative and profitable because of that.
That’s why we built the BS Continuum.
A map of where your tactics land:
Honest Signal → Theater → Manipulation → Deception
Know the difference. And own where you stand.
December 26, 2025 at 4:21 PM
Not all marketing is evil.
But a lot of it is quietly manipulative and profitable because of that.
That’s why we built the BS Continuum.
A map of where your tactics land:
Honest Signal → Theater → Manipulation → Deception
Know the difference. And own where you stand.
But a lot of it is quietly manipulative and profitable because of that.
That’s why we built the BS Continuum.
A map of where your tactics land:
Honest Signal → Theater → Manipulation → Deception
Know the difference. And own where you stand.