Meet Tomorrow: A World to Look Forward to

It is perhaps a sign of our times that the word ‘optimistic’ is increasingly part of the briefs I get from clients. Everyone needs a little optimism right now, and that is why a collaboration with Zurich feels so timely. Having worked in marketing I’m innately a little sceptical about companies’ missions and values. But Zurich’s mission is ‘optimism’ and that’s something I can very much get on board with - especially from an insurance company, a sector most often associated with disaster.

I have worked with Zurich to produce a series of predictions for the year 2050. The brief was optimism but for the most part I’m fairly confident in these events, with a couple of caveats. What reaches the public is always just a fraction of the inputs that go into a project like this. But it’s the way they have been translated that is most exciting for this campaign.

Zurich engaged the brilliant science fiction author, Alastair Reynolds to take my predictions and turn them into fiction. He has written a wonderful short story that you can download on Zurich’s website, and I strongly urge you to do so. Whether or not you love science fiction (and Alastair is an absolute master), I think you’ll find it fascinating.

The company also engaged two illustrators to bring the predictions and the story to life. Not AI agents, humans, Amir Zand and Thomas Dubois. And the BAFTA-nominated film director, Gary Tarn, to produce a short film with Alastair about the work and the foresight process.

It has been a brilliant, if slightly time-compressed project to work on, as these things so often are. Big shout out to The Academy PR for putting it all together, including the chunk of media interviews I’ll be doing this week.

Check out the report, and the story, at zurich.co.uk/meet-tomorrow

Cover of the Zurich Meet Tomorrow report, featuring a satellite hovering over Europe