Why Adolescence could unexpectedly boost teacher recruitment
It may seem counterintuitive, but by showing the brutal reality of teaching, Adolescence could just set off a recruitment boom, writes Ogilvy UK’s Matt Waksman in today’s Notebook
Could Adolescence turn the tide against London’s teacher exodus?
Since Adolescence hit Netflix, complex topics that felt hard to talk about have exploded on every platform, prompting conversations around parenting, masculinity, male violence against women, class, the negative impact of social media and more. There has also been widespread horror at the challenges Britain’s teachers face in the classroom, playground and beyond. Quite simply, we’re asking how do they cope?
With unfilled teacher posts and funding squeeze concerns, London schools are already up against it. Could a show like Adolescence now put would-be teachers off altogether, and put a massive hurdle in the way for much needed teacher recruitment? You might think so, but I’m not so sure.
When I worked on the British Army’s brand for many years, I learned that, still today, many more people want to join the army in times of war than times of peace. A soldier once pithily explained why this is the case – “you wouldn’t become a firefighter if it meant you never got to run into a burning building and rescue someone, would you”.
I was wondering if this desire to run towards the fire might potentially be shared by teachers. Whilst it’s far too early to look at the long-term impact, I did some digging and found some surprising data from Google Trends that suggest this may be the case. In the immediate aftermath of Adolescence’s launch, there were increased and sustained searches for ‘how to become a teacher’ and ‘become a teacher’ in the UK.
We assume that people go around focused on what’s in it for me, but duty does still matter. When a job seems harder than ever, almost hopeless, it can light a fire in those who think ‘if I don’t step up, who will?’.
A picture sells a thousand words
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. That does seem to be the case with the trend in advertising to eschew wordy ads for something simpler. Coca-Cola’s latest offering, from WPP Open X, relies on one word: ‘enjoy’. No product or logo, just shadows created by sunshine through the brand’s iconic glass bottles. Light on info, but certainly leaves me feeling thirsty and wanting to get out of the office and into the park. Didn’t harm that it was launched on the hottest day of 2025 so far too.
Healthy living? More like cost of living!
The average price of a pint in the capital is set to rise again to nearly £6. This is down to several Budget measures starting to bite the British hospitality industry. The narrative in the media is that Brits and young people are forgoing big nights out due to a more sober-curious lifestyle. Whilst there’s some truth in that, what I’m hearing from consumers is that a round now costs the same as their monthly phone bill, so something has to give. Not all consumer behaviour is a choice…
Will we ever leave the Pink Pony Club?
Chappell Roan’s Pink Pony Club is hitting its eleventh week in the UK top ten and refusing to budge from number two. It’s become the anthem of queer joy, capturing the heart of those seeking belonging and a sugary beat in equal measure. Music so often takes us to the place we want to be, rather than where we are. I wouldn’t be surprised if this becomes the soundtrack of a generation – not just a season – as cultural values between the ages seem to drift further apart.
Quote of the week:
“Nobody ever drowned in their own sweat”
Dan Banks, Rowbots. If you want to test this theory out, head to Rowbots, London’s Rowing/HIIT mash up
And the Oscar goes to… the theatre!
Mean Girls. Clueless. Devil Wears Prada. No, I’m not describing the ultimate duvet-movie day, I’m listing big new stage hits in London’s West End. Whether driven by our collective desire for nostalgia or perhaps the guarantee of big audiences that you get with a hit movie franchise, cinema-to-stage seems here to stay. My favourite of these is Titanique, based on the perfectly shaky premise that Celine Dion was actually on board all along. It features standout performances from Lauren Drew as Celine, Rob Houchen as Jack, Jordan Luke Gage as Cal and Layton Williams as many characters – including the iceberg. It’s as silly as it sounds and is not to be missed, but don’t expect anything like faithful storytelling!
Matt Waksman is head of strategy, advertising, at Ogilvy UK