Want to be remembered? Do something nobody can forget.

Jul 17, 2025 Watch on YouTube

You don’t get an iconic brand by coloring inside the lines. Paris proved that. When the Eiffel Tower went up, the tastemakers called it ugly, pointless, even ate lunch on it just…

You don’t get an iconic brand by coloring inside the lines. Paris proved that. When the Eiffel Tower went up, the tastemakers called it ugly, pointless, even ate lunch on it just to avoid seeing it. Same story at the Louvre when I. M. Pei dropped a glass pyramid into a centuries-old palace courtyard and everyone lost their minds. Both ideas faced loud, confident backlash. Both became the very pictures we use to say “Paris.” That’s the pattern.

If the tower had been torn down as planned, or the Louvre had blended in politely, nobody would remember either move. Iconic comes from work that’s different, brave, and excellent. Not from chasing approval. You’ll feel the urge to play it safe, to sand off edges, to give people what they think they want. Resist it. Be weird in the right way. Make something great that won’t please everyone and doesn’t need to.

If you’re ready to build a business people can’t ignore, let’s talk. Send me a note and I’ll help you find the move that makes you unforgettable.

I'm James Archer.This is why firms hire me.

3 decades in marketing 20+ years in the C-suite Hundreds of firms advised

I know how to do this in the real world:

  • I’ve spent 20+ years in C-level positions
  • I ran a successful marketing agency for 12 years
  • I’ve helped 100s of businesses from startups to Fortune 500s
  • My work’s been featured in The New York Times, Inc. Magazine, Fast Company, and Entrepreneur.
  • I’ve delivered over 100 speaking engagements and written countless articles on these strategies.