Pearls: What the F#$% is a Greenlight?

Oyster Creative Co.
3 min readNov 1, 2021

By Megan Clista, Social Media Specialist

I took up a stranger’s offer to meet bi-weekly to practice parler français. GREENLIGHT.

I read two books last month, a record for myself. Now I’m reading two books this week. GREENLIGHT.

I went to my first-ever New York advertising conference (virtually, but nonetheless). GREENLIGHT.

What’s the greenlight approach? The basis of Matthew McConaughey’s memoir Greenlights.

Until a month ago, all I knew of McConaughey was his character Benjamin Barry *fangirling in professional.*

But after joining his session at this year’s New York Advertising Week, and reading his memoir, I’d trust this guy with my life — I’d trust him to mess it up, but I’d trust him. Even if he did sip out of a blue, Target-esque mug with Inspire on it.

“The approach is the destination, and there is no goal line because we are never finished.”

McConaughey, what? My Type-A was screaming when I read this.

Watch the Bachelorette every Tuesday. Fill my coffee pot one second above the 4 oz. mark. Slip on mismatched socks before bed. Benchmarks, goals, clockwork. Structure is everything — to me.

McConaughey is a true “it is what it is” person. No way I can get behind what this guy’s saying.

But then he argues that structure gives us freedom.

He’s more Type A than I thought. Maybe I can get behind what this guy’s saying. GREENLIGHT.

He says freedom doesn’t mean saying ‘yes’ to everything, it means knowing when to say ‘no’ based on the context.

So, as I attended New York Advertising Week, I saw this theme come to life in various marketers, campaigns and brands from all around the region. I can definitely get behind what this guy’s saying. GREENLIGHT.

And that synonymous theme is “Learn it all, not know it all.” A piece of advice offered by Dara Treseder, SVP, Head of Global Marketing & Communications at Peloton.

Peloton is a brand who found many-a-GREENLIGHT.

They turned their own creator economy into an entire sub-brand of ambassadors (unofficially known as the Peloton cult).

Today’s creator economy is larger than ever, and scarier than ever. How did Peloton stir up the courage to embrace the uncontrollable, potential PR nightmare of creators embodying their brand — speaking for their brand?

They leveraged an insight about their members: Intentionality.

Members see themselves in different instructors. Thus Peloton matched that energy by recruiting instructors who reflect communities they serve and empowered them to put personality to the brand.

As a result, Treseder says they are “elevating authentic pockets that already exist.” GREENLIGHT.

So as 2022 planning hits like a brick, here’s how to find your GREENLIGHT.

Remember that you can’t say everything — say what matters. But be open to the unexpected, like the revival of Starburst’s 2007 “Berries and Cream” ad (holy GREENLIGHT). Tired of me saying GREENLIGHT?

The GREENLIGHT is your sign to go. To keep going. And just like that — the French language, true crime books, a McConaughey memoir and New York Convention later, I feel Inspired.

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Oyster Creative Co.

Raw ideas to real results. Creative agency based in Pittsburgh, PA.