Did you know that nine out of ten people love the TV sitcom F.R.I.E.N.D.S.

Okay, this claim isn’t supported by any hard facts and research; however, c’mon who doesn’t love that show?

*Time out* Kudos to the creators of the show that made such a show that is relevant even after 18 years since the last episode aired.

Okay, so yeah F.R.I.E.N.D.S. is that one show which shows real and honest emotions that we all are going through or will go through at some point or the other in our lives. Be it complicated love lives or hustling our careers or the stress between children and parents, each scene in the show speaks to you and touches your heart.

Not only the struggles, but F.R.I.E.N.D.S. also manages to give all of us a ray of hope that when going gets tough, you will have a few friends around you and everything will turn out for the best.

The storyline of the show is written in such a way that you can never get tired of watching it again and again.

(Guess what I am watching while writing this blog! ;)

But, right now, what I am going to tell you is going to blow your minds!

Can you ever imagine that the evergreen show can teach you amazing marketing and design skills?

This is not a prank blog! You’re going to read something that will change your lives forever.

Welcome back to the blog that is going to offer designing and marketing lessons from your favorite sitcom, F.R.I.E.N.D.S.

1) Chandler Sells Sneakers

You remember the time when Chandler changed his field to advertising and he got an unpaid internship. The interns got the task to come up with an advertising idea for the sneakers, a pair of flame-adorned trainers with pop=out wheels.

These sneakers do not fit into his lifestyle or do not even suit his age.

At first, though he was clueless, he later tried the sneakers on and we all know how it ended. He ended up on the ground and even had to walk with support.

It ended up in Chandler coming up with a fantastic idea for the advertisement, and if you remember, later on, he ended up with a job at the same company.

Similarly, before you advertise your product or your app, it is important that you know the product inside out; however, that is not enough. To make sure that your product is a success, you need to know your customers base, your target audience, competition, their prices, and a lot more.

2) You Can’t Be a Decorator Just Like That

I was literally just watching the episode where Amy visits Rachel. Arey, the episode Rachel and Amy bicker and then ends up breaking Monica and Chandler’s wedding china.

When they’re fighting, Amy boasts about how she has got a new job as she decorated their father’s office. And then Rachel says,

Basically, the point being that you can’t be a decorator just like that. Insta;;ing photoshop or using canva doesn't make you a designer. It takes years of experience, hard work, sweat, and tears to be a designer.

3) Bloomingdale’s Big Brown Bag

Okay, you remember the episode where no one’s ready. In that episode, Monica gets an old message from Richard and then there’s the whole facade, right?

If you watch that episode 10-12 times, then you would notice a big brown bag in Monica’s hand while she is talking on the phone.

It is not just one episode where you’ll see that episode. You will see that bag in a number of episodes, and that’s the kind of marketing that we need to learn from the famous sitcom F.R.I.E.N.D.S.

You might think that these little things won’t make a difference; however, these subtle marketing strategies make a big difference. And this is exactly what happened in your favorite sitcom as well.

4) Unisex Handbag

Ah, the famous unisex handbag. I am talking about the episode where Joey goes on flaunting his unisex bag to everyone. The bag came in so handy to the character and he carried it so proudly everywhere. Well, I think it’s safe to say that unisex bag was a mindful purchase.

Though, it wasn’t received well by his friends, but a long has changed since then, and we are pretty confident that we now have a market for unisex handbags.

Rachel certainly was living ahead of time because who could have thought that in the late 20th century that unisex handbags would be a thing. Start thinking out of box, Let's show the world how futuristic you are!

5)“I wish I could, but I don’t want to” ~ Phoebe Buffay

Uff! What an iconic line.

Did you know that I have used this line so many times to get out of a tricky situation? And I am sure you would have used it too.

Joey asked Phoebe if she wanted to help the guys organize Ross’ new place. And Phoebe being herself said,

We all know it never is easy to come up with excuses every time you really don’t want to do something. Most of the time, the other person never really notices if the person in question is lying or not. And this is why, we suggest that we should follow Phoebe and be completely blunt.

And this iconic line is your other marketing lesson - Never work for free! Either you get some benefits out of it or you get experience. But NEVER work for free. And if you don’t wish to work, you can always deny with elegance and respect and make sure that you don’t hurt others’ feelings.

6) He is her Lobster

Phoebe famously called Ross and Rachel each other’s lobsters. If you remember it, then you would know that it was the same episode where Ross and Rachel get back together with each other.

“She’s your lobster, Ross. Come on, you guys. It’s a known fact that lobsters fall in love and mate for life. You know what, when you actually see old lobster couples, walking around their tank, you know, holding claws.”

This episode gave us the hope of finding our own lobsters. *crying in corner because love life is actually DOA*

So, just like that, everyone has a lobster (I am not talking about your significant other!!). I have found my lobster in writing and digital marketing.

I think it’s a sign for you to find your own lobster… find your own niche, my friend.

7) Unagi

Well, this is hands-down one of my favorite episodes from this sitcom.

And there’s my lesson to you, mere dost. When you are a digital marketer or a designer, your clients assume that you can read their minds and envision the same as them.

And if you see this happening, then it’s not just their fault. It’s partly your fault too somehow because at the end of the day, it is your duty to communicate with your client and let them know your communication pattern.

As Ross would say, you need to attain unagi, i.e. you need to be transparent with your client. Try talking to them at every stage, ask questions, ask feedback, and follow-up on everything.

8) “Could I Be Wearing Any More Clothes?”.

And yet we have another reference from the episode, ‘The One Where No One’s Ready’.

You remember the whole fight between Chandler and Joey about who’ll sit on the sofa and when Chandler got pissed he thought the best way to take revenge was to hide Joey’s underwear. So Joey did the ‘opposite’ of that and wore all of Chandler’s clothes.

Hold on tiger, I am not just narrating the episode… There's an underlying design lesson here.

See, the thing is that there’s no such thing as too many layers to an artwork. Never hesitate to add that one extra layer if you believe in your design.

In fact, often we recommend that we put each object or element in different layers and name them accordingly.

9) Phoebe’s Sales Job

You remember there was a phase when Phoebe didn’t have a job, so Ross recommended that she could do a telemarketing job.

This is how the first conversation went between Phoebe and Earl -

“This is Phoebe from Empire Office Supplies. I'd like to talk to you about your toner needs.

“I don't need any toner”.

“I hear what you're saying, but at our prices, everyone needs toner”.

Um, no… I am not going to write the whole conversation. But you see it was the instant reply and presence of mind that kept the conversation going.

And that’s the lesson that you must take from this episode. If you are not quick with your replies, then you might not lose your client or they may not be as happy with your work.

10) Learn to Express Your Efforts

Well, you know the whole phase after Emma was born when Rachel and Ross wanted to be with each other, but couldn’t express their desire and love for each other. And as we all know, the situation got worse for both of them. (We all know how it ended, but you can’t risk it for yourself.)

Imagine what the whole series would’ve been like if Ross and Rachel would’ve been honest and transparent with each other.

On the samne line, it is important that you understand that communication is the key. Each time you work on a project, make sure that you’re crystal clear with the time and efforts that you’d be putting into the project.

11) Never Give Up On That Dream Design

Joey’s entire career is a learning lesson in itself. He never gave up on his dream and continually went for back to back auditions and do you remember the awful plays that he had performed in? And let’s not forget that Ichiban lipstick ad.

It took years of hard work, tears, sweat, efforts, and hope for Joey to become a successful actor.

Not only Joey, but Rachel’s career graph is out of the world. From being just a waitress at Central Perk to getting a job in her desired field in Paris, it was one hell of a journey.

And then we have Chandler, who spent his youth in a lucrative job, he was a transponster (I don’t remember what he worked as!). But, he finally switched his field and worked as junior copywriter in something he was passionate about. He finally found himself something that was professionally fulfilling.

Similarly, you can’t give up either. Keep working hard until you reach a point where you feel happy and content with yourself. Don’t give up too easily, my friend… light will find you at the end of the tunnel.

12) It’s Moo Point.

Well, Joey never fails to amaze us, does he?

I mean as nonsensical as this may sound to you, it makes a lot of sense. Think about it!

As we grow in life, we start to feel a bit confident in life and take pride in our work and we learn to value others opinions. At times, we value others’ opinions more than we should.

Like when Ross’ whole belief system was shaken when Phoebe proved that there’s a teeny tiny possibility that evolution might not be true.

But you should learn the opposite here. Every artwork gets different opinions. No matter what happens, don’t let anyone’s opinions get to your head and kill your motivation.

13) Don’t Let Changes Scare You Off

I feel Rachel was one of the best inspirations throughout the show. I mean it was commendable of her when she left Barry at the altar and was ready to change her life for the best.

Imagine if Rachel had never been open to change.. What if she would have never given up her father’s money. But she started off as a waitress and ended up in a job that she loved.

Or what if Chandler had never gotten over his commitment phobia. Though it took him almost six years to get over his fear, he did finally come through.

Similarly, you should be open to changes because they will lead you to better quality and more appreciation from your clients. Always be flexible to the changes because that will help you to produce quality work.

14) Not just clean, ‘Monica Clean’

Well, when you are a hardcore F.R.I.E.N.D.S. fan, you would know Monica was neurotic when it came to cleanliness.

There are so many instances from the show where you could see Monica being obsessed with everything being in order.

Even when Chandler got them a maid, she didn’t know what to do when she got anxious on knowing that they had a maid.

And of course, when she had loads of cleaning products to clean the car even though she did not have a car just because she couldn’t stand dirty cars around her.

On that note, I would suggest you to be like Monica Geller. You need to make sure that your design is not cluttered, it should be clean. Use more space and make it a point to make a neat and clean design.

15) Chandler was never great at giving advice!

Throughout the series, we all realized that Chandler was never great in giving advice to others. He always managed to put his foot in the mouth. *smh! Classic Chandler*

Personally, I loved how he acknowledged his shortcomings and never pretended that he was great at giving advice. Imagine if people followed his advice. (OH MY GOD!)

Follow Chandler, my friends… don’t pretend to be good at something you’re not good at and always acknowledge your shortcomings.

Along with that, make sure that you realize design is one thing, but it is the content that makes your graphic a hit. As they say, content is king.

With the changing times, direct marketing is fading and people are inclining more towards indirect marketing. So, make sure that the content you create must be creative and sarcastic (only in a good way).

16) How You Doin’?

Who can resist Joey when he says that with his boy-ish charm.

I don’t think we can track the number of girls that have been swept off their feet with this line. Well, this line enhanced Joey’s character and gave his character that essence.

And here's my advice to you… Be like Joey.

NO! Don’t flirt with your clients (please, for the love of God… Don’t do that!)

But it won’t hurt anyone if you include a fun angle with your clients. It won’t ruin your deal if you add a little fun in your next email campaign.

17) Offering People Gum is Not Cooking

Remember when Chandler told Rachel,

when she said that she’ll love to cook the dessert.

And Chandler swooped in with his quick wit and sarcasm.

Similarly, you must realize that offering downloaded templates or copying someone else’s work is not called designing. Though there’s no harm in taking inspiration from others’ designs, you need to add your own creative spin in your designs.

18) Everything You Need to Know is in that First Kiss

In the first season, the six of us were sitting in Central Perk and talking about sex and relationships.

In the discussion, while the girls were talking about how important a kiss is, the guys disagreed. And then, Rachel said,

Of course, the guys did not agree to this and argued further.

Along the same line, everything that your clients need to know about you and your work is in the first impression. Make sure that you don't add unnecessary elements to your pitch. Each element that you include would reflect a part of you. Be mindful of what you include in your presentation.

19) Holiday Armadillo

The infamous Holiday Armadillo dress that Ross had taken up on Christmas to ensure that Ben learns about the festival of Hanukkah.

The arrival of Holiday Armadillo was followed by the arrival of Santa (Chandler), and then Spider-Man (Joey). God only knows what a spiderman was doing on Christmas and in the story of Hanukkah.

But, these get-ups did help Ben to understand the importance of the festival of Hanukkah and Ross could finally narrate the story that he had wanted to.

And that is your last lesson from your favorite sitcom in terms of design and marketing - Whenever you are working for a kids’ company or sports or entertainment, it is good to include a mascot. It can help your design significantly to communicate with your audience and connect with them.

Conclusion

A lot about creativity and designing right?

Learning takes time. You can't study today and master the skill tomorrow. Everything takes time to fall into place. But the competition is too high that a delay can swiftly change your position.

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