Advertising has always been an activity connected with the present, with society, with the evolution of humanity. Sometimes opening new paths, sometimes reflecting the concerns or desires of society. If we look back, we will see that advertising works as a kind of thermometer, like a weather vane that shows us the direction of the wind.

The current winds are winds of alert, of uneasiness, of uncertainty. They are hot winds, but not metaphorically, but literally, due to the effect of climate change. They are winds that call for collective social responsibility in an urgent and unpostponable manner.

But it is not only climate change that will create new demands on brands. So will the instability of accurate information, the world's wars, the energy crisis, hyperinflation, threats to global health, growing inequality, unresolved challenges to diversity and inclusiveness, dilemmas about the ethical use of technology, the debate about individual rights and freedoms and the sustainability of the welfare state... Many of these forces are interrelated, of course. And they are all unavoidable.

In today's world, brands cannot turn their backs on these threats. As drivers of a global economy (which perhaps should be a little less globalized), brands must be required to make a firm and authentic commitment to some of these issues. Society, the users, are already demanding a social commitment from brands through their behavior, but this trend will become stronger and stronger. Even investors are already demanding a move in this direction. Some of the major global investment funds have already announced that they will examine their investment decisions in this light. This is a very important milestone, because it means that large companies will feel the demand not only from the market but also from their financing resources.

Brands will not only have to operate in a more environmentally sustainable way, they will have to embrace causes in an authentic and responsible way. The 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a huge step in this direction, because they allow companies (and the world's economies) to map out priority areas of action to generate (and measure) a positive impact on the major issues affecting humanity. But adherence to these SDGs must be genuine and demonstrated through behavior, not just corporate rhetoric. Otherwise, in the long run, the market will penalize impostors.

In the coming years, advertising, as a loudspeaker for brands, will be a reflection of this new landscape. Ideally, this advertising should be content-based, and we should really move from the storytelling to the storydoingand that brands communicate actions and not intentions. And that this commitment to social responsibility and sustainability is authentic. We shall see.