Plot spoiler alert.

I love reality TV. It’s escapism for me. Pure unfiltered joy.

And only recently did I stumble upon the phenomenon that is Married at First Sight: Australia.

I can’t believe it took me this long to get up close and personal with it – after all I’m a sucker for the “romance” ones… Love is Blind, Temptation Island, Ultimatum: Marry Me or Move On.

MAFS just has it all – drama, tension, disappointment, delight – and against a backdrop of some jaw-droppingly stunning locations Down Under.

I used to joke that I’d love the client/ agency pitch process to take on a reality TV format.

Could it be panel style “buzz in” if you want the agency to be part of your team (The Voice)? Could it be like SAS Who Dares Wins where the agencies are put through a series of intense physical and psychological challenges to demonstrate extreme endurance and mental fortitude?  Maybe it would need to be Big Brother where agency staff are secretly filmed and the client gets to see the business and its talent – unfiltered!

But, these reality shows are far from real. How they are scripted, edited – hey, even how the folks that get chosen to appear on them get selected .. it is all done to make sure they get viewers on screen. It is such an artificial process.

But I work in a world of “real stuff”. Merchandise. And people love being able to touch, hold, wear something that brings them a bit of joy because it’s something that embodies the brand that they love. (Indeed, often the brand they worship).

Its heart warming at times reading the emails that come in from fans desperate to replace a much-loved brand item they bought or were given years previously.  And its not surprising. Because great merchandise is often associated with an amazing event or real-life experience and it becomes a memento (a proper souvenir) which can be cherished for a long time.

Which is something most of the brides on MAFS will not be.