An article in the Washington Post quotes a recent Lexus advertisement: “The Lexus loaner turned out to be a GS Hybrid. To say it was an upgrade from the battered Crown Vic I’d driven with the LAPD would be an understatement.” It hardly sounds like an advertisement, does it? In noir page-turner style, the advertisement / serial novel goes on to seamlessly brand a work of fiction.

Facing a younger generation that finds traditional branding rather patronizing and extremely annoying, the world of alternative advertising has blossomed into a $2 billion business. Creative writing skills are more useful than ever — and there’s even less tolerance for inflated jargon and business-speak.