Martin was our creative director, which meant he wore expensive sneakers, used the wordstorytellingas a threat, and occasionally removed his glasses before saying something he hoped would be remembered.
He removed them now.
“But Ocean Confidence feels more human.”
Across the conference table, six people nodded.
I looked at the presentation screen.
Three identical blue rectangles floated above a slogan that read:
INSURANCE FOR THE LIFE YOU’RE BUILDING.
“What does Reliable Horizon feel like?” I asked.
Martin considered it.
“Stable.”
“As opposed to Modern Trust?”
“Modern Trust is optimistic.”
“They’re the same color.”
The room went quiet.
Beside me, my assistant, Nora, became intensely interested in her laptop.
Martin put his glasses back on.
“They’re not.”
I leaned forward.
“Ocean Confidence is number 2874C.”
“Yes.”
“Reliable Horizon is also number 2874C.”
A pause.
Martin clicked his remote.
The slide changed.
Reliable Horizon became slightly darker.
“Now it’s different,” he said.
Something escaped me.
A laugh.
Not a normal one.
Too sharp.
