Are We Really Still Calling Everything ‘Next Generation’?
A short investigation into marketing language, conducted with a highlighter and growing despair.
We highlighted every use of “next generation”, “revolutionary” and “game-changing” in a month of press releases. The highlighter ran out.
Words that have stopped meaning anything
- Next generation — if every device is next generation, the word means “this year”.
- Revolutionary — it’s a new airflow ring.
- Unparalleled flavour — compared to what?
What we’d like instead
Tell us what changed and why it matters. “The cartridge seal is redesigned to reduce leaks” is more exciting than any adjective, because it’s useful.
