The tactics behind today’s biggest digital hits aren’t new. They were perfected in entertainment TV. From Britain’s Got Talent’s golden buzzer to Love Island’s audience voting, these formats mastered engagement long before TikTok. At Engine Pop, we’ve worked on both sides, TV and digital giving us the insight to help brands adapt proven entertainment principles into IP that wins across every platform.

Disruption today isn’t loud, it’s intentional. Modern icons craft systems, not stories. In the illusion age, resonance rules.

Growth isn’t a pivot. It’s a build. At BBC Studios, I helped to led the long-term digital strategy.

Welcome to the Illusion Age. Not just an era of fakes an era of strategic perception engineering at scale. This isn't only about AI filters or deepfakes. It's a broader cultural tipping point. We are witnessing a systemic shift in how audiences perceive reality, identity, and authenticity one that has direct consequences for brand trust, platform strategy, and commercial IP development.