MM #5: What's the Question?

The Glastonbury sun has set, Out of Offices are multiplying like flies, and shockingly, Question Time wants to talk to the youth!

Jul 04, 2025

Hello Gen Z fans,

We’ve officially entered the Great British Out of Office season.

It’s the time of year when the account directors go offline for a wedding in Tuscany and it feels, briefly, like the rules of regular time no longer apply. In a weird way, it’s quite nice to surrender to the chaos.

There have been some lovely announcements from the MonRae gang this month. Julie Lin went live with her first BBC travel show shot in Istanbul; 5iveGuys starred in an advert with actual Vinisius Jr; and TommyInnit was invited to appear on Question Time’s Gen Z special.

Yes, that Question Time, which Tom relayed to his mum as a show called ‘What’s The Question?" It’s endearing though, and feels a bit like progress, more on that below.

In the meantime, thank you for reading our silly digital digest and hope you’re managing to keep cool!

Bronagh x

This all started, as many things do in this line of work, with an email. Would DanTDM be interested in appearing on a Gen Z special of Question Time?

Dan, another client of ours, is a brilliant voice for young people; thoughtful, kind and adored by parents worldwide. But, one of the perks of MonRae is that we know who to pass the mic to. Off the back of his brilliant Times magazine piece this summer, Tom (aka TommyInnit to his fans) felt like the right voice for the forum.

Opportunities like this don’t come around often and they come with scrutiny. But that’s exactly why it matters. Elspeth and I talk about this all the time, how Gen Z are very opinionated and yet so rarely are given spaces to express any of it in person. Most “conversations” now happen online, where access might be easier, but balance and nuance are lost.

Naturally we were sceptical, it could be very easy to crumble in the moment. But there’s something a bit radical about a 21-year-old YouTuber who never went to university sitting down with politicians and pundits all over the age of 40 talking about the issues that face young people today. And having worked with Tom over the past four years we knew he’d be sharp and, crucially, he understands how his generation actually communicate. On the show they managed to cover social media, toxic masculinity and AI in 60 minutes: arguably each of those subjects need a whole season themselves and we felt Tom did himself proud on how he responded to each issue. Fielding questions from a live studio audience and also answering alongside people who have been VERY media trained.

Tom’s position leant on the side of ‘it’s not good, is it’ and we imagine that Tom’s audience feel disillusioned too. Social media which was originally built for connection and self-expression, has unfortunately morphed into a breeding ground for low level and crippling anxiety. Toxic masculinity is disguised as "banter". And then there’s AI, another wave of disruption they’re expected to embrace, despite growing concerns about its impact on jobs and creativity. For a generation that’s been online since childhood, the digital world often feels less like a space of possibility and more like something they need to unplug from.

Watching Tom on the panel, it wasn’t about having the perfect answer, as that doesn’t exist. What mattered was that he was there, asked smart questions, and spoke honestly about the world as he sees it. That, in itself, felt like a shift. Less about polished talking points, more about genuine perspective. If politics wants to engage young people, it could start by taking that approach more seriously.

Things us and our talent have our eye on…

Good Housekeeping Menopause Handbook
Because hot flashes deserve a hotspot. Anniki’s literary pick for riding the hormonal rollercoaster.
Insta360 GO3 Camera
When a selfie simply won’t cut it, this is Cristina’s choice to capture summer in motion.
Holie’s Cereal Bars
Adrien’s grab-and-go breakfast that says ‘clean living but make it cool.’
Toniesbox
Part kids’ audio toy part therapy in a soft cube. Elspeth’s wholesome cult pick.
MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation
Good skin day, every day courtesy of Twiggy + MAC.
Rodd’s Iced Drinks (Yammy)
The latest product born from a YouTube Bromance, WillNe & James Marriot’s iced coffee is Yammy’s drink of choice this summer.
Digital-first talent we’re loving right now
Zoe Sugg - A decade in and still a ray of sunshine. Zoe has always had a talent for making things feel lighter; life, interiors, motherhood. Whether she’s recommending a book, renovating a room, or sharing a moment with her girls, she brings a kind of steady optimism that’s increasingly rare. Just a genuinely lovely presence doing life well.
Big Manny - A scientist, an educator, a wee legend. We had the joy of working with Big Manny on a recent Ariel campaign and yes, the man can clean and teach you polymer chains. A national treasure in lab goggles.
Megan Jayne Crabbe - We love the team over at Diving Bell and wanted to take a moment to celebrate their client Megan’s new book We Don’t Make Ourselves Smaller Here. It’s vulnerable, wise and a wonderful manifesto to stop berating ourselves and be a bit kinder. Snaps for Megan!

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