Congrats on making it to the lexicographical big leagues. As Oxford’s newly minted word of the year, you’re now in rarefied air. Although we suspect you're more comfortable keeping company with the likes of "rizz" and "situationship" than "post-truth" or "climate emergency."

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Your meteoric rise has been a feat of cognitive engineering. You've managed to transform the very thing you describe—our collective descent into algorithmic stupor—into a badge of self-aware honor. We’d give you credit for helping shrink the average attention span to that of a goldfish, but even they remember to feed themselves without a notification.

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In fairness, Brain Rot, 2024 really was a banner year for you. Social media use climbed to new heights while book reading plummeted to historic lows. You've become the perfect diagnosis for our cultural malaise: simultaneously oversaturated with information and undernourished by it. Living on a nonstop diet of coconuts and Arnold Palmers.

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And it's not just Gen Z in your thrall. Even Boomers, once stalwart defenders of complete sentences and proper punctuation, have succumbed to your easy charms. Their once-carefully crafted letters have devolved into tapbacks and slot-machine strings of emoji. (Someone really should explain to Grandma what that eggplant means, by the way.)

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But savor this moment while you have it, Brain Rot. Your reign may be shorter than you think.

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With TikTok facing increased scrutiny and potential bans, one of your primary vectors of transmission might soon be stripped from our shores. A loss for dance crazes could become a win for neural function. 

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But more broadly, you may have become too good at your job. Like any successful parasite, you risk killing your host. And brands, your erstwhile enablers, are starting to realize that dumbing down their communication may not be smart business. When everyone's attention span has been reduced to microseconds, it's harder to make any message stick. But not impossible.

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We at The Indelible are doing our part to accelerate your demise. We’re committed to building brands that demand more from their audiences and give more in return. We’re striving to build experiences for our clients that stimulate rather than numb, that challenge rather than pander.

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Despite your profound influence, we believe in the radical notion that people can still think deeply, engage meaningfully, and form lasting connections with brands that respect their intelligence.

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Consider this memo your warning shot. Your Oxford recognition might be less a coronation and more a peak before the fall. Because while you've been busy reducing legitimate discourse to hot takes and vibes, people are getting tired of being tired. They're yearning for substance, craving depth, seeking something that lasts longer than their last scroll.

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So enjoy your moment in the linguistic sun, Brain Rot. Frame your Oxford certificate, turn it into a GIF, even mint it as an NFT—whatever brings you joy. But know that your reign of cognitive entropy won't last forever.

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Because in 2025, we're coming for you. And when you go down, we'll all be a little bit smarter for it.

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Indelibly yours,

Matt, Thom, Mike and Jeff

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P.S. For all readers who have managed to read this entire memo in one sitting, congratulations! You're already part of the resistance.