The Virtuous Ones

Twenty-First Century Mad Men

Pure Creative, the hottest new ad agency in New York City, has set its sights on rap superstar Markus in hopes of cinching one of the most profitable collaborations ever: turning his viral music video depicting acts of generosity in poor communities into an ad campaign for its most lucrative client.

Account lead Ella begins to crumble under work stress and past traumas, mishandling the make-or-break client. Her boss Link sees the campaign as his shot at doing good, even as he wrestles with imposter syndrome. And just as production ramps up, Markus' unseemly private life threatens to ignite a PR firestorm around Pure's idealized image.

In this Swiftian, often comical narrative, author Christopher Stoddard satirizes the ad industry's most insidious ploy today: branded content that promotes progressive social values for the unadulterated goal of pure profit. Buckle up for a hilarious, unsettling look at the hollow virtue signaling behind modern marketing.