The Economist was never meant to appeal to everyone - and instead of softening that truth, Alex Smith doubled down on it as a powerful live strategy: embrace discomfort as a filter, attracting the genuinely curious and open-minded, while letting everyone else walk away.

That thinking became Discomfort Food - a live acquisition programme that grew into the brand’s second most profitable subscriber channel, and quietly became a model competitors rushed to imitate.

The creative drew from some of the publication’s more unexpected editorial themes - climate change, food innovation and the future of consumption - bringing them to life through deliberately provocative ‘free’ tasting experiences, including insect-infused ice cream, lab-grown meat burgers that bled, cat-poo coffee and waste-food smoothies.

Each activation was designed to spark conversation and create crucial ‘dwell to sell’ moments in some of London’s busiest commuter hubs.