Daleks don't dance*
The term 'earthling' is used to describe inhabitants of the earth from the perspective of a non-earth-dweller, originally God (when the term was first recorded in 1593), but later and most popularly aliens in science fiction. From this perspective, being an earthling isn't just a question of planetary residence. It's also about having distinct qualities that mark us out from other beings. The essence of earthlingness, if you like. These qualities are important, and we ignore or suppress them at our peril.
Earthlings are emotional. That's pretty obvious – Spock is always going on about it. We can be frustratingly illogical. But that's just the start of what makes an earthling an earthling.
Earthlings are funny. Aliens are not noted for their sense of humour, so this is a clear distinction. (On the rare occasions that aliens do display a sense of humour, as in the famous Smash 'Martians' ad once voted the best TV commercial of the 20th century, they can be very funny indeed.)
Earthlings are creative. They just can't stop drawing. Alien art is rare, at least in movies. Earthlings also enjoy dancing and attach immense importance to music, while aliens tend to prefer odd noises.
Earthlings are empathetic. Aliens often lack empathy to an extreme degree, like the alien in Alien. Empathy is often what enables earthlings to win in the end, which they do surprisingly often despite displaying copious amounts of rashness and stupidity at first.
Earthlings bravely resist subjugation. Don Quixote, Katniss Everdeen, and Will Smith in Independence Day are classic earthlings, remarkably brave even if they sometimes pick the wrong target.
Understanding earthlingness matters because things are moving pretty fast. There's lots to think about and lots to get right. Everyone feels pressure to produce, and to avoid mistakes. That's business. But it shouldn't lead us to forget that we are employing, partnering, or selling not just to efficient and subservient data points, but to earthlings, with all their intriguing features and curious qualities. When those are forgotten or suppressed then brands become boring, workplaces become bleak, and earthling ingenuity eventually finds another way.
*A reader has drawn our attention to a Tiktok that purports to show a Dalek actually dancing. So let's just say Daleks don't NORMALLY dance, OK? Anyway, for a real Dalek it looks suspiciously bouncy.
Earthling activities
Every earthling has their own voice and story, and every brand needs theirs. Earthling helps them find the strong stories and distinctive voices that equip them to beat the odds.
A selection of recent Earthling projects would include: developing multiple brand platforms for a global hospitality group, delivering a new brand purpose for a household name in retail, interviewing decision-makers for a world leader in AI, brand strategy for one of the world's leading sparkling wines, and building a brand framework for the world's most precise navigation app.
Coca-Cola
Refocusing the brand's Olympics campaign strategyMaserati Grecale
Launching a new Maserati in a new wayKapero
Capturing the spirit of a Stockholm-based management consultancyWhite Stuff
Rebranding an iconic British retailerEarthlings
John Shaw
Partner & Principal Earthling
John's career has taken him to many different parts of the planet before his eventual landing in London.
Originally from Scotland, John initially worked in various market research and advertising roles, which included learning the fundamentals of account planning at JWT, and running market research for Mars' UK petcare companies. In the late 90s, he moved to Portland, Oregon, to join Wieden + Kennedy as global planning director on Microsoft, and subsequently worked on most of the agency's major clients, including Nike, Coca-Cola, and Amazon.
His next destination was Hong Kong as regional head of planning for Ogilvy, involving extensive travel around the region and work on clients such as Disney, Unilever, and Coca-Cola. Returning to London with Ogilvy, he joined the worldwide board and worldwide creative council and led the development of Ogilvy's 'Big Ideal' thinking on brands.
He later spent seven years as global head of strategy at brand agencies within WPP, which subsequently became part of Design Bridge & Partners, with clients including British Airways, BBC, Amazon, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
John has spent time as a board member at Photofusion, a non-profit arts organisation based in Brixton, served as a member of the IPA strategy group, and has carried out internal training for companies such as Vodafone, Nike and IKEA.
He’s been for a run almost everywhere he’s travelled, surviving heat in Hong Kong, cold in Canada, and the unwelcome attentions of a pack of dogs in Turkey.
Kim Podmenik
Partner
Kim spent the early part of her career as a senior account manager at some of the world's leading advertising agencies, including Chiat/Day, Kirshenbaum & Bond, and Wieden + Kennedy. While she has left the big agency world, she remains deeply involved in the creative industries. For many years, she worked as a photographer and her work has been exhibited at London Art Fair's Photo 50 (2020), at Soho Photo Gallery in New York City on three occasions, and at Jenny Blythe Fine Art at Art Jericho in Oxford as a solo show. Her photographic work has also been featured in the FT, BBC Online, Huck Magazine, and Uncertain States. She was nominated for the Royal Photographic Society's 100 Heroines.
Kim spent 10 years as the Director of Brixton-based Photofusion, an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation specialising in photography. She was responsible for delivering the organisation's objective of supporting those underrepresented in the arts and making connections between emerging artists and the creative industries. She secured funding of over £1M, including capital funding of £500k from the Future Workspace Fund to create a permanent home for the charity, a publicly accessible gallery, and a collaborative workspace for photographers, artists, film-makers and designers.
In 2024, Kim earned her MA (Distinction) in Contemporary Photography, Philosophy and Practice at Central Saint Martins. In 2025–26, she co-produced and curated thedoughnutwhole.com as part of The Wrong Biennale. The pavilion, adhering to the theme of the biennale ("Embracing a World Transformed by AI"), featured the work of 14 artists whose work explores Holes and Wholes in the age of AI. Kim designed and hosted a two-day experimental symposium that offered a balanced conversation on the challenges and opportunities AI has to offer the industry.
Kim has chaired a number of panels regarding the state of the industry (London Art Fair, The Photographer's Gallery), is on the board of advisors for the online arts learning platform [cloud], and was recently awarded an artist residency from Hosking Houses Trust.
At Earthling London, Kim mostly works behind the scenes as organiser, sounding board, provocateur, and artist/