Advertising’s Unspoken Realities Find a Humorous Outlet Through a New Game by Motley

The Mumbai-based independent agency created Cards Against Advertising to showcase shared industry realities through satire

 A new satirical card game developed by independent creative agency Motley is drawing attention within the advertising and marketing community for its candid take on agency life. Titled Cards Against Advertising, the game uses humour to reflect the pressures, clichés and contradictions that many professionals in the industry encounter but rarely discuss openly.
The game has been created under Motley Orgnls, the agency’s internal platform that supports crew-led creative projects. Designed as a parody party game, it includes 150 cards that reference familiar agency situations, workplace language and day-to-day realities across advertising, marketing and creative services.

While inspired by the broader format of party card games, Cards Against Advertising focuses specifically on experiences drawn from within the industry. The content has been written by professionals across roles, including creatives, strategists, account managers and interns, with scenarios that mirror moments such as last-minute presentation changes, alignment calls, pitch pressures and informal conversations that often happen off record.
Advertising remains a highly influential industry, but one that is also frequently associated with long working hours, high expectations and burnout. Many professionals enter the field motivated by creative ambition, only to encounter challenges that are rarely acknowledged in formal settings. The game was conceived as a way to recognise these shared experiences and allow people to engage with them through humour rather than critique or instruction.

“This is more than just a game; it is a unique advertising-specific party experience,” said Priyanka Surve, Founding Partner and Creative Head at Motley. “It’s a product designed by people who work in the industry, for people who live its realities every day.”
The project also reflects Motley’s approach to creative ownership and workplace culture. Through Motley Orgnls, team members are encouraged to propose independent ideas beyond client work. Selected projects receive production support from the agency, with profits shared with the creators over time.

“In an industry driven by ideas, it’s important that creative ownership extends beyond client work,” said Jason Menezes, Founding Partner and Business Head at Motley. “Motley Orgnls exists because creativity shouldn’t just earn a salary. It should build equity, ownership and pride.”
Designed for small teams as well as larger gatherings, the game is intended for adults who have worked within the creative ecosystem, including agency professionals, former agency employees and clients familiar with agency culture. A typical game session runs between 30 and 90 minutes. Expansion packs focusing on specific roles such as copywriters, designers and social media professionals are planned.

The release of Cards Against Advertising comes amid ongoing conversations within the industry around burnout, mental health and sustainable work environments. While the game does not present itself as a solution, it offers a shared, light-hearted way for people in advertising to acknowledge collective experiences through humour and self-awareness.
The card game is currently available by direct outreach through the agency’s official Instagram handle motleyhq.

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