Cats in battles and puppies in baskets: See which Twitter account inspires this BBH creative

This week, we ask a creative—namely BBH’s senior copywriter Stephanie Gwee—about one thing that inspires her outside of work.

It's always refreshing to look into the past, and read about how people overcame challenges of their time. That's why I've been spending more time on pages like the Twitter account @Weird_Hist, which is full of examples of zany ideas. Like how in the battle of Pelusium, Persians brought cats into battle, because of the simple reason that Egyptians were forbidden to kill cats.

And how moulds of feet were worn underneath the boots of WW2 commandos, to trick rivals into thinking their tracks were from barefoot islanders. And of course, many anecdotes that aren’t war-related. It’s a nice reminder that we don’t need the latest technology to solve things. We just need simple human truths and an equally simple execution.

To commemorate Gwee's excellent choice, here are some nuggets from the aforementioned Twitter account for your enjoyment.

Henry III of France reportedly kept 2,000 lap dogs and regularly wore a basket of puppies around his neck. pic.twitter.com/Teuk0HLXUB

— Weird History (@weird_hist) November 19, 2020

In 1969, elephants near Heathrow in London were given earmuffs to protect them from noise. pic.twitter.com/hClOdem4VB

— Weird History (@weird_hist) October 23, 2020

You've arrived at Inspiration Station, a weekly look at imaginative and artistic work from creators of all kinds across Asia-Pacific. Or sometimes, we might ask a creative about what they're inspired by outside of work. Step off for a minute to recharge your creative batteries and find inspiration for that next big idea of yours further down the track.