All Caught Up: Better Bagel drama, anti-Botox makeup, the official White House Reddit page
Folie à Doo-Doo
Wow, this platform is changing, and along with it, the culture. I have noticed that most of my subscriber growth comes from social features, and if I don’t use the Notes feature regularly, growth stalls. It’s hard not to get caught up in that mindset.
Several essays have been written on this topic in recent months, and I loved
’s reflections — that the worst thing to be on Substack is just to be a Substacker. Perhaps this is quite Nike of me, but if you write, you are a writer. Maybe you don’t have to identify as a capital W writer — I certainly don’t — but I do write a lot for what I do daily: strategy. I think that writing in general is a baseline good for humanity. The commoditization of it is grotesquely less so, and writing for myself has been a compounding force for how capturing how I think about things and growing my confidence as a capital T Thinker. There’s a graveyard in my notes app of ideas/tensions I’m keeping a log of.I’m not going to use this venue to comment on listicle formats or other things on Substack that help with growth. What I will say though, is that if you want to write here — or anywhere — you should do it. Avoid the impulse to be a take machine or an Oracle; for me taking my foot off the gas there has lowered the barrier to entry for my writing, and just do the thing. Learning and thinking in public is beautiful — and we need that to advance as people. The practice of writing has throughout human history shifted power, spoken truth to power, and can be immeasurably rewarding. I think at this moment, writing helps us navigate the overwhelming amount of information and discern what is truly important in today's world.
Young strategists often ask me — how did you start writing, should I do it, etc? Do it if you want to. The best way is to just start.
This week's picks include hot girls eating, how social media distorts perceptions of norms and the online culture of the 1%.
Christina’s weekly scroll –
OVO x SMEG launches today. Imagine Drake making tea with his OVO electric kettle. I die.
Speaking of OVO… Y’all see Drake on The Drake? Hot, tbh.
Anti-Botox makeup is a #thing. Internet elders, remember glitter stretch marks from Tumblr? Same same but different.
Mytheresa acquires Yoox-Net-a-Porter.
Cult Gaia x GAP launched a holiday capsule collection. Between DÔEN, Disney and Troye Sivan… GAP is crushing it.
Olivia Colman serving up Balmoral realness in the new Burberry campaign.
Gen Z’s love for fine fragrance and scalp health is driving hair perfume's comeback.
Everyone hates Joker: Folie à Deux, lol. Folie à Doo-Doo?
Rihanna for Fenty x Diesel is actually the least interesting part of the campaign. I love the cast of real, older Italians juxtaposed with the "hot" models.
Flamingo Estate (aka Richard Christiansen) wrote a book: The Guide to Becoming Alive, available now for pre-order.
Poppi loves Panhellenic. S/o Sara Wilson of SW Projects for highlighting one of the best marketing ideas I've seen in a long time: Poppi collaborated with the University of Texas at Austin chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha to create a brand-themed spirit day, tied to the announcement that applications were opening for the fall 2024 semester of its college ambassador program. Cute!
Claudia Schiffer isn't just the face of rhode's new Barrier Butter campaign, she's also the brand’s ambassador.
Nikita’s weekly scroll –
If you follow me on Instagram, you know I’ve been all over the Better Bagel drama. Mostly, amazed that a product that looks like a kneecap and photographs like a Big Mac raised on a $170M valuation. Also, the emails they sent angry customers who had yet to receive orders…speaking about how they’ve been dealing with hostile takeover attempts???? Idk man.
Also apparently their 3PL was stealing and that’s the new story they’re running with… Sure, Jan!The Devil Wears Prada 2 has been scheduled to begin filming. And Princess Diaries 3. This is my personal Barbenheimer. If you know anything about me, I watch the former every 6 months because *line goes silent*
Do you remember Rich Kids of Instagram? Do you think about quiet luxury/old money dressing often? I feel like this articulated well the secret language of wealth, and how wearing a polyester blazer from Zara isn’t going to fool anyone about your socioeconomic status. Rich people have a secret language, an insider code of where they dine, what they wear, and where they vacation.
I’m still digesting this piece about how culture is subsuming and eating itself. As the piece points out - strategists often go to the fringes of culture to commoditize it. Where does that exist anymore, if all culture exists in a repetitive shadow of itself? Especially when that force gets multiplied by AI.
Apple is moving away from the yearly upgrade cycle. Honestly, I just want the iPod back.
Remember a few months ago when I talked about kids loving Facebook because of Marketplace and groups? Facebook observed ye olde user behavior and has redesigned to court Gen Z.
Hollywood is leveraging fandom focus groups.
It’s (Charli) XCX’s World, we just live in it. She’s the new Valentino Beauty ambassador.
Daters are taking matters into their own hands – using PowerPoints, Instagram Ads and Billboards. It’s a little sad, but also kind of hopeful when it comes to resisting Big Internet.
The internet loves watching hot girls eat. There’s a longer tail here about EDs being back in and the kind of women who people ‘like’ to watch eat. Respectfully.
Enjoyed this articulation of building a brand people love.
I need young men in America to get off YouTube and read a book. They are falling behind because edgelords are telling them hateful things and telling them they don’t need an education.
I <3 Casa Magazines and it looks like they’re trying to grow on TikTok 👀
Even when I was at NYU - a decade ago at this point - we studied how bubbles of polarization on social media create the most outsized, outlandish noise. This is why I have an anti-social listening belief as a marketer. But that being said, new research – "0.1% of users shared 80% of fake news," and "74% of all online conflicts are started in just 1% of communities.”
LVMH wastes no time! Following on the heels of their Formula 1 announcement, Lewis Hamilton is going to help co-chair the Met Gala. I hope Dapper Dan stays booked and busy because of this theme.
The White House launched on Reddit to counter disinformation. S/o to my former colleague, the always excellent Andy Volosky for this. Doing the good work.
Fast Fashion and mall brands are going heavy on the collaboration strategy to shift their image (that’s been rightfully battered by their heinous treatment of garment workers.) New entrants to this? H&M’s block parties and Samuel Ross for Zara.
˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚Little Treat Corner ˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚
Christina’s weekly report:
READING: This tweet over and over again. And laughing!
EATING: Petit Pot Crème Brûlée!
PLAYING: Stardew Valley. Just unlocked Qi's Walnut Room.
OBSESSING: Lisa Rinna for King Kong Magazine f*cking rules!
RECOMMENDING: Cleaning your glass pieces daily. IYKYK.
TREATING: Pineapple Under the Sea Frosty!
Nikita’s weekly report:
READING: Everything I just linked y’all.
EATING: Saag Paneer.
PLAYING: The Kaytranada Timeless Tour setlist.
OBSESSING: Nate’s Cinnamon Whipped Honey.
RECOMMENDING: Do not dismiss your dog licking his paws too much.
TREATING: I think I’m gonna go get a pedicure this weekend.
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Wow, Smeg x OVO is legit the most interesting collab I’ve seen in a while. Don’t know who would buy it, but looks chic 👌