Cash App made a mini-movie with Timothée Chalamet
Plus: Jordan Brand made a musical, and technical founders no longer need apply.
Morning,
I’m in Chicago in a week. What do I need to eat? Shop? Experience? I’ve been many times before, send me the latest and greatest. Thx!
If you only read one thing in this letter I recco: MY TECH STACK / TASTE OR EXPERTISE?, if you want major implications. GOOD PRESS BAD TRIP or TOO EASY, if you need lightness.
Also, thank you to everyone who has reached out about the keynote. This one clearly hit a nerve. Fall and Winter are getting busy! Shout if you’re interested. We can string some trips together.
As always, the lens of this letter is a best-of-the-best on culture, trends, marketing, etc. What I’m dropping to friends on Slack or finding useful in meetings with brands.
Let’s dive in!
CULTURE
PARALLEL PLAY // Readers know that offline events are having a moment (Uno has certainly noticed). A lot of ‘gatherings’ are starting to fall into the parallel play category. Aka. Doing things together but not with each other. Crafting. Reading on the beach. Working on side hustles. The humans are gathering, but with awareness of social batteries. Opportunity lives here.
DESPERATELY BORED // Love this observation by
: “Brands [are] urging us to do…and achieve…nothing. It’s happening all over the place.” Everyone from Best Western to Nude Project is pushing you to embrace boredom this summer. Teens are already exploring it. A friend of the letter, Flavia Arsenault, wrote about it this week, too. Many hospitality brands have jumped on the Digital Detox trend, but this is different. This isn’t about screens, it’s about doing less. Embracing happenstance (told you). Vacations without the ‘list’. Leaning into the fatigue of doing and embracing no plans.AI STAR // It’s hard to say which viral news moment was more exhausting this week, this AI influencer or Coldplay-gate (Sixt jumped on this for an ad—wild). We all know AI influencers are coming. Brands will use them because of cost and IP rights. But the old saying remains the same. Cheap, fast, good. Pick two. AI influencers will get good. But much like State Farm’s Jake IP (not AI but could be), it will still take creative investment. A generic AI influencer won’t cut it for much longer than CGI giant inflatable products did.
ALGO SPEAK // Best read of the week?
’s interview with linguist Adam Aleksic about his new book, Algospeak: How Social Is Transforming The Future of Language. It’s not shocking that language is evolving faster than ever. But did you know ‘Sigma’ originated in incel communities? It’s all part of the ‘context collapse phenomenon’ that removes the term from its origin and transforms it into something else. Fascinating.F&B
PROTEIN PROPOGANDA // David Protein is selling cod. Love the campaign imagery, the ‘focused on macros’ and ‘slightly more protein per calorie than our bars’ copy is clever. The smartest bit is the comparison chart. The FAQ section on thawing fish is perfectly ick-inducing. But while LinkedIn is cheering, the comment section reads angry. The blowback from buying the only supplier of EPG lives on. As lawsuit-distraction campaigns go, not bad.
DRUGS & BOOZE
GABA BUZZ // Non-alc doesn’t mean people don’t want a buzz. Just look at how THC drinks are doing. GABA Labs wants to give brands that don’t like Farm Bill headaches another option. They are developing a GABA molecule that crosses the blood-brain barrier (just mixing it in has no measurable effect). It’s made to give you that ‘first drink buzz’ without the possibility of overdoing it (another risk of THC drinks). Unlike the complex nootropic and adaptogen stacks in brands like Kin Euphorics, this will be something brands can dose and drop into existing beverages. They want FDA approval in 2025 and to be in market by 2027.
VELVET BLADES -> The Hustle // Alcohol removal has been gaining speed for some time. But mist methods change the texture/taste of the wine and use a lot of chemicals. ALTR, which just raised a $5MM seed round, wants to change that. Their ‘Velvet Blade’ system removes ethanol at a molecular level and promises that ‘the flavor and mouthfeel of the wine will remain the same’. Interestingly, much like GABA Labs, the company is pursuing the ability to determine dose so the system can be used for low ABV, not just full removal.
BLOOMING YOUTH // The psilocybin conversation is getting bigger. A recent study shows it might unlock longevity. “According to the team, the psilocybin treatments reduced oxidative stress, improved the cells' ability to repair DNA, and helped preserve the length of telomeres.” All key to longevity. Biohacking conferences are about to get a lot more fun.
SILVERS, ALPHAS & ZS
HUNT FUN // Generations of parents have had to scramble to find the ‘it’ toy for their kids. But it’s getting harder for Alpha parents. You need deep internet wisdom, too. Labubu hunting one minute, searching for Tung Tung Tung, Hatchimals, and Steve, the next.
CHAPTER 11 PART II // Claire’s is filing for bankruptcy. Again.
has some good suggestions for their do-over do-over. Claire’s is a classic example of a legacy brand that failed to evolve (the topic of another keynote). Brands always balk at reducing inventory, but it’s a necessity in Claire’s case. Retail today is about discovery, inspiration, and experience. And for the Alpha audience, offering a space to stay and ‘play’. They scored 0’s in all categories. This next chapter needs a fresher perspective and much more risk-taking. // One-third of gamers are now over 50. And half of the 60-70 crowd game weekly. The octogenarians aren’t far behind at 36%. Not only are some Silvers turning gaming into a retirement income, but they are also using it to stay social, actively ‘hanging’ with younger gamers in the chat. We need to end ‘age demo’ marketing.RETAIL
REAL’S ROLE -> The [Sku]pe // 3-in-5 consumers use AI to shop. Yet, 94% make purchase decisions in-store. “Stores are really valuable for product discovery.” AI curation is challenged with discovery because it is trained to give you what you want and what you’ve always bought.
CLOTHES IN CONTEXT // As always,
’s quarterly social trend report was packed with gems, but it was this YouTube micro-movie by Fera that stood out. Shot by Max Weston, the doc follows the story of a beehive architect. Obviously, beekeeper Matt Somerville is wearing the brand. Fera refers to itself as ‘a love letter to the British outdoors’, and the movie couldn’t be a better context for the clothes that also tell that story. More of this.TECH
SMART EYES // While everyone is in hot pursuit of smart glasses, XPANCEO has raised $250MM at a $1.35B valuation to put that tech right on your eyeballs. The goal of these AI-powered XR lenses is ‘to replace all personal devices and end the era of screens.’ As mentioned, voice is becoming the primary mode for search. Websites (as we know them) will die a death, and this is how it happens. Interestingly, these lenses could replace ‘trackers,’ too. They can measure glucose directly from tear fluid.
MY TECH STACK // The apps you use are about to change drastically. Give it a year, 2 max, but the majority of the digital things you use will likely not be made by large companies, but by you, tailored perfectly to your needs. This DIY tech future will happen at the corporate level and at home. There will be wholesome and inspiring examples like these games that this guy created for his non-verbal brother. And more mundane things, like suited-to-you finance tools or food shopping apps that understand your kids’ preferences. The end of SaaS is here.
TASTE OR EXPERTISE? // Quite related to the above: the end of needing technical expertise. 10 years ago, the advice was: learn to code. You no longer need that to build. What you do need is sector expertise.
chatted with about it in her letter re: Figma. But it’s an idea that extends way beyond one company. Georgina made the case that while many have been saying taste will rise to the top in an AI-driven world, really, it’s expertise. I don’t agree that ‘taste is trendy’; I’d say it’s a learned and earned creative expertise, but I do agree that expertise is a better generalization. When a company targeting moms built a team 5 years ago, they’d hire a technical expert who might not have had any mom-knowledge. Today, there’s little need. You won’t necessarily need a technical co-founder at all. You’ll hire because the candidate gets moms better than the rest. This isn’t true for AI companies, but that’s not the majority of businesses.CREATED OR CRAFTED // AI-generated Hollywood is coming. It wouldn’t surprise me if consumers will be generating variations on IP to suit their preferences (ie, Frozen with more character diversity or a religious lens). But just as many photographers still prefer film to digital, the movie-making craft won’t die. Take the new F1 movie. There’s no reason Brad and Damson had to drive those cars in real life. Nor did Sony need to develop a fully custom camera that could actually film it. But the director wanted it to be real. So they did. Again, call it taste, call it expertise, regardless, there will still be a place where this effort and knowledge matter to people. Here’s a whole article on this very divide.
TAPPING TALENT // Cash App’s celebrity and athlete-heavy brand push reached a new level this week. To promote their Tap-To-Pay feature for small businesses (talking micro and nano), they tapped Timothée Chalamet for a movie-made-for-social ad. It’s weird and doesn’t quite make sense. And the comment section loves it. Cash App is a fantastic example of a brand that could be boring (like Stripe) but is pushing for relevance.
SPORT
THE GREAT UNBUNDLE // The final cord has been cut. Sport is no longer tied to cable whatsoever. Apple is on track to win the 2026 US rights to the F1 races. Apple offered $150MM/year. ‘ESPN, which has been paying ~$85 million, will not match’. Apple also has MLS. Netflix is showing fights and holiday games. Prime now has both the NFL Thursday Night games, and YouTube has Sundays. Without a stranglehold on sports, and with news headed in the direction of TBNP, the final nail might have gone into the cable coffin.
TOO EASY // Jordan Brand has officially released the new Air Jordan 40. And to celebrate it, they made a musical starring, among others, Bam Adebayo, Gabby Williams, Chris Paul, Kiki Rice, and Luka Doncic. It’s off-key and odd, but also delightful to see the brand pushing its limits. And, looks like the brand is gearing up for some big things in Paris this summer.
WELLNESS & BEAUTY
TRACK PAD // “Researchers at ETH Zürich have developed MenstruAI, a first-of-its-kind device that detects disease biomarkers through menstrual blood.” The pad has receptors that change color and can be scanned with a phone for their AI to interpret. Obviously, the current form of this tool appeals to no one. But the rising awareness that menstrual blood has value is a fascinating and positive development. There’s also a growing body of evidence showing that menstrual blood has functional stem cells that could be potentially used for healing endo, heart issues, liver problems, and more.
TRAVEL
MAINLAND ADVENTURE // Adventure-led travel is taking off in China. The reopening of scenic routes like the famed Duku Highway has sparked renewed interest in RVs, aerial tours, and hiking expeditions.
also reported in her letter this week (her new format is inspired by GOOD THINKING—fun!) that Qunar Travel has launched an English-language interface for hotel, flight, train, and vacation booking, hoping to win more global travelers.TRAVEL PROS // Want a tennis lesson with Venus? Four Seasons Palm Beach wants to help. Interested in biking through the highlands? Let Sir Chris Hoy, an Olympic cyclist, guide you, courtesy of Gleneagles Hotel. No doubt, the new Aman in the Dolomites will have next-level ski pros on hand this year for the Olympics tourism boom. Maybe local legend, Sinner, will do classes in the summer? Hotels aren’t just upping their amenities. They’re upgrading their staff. The new ‘it’ luxury feature: professional athletes.
GOOD PRESS BAD TRIP // If you’re in Europe, but likely stateside too, ‘Nothing beats a Jet2Holiday’ might have flown off your lips lately. The brand’s ancient yet iconic tagline has become a viral sound and has quickly turned into a catchphrase everyone is using in airports. Had a fight with your bestie while traveling? Disappointed with the hotel amenities? This is the catchphrase for you. But, is this a good thing for Jet2Holidays? While the vibe of most posts using the sound is negative, you’ve never thought of Jet2 more. If they’re smart, they are working on a way to turn this unexpected fame into a moment.
FUN FOR THE WEEK
Think we’ll see a lot more mountain pop-ups come this winter. Are you ready for the Winter Olympics? If not, I’m here to help. I live 1 hour from the action.
Loving Burberry lately.
This Oyster vending machine is pretty brilliant.
This giant Cake picnic situation is incredible. And a side-hustle.
Studio Ghibli teamed up with Uniqlo for a movie marathon in LA.
Chili’s frozen marg pop-up is good. This content to promote it is even better.
Want longevity in London? Maybe need to go to this ‘Medical Club’ luxury townhouse.
Speaking of longevity, Google Notebook LLM now has public books. This is on my list.
This modern funeral home in Japan is what the future needs to be.
This paper animation duo via Ffern is so good. Ffern’s is on fire lately.
Google Search now has an AI that can make calls to get availability or pricing for you.
That’s all, folx.
-Chris
If you read this and liked it, that little heart is there for that. The algo and I appreciate it.
Gold