Minecraft made an experiential movie
Plus: 'Close friends' is trending but are brands in situationships?
Morning,
You know you love something when you’re post-10-day work trip and still excited to work on something. We’re back!
Very unrelated: Instagram need to partner with shows to remove spoilers for a week after finales. I’ve been unable to go on social to avoid White Lotus spoilers. Stop ruining it for laggards, I’ll pay.
If you only read one thing in this letter I recco: FRIENDLY TEASE.
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
GROUP CHAT ->
// Much like White Lotus, everyone is watching The Group Chat, a new ‘show’ by TikToker Sydney Jo. Viral ‘mini-episode’ shows are undoubtedly the future. Also similar to White Lotus: the ‘outing’ of unspoken truths of female friendships. It’s this year’s ‘situationships’. It’s working because it’s real. // Streamer, Speed, went to China and gave the internet a surprisingly unfiltered view of China. The reception, even in China, was mostly positive. Global influencers are rising due to AI making dubbing so cheap. Speed’s already been someone to watch, but his move towards this status is notable.EVERY BRACKET // 19% of US households are upper income. But only 2% identify that way. Many brands are in a race to have ‘cheaper’ SKUS. But cheap is relative. Consumers on every level are feeling the crunch. Rather than everyone racing to the bottom, some should look at Uniqlo and Zara. They are investing in being high-quality (this is key) and mostly affordable. The people shopping? Fashion crowds/upper-income consumers looking for ‘steals’. Consequently, we’ll see more luxury brand collabs like David’s Bridal x Georgia Chapman. Sure, 10K for a dress is nuts to many, but for the Marchesa buying crowd, this looks like the best TJ Max find ever. Keyword: relative.
F&B
TRADE IT IN // Hellman’s wants you to trade in your drawer of ketchup packets for discounts on mayo. Let’s be frank: stop making campaigns like this to win awards. 189 likes on a campaign post is tragic when you can get 26K for your April Fools spoof. Hellman’s is perfectly positioned to have more fun, be more mischievous, and connect.
ENCOUNTERS BREWING // Dating app, First Round’s On Me, launched a cafe to host events for users. Much like run clubs serving as hotbeds for dating, this could work. The IRL dating business, and events in general, are booming. Humans are craving humans.
DRUGS & BOOZE
THE FLIPPER // Heineken launched another campaign aimed at getting folx off their phones and enjoying their friends. ‘The Flipper’ phone case flips your phone over when it senses you’re having a good time.
pointed out the irony of having a hashtag—it is funny. Brands working on our global desire to disconnect is great. The more they lean into doing it authentically, versus just buzzy stunts, the better it will get.HIGH SALES // THC-infused drink sales at In Good Spirits, a non-alcoholic shop, are “now nearly outselling everything else. The category is “nearing $400M this year, and projected to be $750M by 2029”. No wonder Edible Arrangements is in pivot mode.
SILVERS, ALPHAS & ZS
BABY SHOWER // Diaper brand Coterie launched a fun campaign about keeping babies dry. The ‘Instagram premium’ content is cute. But, the visual identity is very different from the OOO campaign and events. Better to have a visual connection—always.
THE RISE OF RAUCOUS // The new Minecraft movie is giving Rocky Horror a run for it’s money. “Teens are turning screenings into full-blown participatory events—shouting meme-y lines like 'chicken jockey!' and throwing popcorn”. Love.
, astute as ever, called out the striking contrast between Minecraft’s success and Disney’s Snow White flop. 3 things. 1) She’s spot on: older Alphas love Minecraft. 2) The live-action is terrifying for the littles. It’s not rocket science. Solve? Talk to parents. 3) This proves my point. We need to build Alpha spaces.RETAIL
// Much like performance marketing, mass affiliate marketing is becoming expensive (and susceptible to fraud). But ’s Q1 social trends report and TheRealReal’s Substack point to the potential of long-form, POV-driven content. “In a recent issue…12% of readers clicked on the last link in the article. A 12% click-through rate would be good, but that’s just on one link 900 words deep.” 900 words is a lot of space for interesting links. What other channel has that?FRIENDLY TEASE // In Rachel’s report,
shared the rise of ‘Close Friends’ as a unique brand channel. “Away did this by giving their community an exclusive first look” at a new product. “Nike surprised followers by adding them to Close Friends and asking for gifting info.” But it’s not just ‘Close Friends’, this points to a bigger behavior shift. The rise of exclusive sales is beginning. Restaurant loyalty app, has a new tiered program to give users, “secret perks like off-menu dishes and friends and family access.” wrote an excellent piece on this trend too. One example shared was Jacquemus’s "Les Amis" WhatsApp group, where “members receive voice notes from Simon Jacquemus, location pins for pop-up events, and access codes for limited pieces.” But don’t get confused. “This isn't cultural participation; it's transaction-seeking behavior.” People want perks, not to be friends. You need to be discerning or like says, you’ll find your perks on Vinted just like Etro.TECH
ROBOT WORKFORCE // Tariff whiplash is real so who knows but
says robotics start-ups are expected to win if US-made goods are a must. “It’s delusional that American manufacturing is going to come back…What’s likely is the opposite—we figure out how to do more with less labor.”CAN YOU BE DUPED? -> Puck // Shopify’s CEO, Tobi Lutke, wants teams to prove AI can’t do their jobs or no new hires. “Using AI effectively is now a fundamental expectation of everyone…Frankly, I don’t think it’s feasible to opt out of learning the skill of applying AI in your craft.” Klarna has been on this for a year. Expect more.
SPORT
TEAMS FOR TEAMS -> Offball // The Atlanta Hawks has hired a creator collective of 25 creators with a collective 14.9MM followers. The goal here isn’t just good content. The team wants to build a “sponsorship inventory” with the content. Interesting.
PUTT PUTT BIG LEAGUES // This video of Poppy McIlroy, Rory McIlroy’s daughter, nailing a very long putt at the Masters, is going viral. Golf is benefiting a lot of new fans but young fans are gold. Watch this space (FYI, it’s booming). Get in while you can.
WELLNESS & BEAUTY
told us Exosome skincare would be hot this year. This is why ‘salmon sperm’ is all the rage. But some exosomes are coming “from human umbilical cord blood or other cells,” and the EU gov is not happy. Fish sperm it is. BOTOX BOOM //
says bringing Botox production stateside near impossible, and tariffs could cause the price to skyrocket. Expect a rise in ‘botox alternatives’. And more facelifts. In the same boat? GLP-1’s. Smooth and skinny is about to, once again, become a wealth indicator. But, it’s not just vanity drugs that would be affected. We can assume there will be a boom in ‘medical tourism’ too.TRAVEL
HOTEL RECESSION // Travelers are afraid of the US, so it’s smart that Proper Hotels are looking at alt revenue streams. One that’s recession-proof? Wellness. The new Proper Club will offer, you guessed it: fitness (Barry's to Sweat Yoga), an ‘Ammortal Chamber’ (aka Red Light on steroids), breakfast/supper clubs, live music, concierge service, biomarker testing, IV therapy, etc. Adding a ‘local’ consumer = a winning move.
FIT TO TRAVEL // I’ll happily tell you my fool-proof no-jetlag system so I don’t subscribe to FlyKitt’s core business (jetlag kits), but their new ‘hotel gym AI fitness’ app is interesting. Travelers can take photos of the gym, answer some questions, and get a tailored workout optimized to their needs. Seems ripe for a partnership.
FUN FOR THE WEEK
Hey, Ken, Hey Ken, Hey, LeBron. Nice Ken doll. This feels oddly important.
Your next skincare event should have a ‘product hunt’. Bloodbath or brilliant?
After this and this, we’re in for an ‘event curtain entrance’ boom. Stunning.
Mystery cups are huge now at events in Asia and the Middle East.
Ellie the Elephant is now an ambassador for Essie. Mascots are big right now.
Beauty brands will only want ‘high angle’ photo booths next year.
AI will favor the generalist. Rejoice!
Stüssy still hits. For 3 generations. Intergenerational influence is real.
Keff Joons by CJ Hendry in NYC from April 11th to 20th. Looks fun. You should go.
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.