Hi all,
Happy post-Super Bowl season to all who celebrate.
As always, this pod dives into the biggest trends, shifts, and brands. Diving deeper and unpacking our favorite bits of the Sunday letter. Hit the links to skip to what strikes your fancy!
THIS WEEK’S PODCAST EPISODE:
Fans are coming for the content and paying for the community
Move over shoppy-shop, hype-grocer is here
Michelob Ultra’s Super Bowl ad is ultra good
Gen-Alpha aren’t just digital-natives; they’re AI-natives
Thom Browne and Doechii are the perfect couple
Open AI should have asked ChatGPT how to make a good ad
The Open changing the golf game
Freaks of Nature’s nice and simple campaign
An insight for local hospitality brands and education start-ups
Enjoy!
What we get into:
CULTURE
1:00 — CASHING IN ON COMMENTS // Kirsten put it perfectly: “comment sections have become the main attraction, the place where the real magic happens.” Substackers and YouTubers are finding that people are subscribing for content but paying for the community. Creators are gatekeeping gold: like-minded spaces with a common purpose. This is a space I’m eagerly watching evolve, and we unpack why.
Communities we mention:
, , , , THE BOARD, Breakfast Club LA.F&B
11:08 — STAPLES –> STYLE // Family Mart’s is going hype-grocer mode. And they aren’t alone. Happier Grocer is giving an edge to the basics. We’re entering a new era of shoppy-shop. It’s no longer about curating great goods; it’s about becoming great, too.
DRUGS & BOOZE
14:44 — ULTRA GOOD // Michelob’s ad won the Super Bowl. Though Taco Bell’s was a close second (more on why Sunday!). We unpack all the winning moves.
SILVERS, ALPHAS & ZS
20:28 — GEN-AI // If you think Gen-Alpha skincare brands aren’t worth tracking, think again. Beyond the cute packaging, you’ll find brands on the frontier of the biggest shift people aren’t talking about enough yet: Gen-Alpha is being raised on AI. While Gen-Z is the digital-native generation, Alphas will never know the internet as it is today. They are voice-first, AI-native and using Google Lens 10 billion times a month. This interview with Coach’s CEO, Todd Kahn, on this paradigm shift is a must-read, no matter your industry. Kahn expects AI to play a major role in driving consumers to authentic brands, and if you read my interview with
, you know we agree.
RETAIL
27:20 — THE PERFECT COUPLE // While Doechii’s voiceover in the Nike Super Bowl ad was great (more on that on Sunday, too), the Thom Browne pairing is perfection. We get into why and gush over this Vogue x Doechii interview.
TECH
31:14 — NOT MY TYPE // Not long after hitting send on the Sunday letter did Open AI announce their rebrand. It perfectly exemplifies what OpenAI is getting wrong. While Google is showing us the meaning and the power (and fun) of AI, OpenAI is centering the story on itself, not the user. Their Super Bowl ad was just one giant, soulless motion graphics reel. While they are the big fish now, it’s the brands that showcase what AI can do for humans that will win this race. We don’t buy features. We buy feelings. The brand loyalty race in AI has begun, and OpenAI is falling behind.
SPORT
35:59 — HOLE IN ONE? // I do my very best to explain way The Waste Management Open has become golf’s hottest ticket. This picture helps; this video helps more. By all accounts, the changes put in place this year kept things less rowdy And it had record viewership in addition to great in-person numbers. More tournaments will follow.
WELLNESS & BEAUTY
39:35 — NICE WORK // Nice simple campaign from Freaks of Nature. That’s all.
TRAVEL
40:12 — NO SCHOOL, ALL PROBLEMS // SO many parents are priced out of vacations due to school holidays. It’s an insight many local hospitality brands could tap into. But it’s also an opportunity for alternative education start-ups like 2-Hour Learning.
FUN FOR THE WEEK
Since we ran out of time to dive into Fun For The Week, I’m sharing a few extras with a Valentine’s—ish theme. xoxo
I told you the brands are fighting! Hatch showing Apple no love.
Type humor for Valentine’s Day.
Pandora’s love letters vending machines (more to love than Poppi’s 👀)
Taco Bell is offering $777 weddings in Vegas (just wish the swag was better)
Casablanca’s tennis courts are heart-eyes-worthy.
Missing the letter this all ties back to? This way:
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.
PS. If you prefer Apple, Spotify, or YouTube you can listen there too.
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