San Pellegrino's new TV show has me bubbly
Plus: People think Boy Smell's rebrand stinks, and TikTok wants to be Google Maps.
Morning,
This letter was edited in bed at a beautiful little hotel in Saint-Émilion. Spring break, baby! No podcast this week as I will be logging off for a few days.
If you only read one thing in this letter I recco: PICCOLO SHOW or MAGNETIC BEAUTY.
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
SPOT OF FANDOM // Spotify’s latest campaign celebrates fans—love this. The imagery is super fun, and the topic is timely. Fans’ creation is driving teams, artists, and brands to new levels of worldbuilding. There’s a lot of greatness to be tapped here.
SECRET SUPPLY // Chinese TikTokers are taking on the tariffs and price hikes one post at a time. In one video with +12MM views, a TikToker shares that you can order a pair of $100 Lululemon leggings directly from the factory for $5. Markup awareness isn’t new. It's why Everlane launched. Expect more ‘remove the middle man’ messaging.
// Instagram is testing a new feature that locks reels from public viewing. Only users with the password can unlock the reel. This aligns well with the growing ‘Close Friends’ trend. Brands will have a field day with this.BLUE ORIGIN BOOS // The internet was unimpressed with the all-women’s space flight. Bezos and co missed the cultural mood. 1) Girl boss vibes are dated 2) ‘Mission-driven’ scrutiny is at an all-time high. 3) The cost, both monetarily and environmentally, was tone-deaf. Bess Kalb called it “make-a-wish for women that exclusively vacation on private islands.” I love her too much. The one scientist on board is rad though.
PRIMAL INTELLIGENCE // Loved this by
. “We're witnessing a recalibration of how humans navigate complexity. After drowning in data and still making spectacularly bad collective decisions, we've rediscovered that intuition deserves more than tokenistic respect.” Couldn’t agree more.F&B
PICCOLO SHOW // San Pellegrino’s made-for-social mini series with Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa from The Sopranos is so fun. With Love, Italy unfolds a few minutes at a time over 9-10 posts. It’s long-form, story-driven, and highly entertaining. Yet another great example of ‘Instagram Premium’. Now they have to revamp the rest.
LUNCH STOP // Buc-ee’s, a Texas-based gas station chain, has a cult following. Why? Fans love its signature snacks. Their signature lemon crisps, beef jerky, BBQ sauce, and “Beaver Nuggets” are so popular that resellers are making 250K/month hawking them to no-locals. Even gas stations are realizing the power of good quality private label.
DRUGS & BOOZE
TOP POOL BAR // The founders of Top Golf and PuttShack have raised $34MM to gamify pool. Poolhouse will be a ‘activity’ bar. With the rising interest in N/A nightlife options, it’s smart to build a concept that doesn’t hinge on booze is smart.
DECAF AMPING UP // Yes, caffeine-infused drinks are flying off shelves, but the no-caffeine movement is heating up. Chappell Roan recently quit caffeine. This isn’t a return to caffeine substitutes, it is more about an awareness of how stimulants interplay with everything from sleep quality to mental health, much like the N/A movement.
SILVERS, ALPHAS & ZS
TALL POTENTIAL // Dan Pelosi’s followers love his mom’s head-to-toe (unsponsored) Talbots outfits. Talbots has been big with Silvers for ages, yet their social doesn’t reflect it. One can only assume they think this would pigeonhole them as old. They are clearly missing the potential. Burberry, on the other hand, really seems to get it.
ALPHA MART // ‘Is Walmart the new Urban?’ Walmart is hitting all the notes lately. What’s working? While they have all the regulars, they’ve invested in stocking new brands. And it seems they’ve hired some Gen-Z-fluent designers too. TikTok’s a fan.
STABILITY TRAINING // Sensopro is a Swiss fitness company making stability-focused strength training equipment. Foot stability is one of the main dangers for Silvers. With the focus on longevity, we’ll see more brands working on all the angles of ‘fitness.’
WAR TECH HIGH // According to
“Palantir has launched a paid 'Meritocracy Fellowship' targeting recent high school grads with Ivy League-level test scores.” And pays $5,400/month. The job posting declares: “Skip the debt. Skip the indoctrination. Get the Palantir Degree.” The distrust of higher education is rising.RETAIL
WHAT ON EARTH // On has followed up its Elmo campaign with a space-themed Zendaya spot. The timing is unfortunate, but beyond that, it’s bizarre. There’s space and appetite for a ‘non-competitive’ brand, but this couldn’t feel more lost. It’s hard to make Zendaya feel uncool, but they’ve managed. I’m worried.
PARTY SPACE // Michaels is seeing diamonds in the ruins of Party City. Searches for party supplies have jumped 155% since January. They're also hosting crafting parties. 42K people RSVP’d. Proving yet again, people want IRL experiences. Target should be looking here for ideas.
LOVESHACKLICENSED // LoveShackFancy is banking on licensing deals.
reported that the brand makes 5-10% of net revenue from collabs, with a guaranteed floor (eg. 7% of $4MM in the first year of a deal). But there's a danger of diluting the brand. And this rosé might be that example. Until now, the brands they licensed to were known for quality. This is not that.TECH
CREATIVE DIRECTION // Pinterest hired Chappell Roan’s creative director, Ramisha Sattar, to help design their Coachella pop-up—fascinating. Pinterest’s team is very good at these types of events. But the backlash the prominence of ‘AI slop’ on the platform might has me concerned. But speaking of collage: this artist is making fun things!
SPORT
ANOTHER LEAGUE // USL, is the US-based soccer league you haven’t heard of. But that’s soon to change. Unlike the MSL, USL runs on a promotion and relegation system, like European leagues, ie, every club has a chance at the top.
says it’s only a matter of time before the USL eclipses the MLS. The MLS is bogged down in licensing fees, cumbersome team-building rules, and its reliance on aging European stars. The USL is building homegrown legends that fans get behind. Better start paying attention.EXTREME FIELDS // Remember how I told you ‘Extreme Sports’ were going to be big in 2025. Well, Juventus, agrees. Their new Extreme Fields matches are set in spectacular locations like the Pelé Stadium in the Maldives. Travel meets sports is also getting bigger.
WELLNESS & BEAUTY
SHINY STRATEGY // According to
, SZA’s new beauty brand, Not Beauty, is launching not online but at “a pop-up near you.”—fun! I struggle with the packaging direction, but it’s identifiable.MAGNETIC BEAUTY // dcdx came out with their Magnetic 100: Beauty edition. Some observations. 1) Merit’s growth—wowza. 2) Supergoop’s drop shows as they have mainstreamed, they have lost their cool. 3) Bondi Boost’s growth points to my theory that hair thickening is the new protein— every brand will have a product in 2026. 4) Devices that ‘push’ skincare deeper into the skin, like MediCube are getting popular.
BEAUTY BURNOUT? // I loved
whole Vogue Business op ed. Just read it. Takeaways: 1) Today’s political climate is causing so much stress that it’s literally making our hair fall out (Hair Thickening 2026), 2) Our obsession with injectables, K-beauty, and lasers is our way of controlling something—anything. 3) But on the flip side, shared a small but growing trend brewing on TikTok: the “untouched face.” Influencer Ash Powers is “predicting that being ‘a little ugly and a little wrinkly’ will soon be aspirational. Her post has over 3 million views and 500,000 likes.” Burberry vibes.GIRL POWER // Creatine, a supplement that helps to build muscle, is getting a makeover for its newer audience: women. Arrae (gummy form is smart), Alani Nu, Bloom, and Peach Perfect are all in on the action. Creatine is highly recommended for menopausal women, so this is a great way for these brands to grab a larger audience. . While Naked Nutrition might be the best on the market, its ‘fitness bro’ vibe can be off-putting for many.
SMELLS OFF // Boy Smells, the candle and fragrance company, rebranded. The backlash is fierce. Daisy Alito, the founder of Dirt said, “This is the worst rebrand I have ever seen. The Temufication of an already Targetified indie brand.”—ouch. Fans say it lost its queer, genderless, and edgy energy. The founder has tried to tackle the feedback, but even if the miss was unintentional, there’s no excuse for this turning into this.
TRAVEL
GEN-Z MAPS // TikTok is taking on Google Maps. They are testing a “Reviews” tab in the comments section of location-tagged videos, allowing users to view star ratings, written reviews, and photos. Given TikTok’s role in travel discovery, this is smart.
shared a bunch of campaigns by travel companies that push back against AI. Priceline’s “Actual Reality” campaign is actually funny. Iceland Air’s is also good. The tone on both is great. Challenging but not whiny.FUN FOR THE WEEK
Did someone from Acqua Parma read my Gift Guide?
Sofa? Or gym? Either way, this caption is my dream.
This BTS for a pop-up is interesting. But this gifting suite BTS could backfire.
The world needs more mermaid foosball tables (but better designed).
See Van Gogh’s Starry Night made by drones in NYC this summer.
Craig and Karl’s mini golf is back at Canary Wharf!
Doechii is going to perform at the next Create Cultivate.
The illos for this new folded chip brand are so fun. And love these animated overlays.
Heinz made grills to open packets. Their direction lately is interesting to see.
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.