Flamingo Estate said: let them eat art

Plus: Starbucks needs a tween land, and Goldfish Crackers is renaming to 'Chilean Sea Bass'

Morning,

I’m going to Seoul and you’re invited! GOOD THINKING Live in Seoul will be 4 days of intense discovery. Want in? More info at the end of the letter. Scroll for Seoul.

If you only read one thing in this letter I recco: FOOTFALL FALL, about Starbucks traffic issues. Who should I talk to?

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

I GOT CENSORED // Skims launched a campaign with Olivia Munn for Breast Cancer Awareness. The images show Munn’s mastectomy scar. They were powerful. I wrote a LinkedIn post about it and got censored. So much for awareness.

HONEY, IT’S ART // Flamingo Estate partners with Ed Ruscha. Talk about a collab. They put some branded hives at his studio and made 400 jars with labels with Ed’s iconic HONEY drawing (1979). 100% of the profits will go to the Mojave Desert Land Trust. It’s weird, it makes all the sense in the world to their customer. This brand is fun to watch.

THE PRODUCT COMES FIRST // Matt Klein belief that cultural insights are being applied too late couldn’t have resonated more. “Cultural intelligence should be leading R&D, innovation and executive strategy. We’re spending millions too late.” Co-sign.

NO RISK, NO GROWTH // Our lack of ‘f*ck around and find out’ is causing a slowdown. But we’re sitting on a giant backlog of good ideas that technology is about to unlock. We’re entering “Techno-Industrial Revolution” and things are about to accelerate.

F&B

FANCY FISH -> The Hustle // Goldfish Crackers released a limited edition bag that replaces the name Goldfish with ‘Chilean Sea Bass’. This is funny and it will sell. It didn’t require a product innovation. It’s just pure fun, and people need that right now.

FREE IDEAS // Doritos has been busy lately. They went to outer space, made a Doritos-infused spirit, built an after-dark pop-up restaurant, and now it’s crowd-sourcing their Super Bowl ad. The winning idea will win $1M. And Doritos will get a bank of ‘free’ consumer-approved creative to last them years. 

SNACKABLE SLAB OF CHICKEN // I still contend the player here could be a private-label grocery brand with good messaging but meanwhile: ready-to-eat chicken breast snacks. This is a $1B market in Asia. Chomps needs to get on this.

WE SELL VEG // I love a creative OOH billboard, they hit different. But the love this ad is getting is baffling.  It made for ad folx and awards Takes too long to get. Clever but not witty. And the overall message is ‘we sell foods’. Am I being too harsh?

DRUGS & BOOZE

MISS, ALL GROWN UP // Swiss Miss partnered with Hotel Tangoon a Swiss Miss-infused bourbon for the holidays. With Gen-Z not into booze, targeting a nostalgic older generation is smart. I also feel strongly winter cocktails could be as big as the ‘spritz’. The hot toddy needs a brand’s attention. 

HOME IS WHERE THE BAR IS // People are drinking, just in backyards and living rooms rather than bars and clubs. I don’t agree this is a post-COVID thing, it’s a money thing. Cocktails are pricey, and a home bar is not. 

SESSIONAL N/A // Meanwhile

Casey Lewis

’s article lives rent-free in my head. Gen-Z doesn’t love booze but they love bars. In this interview, Tom Holland says  ‘bars are fun and non-drinkers still want to have fun’. We all want vibes and good times. (Homes have vibes re: the above)

SILVERS, ALPHAS & ZS

ENTRÉETAINEMENT -> The Hustle // Chick-fil-A is launching an app for ‘original shows, podcasts, games, ebooks, and recipes’. It’s targeting families with Alphas. Seems like a lot of work for a brand whose product is naturally appealing to small, chicken tender-loving individuals. But I remain curious. 

SILVERS HAVE CHANGED // This post summarizes several of my favorite topics: Silvers don’t want to be treated like they are old. Cross-generational influence is happening constantly, and brands aren’t doing enough with that insight. Elders working out with weights, it’s a market waiting to be tapped.

MY KID PICKED IT -> AfterSchool // I’m stealing this line from Flick Colinwood but ‘the pester effect is real’. Kids are influencing home decor. And they aren’t going for basic. Think Gucci wallpaper and Goop chairs. I’m telling you, kids' tastes have changed.

RETAIL

FOOTFALL FALL // Traffic is down at Starbucks. They have a new CMO with a solid fast-food pedigree so I have high hopes. But as a Starbucks lover, I’ll tell you a few things: 1) The mobile experience is still a mess. Pick-up is the pits. And the only mobile-order stores are soulless. 2) The food is missing the mark. More protein. Better kid grab-and-go snacks. Look at Joe The Juice. 3) The European model of having real mugs changes the ‘hangout’ vibe instantly  4) Lower-sugar options 5) Creamer partnerships  6) Tween-specific locations would kill. I have more

CURATION IS BACK // We had a pod on this but curation is back baby. And Mansur Gavriel’s holiday shop is a fine example. Alex Mill’s is another example.

POP-UPS GO BEYOND -> Natasha Ellis // Experiential is back and the ROI has changed. It’s about reach and data capture. They drive mentions. They drive engagement. It’s a different world. We did a pod on exactly this last week.

TECH

WIFE LOVE WINS //

Ochuko Akpovbovbo

said it best: “Zuck’s PR team knows the culture loves a man who loves his wife…this is the right kind of midlife crisis.”

THE KIDS LOVE CREATIVITY -> UserMag // Daze, a new ‘freestyle’ messaging app is all over TikTok. It makes your texts ‘more fun’ and the kids like it. Snap better snap them up. This was built for acquisition. 

NOT JUST MEME STOCKS // Robinhood rebranded. No doubt to shake off the ‘amateur trader’ vibes. It’s nice. The best part is the new photography direction.

1000S OF DAYS AWAY // According to Sam Altman, we’re only a few thousand days away from full AGI. Dario Dario Amodei —the CEO of Anthropic and trained biologist—speculates, “AI-powered scientific research can eliminate most cancers, create treatments for all infectious diseases, prevent Alzheimer’s and improve mental health within the decade after “powerful AI” arrives.” 

SPORT

THE LONG TEASE // Angel Reese is launching a shoe with Reebok in 2026. That’s not a typo. Brands love a tease but wow, this is far out.

FANCY WEIGHTS  -> Natasha Ellis // Bala is getting on the weight training train with this Bala Beam. As are these Obshay weights. You can get one of these, but you’d have to hide it in a home gym. 

NICHE LEAGUES -> As Seen On // First Athlos. Then niche golf leagues. Now Shaun White is starting a new winter sports league. Off-topic: The next Winter Olympics is in my backyard, let’s chat. 

LOOKING FOR SPONSOR // One of the few Black female surfers in Colombia, Dailing needs a sponsor. Or if you’re just personally inclined to support the documentary about her journey, love that too. Here’s the GoFundMe.

WELLNESS & BEAUTY

SWIPE RIGHT FOR A NEW NOSE-> As Seen On  // Persana is a new app that matches you with dermatologists and plastic surgeons. Honestly, this but for all high-performing doctors, right? This in IVF would work. This company is doing something similar for supplements.

CHAOS DON’T SELL // Walgreens is closing 1200 stores. CVS has closed hundreds. Rite Aid filed for bankruptcy. The pharmacy is unwell. Curation is back. That’s all I can say. Smaller, better, focus on ‘need it now’. Jessica Lopez has many thoughts on this topic too.

I FEEL UNWELL -> Feed Me // “Northwell Health, which operates 21 hospitals and 900 outpatient facilities, is launching a studios division to develop scripted and unscripted content.” No place is safe from content. 

TRAVEL

PEOPLE ARE TIRED -> The Hustle // Sleeping your way through your vacation is a $70B market. Monthly searches for ‘sleep hotel’ are wild, up 2000% since about 2020. The world is taking a toll.

FUN FOR THE WEEK

• This NY organ donation campaign: clever

• Elf always having fun. Challenging dupes to match their business practices.

• Pickle drinks—unless you didn’t hear me last week. Well done V8.

• Whole Foods top 10 food and beverage trends. Sea moss has mainstreamed.

• Sephoria was in Atlanta this year and had 50 brand experiences + masterclasses.

• Complex Con is upgrading, and adding Cactus Con. 

• Croissant is a resale tool for brands. 

• Enjoyed the Adidas ad. The timing is not the best :/ 

• This Diptyque pop-up card is cute. 

• Liquid Death is launching soda ‘flavored’ sparkling water—isn’t that just soda?

• Lululemon x NHL - the art direction makes me want to cry. I can help.

• This Kim K x Beats Pill ad is funny.

• Brand naming humor. 

• Marie Dollé shared this geo-tagged podcast—a fun brand idea. 

• Olafur Eliasson in Piccadilly and Times Square and…We Transfer. 

• Sam’s Club is testing a robot that cleans the aisles while taking inventory.

• Fishwife launched caviar right in time for the holidays.

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.

---

GOOD THINKING SEOUL

4 days in Seoul.

Meet me there?

Second week of January.

I plan everything, you show up.

My curation success rate for greatness is 90% if I’m being ultra-conservative.

Expect:

• Highly curated/varied retail visits

• Food, bev, and wellness product hunts,

• Experiences—pop-ups, workouts, wellness and things you’ll never stop talking about

• Good eats, good drinks.

What makes it fun and different:

This is not a tour. It’s a discovery. I will not pre-experience things.

You learn from the good and the bad.

It’s the thrill and variety of GOOD THINKING in person.

Who’s it for?

Best made for C-suite and leaders looking to lead across categories, who want to understand where culture is going before not after. It’s a relevancy journey.

Can’t come this time?

No worries, for 2025 we are planning: LA, Copenhagen, Tokyo, and Milan. Email me what interests you.

Interested? Hit the reply.