Hi all,
Welcome back to our weekly companion podcast to the Sunday letter. Hit the links to skip to what strikes your fancy!
Join our live masterclass tomorrow, March 27th, 10amPT/ 1pmET. Everything to watch in Q1. And, meet us for the GOOD THINKING NYC Tour, April 3rd. $300 and all-day inspiration.
A reader also told me about this Design.Space event in LA this weekend. If you’re around and can snag an invite, it looks fun! ‘An IRL-to-URL-shopping experience’. Consider me intrigued!
As always, this pod dives into the biggest trends, shifts, and brands.
THIS WEEK’S EPISODE:
YouTube is going big. Like, upfronts-big. When will everyone take them seriously?
Liquid Death is repositioning water and pregnancy.
Edible Arrangements is launching edibles. Yes, those kind. Does it make sense?
Tradwives come to campus—religious retail is no longer niche.
Phoebe Philo is everyone’s muse.
Partiful has good bones. But B2B is a different party. Can they hang?
Puma's ‘Runner’s High’ campaign is fun. Is this their big year?
Shilajit, an ancient yet emerging wellness elixir, represents a lot of big trends.
Hotels want to own sleep, so how does one win?
The Ordinary dropped viral eggs—and brilliant branding.
Enjoy!
What we get into:
CULTURE
03:31 — BIG LEAGUES // YouTube is hosting their own upfronts—and they’re not thinking small. It feels funny that we’re still having a conversation about the legitimacy of YouTube in 2025. They have been a major player for over a decade. Question is: will this put the flag in the sand and will they be bold and do something unique with their upfront?
F&B
05:59 — WATER IS N/A // Liquid Death isn’t just selling water. Nor are they all stunt and no strategy. They’re rebranding what it means to drink N/A and to be pregnant—and making it funny, unhinged, and completely culture-forward.
DRUGS & BOOZE
10:58 — FROM EDIBLE TO EDIBLE // Edible Arrangements launched Edibles.com, and it’s a wild pivot. We unpack whether this move makes sense—and if consumers will get it. And chat about why legacy brands have to make big moves but also take consumers on the journey.
SILVERS, ALPHAS & ZS
15:22 — TRADWIVES ON CAMPUS // Religious brands used to be very niche. But Altar’d State is proving they don’t need to be anymore. Is this a new generation not shy about shopping their values? Or are they just doing a good job and capturing a wider market?
RETAIL
19:19 — PHOEBE’S FINGERPRINT // Phoebe Philo’s influence is everywhere. From COS to Everlane, everyone’s referencing her—and we dig into why it’s nice to see her get the mass recognition.
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
TECH
21:24 — CAN PARTIFUL HANG? // Partiful’s new B2B play has potential—but the execution needs to land. We talk about why great brands mandate great service, especially in B2B.
SPORT
27:47 — PUMA WAKES UP // Puma’s making serious moves—from taking over Premier League balls to viral campaigns with Fenty. The “Runner’s High” ad is cheeky, smart, and signals a brand that’s ready to take 2025 by storm.
WELLNESS & BEAUTY
32:56 — SHILAJIT AND THE PURITY WAVE // Shilajit is the wellness mineral du jour. It tastes terrible, but the benefits are, apparently, next-level. We talk about the purity vs. clean trend, and why Cymbiotica is quietly winning this space. We also talk about the larger trend this elixir is tied to: heavy metals.
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
TRAVEL
37:26 — THE SLEEP WARS // Sleep tourism is exploding, and hotels want in. Hilton’s partnering with Calm, Westin’s doubling down on its ‘Heavenly Bed’. But who’s really going to own the sleep lane? It’s all about picking which lane specifically.
FUN FOR THE WEEK
42:58 — VIRAL EGGS // The Ordinary teamed up with MSCHF to launch affordable eggs. It’s hilarious, but it’s also a clever way to extend their brand positioning. We unpack why this campaign is so good. Short answer: It nails the brand’s DNA: basics, trusted quality, and not overpaying for either.
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.
Share this post