The best brands of 2024, Diet Coke hunks, Harry Stebbing's $400m fund and Liam Payne

Issue #29 | Weekly Exhale

Social media as we know it began just over 20 years ago on February 4th, 2004, with the launch of The Facebook. On Wednesday, I was on stage at Social Minds in Manchester, the must-see event for brands and social inspiration. From John Lewis to Monzo, Lick, and Surreal, it was a day spent with sharp minds at an immaculately organized event. The contrast with last week’s IPA Effectiveness Awards is stark—our industry is a two-headed beast, with old purse strings on one side and new playbooks on the other.

Liam Payne has died. Thrust into fame by the old-world boy band machine and later by the pressures of social media, his story reminds us how fame’s toll hasn’t changed. I wonder who will break the news to his seven-year-old son, Bear. On Father’s Day, Liam said: “He’s so big now. He looks like a mini-me… as if we need any more me in the world.”

His last post? A video, sad-eyed, captioned “Lovely day in Argentina.”.

RIP, Liam.

Let’s rise together with every issue. ??

Market Movements

When is the budget, and what might be included? | BBC

British retail sales rise for third straight month | FT

Inflation falls sharply below target for the first time in over three years | CNBC

Brand Beat

"The Awareness Advantage" - up-to-date report on brand versus performance | TikTok

Unilever completes sale of Russian business after criticism | The Independent

Bringing back hunky men to reinvigorate Diet Coke | Creative Salon

Following the Heinz row, how should brands respond to accusations of racism? | Campaign

Do brands have to get freaky to stand out on social media? | The Drum

Why brands need to stop chasing TikTok trends | Creative Review

Faceless creators are the new sensation | Hollywood Reporter

Time and Statista name the world's best brands of 2024 | Time

How beauty blunders go viral and what brands do next | Business of Fashion

Boohoo's CEO steps down | The Guardian

UK luxury brands at risk of going from riches to rags | Financial Times

Plus, LMVH's earnings are a blood bath | Fortune

Just Eat partners with Waitrose and Boots for fast deliveries | Creative Salon

Starbucks chooses bespoke team at WPP | AdAge

Proper Snacks launches pillow-sized back with Netflix | The Grocer

Sk?da confirms electric cars don't make money for most brands | AutoExpress

Leaders must grasp the new media age | City A.M.

Mr Beasts YouTube dominance takes a dip | Fast Company

Can TopShop be revived? Vogue Business

Taylor Swift wears glitter freckles and generates over $1m in sales | Beauty Independent

Trending: Aerflo's portable device turns still water to sparkling | Thingtesting

System 1's ad of the week goes to KitKat in a working-from-office dilemma | System 1

Starting Up

Emma Watson invests in reproductive health company | TechCrunch

The hottest startups in Paris in 2024 | Wired

NHS doctors raise ￡1.2m for EdTech start-up | Medly

Start with a written business plan before you spend a cent | The Banana Stand

Tech Tidbits

Meta fires staff for buying toothpaste and wine, not lunch | BBC

Amazon says employees can quit if they don't like its return-to-office mandate | TechCrunch

The AI manifesto of a Silicon Valley legend | Big Think

Sam Altman's eye-scanning Orb wants a world where humans are "orb-verified" | Wired

The second $100bn AI company and the case for consumer AI | Digital Native

Google's search and ads chief is out | Fortune

Venture Vibes

The billionaire behind Groupon | Forbes

Podcaster turned VC Harry Stebbings raises $400m for third fund | Sifted

A collection of the best 89 VC and founder essays | The VC Corner

Ten years of AI venture capital deals and exits | Visual Capitalist

Design Driven

Hi-Chew's new mascot, Chewbie, is a loveable lesson in branding | Fast Company

When perfectionism doesn't make you a better creatively | It's Nice That

Women at Work by design legend Margaret Calvert deserves your support | CreativeBloom

Hello, Happiness

Why teenagers are deliberately seeking brain rot on TikTok | Psyche

Chasing glory: a look at 'Hoop Dreams' 30 years later | New York Times

What your 'stress personality' reveals about handling stress at work | Fast Company

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