Musk sues advertisers, Sweaty Betty creates a fem-tech range and a Dream for the Future

Issue #19 | 09.08.2024

Weekly Exhale

Positivity keeps peaking through the cracks. This week ends in a different place than where it began, from global stock markets to your local town. I am struck by how quickly news burns off.

My son won’t take off his leaver’s hoody, which is covered in the names of his classmates he left behind at the beginning of the Summer. They all start (new) big schools in a few weeks. It’s turquoise, and he sometimes pulls the drawstring around his face to shield himself from the world.?

This week's instruction: Scroll past the headlines—which will come and go—take a deep breath out, and watch the five-minute film at the bottom. At first, you’re just watching another set of vox pops. But stay with it until the end.

In just three hundred seconds, you will make six new friends.?

All are wearing their leaver’s shirts. They are at the end of secondary school, entering the world and looking to the future. May their words fill your heart. The best moment is when one mentions a fear of poisonous spiders; be sure not to miss it.

Let’s rise together with every issue. ??

Market Movements

Wall Street has the worst and best day of trading in one week | The Guardian?

UK fared better post-pandemic than initially thought | Evening Standard

Brand Beat

Advertising coalition to close after being sued by Elon Musk | New York Times?

Former CMO of Nike’s spectacular teardown of Nike’s failed strategy | LinkedIn

Comforting new TV ads by Kraft for Mac & Cheese | The Drum

Sweaty Betty and Hertility launch FemTech range | Fertility

Discovery+ wins gold in streaming wars thanks to the Olympics | The Guardian

Gregg’s won breakfast, now it’s coming for dinner | FT

Mars in $22 billion talks to buy makers of Pringles and Pop Tarts | Reuters

How Erewhon went from a food brand to a lifestyle brand | Highsnobiety?

Warner Bros writes down $9bn as TV advertising tries to pivot | The Guardian?

The Olympic’s breakout social media stars | Vogue Business

New Balance ventures across America for “worn anywhere” campaign | Dazed

System 1’s ad of the week goes to Accor hotels | System 1

Vinted cancels delivery charges after backlash | BBC

ASDA sales shrink again | CityAM

The top 30 energy drinks | Wired

Startup Spotlight

UK dating app Thursday goes live in San Francisco | TechCrunch?

Trending: Joydays - healthier, low sugar cookies | Thingtesting

How to choose your first international market | Maddyness?

Tech Tidbits

OpenAI warns you may become emotionally attached to its new voice mode | Wired?

How Microsoft is spread betting beyond OpenAI | FT

Mark Zuckerberg’s image moves to gold chains and Gen-Z curls | Wall Street Journal

Airbnb creates life-size Polly Pocket toy house rental | Dezeen

Deliveroo goes into first-ever net profit | UKTN

Venture Vibes

Health and biotech dominated VC in July | Forbes

Is VC’s ‘flight to quality’ a good thing? | Sifted

2024 full list of tech layoffs | TechCrunch

Design Driven

A look at Canvas's new cutesy logo, hiding bigger ambitions | Fast Company

Duolingo on how brands are becoming more human | Creative Review

The boring new Harris-Waltz logo is actually pretty historic | Bizarre

Hello, Happiness

Inside Out 2 creators tell of rediscovering joy, reframing anxiety and being better parents | Big Think

A short film about the end of the school signed shirt gives young people a powerful voice | It’s Nice That?

Share me. ?? Subscribe to me. ?? Stay gold. ????