The OK List #24: Might be the Ketamine spray, but the deeper I seek, the more eyes are watching me!

Let's be clear. I've been organizing a cross-country move, saying goodbye to my friends, and starting a new job this week. So let's keep the expectations down because free time to scroll on TikTok has not been at the top of my priorities.

But still, I think we have a pretty good follow-up to list #23, where we covered the rise of psychedelics in medicine.

The good news is that just last week the FDA approved the standalone use of nasal spray antidepressant Spravato which is made from esketamine, one of two mirror-image molecules found in the anesthetic ketamine.

If that's not a sign we're right on trends, I don't know what else is.

Simultaneously, General Mills launched Soup Drops, candy that tastes just like Progresso canned soup, to celebrate National Soup Month (is that even a thing?)

The stint reminds me of when KitKat launched a cough syrup flavor in Japan. I was lucky enough to be in Tokyo at the time, and let me tell you, I wish I wasn't.

No wonder we need Ketamine up our nose to feel better, if that is the kind of innovation brands think will stick around.

So what will it be? Spray or drops? Take your pick and come read the rest.

YOU'VE GOT THE EYES OF AN ANGEL

Have you ever read the bible? Same. So we both probably thought of angels as cherubs or tall handsome men with wings. As it turns out, according to the holy book nonetheless, they look more like a Dali painting than a religious Tom of Finland comic.

The internet being the internet ran with it, and it has flooded our feeds with memes and videos that take on the accurate description of angels to poke fun at different topics. You get biblically accurate Furbies, Hello Kitty, cakes, and even toasts.

With the start of the new year and the increased number of memes about new starts, resolutions, and promises, the trend has surfaced back into our feeds.

If this is what angels really do look like, I'd be terrified of the devil too.

WE UBER AND WE DON'T JUDGE

Uber Eats is swinging big again this coming Super Bowl, this time leaning heavily on trending internet topics to break through.

Not only did they get Martha Stewart as a spokesperson, but they also tackled popular formats like "We listen and we don't judge", conspiracy theories, #ThisAndYap, and many more.

Aside from being great fun, it is a masterclass for brands looking at quick wins with content that leverages current pop culture moments.

THE TIKTOK PRANK

If you've been following the news, you've heard of the banned-not-banned Shakespearian drama of TikTok in the US.

Although the app continues to function under Trump's extended deadline, the app itself cannot be downloaded from app stores any longer. Only existing users can continue to access the app.

In the case of America at its capitalistic best, second-hand iPhones with TikTok pre-installed are being sold on reseller websites, like eBay, at astronomic prices.

But wait, it gets more dystopian than that. People are pranking strangers on the street, asking to borrow their phones for a call, and deleting their TikTok apps!

PSA: If you are going anywhere in the USA, don't let anyone get a hold of your phone, or you will be locked out of doom scrolling.

SCRATCH THAT GAGA

"Websites are dead". But here comes Lady Gaga and her new album teaser to prove to every digital marketeer that they are wrong.

Leading up to the announcement of her 7th studio album, fans who accessed the page would see the mysterious countdown on ladygaga.com dressed in different templates, each day paying homage to one of her previous albums.

In 7 days, over one million visitors checked the webpage anxiously waiting for the grand reveal of Mayhem, the much-anticipated album that stitches Disease and Die with a Smile into a dark, sonically hard album, as described by the singer herself.

IF YOU SEEK DEEP, YOU'LL FIND IT

Could OpenAI reigning days be over in the AI world?

Just a few days ago a new app, DeepSeek AI assistant, hit the top of Apple's App Store chart, outranking OpenAI's ChatGPT mobile app.

DeepSeek is an AI development firm, founded by Liang Wenfeng, based in Hangzhou, China. The app itself is not much different than OpenAI's, providing a chatbot interface for users to ask questions and get AI-generated answers.

The main difference comes in the model used by DeePSeek, the R1 model, which is currently under an open-source license, enabling free use by anyone, making it easier to achieve what the company calls artificial general intelligence.

The consensus among users is that DeepSeek is comparable, if not better at times, especially when using the Deep Reasoning (DeepThink) mode. The fact that it's open-source seems to also be drivin leaps iGn the improvement of the answers given by the app since its launch.

Have you tried it?

THE PLAYLIST