• Sabrina Carpenter Surprises Fans: Recently, I can’t do anything without seeing Sabrina Carpenter. No, literally. She was recently at the Blank Street near my office to promote her latest hit song, "Espresso." The rise of Sabrina is random (industry plant?) but I also don’t follow pop stars so maybe not. I do think that by interacting directly with fans and customers, Carpenter is creating a memorable experience that ties her music to a relatable, everyday activity but then again, she’s also facing backlash for this… Still memorable nonetheless. Brands can take inspiration from this approach by organising similar interactive events to foster a closer connection with their audience and drive community involvement. Just maybe don’t be tone-death?
• Nicola Coughlan Stars in SKIMS' New Lounge Campaign: Kim’s got her finger on the pulse… as usual.

• POSTER GIRL Releases Love Factory Campaign: The brand’s new collection was rolled out “as a social series paying homage to the golden era of reality television,” featuring Alton Mason as the bachelor, the Clermont twins, Kim Petras, and more. Poster Girl know a thing or two about creating fun campaigns. I think this is great.

• drop 007. coming 06/27: Khy dropped the announcement of their new collection and I realised what bugs me so much about Jenner’s line. There isn’t any UGC on the main Instagram feed. Just campaign imagery. To see influencers and other regular people like myself, I had to go to the tagged feed. And it made me feel a little less uneasy. I don’t know why. But she’s leaned into the same style her older sister has incorporated on the SKIMS Instagram feed. Other brands that typically do this are larger clothing companies like H&M or Zara. Do we prefer this or do we like the styles of Adanola and PLT that post their customers on their main feed?
• Who Is Going to Buy All These Makeup Brands? Another week, another makeup line looking for a buyer. Makeup by Mario has hired J.P. Morgan to explore its exit options, joining other brands like Kosas, Merit, Glossier, and Rare Beauty in the crowded market. Despite strong sales and celebrity backing, these brands face an uphill battle due to high valuations and cautious buyers. Here's the thing: celebrity beauty brands might have stellar marketing, but they often lack longevity. History shows they’re in it for the quick exit, which can lead to declining quality over time. Quality and longevity often take a back seat when the goal is to cash out quickly.
• Marc Jacobs' TikTok Proves That Gen Z Are Indeed the 'New Adults': Marc Jacobs keeps coming up on my fyp and I love what they’re doing right now. Very entertaining. There’s clearly a BIG shift in strategy conversations towards content creation and its impact on brand success. Brands need to enable customers and influencers to create better content. And it isn’t one-and-done. Continuous content creation culture within brands is crucial.
• Disney deepens CTV strategy with new shoppable formats, ‘advergaming’: Disney is expanding its Connected TV (CTV) strategy with new shoppable formats and "advergaming." Very different from Netflix games, actually. This approach integrates advertisements into gaming environments, allowing viewers to make purchases directly from their screens.
• Tubi outperformed Disney+, Peacock, and Max last month: Tubi surprisingly outperformed Disney+, Peacock, and Max in terms of viewership last month. This is probably down to its extensive content library, because, let’s face it, the rest have been giving us nothing recently.
• Luxury should not overlook the aspirational customer, Bain report says: This report really drives home the importance of not ignoring aspirational customers. As the luxury market shifts, it's key for brands to connect with those who dream of owning high-end products, even if they aren't the usual luxury buyers just yet. Focusing on these eager customers can help build lasting loyalty and grow the market in the long run.
• Jhené Aiko launched a self-care brand: The brand focuses on holistic wellness and self-care products, aligning with Aiko’s personal brand and the broader consumer trend towards health and wellness. Not much to say—pretty unexciting, IMO.

• Aura Bora + anti-design: The rise of anti-design is partly a pushback against the cookie-cutter "Canva-fication" of online content. When mainstream design gets too samey, the opposite style starts to shine. Brands like Gentle Giants, Ain't Normal Coffee, and Ffups have got this down. Also, this Baggu x Collina collab feels VERY anti-design.

I'm sharing my favourite brands with whoever cares (I own a brand design agency so my opinions probably mean something) Read here.