We’re 3/3 so far this month!!

Here is everything I’m loving in the brand world this week.

Curious what you’re into.

Have a great weekend!!

xx

Sabena

🧲 OBSESSION OF THE WEEK

Brands love a fruit muse: a couple of summers ago, it was the tomato (who could forget Loewe’s tomato candle and matching bag?!)

This summer, it’s decidedly, the banana.

SET Active just launched their “Gone Bananas” collection, which dropped yesterday. It’s fun, tropical, and playful and feels like a fresh take on the trend. Their creative direction is, as always, spot on, too.

Kate Spade also launched a banana inspired collection. I can’t say I love it, but it feels like a nod to their heritage, as they’ve always been playful and a bit irreverent.

And Banana Bread Lattes seem to be all over my feed (searches are up 36% YoY) and people are lining up at coffee shops like Marin-based Equator Coffee to try one (and begging them to never take it off the menu).

Right on cue, Califia Farms is launching two banana flavored products this summer, a Banana Creme Almond Milk Latte and Banana Cream Almond Milk Creamer.

And finally, this Bon Appetit recipe seems to be going viral. I might need to make this this weekend…

🍿 BRAND & CULTURE NEWS

1. Reformation is set to IPO at a $1B target valuation. I do think it’s well-deserved, as I think they put out consistently good collections that set the trends, offer unique seasonal collaborations and capsules with all the right talent, and have a marketing playbook that other brands are constantly attempting to emulate. No small feat. (I’ve written about them in the past, but maybe it’s time for a refresher?) Also, apparently their investor presentation was a spoof on the Big Short. Branding never sleeps.

2. Olivia Culpo announced a new collection of baby products with Target, called Picolette (named for her daughter, Colette) launching on July 26th. It’s a collection of clothes, toys, and accessories with everything coming in under $20. This feels inevitable, but it also feels smart. I think everything will sell out.

3. Target is also launching a collab with luxury lifestyle label Rosie Assouline, a 41 piece collection of brightly colored dresses, shoes, and bags, plus kitchen and bath items, mostly under $50. Target feels like they are trying to get back to their “designer goods for the masses” ethos with these recent collabs, and I’m sure it will be good for the business.

4. Burberry sales are up 5% in Q1, with a large portion of growth coming from digital business and the Gen Z segment. Their “Portraits of an Icon” campaign heroed out their iconic trench coat and featured celebrities from Kate Moss to Kendall Jenner — clearly, it’s paying off. It also feels like the Burberry check is back; their collab with Hunza G was excellent as well.

5. Beyond Yoga, owned by Levi’s, is up 16% YoY. The brand attributes growth to “lifestyle” categories that include puffer jackets and fleece jackets which are actually accounting for the majority of the brand’s revenue. I find this interesting, because it seems like every activewear brand is trying to build for everything but the gym. We’ve got Alo making cashmere and handbags and Vuori with barrel track pants (I’ve been targeted). I know looking cute outside the gym is important, but I wonder if we’ve lost the plot a bit?

6. Speaking of activewear that’s actually functional — I recently came across these lymphatic drainage leggings on my FYP by a brand appropriately named Elastique (“wellness you wear”). Has anyone tried? I am definitely intrigued but can’t bring myself to spend $235 on leggings.

7. And even more fashion news!!! Gen Z is loving what Victoria’s Secret Pink is putting down, apparently. This makes sense, considering that subbrand was created with that demo in mind (it used to be the GOAT for us millennials!!), but it’s good to know their messaging is landing with that demo when older sister Victoria’s Secret has faltered in recent years.

8. As a new mom, I love this initiative from Bobbie that feels like much more than marketing; called the Feeding Concierge, the brand is offering 3 types of support (AI, Group, and 1:1 Coaching) for new parents who are navigating feeding challenges for babies. It truly feels like a brand “walking the walk” of their brand promise, which we love to see.

9. Balletcore is still very much a thing, if Repetto x Birkenstock is any indication. The collab brought together the best of both brands to give the otherwise functional Birkenstock a cutesy ballet flat glow up, and it sold out. Personally, I will not be partaking in this trend, but I like the idea in concept.

10. After throwing the most Pinterest worthy wedding known to woman, Paige Lorenze is not resting on her laurels. In fact, she’s monetizing that sh*t with a bridal collection which looks to be called Lily of the Valley from her brand, Dairy Boy, which she is teasing this week. I’m convinced she’s the Martha of our generation.

11. Campbell’s Soup is now in the protein game, offering a line of protein-packed soups that include Italian Wedding Soup, Mediterranean Lentil, and Lemon Pepper Chicken. They’re made with a bone broth base and have 20 grams of protein per can. Honestly, it makes sense for them to modernize and become more than just a chicken soup brand, but I’m curious how they taste. Someone report back.

12. “The Gist” is a sports media company focused on covering men’s and women’s sports equally and getting everyone excited about sports. They recently launched a campaign called “Fandom Belongs to Everyone” which is truly an invitation for every kind of sports fan. They also have cute inclusive merch. Here for it.

13. Speaking of sports, every brand tried to capitalize on the World Cup in some way, but Huggies did a great job with this one. It also feels somehow vintage already? Borrowed credibility. Anyway, I’m a fan.

14. I love this recent campaign from Depop featuring Zara Larsson. She’s not only the face of the brand, but she actually opened up her closet to fans who want to shop (everything is now, unsurprisingly, sold out). A fan of this ad that doesn’t feel like an ad.

🆕 TREND REPORT + FREE IDEAS

• FOR THE GIRLS. Women’s sports bars are growing in popularity, which makes sense given the growing interest in women’s sports as a whole! There are 25 dedicated women’s sports bars in the US, up from literally 0 in 2022, which we love to see.

  • Free Idea: A new emerging “third space” feels ripe for brands that meet the needs of these women. Chic bar snacks and elevated beverages come to mind.

• STAY AT HOME PRENUPS. 1 in 4 prenups now include a clause that protects stay at home parents (80% of whom are women) with a “leaving-the-workforce trigger” to properly compensate parents who are doing the unpaid labor of raising children. Smart, and we’ll likely see more of this as prenups become more openly discussed in culture.

• SHOPLIFTING. Apparently, a whopping 30% of Americans have shoplifted in the last year (up 24% from 2024). Shoplifters cite the economy, but I wonder if there’s something deeper about sticking it to the man. 1 in 3 feels like a staggering number.

• STAY CAFFEINATED. Apparently you can safely drink a lot more coffee than I ever thought possible?! A new study from the American Heart Association says that up to 5 cups a day may help reduce the risk of heart disease. Paper filtered is the best though; sadly for me and my iced latte obsession, espresso doesn’t have the same benefits.

• GROCERY IS DOWN. Grocery spending in the US is down by almost 2% YoY, driven by the cost of groceries, which has risen 33% since 2019. So no, you’re not crazy, eggs, milk, and bread really are that much more expensive.

• GRANDMA HOBBIES. I’ve written about “analog hobbies” in the past, but “grandma hobbies” are in full force, with millennials and Gen Zs actually paying to go to camp to learn them. Hobbies range from quilt making to beekeeping. This isn’t random; it’s a direct response to all the AI noise and a desire to actually make something with our hands.

  • Free Idea: Find ways for your brand to play into the make something with your hands conversation — like IRL events that actually force you to unplug and create something (candle pouring, stained glass making, woodworking, etc. etc.)

🎲 ONE LAST THING

I can’t help but notice that we’re seeing the villainification of AI play out amongst companies. Anthropic is claiming the narrative as the “responsible, human first” AI company with their latest campaign. This week, the Substack team published “Against Claudefishing,” doubling down on becoming the platform where AI slop goes to die.

They specifically “don’t want to wait until your Substack app turns into LinkedIn” (shots fired!!!)

To make good on this, they’ve partnered with AI startup Panagram to scan for and flag Substack posts written by AI, which they believe is antithetical to their mission of “building an economic engine for culture.”

This is a bold position to take, and as someone who writes their own words, I do appreciate it. I also feel like this is the start of the precedent of companies who are on the “right” vs. “wrong” side of history… what do you guys think?

If you like what you see, consider:

• leaving a comment!

• sending to a friend who might love this content

• replying to this email with any feedback (things you loved, things you hated) — I read them all :)

- Sabena

I hope you enjoy this week’s edition. Lots of fun things happening in the brand world and of course, my take on what it all means.

As always, let me know what you think!!

Hope you’re having a great summer so far.

xx,

Sabena

🧲 OBSESSION OF THE WEEK

The Hailey Jean — Gap’s collaboration with Hailey Bieber — launches today.

Everyone is excited about the creative direction, the jeans, and of course, the Hailey Bieber of it all. Those things are all top tier, but I’m obsessed for a very specific reason.

Gap is finally taking back its rightful place in culture.

It’s always been an iconic American brand, but, like so many mall brands, was struggling in the post-COVID years.

In 2024, I wrote about the start of the brand’s turnaround — bringing on Zac Posen, the DÔEN collab, the Jungle campaign. They went on to do SO MUCH more (a collection with Victoria Beckham and a campaign with Katseye, to name a couple) all while improving the quality of their products and truly making people fall in love with the brand again.

I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again — good marketing CANNOT save bad products.

Good thing for Gap, is they have been killing both. I love to see it!

🍿 BRAND & CULTURE NEWS

1. Vogue just declared that we are moving away from bag charms and onto…waist charms, including tassels and pouches hanging from belt loops. I’m also seeing a new crop of more functional bag charms that hold everything from hand sanitizer to Airpods to tea bags. While this trend isn’t really for me per se, all I can say is thank god we’re over Labubus.

2. Taco Bell is being investigated in the cyclosporiasis outbreak, so you might want to stay away from Mexican Pizzas for awhile, unless you like to ~live mas~. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

3. By now I’m sure you’ve heard about the drama with Phia and their attribution model; if you haven’t, the startup is under fire for misrepresenting dollars they drove and stealing those dollars from creators/publishers. Not a good look (especially with their celebrity-studded cap table). Ali Kriegsman has a great deep dive.

4. Dunkin’ is definitely trying to be that girl. Their collab with Parke Denim launches Friday and features a signature drink, the Parke Daydream Refresher, and a line of hair clips, sweatshirts, and tumblers. What’s so interesting to me is the growing popularity of sugary coffee alongside the rise of GLP-1s. Reminds me of that IG account, youdidnoteatthat.

5. Uber is the latest brand to get in on the World Cup fandom, but in an actually brand-relevant way. They are driving giant Ubers wrapped as tissue boxes printed with “Sorry for Your Team’s Loss” around the US, offering fans 30% off rides if their team loses. Smart.

6. Reese’s Pieces is launching its first innovation in a decade: their classic shell candy with a chocolate chip cookie center. My only question is why this, why now?? Like you had 10 years to knock it out of the park, and this is what we’ve got?? But clearly no one asked me :)

7. Quaker Oats is launching Oat Shake & Go shakes (kind of like overnight oats in a bottle… to go), with 23g of protein. This is smart given the continued societal obsession with protein, but I’m not sure how appealing drinkable oats sounds.

8. I read about the Hinge founder’s new dating app, Overtone in ’s newsletter. The app, which just raised $18M, is focused on the dating pool more than the matching itself, using AI to understand users preferences and only put them in a pool of people they are most likely to match with. People are comparing it to Black Mirror, which may be true, but with the state of dating right now… it’s only up from here.

9. Speaking of Black Mirror, this new ad from Anthropic asks questions it simply shouldn’t be asking — like “can AI be trusted?” The Futurisms’ analysis is spot on here: “By being the ones that doomsdsay about AI the most, Anthropic can also present itself as the only company that can be trusted to develop it.”

10. Apparently, 41% of all LinkedIn content is AI — which honestly feels pretty accurate for those who have spent time on the platform lately. This feels…bad for them especially combined with the rise of platforms like Substack, where only about 10% of content is AI generated. Sounds like a job for PR.

11. Per the NYT, Gen Z is opting out of the four-year degree for trade school instead. Soaring tuition, crushing student debt, and a belief that AI can’t rewire a building or fix an HVAC unit (all true, btw!!!) are pushing young people toward electrician, welding, and plumbing programs. Honestly, I’m not surprised that Gen Z is terrified. This feels inevitable.

12. BÉIS has been teasing their glowed up weekender bag with a “facelift” campaign entitled “Getting a Little Work Done” starring founder Shay Mitchell. It’s funny and culturally relevant, but seeing comments like the one below make me hope for their sake, the products actually live up to the hype they’ve been building.

🆕 TREND REPORT + FREE IDEAS

• GREEK YOGURT is hot again. Chobani may have paved the way, but smaller brands like Sweetkiwi and Sourmilk are its cooler Gen Z cousins, with better packaging and ingredients, more interesting flavors, and a focus on community. Yough! is making greek yogurt pizza crusts. Also, froyo is back, and Greek froyo is even more popular than ever.

• JOB HUGGING. The era of “job hugging” is over — frustrated by a lack of pay raises and resources, a full 49% of employees are motivated to “actively look for a new job in the next six months.” I’m not surprised by this given all the discourse on social right now, but this is staggering.

• SNACKLESS. Pepsi is feeling the impact of a whopping 1 in 5 Americans being on a GLP-1; sales are down 5%, with much of the bleeding likely coming from Ruffles & PopCorners brands, which make up 58% of the company’s total revenue.

• RETURN WOES. Almost 20% of all merchandise sold in the US is returned (and only 47% of that is actually sold for full price) — and retailers are getting smart with what to do with that merchandise. Some are offloading onto B2B wholesale sites, while others are reselling on their own secondhand marketplaces. I actually think the solution here isn’t to make returns less of a cost center but to provide better IRL and online shopping experiences for consumers — brands, take a page out of Reformation’s smart dressing rooms!!

• FOOTBALL SUPREMACY. Despite all of the World Cup frenzy in the US, we’re definitely not replacing good-old-fashioned football for its sexier European cousin anytime soon. Despite being the most watched game in US history, the US vs Belgium game still got only a third of the viewers as this year’s Super Bowl (40M vs 126M). Personally, I think the issue is keeping US viewers engaged in the four years between World Cups. Considering Love Island releases an episode every day, it’s clear that our collective attention spans are simply too short for that.

🎲 ONE LAST THING

The TikTok trend “Things That Are Worth The Money” has been taking over my feed this week, and I love how to the point in a sea of longggg recommendation videos. Here’s my take:

Curious what your list of 5 things would be?!

If you like what you see, consider:

• leaving a comment!

• sending to a friend who might love this content

• replying to this email with any feedback (things you loved, things you hated) — I read them all :)

- Sabena

Happy Friday! I’m SO excited to be back in your inboxes :)

I took a little hiatus since I had a baby (which is the best!) but I missed writing this newsletter so much.

I hope you enjoy this week’s edition which is chock full of fun brand news, pop culture, and unfiltered thoughts, as always.

I love reading your thoughts, including what you want to see more of — so please share below!

And have an amazing weekend.

xx,

Sabena

🧲 OBSESSION OF THE WEEK

We’re officially in the Erewhon-ification of everything era, and gas stations are up next. LA is getting its first “luxury” gas station, Maggie’s, opening in 2027. Their tagline is simply, “the first nice gas station.”

Behind it is founder Alex Canter (4th generation of the Canter’s Deli family) who says Maggie’s will be “a best-in-class, hospitality-driven experience.” Maggie’s raised $2M and has advisors from 7-11 and Starbucks.

Appropriately located in Beverly Hills, Maggie’s will offer “soft serve, lattes on draft, matcha, pastries and curated snacks from around the world.”

I love this, but not just because of the chic branding. Culturally, we’re craving IRL experiences more than ever, and coffee shops are one of the few “third spaces” we have. It might be a stretch to say the gas station will be the next social club, but I like the idea of weaving a little more joy into our everyday experiences and maybe it does become a place for people to convene. (I really do think that’s why Erewhon is as popular as it is — so much more than a grocery store, it’s a “see and be seen” gathering place.

🍿 BRAND & CULTURE NEWS

1. I love this new brand campaign from Reddit, “People Are The Best.” It’s pushing up against the tension of AI by playing into the “taste” conversation (which is very much happening right now) — but it’s doing so in a way that only Reddit could do. Feels similar to Etsy’s “Shop Other Jeffs” around Prime day (which was not without controversy, but that’s another story).

2. The daughter of the original Mrs. Fields is launching a better-for-you cookie brand, cleverly named Fields Good. The cookies are made with natural ingredients and feature functional ingredients like L-Theanine, creatine, protein, and fiber. Having spent some time in the CPG cookie space, I’m rooting for her.

3. Speaking of cookies, Crumbl is having a rough time. After failed launches including a drink containing the sugar equivalent to 19 Krispy Kreme donuts (186 grams to be exact), Kardashian menu takeovers, dirt cups and dirty sodas, the brand is running out of ways to go viral, and sales are down. A humbling reminder that good marketing cannot save bad products.

4. Following all the controversy with Kylie Jenner, Meta released what feels like part 2 of the same campaign this week, featuring a sponsored post fashion influencer Coco Schiffer to show how “chic” the glasses are (in addition to a recent sponsored post with Karlie Kloss). From Kylie to Karlie, push feels very targeted to a specific demo — I’m curious if it’ll work.

5. In other Kylie news…this new ad from Dunkin’ Donuts is a blast from the past, launching the King Kylie Collection of “pink summer sips.” They look…undrinkable… but I’m not sure I’m the target. Her new collab with Frankie’s Bikinis feels much more on brand.

6. Jersey Mike’s is officially America’s favorite fast food chain, beating out Chic-fi-La and Starbucks. It’s also among America’s fastest-growing restaurant chains and just filed for an IPO at a cool $12B valuation. Honestly, you love to see a family business thrive.

7. People are swimming in the Seine for the third year in a row which is très chic! Also makes you wonder why they waited this long to clean it up, but that’s none of my business.

8. Aperol is doing everything in its power to become not just a summer drink, including working closely with Hilary Duff on cobranded content and sponsoring her “lucky me” tour. Personally, I don’t think the marketing is enough here; we need to see product extensions that make the brand drinkable (and Instagrammable) in the “off season”.

9. Dolly Parton is getting a musical this winter and I am here for it. I can only imagine the sets, the costumes and of course the score!!! We all need a little more Dolly in our lives, TBH.

10. Big fan of this collab between jewelry brand Sette and Hot Girl Pickles on a pickle pinky ring featuring a green lab grown diamond. It’s random, it’s whimsical, it’s perfect.

11. For all you golfers out there, you can soon swap out your caddy for a self-driving (read: robot) trolley that helps you improve your swing with real-time feedback. It’s called iXi and will set you back $5k. It will also make you somewhat insufferable on the golf course, but just my opinion.

12. This proves that truly anything can be an Erewhon smoothie. Simplehuman (yes, the trash can company), partnered with the bougie grocer on the “Liquid Steel Smoothie” and I just really don’t know why anyone thought this was a good idea. I’m taking this as an official sign that we need a new Erewhon-smoothie collab equivalent.

13. Tom Holland’s beer brand BERO is collaborating with the Odyssey (which he’s starring in) via custom cans and packing. I think this is a really interesting execution of celebrity-as-founder that we haven’t seen before, but I also wonder if anyone is actually buying this beer?!

14. In a sea of water bottles, Stanley is still trying to stay relevant, which is admirable. Their latest collab is with country singer Kacey Musgraves on a cow print collection, including a dog bowl. I think it’s well done.

15. American Fashion is in its prime. Per BoF, over the last 4 years, searches for things like “cowboy boots,” “varsity,” and “western” are up. Ralph Lauren seems like it’s everywhere and we’re seeing more and more brands tap into this spirit of “Americana.” I wonder what the next iteration will be… something tells me it’s diner culture.

16. All-American brand Levi’s is having a good run. Sales are up 8% YoY, with DTC making up over half their business at 51%. That alone is impressive. Plus they had a viral moment with the World Cup (@brands- this is how you tap into the moment, btw!!)

🆕 TREND REPORT + FREE IDEAS

• CPG AS STATUS. There is a class of new-age CPG brands that are squarely Erewhon-esque, and Vogue Business hit the nail on the head with their roundup featuring David Protein, Loonen Water, and Doctor Stolberg tea. To me, it’s sort of like the lipstick effect for food & beverage — maybe millennials can’t afford to buy homes, but they sure as hell will splurge on a $5 water.

  • free idea: Unexpected distribution is more impactful than you think. Whether you work at a hot little CPG brand or a legacy player, how can you show up in places your customer actually frequents — and maybe be the “little treat” they associate with an already amazing experience? Think bathhouses, medspas, chic coffee shops, and curated retail stores

• EMPLOYEES AS INFLUENCERS. Partnering with TikTok, Starbucks officially launched a Content Suite, allowing the company to brief their baristas on campaign ideas, have them film content, and repurpose that content as ads. This feels squarely in the if you can’t beat em, join em camp when it comes to corporate content creation rules… and I’m curious if more companies will follow suit.

  • free idea: honestly, if I were a brand, I would be all over this! Why not create a team of ambassadors who both know and love your company enough to talk about it on their channels? The benefits are so obvious — an inexpensive content engine, customer credibility built on less “corporate” vibes, and likely higher employee retention. Wins all around.

• HOMEWARD BOUND. Ok, I really don’t know how this can be true, but apparently a whopping 49% of American adults under 30 are living with their parents (self-reportedly). Also, the lucky ones are at home in the Hamptons for the summer. If you know more about this or are one of the under 30 and are living with parents, I’d love to hear from you below!!

  • free idea: if almost half of the under 30 set is living with mom and dad, brands who cater to this audience should be thinking about who’s really doing the shopping, especially when it comes to groceries and big box retail, and tweak messaging accordingly.

• LUXURY RETURNS. A recent BCG report found that “personal luxury” is expected to grow 2-5% in 2026. What’s noteworthy is where the growth is coming from: the mix of “aspirational” customers is on the decline (70% in 2026, now only 50%) and one-time buyers are declining from 60% to only 40% of the customer base.

  • This is particularly interesting to me as we think about the ubiquity of luxury spending on social media. It truly felt like everyone on social bought (read: could afford) something from Chanel’s latest Mattheau Blaizey collection — but the reality is, the bulk of luxury shoppers are buying regularly, not just once. But brands must be speaking to both!

• GROUNDED NOSTALGIA. Business of Fashion is reporting on a new trend in brand trips and events — “retro escapism.” Whereas many brands have been focused on exotic locales in recent years (see: Reformation’s Ref in Residence), we’re seeing more and more brands embrace grounded experiences and locations, like American lake culture (J.Crew), east coast summering (Rhode and Hotel Lobby), and carnivals (Set Active). To me, the simplicity feels like a much needed breath of fresh air.

🎲 ONE LAST THING

Going a trip soon? You may need an “Airport Divorce." Essentially, it’s giving yourself the freedom to consciously uncouple with your SO in the airport and meet back up at the gate right before boarding.

This way, one of you can browse and spend $80 in overpriced snacks like a normal person, and the other can go to the gate and watch for the plane’s arrival like a total weirdo.

If you feel awkward bringing it up to your partner, just blame this newsletter. Safe travels!

If you like what you see, consider:

• leaving a comment!

• sending to a friend who might love this content

• replying to this email with any feedback (things you loved, things you hated) — I read them all :)

- Sabena

Happy Friday! I’m back. I’m trying to be more consistent. It’s hard. Life is busy!

But as always, I’m grateful you’re here!!!

I’m due with our first baby in 11 (!) days (it’s a boy!), so trying to get an issue or two out before then. We’ll see how things go.

And to any parents out there, will take any & all advice!

Have the best weekend.

xx,

Sabena

🧲 OBSESSION OF THE WEEK

I’m loving Apple’s new TikTok approach and new Instagram account, Hello Apple. It feels fresh, new, approachable and more authentic than anything we’ve seen from them in a minute. Lots of ASMR and some random content thrown in for good measure, too that feels very Gen Z first.

This video featuring a ballad by TikTok comedy musician Jake Schroeder is so good. The caption: “MacBook Neo can come with that thing that recognizes your finger” — it’s giving…anti-tech?

@apple@Jake Schroeder MacBook Neo can come with that thing that recognizes your finger #MacBookNeo

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Judging by the short IG bio: “Our stories, and yours” — I imagine the intention is to provide a space for brand storytelling and I’m sure lots of creator content.

As a brand marketer in the “age of AI,” I feel that this is more important than ever before.

This, combined with the launch of MacBook Neo at $599, feels like they are keeping up with the times rather than staying away. But would love to hear your thoughts on the matter.

🍿 BRAND NEWS

1. PSA, millennials!!! Hannah Montana aka Miley is coming back for a 20th anniversary special (I officially feel old) on March 24 on Disney+. I will be seated for this.

2. David Protein Bar is getting sued for underestimating calories in its highly efficient bars — stating 160, where they are allegedly closer to ~268. did a fantastic job interviewing founder Peter Rahal in her latest FeedMe. Drama seems to follow David everywhere — curious to see how this will play out.

3. Speaking of protein, Chomps just launched chicken meat sticks in a few new flavors in Original Chicken, Nashville Hot, and Savory Breakfast. I am not a Chomps gal, but who is eating a meat stick for breakfast?!

4. Burger King clapped back at that really cringy video of the McDonald’s CEO eating their new burger. It’s subtle, but it’s smart.

5. DTC retailer Quince just announced a $500 million funding round led by Iconiq to fuel growth & global expansion. This puts their valuation at a casual $10B. Honestly, their business model is the right place at the right time and the pace of category expansion — from home to pets to fine jewelry to baby — is quite crazy.

6. I feel like I barely heard anything about this — but Starbucks of China, Luckin Coffee, acquired Blue Bottle for ~$400 million, which will aid in their path to U.S. domination. Blue Bottle already feels pretty commoditized, so I don’t think we’ll see much change here.

7. A24 continues to master marketing; this time for upcoming movie “The Drama” starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson. As part of the promo, the team is opening a Vegas wedding chapel for one day, 3/14, and has also put out fake wedding invitations and a fake engagement announcement in the Boston Globe. This blurring of fact and fiction is becoming one of the studio’s signature moves, and I’m here for it. Also I have no idea what this movie is about but I WILL be watching it.

8. Meta acquired a social media network for AI agents called Moltbook. On the platform, agents can communicate with each other via OpenClaw (and you know, potentially plot to take over the human race). If you can’t beat ‘em, buy ‘em? IDK.

9. Speaking of agents, a Northern California federal court just blocked web browser Perplexity from letting its agents shop on Amazon on behalf of users. Amazon has also blocked OpenAI’s ChatGPT from this behavior in the past. Clearly, they’re trying to keep the agentic behavior in-house.

10. Apple is releasing some new emoji, including a ballet dancer, orca, trombone, treasure chest, and “distorted face” and I’m not sure why we need these but I’m sure we’ll use them plenty. Can someone familiar with the matter tell me how they come up with what emoji to launch?!

11. Following the success of Casamigos, George Clooney is getting into the NA game with a new brand called Crazy Mountain, a 65-calorie NA-beer launching this year.

12. Uber launches Uber Elite — a chauffeur ride option that’s invite-only in San Francisco and LA (NYC soon, too). It’s about 3x the price of an UberX and will have seasoned professional chauffeurs, in-car amenities, and, upon request, champagne. This feels like a differentiation play from Waymo, and makes sense that they’re scrambling a bit since Uber stock is down 27%.

13. YouTube is officially the world’s largest media company, surpassing Disney with ad revenue of $40.4B in 2025. This number is higher than the combined total of ad revenue from Disney, NBC Universal, Paramount, and Warner Bros. Insane.

14. Costco is getting into the fertility game, offering major discounts of up to 80% on IVF medication via their pharmacy, and discounts on services via a partnership with Sesame and IVI RMA. This is big — I really love to see IVF becoming more accessible.

15. Gen Zs are obsessed with gambling, apparently. Specifically, sports betting but they are also betting on things like the Oscars this Sunday. A new study shows that 32% of all Gen Zs have participated in sports betting in some form. Feels like lack of control = increased inclination to bet.

16. Apparently, GLP-1 users are eating more Lindt chocolate than those not on the drug. The CEO says it’s because weight-loss drug users still need some kind of “small indulgence.” Interesting.

17. Does anyone need a pair of these LoveShackFancy x Crocs? No. Does anyone want one? Unclear. You tell me.

🆕 TREND REPORT

• SOBERING NEWS. Per Gallup, only 54% of all Americans had a single drink last year — which is a record low and 53% of Americans believe that even drinking “in moderation” (i.e. 1-2 drinks/day) is bad for your health. For those who are drinking, beer and wine remain the top choices, at 30% and 29% of the most commonly consumed beverages.

  • Meanwhile, non-alcoholic bars are popping up in cities around the country — for people who love the social aspect, just not the hangover.

• FLIP FLOP. It’s hard to get a real read on the U.S. job market given trends from December (jobs down), January (jobs up), and then February (jobs down again) is so all over the place. The unemployment rate is currently up to 4.4%.

• WORD VOMIT. Was probably not Timothée’s finest hour when he said that “no one cares” about opera or ballet anymore. Unsurprisingly, the internet is coming for him. Ironically, Elle just ran a piece on the rise of the Opera, citing that the median age of the Met Opera buyer has dropped from 57 to 44 over the past few years and that Pinterest searches for “opera outfits” and “opera core” are up 415% and 210%, respectively.

• DOG PEOPLE. This isn’t exactly new news, but “dog wellness” as a category is heating up. This NYT piece profiles dog owners who are willing to pony up for anything and everything for their dogs. One D.C. groomer takes 10 hours for an appointment that costs $1k. Says her client: IShe really puts in the hours.” Clearly!!!

• NO PLACE LIKE HOME. There’s never been a harder time to buy a home, apparently. The median price of a home has jumped to $405k from $329k in just 6 years, and the median age of a first-time homeowner is now 40 years old — in just 2010, that age was 30. Not surprisingly, but 32% of Gen Zers and 18% of millennials said they’d be into the idea of co-buying a home with a bestie (source: FirstHome IQ 2025 Survey).

• WITCH HUNT. You know the job market truly is bleak when people are paying Etsy Witches to “cast spells” to grant them their dream jobs (last year, brides were paying for Etsy Witches to protect their weddings from rain). Etsy is cracking down, as they have “forbidden spells, enchantments, and any supernatural services since 2015” but some people are not happy.

@illumitatiiiMy experience paying an Etsy witch to help me with my job search #etsywitch #etsywitches #jobsearch #laidoff #jobsearchtips

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🎲 ONE LAST THING

This. Anyone else?

If you like what you see, consider:

• leaving a comment!

• sending to a friend who might love this content

• replying to this email with any feedback (things you loved, things you hated) — I read them all :)

- Sabena

I took the holidays off from Brandiose for some much needed R&R, but I’m excited to kick the year off with a bang with a jam-packed edition.

I recognize it’s nearly the end of January — but in my book, it’s still early enough in the year to make 11 predictions about how the next 11 months will shake out, as well as free ideas in each section for how brands and marketers might want to action on these trends.

I did this last year and had a lot of fun with it, so I’m hoping you find value in it this year too.

As always, let me know what you think — and I’m curious about trends you think I might have missed!

Please share with a friend, coworker, enemy, or anyone who might love it.

xx

Sabena

🪄11 TRENDS FOR 2026

1. The “humanifaction” of brands, ideas, and products will reign supreme.

AI is everywhere — and it’s hard to tell what’s “real” from robot. (I did not use it for this article, FWIW). “AI slop” is a real thing, and we’re seeing it on our feeds more and more.

It makes sense, then, that brands who can keep their humanity and really connect with customers are going to win out.

I actually love Equinox’s take on this trend with their campaign earlier this month — very on-brand for them while also being thumbstopping.

The campaign’s inspiration, per CMO Bindu Shah: “what’s so unique about where Equinox stands against that backdrop is that what’s real is about hard work, the consistency, the discipline that’s required to show up and fuel that transformation… it really reinforces this notion of the only thing you can believe in is yourself.”

Vine, the video platform of the 2010s, is back as “diVine” — with a commitment to videos created without the use of AI. “I think there’s a nostalgia for the early Web 2.0 era…the era that you were building communities instead of just gaming the algorithm,” says developer Rabble.

💡 Free Idea: Luxury brands are struggling with growth right now. If I were running a luxury fashion house, I’d create a campaign showcasing “with and without” AI copy and imagery — with the takeaway that the human-centric approach wins out. Not to hate on AI, but to show the brand’s dedication to craftsmanship and intentionality, proving to loyal customers that the more things change, the more your brand will stand the test of time.

2. Everything is analog.

Forbes tells us that “2026 is the Year of Analog,” but we didn’t really need to hear it from them to know this is real. It’s definitely ALL over our feeds.

“Analog bags” are a huge TikTok trend — filled with things to keep you off your screen, like coloring books, board games, journals, and more.

We’re seeing the rise of “grandma hobbies” like needlepoint and mah jong. Book Clubs continue to explode (even Dua Lipa has one, FYI).

Dating companies are responding to the desire to meet someone “the old fashioned way”: Sitch is one to watch, a dating app offering a modern take on matchmaking (powered by AI, but that’s not the point).

Influencer CatGPT, known for her videos about all things AI, ironically launched a lo-fi product, Physical Phones “because we were craving a break from our phones but couldn’t disappear off the grid.”

“Tech fasts” are a thing people are loving; Brick was all the rage in holiday gift guides in December, and people seem to find it life-changing.

Paige Lorenze and fiancé Tommy Paul are starting a foundation called Kids Outdoors — to get kids to spend more time outside than on screens.

💡 Free Idea: Brands should be thinking about how to allocate budgets towards “IRL” activities that move the needle. Less performance-marketing campaigns with “measurable” ROI, and more curated events with an experience that feel intentional and allow your brand to shine. An athleisure brand sponsoring a morning walk with cold foam coffees? Perfect.

3. Wellbeing is the ultimate social currency.

With the rise of longevity science and GLP-1s and of course an obsession with protein, then creatine… our collective interest in “wellness” is truly peaking.

The latest trend on my FYP is the vibration plate, which feels like a “must have” for a “morning in the life” of any self-respecting wellness girlie.

But what’s feels a bit different is that, in 2026, wellness truly feels like social currency — something worth aspiring to, and eventually, acquiring (and maintaining, but that’s tomorrow’s problem).

The Equinox ads above speak to this, too. The message? AI lets you fake a lot of things, but looking fit takes time in the gym (and maybe a healthy dose of Ozempic).

The difference between looking fit and being fit may be a topic for another edition, but what I can say is that it feels like the conversation around fitness is LOUDER than ever.

One bright spot: I’ve seen a lot more conversation around nervous system health and the importance of resetting our nervous systems. I think this is a space to watch and curious to see how brands activate here.

💡 Free Idea: While “wellness” as a concept feels harmless, we may be approaching obsession territory. Brands who can help us embrace the journey and allow for imperfection will break through with customers who are getting a little tired of the perfect physiques gracing their feeds, and maybe a focus on what mental wellbeing and resets look like.

4. “Cutesy” is cool again.

We will all collectively never forget the Labubu craze of 2025 (which begs the question, where are those Labubus now??).

My prediction is that 2026 will be a continuation of this “cutesy” trend, where being feminine, girlie, and a little whimsical are par for the course and fully embraced.

Look no further than Love Shack Fancy, a brand that’s the queen of collabs, like this recent collab with workout mat brand Stakt.

More proof? The recent 2016 trend, where people were posting their highlights of the year 2016 — when things felt a little less…heavy.

There are a few reasons for this — at the top of the list is definitely nostalgia. We’re all longing for a bit of the simplicity of the past, where VSCO filters beat out AI generated content.

💡 Free Idea: “Blind boxes” might have had their moment in the spotlight… but I would think on other ways to infuse my brand with moments of surprise and delight that bring out this “cutesy” energy. The first brand to nail the “Labubu” moment of 2026 will definitely win in terms of share-of-voice and sentiment on social.

5. There’s no difference between Marketing and Entertainment.

2026 is the year where the line between marketing and entertainment ceases to exist, and it will lead to better content we actually want to consume, on all fronts.

Gap broke the internet (or at least my little corner of it?!) with the announcement of their new position, Chief Entertainment Officer (Pam Kaufman). I’ve written about Gap’s comeback and of course — they are officially back in all the ways — but I’m so curious and excited to see what this means for them. Feature films?! Scripted content? Sponsored artists?

Just yesterday, Netflix announced an Alix Earle reality TV show featuring her “Chaotic Modern Family” — catapulting her to ultra-stardom and potentially positioning the Earles as the next Kardashians.

Also, Fanatics and OBB Media launched “Fanatics Studio,” dedicated to sports entertainment, including films, live event specials, and originals. Seems like an Olympics Film and Tom Brady documentary are on the docket for 2026.

💡 Free Idea: The standard for GOOD content from brands and entertainers is higher than ever, and quality will beat quantity every time. If I were a brand, I’d be asking myself two things: what are the moments I can truly OWN and who are the right people to bring those moments to life? Spend accordingly.

6. Mascots will make a comeback.

This is definitely a trend that’s carrying over from 2025, but we are absolutely seeing the return of mascots…again, probably fueled by the collective nostalgia we’re all craving and another trend coming out of the desire for “humanification” of everything.

Dos Equis’ Most Interesting Man in the World made his return after a 10 year hiatus (!) at Monday night’s college football championship game. Instant nostalgia, but also a ton of built-in credibility for the brand, especially since their target audience has likely grown up alongside this guy. And the brand needs the help, with sales down ~8% last year.

In a similar vein, Dr Pepper has a new jingle thanks to TikToker Romeo, whose now viral video called the soda “good and nice” and got the attention of the marketing team, who created an ad based on the jingle. Cute!

💡 Free Idea: Bringing your customers to help you storytell, like Dr. Pepper did with their jingle, is a smart strategy. I would be looking for “superfans” to see how I could put them front and center during key launches — less influencer, and more raw, real content that feels fresh and relatable.

7. Retail must reinvent (or else).

Starting the year off with news of Saks’ Chapter 11 bankruptcy proves that in 2026, not even the title of “America’s Biggest Department Store” can save you. There’s much speculation on the “why” (shaky vendor relationship agreements, inventory management, leadership woes) — but ultimately, Saks couldn’t keep up with the times and failed to modernize.

Meanwhile Lululemon is getting backlash on its new line of “Get Low” leggings for being too sheer and not “squat proof” and removed them from from their site just 3 days after launch (founder Chip Wilson went on a LinkedIn tirade). The brand has faced intense competition from brands like Alo and Vuori and sales have been struggling, so this is definitely another warning sign for them.

But there are bright spots. Sephora (disclaimer: my employer) announced a global partnership with Korean beauty giant Olive Young. The deal will give Olive Young space within Sephora stores in fall of 2026 to bring the best of Korean beauty to Sephora shoppers — almost a “shop in shop” experience. Knowing the growing influence of K-Beauty on the global beauty market, this is highly strategic.

In a similar vein, Nordstrom launched partnership with Popup Grocer last week, bringing the another “shop in shop” to 70 Nordstrom stores, and giving customers a curated mix of modern CPG offerings. Nordstrom also brought back a 100-page holiday gift guide in print last month and seems to be experimenting with a number of modernization tactics.

8. Conscious consumption will lead the way.

We’ve already seen the rise of “project pan” in the beauty world, wherein we’re all inspired to “hit pan” (internet speak for “use up entirely”) on products that we buy.

With the turn of a new year, I’ve also seen a lot of content around “no buy” or “low spend” January — which feels a bit like an extension of dry January — where creators talk about their goal to pause, take inventory, and clean out closets in order to get really clear on purchases for the year.

@christina.mychasIm gearing up for another NO BUY JANUARY like i do every year, and im getting the good habits started NOW by shopping my closet to re-create outfits that inspire me. I love to do no spend challenges to reset my system, and teach myself to use and see my clothes in a different way. Saves money, builds gratitude and flexes those styling muscles. Let me know if you try this! #nobuyjanuary #nospendchallenge #shoppingmycloset #shopyourcloset #recreatingpinterestphotos #capsulewardrobe #outfitrepeating

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While I’m not sure we can or need to get away from consumerism entirely, I do think we’re seeing a shift towards intentionality on the part of consumers, who are also demanding transparency from brands on materials and sourcing of products they are purchasing.

💡 Free Idea: If I were an apparel or accessories brand, I would partner with select smaller creators to create content showcasing the versatility and longevity of my products — i.e. showing “bang for your buck” in practice. I’d have them speak to not only the high quality behind the product but the many ways it can fit in to my target audience’s lifestyle (i.e. 6 Ways I Styled these Trousers as a Working Mom this week.)

9. “Shared experiences” will go niche.

Given the trends of going analog and the general malaise around AI, it’s no surprise that people are looking for more ways to gather with intention.

I loved this report by Eventbrite, which had tons of data on what people are looking for in their events in 2026:

• 52% prefer events that feel “under the radar”

• over 50% say they trust people, not platforms, for recommendations

• 79% of 18-35 year olds say spontaneity is is important at events

What I found most interesting was this desire for “mashup” events: 69% of Gen Zs want to attend more events that combine different worlds or interests, and young parents are 1.4x more likely to strongly want events that combine multiple interests.

💡 Free Idea: Partnering with a likeminded brand to create an amazing event feels like low hanging fruit here — creating a memorable, unique event while benefitting from shared audiences. For max impact, I’d go weird with it — what feels unexpected, interesting, but also somehow makes sense? Pickleball and pickles, anyone?

10. Influencers start to give us the ick.

There’s been a lot of talk about the “influencer bubble” approaching bursting territory. Considering 57% of Gen Zs want to be an influencer, it’s a crowded space.

And audiences are getting jaded with creators shilling “the most amazing product they’ve EVER tried” on a daily basis. It starts to have no meaning.

And because everything is meta on the Internet, there’s a girl going viral for making fun of these over-the-top influencer product reviews, complete with product tapping and dramatic pauses for effect. (My husband sends me these on a daily basis; he cannot get enough).

There’s even a group of influencers who are literally telling people to stop scrolling and get off their phones (analog, anyone?) — which ironically, helps them build a following. But the sentiment is a bit more self-aware. Olivia Unplugged is one of the big ones.

@olivia.unpluggedThis isn’t a detox, it’s a reset. You don’t need perfection, just a few intentional changes to start the year feeling better about your online habits. Are you in? #nyreset # newyears2026 #digitalreset #opalapp

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That said, Marketers aren’t slowing down on their investment in influencers as a strategy in 2026 — per an LTK survey, 97% of CMOs surveyed say they plan to increase their creator marketing budgets for the year ahead. So it’s an interesting juxtaposition between what brands vs. consumers are seeing value in, and I don’t think they are mutually exclusive.

💡 Free Idea: If I were a brand wanting to expand my audience, I would not only go smaller, but I would also go more niche. Who might be a fit for my brand that doesn’t typically talk about it? If I’m a beauty brand, maybe that’s a food creator who is all about beautiful plating — beauty in a different form.

11. …leading to the rise of the non-Influencer.

If we’re collectively getting tired of the traditional Influencer… what’s next?

It’s been proven that while “macroinfluencers” (i.e. anyone in the 1M+ follower range) are the ultimate awareness drivers, “microinfluencers” (commonly defined as those with under 10k followers) are actually better at conversion.

I do think this is true, but 2026 will take this a step further: your everyday customers will be the unlock to driving real business growth — regardless of follower count. (I loved this piece on “How Not to Fail as a Brand” by Kira McKenzie back in November that talks about this in detail.)

While ShopMy continues to expand its reach with a fresh $77.M investment, platforms like Locker — which allows anyone to create a shoppable wishlist — will become more popular.

Next month, Cocokind and Poppi are teaming up to reward their community over influencers, hosting a brand trip of 8 “members of their community” on a paid trip to Sonoma, announcing on Instagram: “YOU deserve this too!”

💡 Free Idea: I’d love to see more brands rewarding their everyday customers: involving them in product roadmapping and campaign ideation, gifting them, and planning events to reward and get feedback from them. I actually think, if done right, the ROI on a strategy like this could blow a macroinfluencer-first strategy out of the water.

Alright… that was a LOT of content. Would love to hear your thoughts on these trends — what did I get right and what did I miss? What are you most excited about?

Have a great rest of your week & here’s to an amazing 2026!

Sabena

Happy Tuesday!

I love this time of year and am excited to rest & recharge a bit this week.

And then online shop like a maniac on black Friday because #balance.

Would love to hear what you’re doing/buying/eating this week — sound off in the comments. Just please don’t brag if you’re a Turkey Trot fam.

Happy early Thanksgiving!

Sabena

🧲 OBSESSION OF THE WEEK

The biggest holiday decor trend this year is a “Ralph Lauren Christmas,” with searches for the phrase up 600% YOY on Instagram and TikTok, and up 180% on Etsy.

The trend is “rooted in nostalgia for the 1990s—a time when American opulence and the heirloom “good Christmas” felt accessible and aspirational at the same time.”

Think tartan everything, oversized velvet bows, and jewel tones like burgundies, deep blues, and forest green. It’s a little over-the-top but because it’s Christmas, it just…works.

I personally love this aesthetic and that it’s a departure from the minimal everything we’ve been leaning into the last several years. It really reminds me of the Home Alone house and the nostalgia of our youth. Just please don’t call it “old money.”

🍿 BRAND NEWS

1. I absolutely loved this ad from A24 to promote the studio’s new movie Marty Supreme. Essentially, it’s a 19 minute long fake Zoom meeting with the marketing team and star Timothée Chalamet where Chalamet goes completely off the rails (i.e. “let this vibe sort of wash over you.”). It’s the perfect office humor vibe and tells you nothing about the movie. 10/10.

2. Coach is up 13% this quarter, thanks to successful marketing to Gen Z shoppers. The Summer I Turned Pretty product placement HAD to be a factor here…

3. ChatGPT launched a group chat feature, where it finds its way into the group chat and offers suggestions for things like “what should our group costume be?” or "‘where should we go to dinner tonight?” Honestly, I really don’t see this getting much traction — it feels intrusive.

4. File under this under things I assumed already existed: Frolly is a new dating app for dog lovers, where owners can match based on their furry friends. I think this is smart since pets are such a key part of people’s lives, and not liking someone’s dog feels like a dealbreaker on both sides.

5. Speaking of dating apps, apparently Raya, once a highly exclusive dating app to meet celebrities/fake celebrities/celebrity aspirers, just took literally everyone off the wait list — an estimated 2.5 million people. People are calling this a “recession indicator.” Without its exclusivity, what does Raya have going for it? Curious what’s behind this strategy…

6. TikTok is launching a podcast network with IHeartMedia, and will feature 25 creators to “bring audiences even closer to their favorite voices.” I’m curious to see where this goes, definitely feels like a smart move given the rise of podcasts among all age demos from Gen Z to Boomers…

7. Microsoft recently launched a campaign to show users how Copilot is equally as cool and trendy as ChatGPT — enlisting the help of influencer elite like Alix Earle and the Pheloung sisters. Earle even said “Copilot is my mentor & therapist” in one of her videos.

8. The NFL has global aspirations, with its sights set on Europe. There are allegedly active conversations to create a European division of 4 teams to bring the sport to new, international audiences. To power these ambitions, they are very eager to bring back a modern version of supersonic flight (and have been quietly exploring it). I’m truly curious if anyone in Europe actually *asked* for this?

9. McDonald’s is launching adult Grinch-themed happy meals complete with “Grinch salt” pickle fries and ugly Christmas socks this holiday season. I think this is a smart, nostalgia-fueled play and I’m really curious what these pickle fries taste like…

10. Monster Energy is launching a new energy drink geared specifically to women, called Flrt. The drink will have “skin and hair benefits” in addition to likely tons of caffeine. Details are scant, since it was just mentioned a recent earnings call but I personally hate the name.

11. For fans of Puck media, which covers Hollywood, Wall Street, DC, and fashion, the company announced plans to launch a food-focused media brand that focuses on the business of restaurants and the food industry. Given the rise of restaurant culture and chef-fluencers, this is smart.

12. The story behind Frank founder Charlie Javice keeps getting crazier. Apparently, she has racked up $142 million in legal fees which JPMorgan (who is suing her) is contractually obligated to pay.

13. Parasocial is the Cambridge Dictionary word of the year. Honestly, so fitting for us as a society.

14. Parmigiano Reggiano (yes, the cheese) officially has Hollywood representation, via a contract with top talent firm UTA. I don’t really know what to say about this except that product placement is alive and well.

15. Panera dropped 2 spots from its place as the #1 fast casual retailer in the USA — and is now behind Chipotle and Panda Express. The CEO has a bold turnaround plan, which includes getting rid of iceberg lettuce and slicing cherry tomatoes instead of offering them whole. Is this a job for Parmesan cheese?

16. Sports betting meets its match thanks to a platform called Kalshi, which will soon let consumers bet on collectibles like Labubus and other drops. This might become a new obsession…

17. I loved this feature on Framebridge’s success as a DTC company that didn’t fall into the same traps as peers like Casper, Away, and Allbirds — and instead focused on true differentiation via owned warehouses and intentional, slow growth with small footprint stores and highly personalized service. What a concept.

18. Wicked 2 beat its own box office record from last year, raking in $150 million in a single weekend (compared to part 1, bringing in $112.5 million last year) which is officially the biggest debut for a Broadway adaption, ever. Also, Airbnb launched two experiences to bring the movie to life centered around “Elphaba’s Wicked Forest Retreat.” Obsessed.

🆕 TREND REPORT

• REACHING GEN Z. As a follow up to their viral report last year, Vogue Business and research company Archival did a study on how exactly to reach the elusive Gen Z. Some interesting findings from the survey data:

  • Nearly 50% of Gen Zs have purchased directly in a social media app or platform in the last year versus just 38% of millennials

  • TikTok is the most likely way to discover new products for Gen Z, with 92% saying they’re likely to use the platform for that purpose

  • 27% of Gen Zs say that, because of social media, their personal shopping experience has become more “mindless”; they even report feeling like they enter almost a dissociative state when shopping.

  • 58% of Gen Zs have bought a dupe of something more expensive

• CONCIERGE TRAVEL. The latest trend in making travel slightly less nightmarish is concierge-style travel services, where travelers are doling out hefty fees to avoid waits, get fast-tracked security lines, and being escorted to the gate. Clear is a well-known example, but airlines like United, Air France, Delta and American Airlines have their own offerings — ranging anywhere from $350 to $500+ per person. There’s also Queen of Clubs in Europe and PS (private suite) in the US.

• DR. CHAT. Given the rising cost of medical care and lack of access, many patients are turning to ChatGPT to provide medical advice — at least in the interim, before seeing a doctor. Doctors feel that the advice is not medically sound and that the bot is overly agreeable, while patients appreciate the instant gratification, empathetic care, and simply having a sounding board. I’m curious — have you ever consulted Chat on a medical quandary? I definitely have…

• FOR THE BOYS. A new trend is emerging inside Big Business — men’s groups, where men openly discuss challenges that relate to mental and physical health, parenting, and more. While a common refrain is “why do we need more spaces for men?!” I do think that with the rise of the male loneliness epidemic, community is more important than ever.

• FOR THE GIRLS. Oura Ring is hoping to reach $1.5B in sales by 2026 thanks to a peak in interest from a key demographic: women, accountable for 250% sales growth in the last year, with Gen Z women between 18 and 25 years old a core part of that group. Oura has made several smart moves to appeal to women and become the go-to for wearable health tracking, including a partnership with cycle tracking app Natural Cycles.

🎲 ONE LAST THING

I know we’re technically in Thanksgiving week and people feel very passionate about whether it’s too soon to be talking about Christmas…

but I loved this ad from Walmart set in Whoville in a storybook format — “WhoKnewVille”. It feels classic but also fresh, with references to Labubus and espresso machines.

Cute!

Happy Thanksgiving for all those who celebrate and good luck to all of those who are hosting. Remember, it’s not that serious :)

If you like what you see, consider:

• leaving a comment!

• sending to a friend who might love this content

• replying to this email with any feedback (things you loved, things you hated) — I read them all :)

- Sabena

I’m so glad to be back in your inboxes. It’s been a crazy few months and taking a break was much needed.

As always, I’m thrilled to bring you the latest in brand, business, and pop culture to make you smarter and maybe funnier too.

Also, as always, let me know what you think in the comments. I love hearing from you.

Have a great weekend!!!

Sabena

🧲 OBSESSION OF THE WEEK

Call me a product of the 90’s (which I’d take as a compliment), but I love a print catalog.

Which I was so excited to see that Nordstrom is launching a 100—page catalog for the holidays this year, which will serve as a gift guide with over 800 product recommendations from the multi-brand retailer.

It will also include “give it” and “get it” stickers (!!!! cue the nostalgia) for recipients to mark their favorite items.

This is part of a larger (anti-AI?) trend we’re seeing with retailers going “back to analog” to reach audiences in new ways. J.Crew rolled out a catalog earlier this year, which got a lot of buzz.

Nordstrom is definitely on the right track, but still has a ways to go. Sales were up 4.1% in the last quarter, but unsurprisingly the holiday season makes up 30% of revenue — so this is definitely their Super Bowl.

All I know is that I really really need one of these catalogs (@Nordstrom, are you reading this?!) Also, I think I need to do a gift guide of my own this year?! Would you be interested?

🍿 BRAND NEWS

1. Happy Halloweek! Good news for gummy candy lovers like myself, but bad for children everywhere. Halloween candy shoppers may be forced to buy gummies instead of chocolate due to the rising cost of cocoa, up 180% year over year, due to a global shortage. Parents, be prepared to explain this to your potentially disappointed trick-or-treaters.

2. Abercrombie just launched a collab with Aspen retailer Kemo Sabe, best known for v. expensive custom cowboy hats. The collection features western-inspired dresses, leather jackets, and bootcut jeans. I’m into it.

3. My forever girl crush Emma Grede is launching a book called Start With Yourself this April and I will most definitely be purchasing it.

4. Nike is dropping a collection with clothing retailer Aritzia today, which makes sense as Nike continues to try to turn around their brand and build cultural cachet for a new generation. The photos are really, really giving Miu Miu x New Balance, which is definitely intentional.

5. The new sponsor of the Lakers is definitely unexpected, but I’m here for the intersection of sports and women’s fashion (and beauty!!). Its Revolve entered a multiyear deal as sponsor of the Lakers, which I’m curious to see pan out.

6. Speaking of sports, Lululemon and the NFL teamed up (see what I did there? #sports) to launch a collection of “elevated fan apparel.” I took a look at the collection and while I wouldn’t quite call it “elevated,” I do think Lululemon really needs to try some new things, so I think this is a smart move for them.

7. A super interesting concept — Paris Hilton is launching a home improvement TV show inspired by her journey with ADHD. I’m expecting to see the merging of form and function and have to say that it’s amazing to have a celebrity shine a light on mental health.

8. Old Navy is definitely following in Gap’s footsteps. Their first ever designer collab is with designer Anna Sui, and it’s giving major 70’s vibes, with Pink Pantheress as the face of the campaign (I literally have never heard of her but I guess I’m #old).

9. This is the most random investment ever, but apparently Travis Kelce and investment firm Jana Partners collectively bought a 6% in the struggling Six Flags brand in order to turn things around. I’m sure this is the beginning of Travis’ investor era, so watch this space…

10. Toilet cameras are now a thing, thanks to Dekoda, a new launch from Kohler. Dekoda is a $600 camera that analyzes your waste to determine your hydration levels and gut health, and connects to an app (costing ~$165/yr) to give you the full picture of your health. Honestly, I can see this taking off given the frenzy around longevity… but also when is it simply TOO much data?!

11. Dating app Grindr is allegedly worth $3.5 billion, per a recent buyout offer. By contrast, Hinge sold to Match group in 2018 for a mere $25 million. Pretty insane.

12. At 35, Grace Wales Bonner is the new menswear Creative Director of luxury fashion house Hermès, making her the first black woman to lead design at a major fashion house. I love this so much.

13. Golf brand Malbon recently raised a $33 million Series B to scale the company into a full blown lifestyle empire. The company is currently doing $200 million/year and is led by 17-year Nike vet Aaron Heiser, so this is absolutely one to watch.

14. I feel like Pamela Anderson has had one of the biggest rebrands of 2025, and this pickle collab with Flamingo Estate is proof!! We love a domestic queen as much as we love pickles.

15. Nara Smith launched her first ever pantry product, Nara’s Roasted Garlic Oil in collaboration with Algae Cooking Club, featuring notes of yuzu, scallion, and white miso. It’s very cute and aesthetic, and feels right on brand for her love of making everything from scratch.

16. I love this recent stunt by Ramp featuring Kevin from the Office (Brian Baumgartner) doing a live demonstration of a 7 hour workday to showcase how mundane doing your expenses is (and how Ramp is the answer, of course). Between the novelty factor and The Office nostalgia, the activation was a huge success IRL (10,000 visitors) and virtually with an estimated 85 million viewers overall. IRL is back, baby.

🆕 TREND REPORT

• CHEATER TECH. Popularized by TikTok, there’s been an influx in “cheater tech,” where users can upload a dating app profile to apps like Cheaterbuster or CheatEye to vet whether a potential match has a history of cheating. Unsurprisingly, there are major data privacy concerns with these apps, but meanwhile, their users are growing FAST, with 90-99% accuracy. This feels like a million lawsuits waiting to happen.

• JOB HUGGING. The antithesis of quiet quitting has arrived. Job hugging, brought on by a shaky economy and a tough job market, is sticking by your job even when it’s not serving you. Even more troubling? about a quarter of Americans have not taken a single vacation day this year, which feels directly linked to this macrotrend.

• REMOTE WOES. Per Business Insider, only 8% of all jobs posted on LinkedIn in September were fully remote jobs, drawing 35% of all applications — clearly, there’s a huge discrepancy between what employees want and employers are willing to offer.

• TRADSONS. Tradwives are very 2024 and tradsons are now a thing. What, you may ask, is a tradson? Tradsons are “stay at home sons” who are really just 20 and 30-something men who aren’t able to find jobs and help around the house in exchange for food and shelter. In this economy, you really might not be able to blame them.

• GET IN LINE. The Row Sample sale was all over my TikTok feed, but what didn’t show up? Apparently, people were paying upwards of $800 for “line standers” from companies like Same Ole Line Dudes to hold their place.

• MICRODOSING OZEMPIC. Hims & Hers is starting to sell microdoses of GLP-1 drugs at $1200 for a six-month supply. Taking a look at the search interest of “glp-1 microdosing,” this is definitely a growing trend, and I think it will do well, but the fact that this is a largely understudied behavior definitely causes some concern in my mind.

🎲 ONE LAST THING

This is me in a nutshell. Anyone else?

Have a great rest of your week!!!

If you like what you see, consider:

• leaving a comment!

• sending to a friend who might love this content

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- Sabena

After a brief hiatus because… summer, I’m excited to be back in your inboxes.

As always, here’s the latest in brand, business, and pop culture to make you smarter and maybe funnier too.

Have a great weekend!!!

Sabena

🧲 OBSESSION OF THE WEEK

Ty Haney, the former founder of Outdoor Voices, is officially back at the company. She left OV in 2020 and is new returning as “founder-partner,” where she’ll be overseeing all the best parts of running a business — brand, community, and “vision-setting”.

The brand had fun with the announcement, wiping their IG and unfollowing everyone except Ty. They then posted a cute video tribute about Ty and her journey to starting Outdoor Voices. Love.

Having founded two businesses since (Joggy, an energy drink, and TYB, a community-building platform), she’ll be bringing these into the OV world.

I personally love the idea of a “boomerang founder” (similar to Whitney Wolfe coming back to Bumble). I think it’s an inspiring message to female founders everywhere.

I’m excited to watch how this all plays out!

🍿 BRAND NEWS

1. Gap is launching a travel wardrobe collab with BÉIS today, starring founder Shay Mitchell. They nailed it, hitting the trends of airport chic and sweatpant denim. Plus the color is spot on. It goes without saying that Gap is BACK, but of course, I said it again.

2. You’ve probably seen this by now — but Gwyneth Paltrow for Astronomer was a genius marketing move post Coldplay concert scandal. After all, there are plenty of hardworking, morally upstanding humans at the company who deserve to not go down infamy, and this was a smart strategy.

3. The new American Eagle campaign featuring Sydney Sweeney is basically a meme now, with critics all over the internet calling it racist and a “the tagline evok[ing] eugenics.” Likely not the prediction for a campaign meant to sell more jeans — see Gap, above, for a how to.

4. Pepsi came out with a prebiotic competitor to Poppi but assures that it will serve different audiences — one who is looking for a Pepsi with “functional benefits.” Curious about the market research on this one.

5. The Starbucks turnaround continues. Their latest move is the decision to close 90 of their pickup-only stores as CEO Brian Niccol feels that they lost the plot on human connection. Curious to see how “Back to Starbucks” is impacting sales… time will tell, but meanwhile, we know that Niccol makes 6,666x the average Starbucks employee. Also, Starbucks has a secret menu with a drink called a Gummy Shark.

6. Martha Stewart is getting into stores for the first time — which feels like a smart move for her, but also kind of late for the whole brick and mortar thing? She’s going global though, so we’ll see how this approach works in the Middle East, where she is choosing to focus her efforts first.

7. Spktrl is a French startup making fine jewelry wearables. Their first product is the Light Ring, which is basically a mood ring that helps you decide which calls/texts/messages you want to receive — with the intention of spending less time on your phone. This has potential I guess? but also I have no idea how much it costs.

8. Honestly this collab with Oreo and Reese’s looks like it slaps. Sometimes, it’s really that simple.

9. Would you buy Krispy Kreme Crocs? Not much more to comment there, but if you feel passionately, please let me know in the comments.

10. Wework really wants you to take it seriously — which is why they made a 90 second ad with business jargon that feels ripe for an SNL skit.

11. Apparel brand Quince is valued at over $4.5B, which is remarkable for a DTC only brand in this day and age. Their secret? Affordable luxury—aka really good dupes.

12. La-Z-Boy rebranded with a new logo and design system and with the rise of millennial nostalgia, I think this is a company to watch.

13. Skims just launched a face brace called The Ultimate Face to help sculpt your jawline. While it’s giving dystopian, it’s also right in line with the “morning shed” trend that involves face taping, mouth taping, heatless curls… otherwise known as go to bed ugly, wake up beautiful.

🆕 TREND REPORT

• APEROL WHAT?! I have to admit, I was today years old when I learned about the so-called new “drink of summer” — NOT the Sarti Spritz — but the “Spaghett.” Orders for the drink are up 65% YOY; it’s a combination of cheap beer (the preferred is Miller High Life), Aperol, and a squeeze of lime, and frankly sounds disgusting, but please let me know if I’m missing out in the comments.

• LUXURY LOSSES. Luxury brands need to figure out a strategy to combat slow growth, with sales expected to be flat YOY. Theories include declining consumer interest in leather goods leading to weakened demand, diverting to categories like fine jewelry which is considered a stronger investment, and Gen Z disillusionment thanks to social media.

• PODCAST MANIA. Apparently, 78% of advertisers are advertising on podcasts — which seems crazy high, but apparently that’s where the dollars are going. This is up from 59% just a year ago which is a sizable shift in spend.

• STUDY MODE. chatGPT has rolled out a feature called Study Mode, designed with students in mind. The idea is that it withholds answers and helps you find the solution via the Socratic method — much like a teacher or tutor would. Honestly, I think this is a much needed check on technology that ensures we’re still thinking for ourselves, so I’m into it.

• FACT CHECKING. Speaking of checks on tech — TikTok officially rolled out “Footnotes,” which is a community-driven program that allows a group of 80k vetted users to vote/comment on videos, fact-checking for accuracy. This feels pretty imperfect — who are these users? what makes them “experts”? and how long will it take for these footnotes to populate on a net new video? … but at least it’s a step in the right direction.

  

🎲 ONE LAST THING

I loved this piece on the Business of Brand Trips from fellow Substacker , writer of . She breaks down the real real on those expensive brand trips for influencers that we all see on our feeds — and some of the stats are staggering!

• trips can cost from $100-$700k based on location, activities, guest list, and more

• most brands do not pay influencers to post — it’s implied that if they go accept the trip invite, they will post

• re: ROI, candle brand Hotel Lobby saw a 50% increase in all sales compared to an average week YOY

• some brand trips get a ton of negative sentiment online for their sure overindulgence (a recent example is Waterboy, an electrolyte company), while others, like Kerrygold butter, are praised for their earnest approach to education (I also just think butter is trending, but I digress).

Worth a read if you’ve ever been curious/jealous of all-expenses-paid-for trips to Ibiza.

If you like what you see, consider:

• leaving a comment!

• sending to a friend who might love this content

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HAPPY WEEKEND!

- Sabena

Hope you’re having a great week.

This edition has a little bit of everything… from brand collabs, to the future of the creator economy, and a sprinkle of fashion.

Hope you enjoy.

Sabena

P.S. if you’re chronically online like me I’m trying to create more content on Tiktok & Instagram, so give me a follow if want more frequent hot takes!

🧲 OBSESSION OF THE WEEK

Dakota Johnson’s style in Materialists is literally giving me all the inspiration I need to get dressed in the morning.

Between chic oversized blazers, a fitted dress or two, and tons of silver accessories — she looked AMAZING in every single scene. If you haven’t seen the movie, don’t worry, there aren’t any spoilers in here, just outfits. (but you should absolutely see it because it’s wholesome and cute and we need a little more of that!!!)

I leave you with this ode to her wardrobe, with the only plot hole being that she dressed like this on an $80k/year salary in NYC… but I digress.

🍿 BRAND NEWS

1. As a follow up to Gen Zs not wanting to start bar tabs (and millennials calling them lame), we have the phenomenon of “soft clubbing,” in which Gen Z-ers partake in tamer nights out with DJs sets and minimal drinking, at venues that range from coffee shops to hair salons and laundromats with “specific vibes” determined ahead of time. I said it before, I’ll say it again: probably better for you in the long run but a miss in the short run?!

2. Stanley launched a collab with Post Malone, in a line of western-camo themed quenchers, flasks, beer pints, and lunch sets. I think now that they’ve tapped out on the millennial mom and they are now trying to reach…someone else. Definitely not me, but apparently the waitlist had 125,000 people so they are doing something right.

3. In case you thought the days of Goop were over, they announced plans to open 20-30 new stores over the next several years. In this economy? Apparently.

4. Dôen, the Southern-California fashion brand that launched in 2016 and whose floral, lacy dresses are a favorite of Taylor Swift, just raised a venture round led by Silas capital (deal terms were not disclosed). Their current revenue is estimated to be $100M. There has been so much talk of investors being bearish on consumer brands, but I’m seeing so much more momentum here. We love to see it.

5. Chase just increased the annual fee on their Sapphire Reserve credit card to $795 from $550 — which is higher than the Amex Platinum (for now). Per the WSJ, “customers will receive more than $2,700 in value… including credits for Lyft, Peloton, Apple TV, StubHub and DoorDash, along with $500 for Chase’s lodging collection called the Edit.” Someone do the math on whether we should all cancel this card?!

6. Bougie and buzzy CPG brand Flamingo Estate launched a subscription program that of course they are calling “Friends of the Estate” — but all I have to say is that when luxury goes subscription, you know there's a recession coming.

7. The happiest restaurant chain employees in the world work at In-N-Out, with a 91% satisfaction score on Glassdoor for the 10th straight year. This needs to be studied.

8. Zoom CEO Eric Yuan recently went on a podcast to declare that work life balance doesn’t exist (the Emma Grede of tech, if you will) because ‘work is life, life is work’. I guess we’re fully back in the girlboss era.

9. Fun fact: Yahoo is still America’s #6 most visited website (above Instagram and ChatGPT), so I guess I can’t make too much fun of my dad for sending me Yahoo News articles all day (jk hi dad!!!!)

10. A life-size Labubu just sold for $170,000 at an auction in China and I remain steadfast in not wanting to partake in this trend in any way.

11. Reese Witherspoon announced her newest venture: a Gen Z focused media company called Sunnie (the little sister of Hello Sunshine). I like the concept in theory, but am left very confused what she means by “designed to inspire the next generation of young women to reclaim their time, follow their curiosity and step into their power.” I’m curious whether this will accompany a separate book club, or maybe she’ll collaborate with her daughter Ava in some way. We’ll see.

12. Hermès launched an immersive experience in NYC called “The Mystery of the Grooms” which basically takes people through a mansion in the middle of NYC outfitted in Hermès home decor. 25,000 people have signed up — which just speaks to the chokehold Hermes has on culture despite a looming recession.

13. Aubrey Plaza pretends she started a new tequila brand (“Any Tequila”) in this ad that’s really about Cointreau and how it’s what makes a margarita “MargaRight.” Honestly you kind of just have to watch it to get it.

14. Barbie and OpenAI are partnering in a really vague way that sort of feels like a PR move? The partnership will allow Mattel to “design AI-powered products and experiences for the toymaker’s brands.” We’ll see what this means…

15. Speaking of OpenAI, apparently Meta is trying to poach OpenAI employees with $100M comp packages… but they aren’t leaving. I don’t really have a comment other than, that’s crazy.

16. LoveJack is a dating app where users have to describe themselves in just 5 words and are encouraged to use fake names to remain anonymous. Since dating apps are broken and you can literally Google everyone, I don’t hate this totally new approach that keeps the mystery alive.

17. Speaking of dating apps, Tinder just launched a new “double date” feature where two strangers can match with…. two other strangers. Pretty sure if this would make a first date even MORE awkward, but worth a shot I guess. The move makes sense, considering paying Tinder users are down nearly 20% since 2022.

18. Pinterest and Emma Chamberlain teamed up to launch a Sea Salt Toffee Flavored Coffee blend, inspired by the “Fisherman Aesthetic.” Launching a product collab is a first for Pinterest, and given they overindex with Gen Z, working with Chamberlain makes sense and I’m sure we’ll see more of this from Pinterest. Tangentially related—but I am sensing this is summer of the the salted iced latte. You heard it here first.

🆕 TREND REPORT

• SARDINE GIRL SUMMER. Apparently, sardines are having a fashion moment — with searches for “sardine dress” up on Google because apparently “food is the most emotionally charged design system we know […and] humble foods are especially powerful because they reflect resilience,” says fashion psychologist (dream job?) Jennifer Heinen. I’m really not sure how to feel about this one…

• MILLENNIAL PINK? More like CEO Pink. According to the WSJ, dusty, muted pink is the new “power neutral” that says “I can totally own a situation” which has the most impact when worn monochromatically. I don’t hate this and now think I might need a pale pink suit?!

• HOUSE HELPERS. Apparently, Millennial moms are employing house managers to take care of everything from descaling the coffee machine to organizing closets. Starting at $62k/year — someone can essentially take care of the house and do the things you don’t want to do. Honestly, I 100% get this if you can afford it.

• INFINITE WORKDAY. According to a new survey from Microsoft, we are in the age of the “infinite workday,” where the lines between work and life are blended like never before. 40% of workers check their emails starting at 6am and the post-8pm meeting is up 16%. Apparently, we’re also interrupted by a ping, email, or other notification every two minutes during normal business hours. Cool cool cool.

• Y2K IS TRENDING. Unsurprisingly, everything millennial is cool again, from big hair to mustaches to wired headphones to photo dumps (I mean, we did create the unfiltered Facebook album! put some respect on our name.) But truly some of these trends need to be left in the past.

• MIRROR MIRROR. This is the summer of the Indian-inspired mirror print dress/skirt/outfit — and while not for me, I’m just glad it’s getting the cultural recognition it deserves.

• WE’VE BEEN INFLUENCED. If you’re a marketer, you know the power of influencer-driven content to move the needle. Influencer marketing is growing 36% to reach $30B in 2025. And it’s the first year in history that ad revenue on UGC will outpace ad revenue on professionally produced content, which is “a big deal” per Kate Scott-Dawkins, WPP Media’s global president of business intelligence.

  

🎲 ONE LAST THING

Whether you have travel plans this summer or not, there is one thing you MUST be equipped with — and that is a keen understanding of the drink of the summer.

Lucky for you: I’m going to drop some knowledge. First there was Aperol, then there was Hugo, but now, per TikTok — we have the Sarti Spritz.

@elirallo@Campari Official hello

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The star of the drink is Italian apertif Sarti Rosa in place of Aperol (which has hints of blood oranges, mango, and passionfruit), followed by prosecco, soda water, and lime.

Honestly, this sounds AMAZING and I will be trying one of these on my upcoming trip to France, and will report back. Have you tried one?!

If you like what you see, consider:

• leaving a comment!

• sending to a friend who might love this content

• replying to this email with any feedback (things you loved, things you hated) — I read them all :)

HAPPY WEEKEND!

- Sabena

Happy Friday & welcome new subscribers!! Thank you for being here :)

Another issue full of all the hottest topics in brand & business right now.

I hope you are doing something fun this weekend!

xx

Sabena

P.S. if you’re chronically online like me I’m trying to create more content on Tiktok & Instagram, so give me a follow if want more frequent hot takes!

🧲 OBSESSION OF THE WEEK

I came across this Spring/Summer 2025 “Lookbook” on my feed and it actually stopped me in my tracks.

The art direction, the photography, the styling…

The craziest part? It’s literally for OATLY oat milk, and the brilliant team created an entire catalog of recipes for these fancy bevvies, including a “Maple Miso Latte” and a “Tomato Vine Soda Float.”

This team clearly knew what they’re doing.

Reasons this is GOOD:

• It’s unexpected and fresh

• It romanticizes oat milk, which has become an expected part of everyday life

• It feels more like fashion than food (which is a good thing)

🍿 BRAND NEWS

1. Launching this morning, Gap and Malbon Golf are rolling out a 33-piece collab, a collection of men and women’s clothing and accessories. While you’d expect it to be 1%-coded because #golf, it’s actually quite down to earth and playful due to smart casting and art direction. Apparently Jesper Parnevik, the campaign star, is a very famous golfer. I wouldn’t know, but this is fun!!!!

2. Tom Brady has launched GOAT gummies, all-natural, organic vegan gummies. While clean, I’m actually surprised they aren’t protein/fiber/creatine infused. Interestingly, he’s launching in partnership with GoPuff — who promises that you can get these delivered to your door in 15 minutes. I’m sure we’ll see more collabs that have on-demand distribution baked in.

3. I feel like this got NO airtime on my feeds, so here it goes — this week, Dave’s Hot Chicken was acquired for $1B by the owners of Subway, Roark Capital. The 3 cofounders, who are childhood friends, started the business in LA with $900 — this should be the success story of the week.

4. Dolly Parton rolled a line of 4 southern-style frozen meals in partnership with Conagra, including shrimp and grits, country fried steak, and peach cobbler. This feels equally crazy in the age of GLP-1s but also smart with a recession looming, so maybe they cancel each other out? I’m rooting for her either way.

5. Lindsay Lohan just starred in an 80’s inspired Old Navy campaign promoting their new fitness line and she looks great and happy which we love to see. She is FULLY back, but I think she needs her Vogue-magazine-spread-followed-by—luxury-brand-endorsement moment, you know?

6. Macroinfluencer Stephen Bartlett just became cofounder of Stan, a creator monetization platform with $30M ARR; this is SUCH a smart move for both parties and I think is something we’ll see more and more of — creators as the new investors/partners/etc.

7. As a salad stan, I was invested — apparently, CloudKitchens’ (Uber founder Travis Kalanick’s $15B startup), Picnic is getting sued by Mixt for “exaggerating” prices and making it seem like ordering off Picnic was a better deal. TBH this feels like part for the course for the founder of Uber.

8. Fi is basically an Oura ring for your dog, and I expect that this is the future of wearables, especially as millennials wait longer and longer to have kids and dogs are treated like children (as they should be).

9. Thanks to House of CB, bandage dresses are making their return and honestly — I don’t hate it as much as everyone in the comments seems to !!! Also if you don’t know what these are… just imagine wearing a piece of shapewear to the fanciest event you have that year. Feedback was definitely mixed:

   

10. We NEED to talk about the Boatkin… which is basically a canvas tote version of the Birkin. While these are NOT for me, I do think they are marketing genius — reframing something iconic, creating scarcity, and . I will be breaking this down on Tiktok, so please follow along.

🆕 TREND REPORT

• ONE DRINK WONDERS. Gen Z doesn’t want to start a bar tab because it makes them anxious and a lot of people (read: millennials) think that’s crazy. I tend to agree, but controlling your alcohol intake and being financially responsible is probably a much better life plan than… the alternative.

• DATING DOMINANCE. Hinge is crushing it with Gen Z, while Bumble and Tinder are falling behind. Why? They launched a feature that prevents unresponsive users from getting new matches and are leveraging AI to better predict compatibility. Revenue is up 39%, so it’s working.

• BOOMERANG HIRES. This was shocking to me!!! “Boomerang hiring” is a huge trend right now. It made up 35% of all new hires in March, which to me seems SO high — but ADP has the facts. This is a sign to be nicer to your boss.

• PINTEREST users are a whopping 42% Gen Z, but apparently AI pins are driving them away. Which is interesting, because it feels like “Pinterest-worthy” content feels ripe for AI…

• RECESSION INDICATORS. Dollar Tree sales are up 11% to $6.4B, which is not surprising giving the looming recession — but what is interesting who is purchasing. Apparently, 2.6M of their new customers in Q1 are those who earn $100k/year or more annually.

🎲 ONE LAST THING

I read an article recently about the science behind getting “the ick” and why it, seemingly, happens so frequently (and quickly) these days.

For the uninitiated, here is the definition of “the ick”:

Psychologists say it’s a biological defense mechanism gone hypersensitive in an overstimulated world — understandable. Our brains are scanning for red flags faster than ever, making us hyper-aware of even the tiniest turnoffs.

Women, in particular, are more prone to “the ick” — thanks to both evolutionary wiring and social conditioning to be attuned to subtle cues and potential incompatibilities. Certain personality types (including both anxious and narcissistic types) are also more likely to get the ick quickly.

Outside of dating, I feel like it’s also linked to cancel culture — one day, we’re idolizing someone we barely know online, and the next we’re looking into their family tree and tweets from 2006 to justify our feelings.

Maybe we all just need to work on our ick tolerance!!!

If you like what you see, consider:

• leaving a comment!

• sending to a friend who might love this content

• replying to this email with any feedback (things you loved, things you hated) — I read them all :)

HAPPY WEEKEND!

- Sabena

You guys loved my first ever 2025 trend report, and now that we’re somehow halfway through the year, it felt like the perfect time to take a step back and see what’s been trending in the first half of 2025.

It’s been an interesting year, but it’s always fun to see what patterns are emerging across brands and pop culture.

I will say, much of what I predicted for the year so far is coming to fruition. But, as always, there are plenty of curveballs.

Enjoy & please share with anyone you think would find this interesting! Your support lets me do this thing.

xx

Sabena

🪄5 TRENDS FOR THE FIRST HALF OF 2025

1. Nostalgia is driving a LOT of our purchase decisions.

Let’s start somewhere kinda fun! Lububus — or mini dolls with mischievous little faces — are having a MOMENT. These furry little dolls come in blind boxes and sell out in minutes, are $30 a pop, and beloved by celebs like Rihanna, Dua Lipa and Blackpink’s Lisa — who love to adorn their $5k+ handbags with them.

They’re created by China-based Pop Mart, who did nearly $2 billion in 2024, with Labubus accounting for $400 million in revenue (a 726% increase YoY). Insane.

My theory on why these, why now is that 1) the TikTokification of fashion means everything is a trend that feels like a MUST and 2) we’re all looking for a bit of levity and joy in otherwise bleak times (sad but unfortunately true).

But it’s not just Labubus that are playing into nostalgia. We’re seeing it across brands and industries…

• 2000s TV!!!! Disney+ and Hulu are teaming up to offer “Throwback” TV — giving millennials (and maybe their kids I guess?) a chance to watch their favorites from the early 2000’s, including Lizzie McGuire, Hannah Montana, Boy Meets World and other “comfort shows.” I think they could really tell we needed this.

  

• Froyo is back. NYMag just wrote an article entitled “New York Cit"y is Ready for Some Fro-Yo” and if that doesn’t scream 2008, I don’t know what does. This feels like an opportunity for Big Protein…

  

• The return of the mascot. WNBA Team New York Liberty’s mascot is basically a celebrity — and I think it signals the return of the mascot in marketing. Ellie the Elephant has nearly 200,000 TikTok followers, wears custom Nike kicks and flaunts a designer handbag collection that would make Carrie Bradshaw jealous — and it’s working.

• Gap, Abercrombie, and the return of the mall brand. Gap has had a noteworthy comeback thanks to red carpet appearances and splashy ad campaigns that get back to the brand’s 90s roots — all of which has led sales growth of 7%; I’ve also written about the return of Abercrombie, which continues to be in its heyday.

🌶 Hot Take: Nostalgia is great, but so is listening to your customer. If I were a legacy brand, I’d do a ton of research to see what products, campaigns, or moments your community most loves—and bring one or two of those back in a big way. As a new brand, I’d focus on “borrowed nostalgia,” or giving your brand a vintage feel that feels “lived in.” And remember, mascots are back, so do with that what you will…

2. Turns out, no one is immune to propaganda.

There is a big TikTok trend right now called “Propaganda I’m Not Falling For” — where a creator posts a photo of him/herself and a bunch of things they categorically refuse to believe. Exhibit A:

Like it or not, we are living in a time where having strong opinions is sort of raige-baity. Just look at controversial podcast host and entrepreneur Lauryn Bosstick, who has turned wellness into a cult and is profiting off everything from mouth tape to daily meat bowls, and most recently, non-toxic toilet paper, which she calls “The Birkin Bag of Toilet Paper.” It’s working, as the Skinny Confidential brand has seen 66% year-over-year revenue growth.

I do think it’s interesting that with this trend, people are questioning things that we’ve just “accepted” as normal. Some standouts for me personally:

• mouth tape (ironic)

• oat milk

• baby botox

• gracie abrams

• clean girl aesthetic

• circling back

• cyber trucks

• melatonin

• ballet flats

• capris

🌶 Hot Take: To me, this trend is all about trust — consumers are more aware they’re being marketed to than ever before, at a time when they are cutting back on spending — both of which make our jobs a lot harder. How do you, as a brand, build trust? This takes great content, education, and transparency, and most importantly, time.

3. Ozempic and SkinnyTok are bringing us back to 90’s era body standards.

Speaking of wellness cults, the wellness dialogue online is LOUD lately. We’re continuing to see the rise of Ozempic coupled with an obsession with being skinny.

GLP-1s have experienced EXPLOSIVE growth in the US. A total of 4% of all Americans are on some kind GLP-1 (2% specifically for weightloss/obesity), which is a 600% increase since 2019.

With the rise of Ozempic, Weight Watchers officially filed for bankruptcy — which is not shocking. This New York Times opinion article interestingly states that with the loss of Weight Watchers, we might be losing the community aspect to weight loss… which I don’t entirely disagree with.

You can now buy Wegovy, a GLP-1 by Novo Nordisk, via Hims & Hers — making it more accessible and available than ever before... which has implications on everything from the the snacks we eat to the wedding dress industry.

In other health trends — we’re seeing the rise of creatine. I wrote about Arrae’s foray into creatine, and now brands like Lemme are getting into it, too. Is this the new protein? Perhaps.

Then there’s SkinnyTok. Posterchild of the movement is influencer Liv Schmidt, who encourages her followers to follow a Skinni Girl lifestyle in her subscriber-only group on Instagram (she was banned from TikTok); just two days ago, her Meta account was also banned from monetizing.

And finally, Oura Ring data is making us anxious — which isn’t shocking, but another indicator of this obsession with tracking, data, and optimization. With the news that OpenAI is building a wearable… we might be in too deep.

🌶 Hot Take: It’s clearer than ever that we all want to live longer, healthier lives — but I think we may be losing the plot on the power of sustainable change and doing things in community (aka, are we making this much harder on ourselves than it needs to be, and definitely way less fun?). As a brand, I’d find ways to talk about how I bring a little joy into people’s lives… what about a “it’s not that serious” campaign?

4. Brands are heading to Substack — because in 2025, every brand is also a media company.

This feels meta, but we’re seeing more and more brands migrate to Substack. wrote a great piece on this earlier this year, where she talked about some of the reasons brands are getting on the platform. Per Ad Age, brands see Substack as “as a way to meet consumers in a more personable manner while avoiding much of the chaos of larger social media networks.”

1. The Real Real | 3k subscribers. Since TheRealReal can sometimes feel a bit cold and transactional, this is really smart way to put some storytelling around the pieces on the site and position them as a thought leader in the resale space.

2. Tory Burch | 4k subscribers. This is part fashion advice column, part magazine — and feels like a way to have a deeper conversation with brand fans.

3. Hinge | 1k subscribers. In an effort to better connect with Gen Z and show the real life success stories of app users, Hinge is rolling out a 5-part weekly series to “explore the complexities of dating in a modern way.” I like the concept, but I’m wondering what happens after the 5 weeks is over?

🌶 Hot Take: I don’t mind that brands are on Substack, as I think it’s a new channel to explore (the best of them all, IMO!!!) and a way to connect with fans in a more meaningful way than through a 30 sec TikTok. But now that brands are here, can they do something truly… interesting? Maybe there’s an opportunity to bring on guest writers, create a “drop journal” where they take users BTS, or even hosting a private popup that’s ONLY for subscribers.

5. AI is kind of our best friend…but also our worst enemy.

It would be hard to write a trend forecasting piece in 2025 and not mention AI, so here goes.

We’re seeing the rise of the AI Therapist — which can be especially impactful in areas where therapists are not available, or for people for whom therapy is cost prohibitive.

To back this up — I found this infographic from BBC fascinating, as it shows the difference between use cases for AI in 2024 vs. 2025 — and we clearly are finding more ways to incorporate the tool into our professional & personal lives, and fewer around learning and education or research.

But then there’s the dark side of all of this… the very real possibility that AI is coming for… all of our jobs.

Duolingo, for example, is under fire after its CEO said that the company would be cutting contractor jobs in favor of AI tools to help with efficiency and productivity. (He’s now walking a lot of those comments back). Shopify has made similar comments and experienced backlash as well.

And then there’s the issue of AI-generated content. SET Active’s Chief Brand Officer, for example, has talked about how AI is a large part of Set Active’s marketing stack — noting that they use it specifically to create “fiction” like a recent April Fool’s Day social post. says that “proof of reality” will become the new status symbol for brands — or showing that their content was not created by AI.

🌶 Hot Take: In the midst of these AI surge, there’s an opportunity for human-centric brands to own that positioning. Whether you have artisans or craftsmen at the helm, or simply use humans to write your social media captions — there are ways to give people a “look behind the curtain” and showcase how real people are running the show. I think there’s a desire, more than ever, for true connection (and the personality that comes with it!!)

SOME MORE QUICK HITS…

To round out the week, here’s a short & sweet wrapup of brand news:

• David Protein Bar raised $75M to continue their mission of “design[ing] tools to increase muscle and decrease fat” to me, they are really building the Nike of protein bars… so curious to see where they go.

• Rhode sold to E.l.f. Beauty for $1B just 3 years after starting the brand

• Tory Burch x Bonbon collabed on a cute little collection of candy-inspired accessories (nostalgia, anyone?)

• Chobani acquired plant-based food brand Daily Harvest for a reported $600M.

• TikToker Jaz decided to livestream (live-TikTok? IDK) her Oheka Castle wedding, gained thousands of followers — and I think this is a defining moment for Gen Z wedding culture from now on… aka brand deals >

• Hermes launched $15,000 headphones that some people will definitely buy.

• …and finally, Sirens on Netflix is good so far, but if you haven’t watched Your Friends and Neighbors yet, what are you doing?!

Would love to hear what you thought of this one. Let me know & share with a friend!

Also, I’m going to back brand deep dives. If you have a brand you’ve been wanting to know more about… drop it below!

Talk soon,

Sabena

Happy Friday!!!

It’s been a whirlwind month but I am so happy to be back in your inboxes, chatting all things brand & business.

I hope you have some fun weekend plans!

Happy early Mother’s Day to all the mamas out there.

xx

Sabena

🧲 OBSESSION OF THE WEEK

I will never not get excited about a new menu item at Sweetgreen…but this one is particularly noteworthy.

Sweetgreen is collaborating with Cote, the only Michelin-starred Korean steakhouse in the US (and #10 steakhouse in the world) on a Korean BBQ inspired menu launching next week.

They are launching with a KBBQ Steak Bowl, a KBBQ Steak Plate, and a Cucumber Kimchi Crunch Salad.

Reasons I think this is genius:

• It’s mutually beneficial: elevates Sweetgreen into “gourmet” territory while giving Cote access to a more mainstream customer (the restaurant only has 3 locations)

• From beauty to fashion to travel to food, interest in Korean culture is growing like wildfire globally

• It looks delicious, duh

🍿 BRAND NEWS

1. Sprite has officially eclipsed Pepsi as America’s #3 soda (Dr Pepper cinched the #2 spot). How? The brand invested heavily in partnerships like those with NBA star Anthony Edwards and rapper Doechii and R&D with Sprite Chill, a flavor with a proprietary “cooling sensation,” which is now its crown jewel.

2. Bill Gates’ daughter, Phoebe Gates, launched a startup called Phia that is the “Google Flights for Fashion.” The AI-powered app tracks prices for clothing across several sites and finds secondhand options, too. Naturally, Kris Jenner invested.

3. DoorDash is acquiring restaurant and hotel booking app SevenRooms for $1.2B which I generally feel okay about because I never really felt like SevenRooms was “for the people” if you know what I mean? But happy for them.

4. Whoever is doing Emma Grede’s PR needs a raise, an assistant, and maybe a vacation. Formerly the under-the-radar, self-made billionaire co-founder of SKIMs and now Off Season, Emma has been EVERYWHERE lately. She is on a major press tour for her new podcast called Aspire and is making waves for her controversial comments about how work-life balance is your responsibility, not your employer’s (which I feel intentionally provactative, very similar to the Kim K “nobody wants to work anymore” era). I respect the hustle.

5. Aritzia is trying to convince us that Sperry’s are cool again and all I have to say is no, thank you.

6. According to Lyst, Loewe is officially the world’s hottest brand, dethroning Miu Miu. This isn’t entirely shocking as we collectively get more and more into quiet luxury.

7. Fashion fitness company Bala is launching a collection of mother-inspired fitness equipment called Bala Mama for pre and post partum, and I’m here for the inclusive, thoughtful design (not going to take credit for this, but also I *did* just write about this so you do the math).

8. OpenAI has a new CEO of Applications — Fidji Simo, formerly CEO of Instacart. I think this is a sign of where the company is headed, which is becoming more and more relevant for everyday consumers and fitting into their daily lives.

9. Speaking of… OpenAI is trying to help you shop better, providing options for any shopping quagmire — and I honestly love this application of ChatGPT because online shopping NEEDS HELP.

10. With all the chatter about tariffs, we may forget the brands who are essentially tariff-proof (or may actually benefit). TJ Maxx is one, as they’re in the business of selling excess inventory that is most definitely already in this country. Meanwhile, Temu is no longer shipping US customers any goods from China.

11. Apparently nothing is scared anymore, because Chef Boyardee just sold to PE firm Brynwood Partners for $600 million, as Conagra tries to “reshape its portfolio” after recent declines in sales and profits.

12. In case you missed it, the latest Kardashian venture is… popcorn. Khloe launched Kloud popcorn, which is gluten-free and boasts 7g of protein. The brand launched on DTC and in Target exclusively.

13. These are not for me BUT Labubu Dolls—keychain dolls made in Hong Kong and inspired by Nordic fairytales— are apparently having a huge moment, especially in the street fashion scene, where they hang on designer bags. Apparently, they come in “blind boxes” so you never know which one you’re gonna get. Fun!

14. To decide what to design next, Walmart is using AI to synthesize trend data across TikTok, runway shows, and more. This is interesting, except when your blog post is titled “Walmart Uses GenAI To Create Cool for Customers” you may be in trouble.

15. American Eagle is doing a lot of things right these days — from launching an Affiliate Program to getting on Substack… they are definitely finding new ways to reach the chronically online generation.

16. In case you were wondering what the kids are up to these days, this is an excellent glossary of Gen Z/Alpha slang, wherein I learned what ‘gurt’ is and how to use ‘Kevin’ in a sentence.

17. Panera Bread launched a croissant clutch, in honor of their new Croissant Toast Sandwiches. I would say I needed more from them, but then again we’re talking about Panera, not Prada.

18. Speaking of food-inspired accessories, Ring Concierge and Kraft Mac and Cheese launched a 14k solid gold necklace in the shape of a macaroni noodle for literally $25 (worth $800)???? It, understandably sold out in seconds.

🆕 TREND REPORT RECESSION INDICATORS

• DAIRY is back, because everything comes back around, and people are really really obsessed with protein these days. Raw milk in particular saw a 24% spike in 2024, and apparently there is a whole side of TikTok that is pro-milk — a side I’m very grateful not to be on, but I digress.

• MAHA. Speaking of protein….we are officially in the MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) era, where every single thing we eat is being scrutinized by one special interest group or another, especially with the rise of apps like Yuka. Peter Rahal, founder of protein bar David, which has been under scrutinty for some of its ingredients, says “When you’re disrupting and no one really can compete with you, that’s a recipe for what I call haters.” Amen.

• APEROL WHO? According to alcoholic beverage companies, they are betting that the drink of the summer will be… vodka lemonade (aka hard lemonade). Idk, this makes me sad in ways I cannot articulate and definitelyyyyy think it’s a sign of the times.

• SAKS X AMAZON. Luxury retail is experiencing a downturn, and Saks is feeling the impact. To help them reach new customers, they are launching a multibranded storefront, featuring brands like Jason Wu, Dolce & Gabanna, and Balmain on Amazon as part of the Luxury Stores at Amazon Program. I’m curious to see how this goes…

• FIZZ. Instacart launched a BYOB app that lets partygoers add their drinks of choice — and then pay their share ahead of time. I cannot imagine a usecase where this doesn’t violate basic rules of etiquete (“hey, come to my birthday, just make sure you bring your own wine!”) BUT if its aimed at college students and those in their early 20s… I *guess* I get it.

  

🎲 ONE LAST THING

Apple just launched a perfectly timed, very heartfelt commercial for their Apple Vision Pro headset.

“A Gift For Mom,” created by TBWA\Media Arts Lab Los Angeles, is a compilation of 55 hours of “spatial video” (aka Vision Pro) footage from a couple’s first year with their baby — ending with a beautifully edited movie that’s a surprise to mom, Khulan.

If you need a pick-me-up, it is SO adorable — and knowing Director Goh Iromoto is behind it makes me think it might win an award, too.

If you like what you see, consider:

• sending to a friend who might love this content

• leaving a comment!

• replying to this email — I read them all :)

HAPPY WEEKEND!

- Sabena

This week’s edition of Brandiose is centered on a marketing direction (so much more than a trend) I’ve noticed recently and am so excited to discuss:

Pregnant women are finally getting to be the star of marketing campaigns — something that would have been considered “taboo” even a few years ago. And brands are doing a better job of speaking authentically about the experience, from an actual insight-driven place.

It’s about time — per TechCrunch, women make over 80% of purchase decisions, yet so many brands aren’t speaking to us in an authentic way.

Pregnancy is a core part of the female experience for so many women — so it’s time brands learned how to incorporate it into their campaigns.

I love this new direction because in 2025, authenticity from brands isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s table stakes.

These are some of my recent faves.

Molly Baz for Special K

the insight: pregnant women are superhuman

I would say this movement really began last June, when chef Molly Baz was featured on a box of Special K, making her the first pregnant woman in history to be featured on a cereal box.

Of the partnership, Chef Baz said: “I'm thrilled to use this moment as a billboard and platform where we can celebrate the mind-blowing miracle of pregnancy and motherhood that is happening around us all and is nothing short of a dream come true."

This collaboration came out of a press moment the month prior when Molly’s Time Square billboard for lactation cookie company Swehl was taken down because it was “inappropriate.” Eventually, the brand put it back up — with a little help from their friends at Seed — but the scandal was a moment.

Burger King Bundles of Joy

the insight: 39% of women request a burger right after giving birth

Last fall, BBH London created a very well done ad featuring a heartwarming montage of moms in the delivery room going through labor. It ends with every new mom getting a Burger King burger — and taking a gratifying bite.

Honestly, I loved the execution of the ad — specifically, how real and raw it felt. But I may love the OOH even more. How often do you see a bus sign with a mom and a newborn eating a burger in the delivery room? It’s attention-grabbing and conversation-starting.

This one got a ton of heat on the internet because it conflated one of life’s most beautiful moments with… fast food. And I get it, but I still feel like the representation is the win to focus on here.

Kylie Kelce for Liquid Death

the insight: pregnant women need to drink more water (5L/day to be exact)

Liquid Death’s marketing team can can do no wrong in my eyes (check out my previous deep dive) — and their latest campaign with Kylie Kelce, “Kegs for Pregs” is proof of that.

They partnered with the podcast host (and NFL WAG) to launch their limited edition Liquid Death Mini Kegs — a 5 liter keg full of water, for all the hydration you need during pregnancy.

It’s SUCH a genius way to:

• speak to a new audience

• meet a real need

• spark a conversation

• continue your brand promise

No notes (as usual).

Frida Baby’s Breast Milk Ice Cream

the insight: breastfeeding breaks the internet (again)

Frida Baby just announced that they’ll be launching a breast milk ice cream in 9 months.

Calm down, it’s not actually breastmilk, but the flavor is supposed to mimic what breast milk allegedly tastes like (per Frida - “sweet, nutty, with a hint of salt”). The ice cream is “packed with similar nutrients to breast milk and formula, including Omega-3s for brain power, energy-boosting lactose, protein, vitamins and minerals.”

Of course, this is stunty — it’s actually supposed to promote their new 2-in-1 Manual Breast Pump — and meant to be a bit uncomfortable, but you have to commend the brand for *going there* and starting a conversation.

The proof that the brand truly broke into culture? It was just featured on SNL’s Weekend Update.

Pregnant then Screwed

the insight: pregnancy discrimination is a real thing

Last month, an independent group of creatives in the UK, led by Gemma Phillips, launched a campaign called “Pregnant then Screwed” to raise awareness for discrimination against pregnant women in the workplace, or “the motherhood penalty.”

The campaign is based around a staggering stat:

Every single year 74,000 women lose their jobs for getting pregnant or for taking maternity leave in the UK. - Women in Data

The campaign launched with a buzzy moment in London called “The Career Shredder” which featured women’s resumes being shred in real time to demonstrate women’s careers being “shred” due to pregnancy discrimination. The campaign also features OOH and wildpostings and calls for companies to increase pat leave, make jobs more flexible, and collect maternity retention data to showcase the scale of the problem.

I love that this group is shining a light on something once considered taboo to talk openly about in such a powerful way.

Sophie Roe for Perelel

the insight: not all prenatal vitamins are created equal

In a move we have not yet seen, award-winning chef Chef Sophia Roe announced her pregnancy via a sponsored #ad.

But it wasn’t just any old ad — Roe teamed up with Perelel to tell the world she was expecting with a a full page ad in the New York Times.

It was the kickoff to a larger partnership between Roe and Perelel — underscoring the importance of nutrition throughout the pregnancy journey, something that Perelel believes it can deliver on via its high-quality offerings.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Perelel’s Head of Brand Marketing, Alexis Guss, about this campaign. Per Guss, the goal of the campaign is “to continue advocating for maternal health equity and bring more awareness to this issue through moments like this campaign with Sophia—and beyond.”

Free Ideas ☁️

I’d love to see more brands find creative ways to speak to, highlight, and even innovative for, moms-to-be — in ways they’ve never been addressed before:

• An athletic brand like Alo, SET (), or Bala () launch a maternity collection — since more and more moms are choosing to stay active during their pregnancies.

• A hotel brand like 1 Hotel launch a babymoon retreat, complete with a custom pregnancy-safe food and drink offering, workout program, maternity shoot with photographer, and pregnancy pillows in every room.

• A chic apparel brand like Reformation designs a non-maternity capsule you’d actually want to wear before and after pregnancy (right now, their maternity page is pretty lackluster).

• A luxury brand like Totem launch chic non-diaper bags in collaboration with a cool mom like .

What else?! Would love to hear your thoughts below!!

If you like what you see, consider:

• sending to a friend who might love this content

• leaving a comment!

• sending me an email

have a great week.

- Sabena

It’s been a minute, but I’m back and excited to be breaking down everything happening in brand right now.

A big trend you’ll see this week is escapism. Everyone wants a little getaway, and I think many of these stories explain why.

And hiiiii to all my new subscribers!! So glad you’re here :)

xx

Sabena

🧲 OBSESSION OF THE WEEK

Aritzia is an apparel brand that has truly stood the test of time — growing up with its millennial audience while also rolling out relevant collections for its Gen Z fangirls.

I love their latest campaign — part laundromat, part Clueless closet — that really feels like it hits on a future nostalgia we’re all longing for these days.

Honestly their new tone of voice is very Reformation coded, but I don’t blame them…

🍿 BRAND NEWS

1. Meghan Markle is doubling down on her rebrand, this time launching a ShopMy storefront so you can shop all of her favorites. To me this feels like a huge get for ShopMy, who has been playing the affiliate war against LTK for a while now — but also, for Meghan, who is trying to convince us that she “loves a deal” just like the rest of us (in case you’re reading this Meghan, it’s okay, you don’t have to pretend.)

2. Edible Arrangements is getting into the edibles game with DTC platform called edibles.com. Honestly, it feels like they are very, very late to the game here, but definitely feels like a play to expand beyond their core audience to reach new heights with Gen Z (lol, couldn’t help myself).

3. The Ordinary had the internet buzzing by selling eggs for an “ordinary” price of $3.37, but also people are getting stopped for trying to bring eggs across the border. Also, apparently bananas are the next in line for inflation. Leave our breakfast alone!!!

4. Apple is losing a cool $1 billion a year on Apple Tv+ but they know what they’re doing. It’s a loss leader strategy to keep customers in the Apple ecosystem and keeps them relevant in culture, among other things. They’re fine.

5. Speaking of AppleTV+, I cannot wait to watch this new series called The Studio. It’s a satire about Hollywood starring Seth Rogan and featuring cameos from just about everyone (namely, Martin Scorcese, Ron Howard, Adam Scott, Olivia Wilde, Zoë Kravitz, Anthony Mackie, Charlize Theron, Steve Buscemi, Ice Cube, Zac Efron and Dave Franco).

6. Starbucks launched a partnership with Peanuts and, while cute,… I don’t really know how this is part of the comeback strategy or gets them back to their “third place” roots. Their initiative to cut drive-through wait times to under 4 minutes? Better.

7. It’s no surprise that Gen Z loves a “fun little beverage,” and fast food chains are using that as a strategy to bring them in. McDonald’s has a standalone drink concept called CosMc’s and Taco Bell has a Live Mas Café, which features 30+ drinks like a “Churro Chiller” and a Baja Blast with cream. Not for me, but I’m not the target.

8. 23 and Me, once one the most innovative companies out there, has lost 99% of its value and is going bankrupt. CEO Anne Wojcicki has stepped down, but she still insists there’s hope for the company.

9. This Beis claw machine activation at the Grove for their new launch was SO cute. Anything that’s gamification + nostalgia + fluffy is a win in my eyes.

10. SKIMS is always up to something. They just acquired Skkn by Kim, Kim Kardashian’s makeup line — with the goal of potentially relaunching products. Honestly, I think the Kardashian era may be coming to a close (you heard it here first) so I’m curious how they will reposition the brand to be more product-first than Kim-forward.

11. My friends launched a new tool called Zeen — which is allows you to create shoppable collages. Kind of like if Pinterest and LTK had a baby. Excited for this!!!!

12. Apparently, the new Hunger Games book, Sunrise on the Reaping, is a hit — it’s sold 1.2 million copies in the US in its first week — and, in case you want to wait…we’ll be getting a movie in 2026.

13. Nike is still bleeding — revenue in the third quarter fell 9% year over year to $11.3 billion, but their CEO is optimistic that they can turn things around with consistently good execution for several quarters in a row. I’m rooting for them.

14. In case you’re wondering, Erewhon is making bank on Hailey Bieber smoothies. In fact, they sell 40k of them a month. At $20/pop, you do the math (almost $10M a year).

🆕 TREND REPORT

• Escapism is a big trend right now across fashion, culture, film… and will cascade into pretty much everything in 2025. It’s no surprise… real life is looking a little bleak these days, so we’re all looking for a little mental (or literal) vacation. Indicators include a collective obsession with Sarah J. Mass, White Lotus, and apparently, castlecore.

• Bonus bonanza. Wall Street Bonuses were the highest ever in 2024 — a whopping $47.5 billion last year, a 30% increase and 4x the average employee’s salary. Not sure that will be the case in 2025, tbh.

• The Rejected Generation. That’s Business Insider’s term for Gen Z, not mine. But it’s not inaccurate. Gen Zs truly have dealt with every kind of rejection imaginable: college, dating, jobs. The silver lining, of course, is that they are reinventing what it means to be successful.

  “A typical Zoomer on the apps may be getting rejected by more prospective partners in a week than a typical boomer has in their entire adult life.”

  - Logan Ury, Hinge's director of relationship science

• Sports betting. Probably linked directly to the above, but sports betting is an addiction for 37% of Gen Zs who choose to partake — largely attributable to their “digitally native” / chronically online reality.

• Flight wars. Airlines are getting creative with how they differentiate, but not in the ways that actually matter to us. Southwest is getting rid of its free seating and bag policies… while Air France just collaborated with Jacquemus on pajamas for first-class passsengers. Give the people what they (actually) want!!

• Recession humor. We are definitely in the dark humor era of Internet culture… judging by the fact that recession indicator memes are a trend right now and the fact that 46% of young people say that they’d want to be severed.

🎲 ONE LAST THING

If you live in New York, you NEED to go to the new Printemps store (shoutout to my friend Shivani for putting me onto this). You don’t need to buy anything— just go to appreciate the beautiful displays, thoughtful details, and incredible curation.

“Printemps — the French word for spring — is…offering New Yorkers and tourists a two-story bazaar with Murano light fixtures, mosaic walls, spa treatment pods, bars and restaurants, marble and parquet floors, exhibits of archival haute couture and Champagne to go.” - The New York Times

As a brand person, I stand firmly behind the idea that retail is not dead, but needs to keep up with the times and go beyond the products on shelf. We are all seeking novel experiences and “third spaces.” To me, this new store is the blueprint (pun intended). If you’ve been, please share your thoughts!!!!

If you like what you see, consider:

• sending to a friend who might love this content

• leaving a comment!

• sending me an email

have a great week.

- Sabena

The TLDR; I was a little bit disappointed in the ads this year. Only a few were truly heart wrenching and/or thought provoking. A lot felt gimmicky and try-hard.

Regardless — here are my favorites & my thoughts.

xx

Sabena

🏈 THEMES

1. Celebrities, everywhere. This is nothing new, but it did feel like EVERY single ad had star power, which almost feels lazy? Or is just table stakes if you’re already spending $7M+ on the media? Also, Taylor Swift getting booed and Travis losing?! Not a great night for Tayvis.

2. Winks & nods. I really liked the way some brands broke the fourth wall with their scripts. It makes the whole thing feel a little less try-hard. One notable moment was with Tom Brady for Duracell asking why everyone keeps asking him if he’s okay after the roast. Genius.

3. Moments, not ads. As always, the smartest brands were the ones who started a conversation, not just ran a spot. Michelob Ultra’s “The Ultra Hustle” ad played and then was mentioned 3x in short succession — repetition is key. Poppi got people talking ahead of the game (more on this below). I loved the execution of Rocket’s emotional “Country Roads” spot which led into a live sing along in the stadium. Memorable.

4. The Humanization of AI. Unsurprisingly, AI was a big part of the ads this year. You had Salesforce’s AI with Matthew McConaughey and OpenAI debuting their new rebrand. Not to mention Meta’s x Ray Ban smart glasses ad with Kris Jenner, Chris Hemsworth, and a barely recognizable Chris Pratt. I also appreciated water bottle company Cirkul poking fun at the perils of AI featuring Adam Davine — without going too dark.

5. 90s Nostalgia. Nothing new here since I’ve written about this extensively — but it seems like Carl’s Jr. is going back to the Paris Hilton era with their ad featuring Alix Earle eating a juicy hamburger in a cutout bodysuit, Budweiser’s iconic Clydesdales, and the Muppets for Booking.com.

6. Less controversy, more comedy. Overall, it really felt like brands were taking a much safer route this year than ever, leaning on celebrities and easy, predictable humor…often to the point of slapstick. In the wake of DEI programs getting slashed, a new administration, and general societal angst — this is sad but predictable.

📺 THE ADS

My unranked, unfiltered thoughts on 11 Super Bowl ads that stood out to me — for better or for worse.

1. Poppi “Soda Thoughts” A direct attack on Big Soda, featuring diners, drive-ins, and dives (quite literally) and a trio of influencer talent, with the tagline “get a Poppi.” Nothing groundbreaking, but their decision to give away $25k vending machines to influencers ahead of the game definitely got customers heated. I wonder how this will impact sales.

2. Hims & Hers “Sick of the System” An ad about off-brand Ozempic while blaming America for its emphasis on being fat feels… ironic. I get what they’re trying to do, but it feels like a message they can’t really say out loud, given they’re profiting off of the system, too.

3. Michelob Ultra “The Ultra Hustle” Ok, I don’t know how other people felt about this… but I thought it was funny & smart, and personally loved the concept of an older couple (Willem Dafoe and Catherine O’Hara) beating literally everyone at pickleball… because it would totally happen.

4. Dunkin’ Donuts “DunKings 2” Per my Twitter/Substack Notes feed, reviews were mixed on this spot with Ben Affleck (and accompanying 7 minute brand movie) and I agree. I appreciate the commitment to the Boston brand ethos and breaking the fourth wall by mentioning Tom Brady & Matt Damon…but then how does the recent Sabrina Carpenter collab fit in here? It feels strategically a bit all over the place, so not sure it does anything for the brand.

5. Uber Eats “A Century of Cravings” I really love the concept of an NFL exec (Matthew Mcconaughey) having a conspiracy theory about selling food (I mean isn’t the NFL just a giant conspiracy?!)… the “historical flashbacks” were entertaining and Buffalo Bills reference made me lol. I also love that Martha and Charlie XCX made an appearance. I think Mcconaughey’s amazing comedic timing genuinely helps breaks down the fourth wall that big tech struggles with.

6. Novartis “Your Attention Please” This one came as a total surprise to me — one of those ads that you try to guess what they could possibly be selling as you watch… an amazing tactic for keeping viewers invested until the end. It would have felt flat if it was another bra or tampon company, so I appreciate that it was not that and instead a reminder to do regular breast exams. But, Novartis?!… I wish this came from a nonprofit.

7. Instacart “We’re Here” In keeping with nostalgia, this is all about the throwbacks to millennial and gen X mascots (the Kool Aid guy, the Energizer Bunny, the Old Spice guy, etc.) Fun to watch, but definitely has little to nothing to do with Instacart. Makes more sense given that it’s a retail media play to essentially show off Instacart’s “secret sauce” and have featured brands crosspromote. Smart.

8. Google Gemini “Dream Job” I always appreciate Google’s attempts at making literally everyone cry during the Super Bowl. This ad, featuring a dad going back to work after raising his daughter (and of course using Gemini for interview prep) was no exception, and I do think the mission of humanizing AI actually worked here.

9. Skechers “Glide Step” This ad featuring Martha Stewart moonwalking and breakdancing in her Skechers was definitely absurd, but it was so simple that maybe memorable? Either way, Martha is having a MOMENT right now — so locking her down is a huge win for the brand.

10. Liquid Death “Drink on the Job” The brand’s first Super Bowl spot did exactly what it’s meant to: build awareness, and make the connection that while it looks like beer, it’s not. It felt perfectly on brand and had a simple enough premise to break through the clutter. Liquid Death always gets it.

11. Hellmann’s “When Sally Met Hellmann’s” I saw this one well before today, but it didn’t make it any less enjoyable seeing Meg Ryan & Billy Crystal together on screen again in the perfect nod to When Harry Met Sally. Plus, a cute Sydney Sweeney payoff that felt a bit like passing the baton… are we getting a remake?!

12. Nike “So Win.” Last but definitely not least, this is Nike’s first return to the Super Bowl since 1988, and it did not disappoint. The ad features female athletes like Caitlin Clark, Jordan Chiles, and A'ja Wilson, among others, and a powerful message about proving the haters wrong. It’s particularly moving given its appearance during the year’s largest male athletic event. This is Nike at its best, and it feels like they’re finally getting their voice back. More of this in 2025, please…

🎲 ONE LAST THING

If you’re wondering about whether a Super Bowl ad is “worth it”— I loved this take from Hubspot breaking down the ROI. tldr;

• In 2025, the Super Bowl drew approximately 125 million viewers. It’s still one of the single most watched TV program in the US — so the eyeballs are there.

• In 2025, a 30-second Super Bowl was $7 million, with some slots going for up to $8 million

• The average celebrity cameo costs about $1-3 million

• Plus, production costs, which could vary… assuming around $10 million minimum between agency fees and production.

You’re looking at ~$20-30 million for a “low budget” Super Bowl ad, and way, way more for those star-studded, celebrity crossover spots. For reference, Jeep spent $32 million on their Super Bowl ad with Harrison Ford this year, and I definitely wouldn’t call it groundbreaking. And read this you’re curious about the game’s most expensive ads (not including production value).

Still, according to Kantar research in 2021, “Super Bowl ads delivered an average return on investment (ROI) of $4.60 per dollar spent, with many brands in the double digits.”

Depending on your industry, that’s definitely on par, and in some cases better than, many other ad formats...

So it’s up to a brand to determine whether the juice is worth the squeeze.

Ok, that’s all from me, but I’m curious what you think. Winners, losers, and what did I miss?!

🏈 🏈 🏈 🏈

If you like what you see, consider:

• sending to a friend who might love this content

• leaving a comment!

• sending me an email

have a great week.

- Sabena

Somehow, it’s still January.

Thanks for all the love on my last post & welcome new subscribers to a more (regular) edition of Brandiose. In case you missed it, I broke down the 11 trends I’m predicting will be huge for 2025.

But today, back to our regularly scheduled programming.

xx

Sabena

🧲 OBSESSION OF THE WEEK

Arrae, the supplement company that counts Hailey Bieber as an investor, just launched a new product. It’s called Tone, a creatine gummy that’s supposed to help women build muscle without bulking.

While I can’t speak to the product claims, I love this launch for a few reasons:

1. Innovative: There’s a ton of conversation about protein right now (I’ve written about its oversaturation) — so starting a conversation about creatine—specifically for women—feels fresh and exciting. It reminds me of the early colostrum days, before every influencer started telling you about how ARMRA *changed the game*.

2. Bold: Instead of just launching another product, this one starts a conversation. Why should women be interested in creatine? The content they’re putting out is designed to get people talking.

3. Aspirational: Snagging supermodels Jasmine Tookes and Elsa Hosk for this campaign is big. The word that comes to mind with both of these women is class, and they’re each selective with the partnerships they take on, so this feels a bit more credible than a traditional partnership. The campaign imagery also feels dreamy and editorial, which elevates the product.

🍿 BRAND NEWS

• With Season 3 around the corner, we need to talk about White Lotus’ upcoming collabs, because there are…a lot. It’s giving Barbie, it’s giving Wicked and I’m simply not sure how to feel. There’s a collection with Abercrombie, a cocktail book, a mango flavored Iced Tea with Saint James, a Coffee Mate Thai Iced Tea Creamer, a resortwear line with Bloomingdales brand Aqua, another line with Banana Republic. And soon, there will be Away suitcases, more resortwear with Brunch, kaftans with Camilla, swimwear with Fair Harbor, eyewear with Diff, and shoes with Roccamore. Plus, a chocolate bar with Compartes and cocktail kits with Ketel One and Tanqueray. Give or take.

• Flip, the live shopping app, launched a fund thats giving away $1M/day to Creators — and a total of $100M over the next 5 years. They really, really want to beat TikTok Shop… wonder if this strategy is working.

• Heaven Mayhem, a jewelry brand I have written about many times in this newsletter, launched Lab Grown diamonds in collaboration with Real Fine Studio. A smart move considering the lab grown trend is not going anywhere. The proof? The collection sold out in a week.

• Oreo, in an attempt to be relevant?, launched a collab with Post Malone, featuring a custom flavor with his logo etched on the cookies. I’ve got to be honest, I don’t know why they launched this, but a salted caramel and shortbread cream with a golden cookie combo sounds amazing.

• Barnes & Noble has figured out a differentiation strategy when it comes to Amazon. Sales are up, stores are expanding, with 57 new stores across the U.S in 2024 and 60 more in 2025. Good for them, good for us!! I think I need to dig into this one deeper.

• Adam Brody is starring in a Super Bowl commercial (!!!) for Pringles. Plus, Nick Offerman and James Harden. This teaser is kind of all we get. Ask, and you shall receive (more Adam Brody). Also, shameless plug for my upcoming Super Bowl ad recap.

• Millennial readers — Kidz Bop is still around, and they are on their 50th album. Do you feel old yet? Because I do.

• In case you’re wondering just how much caffeine is too much caffeine, I loved this calculator, which gives you your ideal daily intake…and how much would kill you. Honestly, helpful.

• Ok, we really did NOT ask for this — but Cinnamon Toast Crunch decided to launch Pizza Cereal in collaboration with Totino’s Pizza Rolls. Can someone please try it and report back?

• After stepping down last year, Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd is coming back as CEO in March. The company’s performance has been a bit rough, so I assume she’s been tasked with turning things around. This will be interesting to watch. I just hope they listen to user feedback this time.

• As mentioned previously, I’m a gummy candy fiend and am a big fan of what Rotten is doing as a lower-sugar alternative to traditional gummies — somewhere in between Smart Sweets and Swedish Candy.

• AG1, after selling the same thing for 14 years — may be ready to expand into new categories. Honestly, the fact that they’ve built a $600M business on a single SKU is pretty amazing, so excited to see what they do in this next chapter.

• Netflix subscriptions are way up — they added 300 million new subscribers last quarter (a 30% increase) and are now raising membership by $1. This is good for them, as they’re gearing up to a launch an ad-tech platform, so more eyeballs = more ad revenue.

• It’s flu season, which means it’s soup season. Progresso took that very seriously and launched Soup Drops, which frankly gross me out. They’re chicken noodle soup flavored hard candy. Like Halls, but savory?

🆕 TREND REPORT

• Skinny Jeans. Yup, they’re back. Because Alix Earle says so — thanks to her collab with Frame Denim. The campaign is giving 2000 in the worst way, but apparently it worked… they completely sold out and had “EXTRAORDINARY LEVELS OF DEMAND.” While I don’t understand how this happened, I do think it’s a smart move for Miss Earle. *Adds “brings trend out of retirement” to resume.

• Champagne problems. Apparently, people don’t feel like poppin’ bottles right now, and champagne sales are suffering. Down 10% last year, champagne manufacturers are gearing up for another potential down year. This feels like a job for Emily in Paris…

• Vets are hot. Like, as a job. Per an Indeed report, Gen Zs ranked “Veterinarian” as the No 1. “best job” in 2025, winning against attorney, mechanical designer, and realtor.

• Flavortown. Apparently, Peruvian spice ají amarillo (yellow hot chili pepper) is McCormick’s flavor of the year — which the company says will appear on 44% more menus in the coming years.

• Corpcore. If it feels like corpcore is literally everywhere, it’s because it is. Between TikToks making fun of Revolve’s “corporate siren” collection (i.e. clothing that would send you straight to HR) and endless campaigns that harken back to the 90’s office vibe, I don’t think it’s going anywhere.

• Pinterest Palette. Move over, Mocha Mousse. Pinterest’s Colors of the Year include butter yellow, cherry red, indigo aura, alpine oat, and dill green. Cute colors, cute names — why is everything so food coded lately?

🎲 ONE LAST THING

Last night, I finished Ina Garden’s memoir, Be Ready When the Luck Happens. It’s the story of her life, and because I am platform-agnostic when it comes to books, I listened to the audiobook. She narrates. It was SO GOOD.

Whether you’re a fan of this domestic goddess or not, the story of her life is pretty remarkable. I won’t give too much away, but I do want to leave you with my two favorite mantras:

1. “You never know your good breaks from your bad ones.” - Jeffrey (Ina’s husband of 56 years). Basically, the idea that we don’t know why something is happening until we can connect the dots much later; and often, what seems like a “bad break” is actually the best thing for us.

2. “How easy is that?” - Miss Ina Garten. Needs no explanation, but what a great way to walk through life.

Anyway — if you read it, are reading it, want to read it, I’m here to discuss. I’m Ina’s newest #1 fan.

If you like what you see, consider:

• sending to a friend who might love this content

• leaving a comment!

• sending me an email

have a great week.

- Sabena

I want to start off by saying that it feels like a strange time to be writing a newsletter, or putting out any content at all, given the state of the world right now.

My thoughts continue to be with the people of LA, a city that I called home for 13 years. My heart goes out especially those who have lost everything. The only silver lining has been seeing the way people can come together in tragedy.

There are tons of resources for those who want to help, but I found this list from my friends at to be super helpful, including ways to help from afar.

In my attempt to provide a distraction, I tried to keep this newsletter light & fun with a trend-driven format. Hopefully it brings you a little levity this week.

xx

Sabena

🪄11 TRENDS FOR 2025

As I was doing my research for this newsletter, I found so much overlap in the stories I was reading; common themes, familiar casts of characters, shared blunders, and some bright spots too.

What resulted is a list of trends we can carry into 2025. Whether you’re a marketer or just want great dinner party fodder, I hope this helps! If it doesn’t, that’s fine too. Enjoy!

1. TikTok will stay — or we’ll make another TikTok.

You know, I’m not a fortune teller or anything, but I just can’t imagine a world without TikTok and its profound influence on brands, ecommerce, culture, trends, politics, news, media… the list goes on.

Over 1/3 of people in the US (with a phone) use TikTok — approximately 121 million people.

In the meantime, users are flocking to Chinese app RedNote, making it the #1 downloaded app on iTunes right now… clearly no one cares about their Chinese spy.

Aside from the obvious (IG Reels), a lot of social media experts are discussing the value of YouTube Shorts, and I’m curious to see if people will head there should the ban go through.

💡 Free Idea: If I were a small social media app right now, this would be user acquisition gold. I’d be trying to bring over as many new users as I could by creating content (and maybe running paid ads!) on why we’re the new and improved TikTok, while reaching out to as many creators as I can to incentivize them to join my platform.

2. Alcohol will be a *choice*

We’ve seen the writing on the wall, but 2025 becomes the year where drinking might actually be… weird?

Amongst those under 25, alcohol spending is down a whopping 61% in just a decade — a huge decline in a short period of time.

Earlier this month, US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory about the link between 7 types of cancer and alcohol and urged alcohol manufacturers to add cancer warnings to drink labels. This Brown University article goes deeper and was an interesting read.

Meanwhile, celeb Tom Holland just launched a non-alcoholic beer brand called Bero, nationwide in Target stores and also available at Soho House. Clearly, he’s bullish on the whole zero-proof thing.

💡 Free Idea: Knowing that zero-proof is on the rise, what else are we as a society moving away from? I know caffeine is a huge one… I feel like there’s an opportunity for a really amazing decaf brand. Just sayin’.

3. DEI Programs are dwindling.

I’m not happy about this… but would be remiss not to mention this “trend” amongst companies like Meta, Amazon, McDonald’s, Walmart, and Ford, all of whom have rolled back their DEI programs this month in favor of things like “inclusion” and “proven outcomes.”

While the impact of this remains to be seen, this Forbes article analyzing what went wrong with DEI from a marketing POV is fascinating. Per writer Gillian Oakenfull:

Marketing doomed corporate DEI by overpromising transformation and delivering superficial results. The way forward isn’t about abandoning the ideals behind DEI, but evolving them into frameworks that drive real impact.

💡 Free Idea: Honestly, I just hope we can find more ways to continue to support diverse founders — and lift everyone up. After all, only 0.48% percent of all the VC funding in 2023 went to Black founders. We’ve got work to do, and I’m not exactly sure what that work looks like — but for now, buy from diverse founders, share their products with your friends, and leave reviews.

4. “Luxury” for all.

Luxury has had a tough few years, and 2024 was no exception. Global luxury sales fell 2% in 2024, per Bain. This is largely due to price hikes from luxury brands and a huge drop in China (estimated 20-22%). In 2025, I think we’ll see more convergence between “luxury” and “non-luxury.”

Case in point: lab grown diamonds are quickly catching up to natural diamonds in volume share of all diamonds sold in the US — 54% natural to 46% lab grown. This chart shows how quickly the two have come to a head in just 4 years since 2020.

Walmart also launched its $80 version of Hermes’ iconic Birkin bag, which retails for upwards of $15k (depending on the style). Called the “Wirkin,” it’s definitely going viral on TikTok. Just this morning, I saw a prominent influencer do a side-by-side comparison of her real Hermes to the Wirkin — and, surprisingly, the Wirkin held its own.

My friend Olivia has a great TikTok on what this all means:

@olivia_dengotherwise a dior bag is just a leather box that costs $57 to make 🥲 #luxury #consumerism #walmartbirkin #thoughtdaughter

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💡 Free Idea: This one kind of feels like it’s already in motion — I mean, once Walmart is in on things it’s no longer a ‘trend’ per se — but I would be interested in the de-luxurification (yes, I made that up) of categories aside from jewelry and bags without compromising quality. This is different than the DTC model like Everlane or Away — where it was the same product, just cutting out the middleman. I’m thinking a fundamental innovation that makes it easier for more people to own nice things. Fake caviar? Cheaper laser facials? Idk, I’m not a scientist.

5. Underconsumption core.

Related to the democratization of luxury, we’ll be seeing “underconsumption” take center stage this year. My TikTok feed has been filled with videos about the topic, and I think it’s a really interesting juxtaposition when thinking about Amazon’s “Haul” and TikTok Shop against the quiet luxury of it all.

💡 Free Idea: A brand campaigned centered around the idea of only needing ‘one’ of a product based on its longevity. Could totally see Patagonia, Levi’s, Le Creuset or Rolex running with this.

6. The evolving brand + celeb relationship.

We’re squarely in the age of the creator (we’ve been here for a minute) where the celebrity stamp on a brand or a campaign isn’t a guarantee of success…in fact, it may do more harm than good.

Which means brands have to be creative as to how, why, and who they leverage when it comes to celebrities.

Kendall Jenner launched a collection with UK-based activewear brand Adanola, and while the outfits are very Kendall-coded, it feels inauthentic giving her longstanding partnership with Alo. Assuming that contract is up?

After much anticipation, Meghan Markle also announced that she’ll be launching a lifestyle show, called With Love, Megan …which just got pushed back to March. The feedback has been very mixed, but I think this is great timing given the popularity of the Martha Stewart documentary and Ina Garten’s latest book. I think we’re ready for our next domestic icon, and, done right, will usher Meghan into a new era. We love a fresh start!!

Also, I love reading ’s feature on Favorite Daughter, a brand created by celeb sisters Erin & Sara Foster — who also produced the amazing Netflix show Nobody Wants This. Apparently, most of the clothes actress Kristin Belle wore were Favorite Daughter, which is the best product placement I’ve seen recently; they were so “all of us.”

💡 Free Idea: We need to see more of Adam Brody in everything. That’s it, that’s the idea.

7. In our robot era.

This one is short. Again, I’m not a scientist. But it’s hard to avoid all the stories about robots taking over everything.

Chic-fil-A is the latest fast casual restaurant to announce that they’ll be using robots to make their lemonade, which apparently saves 10,000 hours of labor (it’s fresh-squeezed).

Chipotle also announced that they are training robots to make guacamole at two of their California locations (and more to come). Robots are already making some of our Sweetgreen salads, and honestly that’s personally upsetting because a robot probably won’t let me get extra kale 3 balsamic dressings. But also, all of this feels inevitable in 2025.

💡 Free Idea: A personal robot to do more things we don’t want to do. Laundry, loading the dishwasher, and chopping veggies. But then we can send him or her home — as a millennial, I can’t unsee Smart House.

8. We need more from rebrands.

Dell rebranded last week, and people made tons of comparisons to Apple, especially with their use of “pro” and “max” in product names (fair, tbh).

Walmart also “rebranded”, and the internet went crazy, because, well this is what they gave us. Late last year, I wrote about Jaguar’s rebrand… who also gave us nothing—so this feels like a trend worth mentioning.

A truly great (albeit temporary) rebrand? Coors Light’s limited edition release of “The Mondays” beer after the Super Bowl this year, to help people get through the most “Monday Monday” of the year. Smart.

💡 Free Idea: The rebrand I would love to see in 2025 is MTV. Cribs & Room Raiders, back again?! Also I think a Laguna Beach remake would kill it.

9. Corporate culture goes (more) corporate

We’re only 17 days into the year, and we’re seeing a lot of corporate companies act very… corporate.

First off, JPMorgan announced a RTO mandate which called all 300,000 employees back to office 5 days a week. Employees weren’t thrilled and the company had to disable comments on the internal memo page.

Starbucks issued a new code of conduct stating that in order for patrons to use the restroom, they would need to purchase something. This is a reversal of its open-door policy and also feels like a way to improve the in-store experience, which has been a huge factor in the company’s declining sales.

Meta is having quite the week, and I won’t go into it all… but Mark Zuckerberg’s decision to lay off 5% of Meta employees to “raise the bar” in preparation for an “intense year” feels… like a lot.

💡 Free Idea: This year, let’s make sure that even when we have to make corporate-y decisions, we don’t use corporate-speak to communicate them.

10. Female Athletes 🤝🏼 Brands

As interest in the NBA is declining (my friend of wrote an excellent piece on the marketing of it all), we’re seeing an uptick in interest in women’s sports. 2024 was the year that women’s sports surpassed $1b in revenue.

Launching today, Unrivaled is a 3-on-3 women's basketball league that operates during the WNBA offseason founded Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart. The league raised $35 million from former athletes and investors and has already secured sponsorships with Wayfair, Ally, State Farm, Wilson, Under Armour, Opill, Miller Lite, Sprite, Sephora, VistaPrint and Ticketmaster and a multiyear media rights deal with TNT Sports.

Notably, per The New York Times, "the league is also firmly centered around its athletes, providing equity stakes, child care, on-site therapeutic services and, for many players, a higher salary for the eight-week competition than they will make in the five-month WNBA season.”

Since what we wear to all of these games matters a lot to me — I’m excited about Kristyn Juszczyk (designer and wife of 49ers player )’s new line with Emma Grede (co-founder of SKIMS & Good American) called Off Season. Last year, Juszczyk’s custom jackets went viral after being seen on Taylor Swift & Olivia Culpo; recently, Off Season went viral thanks to fashion icon Paige Desorbo sporting an Eagles puffer. I’m excited to see where this brand goes.

💡 Free Idea: Curious to see how brands who aren’t typically sponsors of athletics play here. Given Unrivaled’s focus on player benefits, I’d love to see a fertility company like Kindbody or Progyny become the official health partner and bring the conversation about IVF/infertility to a larger audience.

11. Nostalgia-fueled brand collabs.

Ending on a warm and fuzzy note, we’re seeing collabs that are 100% driven by millennial nostalgia become more and more prominent. They’re tapping into something, and it’s working.

First up, we have Olivia Jade (of TikTok, Jacob Elordi, and Lori Laughlin fame), as the face of a collab between LA-based Madhappy x Juicy Couture. The millennials among us remember the infamous “JUICY” sweatpants, and this collab delivers.

Bath and Body works teamed up with Sweethearts (who I hope doesn’t have Red No 3 in its products?) to launch a gourmand collection ahead of Valentine’s Day. Both of these brands are so nostalgic and this whole line feels like a nod to bringing in valentines for the whole class.

In the same vein, Dunkin’ Donuts teamed up with body care brand Native to launch a donut-scented line of body care products in four scents. I don’t know that I’ll be trying this, but again, it feels nostalgic.

Last but not least is this collab between American Girl Doll x Posh Peanut, which is a line of American Girl doll themed clothing made in the brand’s signature soft fabric — available for both moms & daughters. This one is so smart because its targeted at millennial moms who want to pass on their love of American Girl to their daughters. It’s cute, it’s kind of unhinged, it’s fine.

💡 Free Idea: I feel like I need to see Reformation do a out-there collab this year. I loved their collab with Kacey Musgraves last year but would love to see them push into “unexpected” territory. Maybe a Ref cafe? Hotel takeover?

That’s all from me! Would love to hear your thoughts on these trends. Do you have a favorite? What did I miss?

Have a great weekend,

Sabena

I haven’t decided if there will be an issue of Brandiose next week, so in case there’s not — I wanted to take a minute to thank each and every one of you for taking the time to read this newsletter and giving me so much incredible feedback, week after week.

You’re the reason I do this, and it’s been so fun to curate a little corner of the internet. Have a wonderful holiday season — can’t wait for more in 2025!

🎄🎄🎄🎄

🧲 OBSESSION OF THE WEEK

I recently discovered this campaign from UK wellness brand Puresport in partnership with nonprofit Greenhouse Sports (video below).

During one of those most crowded gifting seasons of the year (Q4), they sent 500 influencers empty boxes. Inside, recipients found a note stating that the boxes weren’t empty, but full of opportunity — encouraging them to give away their excess items (products, clothes, etc.) to those who could really use it.

With “underconsumption core” on the rise, it’s no surprise this campaign went viral. In addition to being an amazing thing to do, it’s a smart (and low-cost) marketing move that helps differentiate and elevate the brand. We need more brands to be thinking outside the box — pun intended.

🍿 BRAND NEWS

• General Mills just launched Protein Cheerios… so I guess protein is no longer cool. What are we doing in 2025, guys?

• Speaking of protein and launches, Taco Bell launched chicken nuggets in the most Taco Bell way… marinated in jalapeño buttermilk and coated in tortilla chips. I’m sure they slap.

• Injectable facial fillers have had quite the blowback in 2025 — no one wants “pillowface” caused by filler migration — so people are opting for “biostimulatory treatments” like PRP and Sculptra that help the body produce its own collagen and help the skin get better over time.

• Amazon is under Senate investigation for manipulating data that showed its warehouse workers are ~2x as likely to be injured compared to other companies due to an “extremely fast and often dangerous pace.” Also, Amazon workers are on strike so you might not get your Christmas gifts on time.

• As it continues to struggle on the revenue front, Starbucks tripled its paid parental leave for baristas. It’s now 18 weeks for the birthing parent, and 12 for the non-birthing parent.

• Speaking of Starbucks, Gen Alpha is obsessed. According to a new report from agency Cafeteria, they pay each other back in Starbucks drinks and 89% of them know their bestie’s Starbucks order, down to the drizzle. Impressive.

• Buzzfeed sold its popular “Hot Ones” series for a cool $82.5M to Soros Fund Management; the sale will help BuzzFeed pay down its $124M debt.

• Crumbl is laughing all the way to the bank. I’ve written about them being a brand people love to hate on social — and that strategy has made them $1B business. Casual.

• 2024 was a pretty tough year for luxury brands. I loved this feature on Longchamp’s unassuming and affordable La Pliage bag… which has truly stood the test of time and is loved by generations.

• Google’s 2024 “Year in Search” is here, and I love this roundup from Diet Prada on what it all means for pop culture. TLDR; people wanted to know why Birkins are so expensive, wtf Demure means, and whether skinny jeans are actually back?!?! Fair questions.

• The 90s are DEFINITELY back. Former Simple Life queens Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie just launched a collab with Sonic, offering two sugar-laden concotions named after them. I don’t get it but I’m here for their comeback.

• Khloe Kardashian is launching a video podcast on X with Dear Media called Khloé in Wonder Land; I’m not sure this is going to break the internet or anything, but using X as a distribution platform is definitely a choice.

• The growth of “brotox” for men in corporate America is real; there was an an 8% increase in the number of men getting cosmetic procedures between 2022-2023, and something tells me men are underreporting.

• Zara opened its first ever restaurant concept, a cute cafe inside its menswear store in Madrid. Makes sense given its Spanish roots; next up in 2025 is Japan and Korea (which I definitely of think is going to be the next hot travel destination — you heard it here first.)

🆕 TREND REPORT

• Holiday inflation. You know that innocent song about the 12 Days of Christmas? Well this infographic keeps it real on the true cost to make things like lords-a-leaping and pipers piping happen in 2024: a cool 50 gs.

• Malls are back. I’ve written extensively about the resurgence of mall brands like Gap, Abercrombie, and J.Crew — but it’s not just online anymore. Gen Zs actually want to shop at the mall now. 63% of Gen Z respondents said they plan to make holiday purchases at physical stores (per an EY Study). I support this, I love a mall pretzel.

• Board game clubs. Speaking of wholesome nostalgia, Gen Zs and millennials are starting board game clubs because “a running club sounds like absolute torture to me” and honestly, I get it and can I come?

• Women x sports. In another example of the Taylor Swift effect on the NFL, the franchise just inked a deal with Betches Media to offer exclusive NFL content tailored to the Betches audience. I don’t think anything can make me a fan, but it’s cute that they’re trying.

• Weight watchers. This study by pharma tech company hims & hers is kind of insane — citing that a whopping 75% of people think about their weight every single day and that 70% would rather lose 10 pounds than gain 100 friends. Hmmm.

• The Color of 2025. In case you missed it, the Pantone Color of the year is Mocha Mousse. As a neutrals gal, I am obsessed and can’t wait to see this color everywhere.

🎲 ONE LAST THING

If you feel like every brand was doing advent calendars this year, you would be correct. From Burger King to Bluemercury, there was something for everyone.

“This is more than just sales for us. It’s really an opportunity for us to excite the customer and surprise them with the robust assortment that we put together,” Amelia Drummond, director of merchandising for hair, sun, and strategic initiatives at luxury beauty brand Bluemercury, told Marketing Brew.

It makes sense from a brand marketing POV since it’s an opportunity to keep your brand top of mind for 31 days — and the chance to have a “surprise and delight” moment for your brand every day.

Plus, TikTok and IG love to an advent calendar: #adventcalendar on TikTok has 1.1 million posts.

The one I personally saw the most on social was the now sold-out Vogue advent calendar — at $465, the unboxings were pretty nuts.

🎁🎄That’s all for now — Happy Holidays & so much in store for 2025! 🥂✨

If you like what you see, consider:

• sending to a friend who might love this content

• following me on TikTok where I post videos lil’ videos about brands

have a great week.

- Sabena

See you in December!! 🎄

🧲 OBSESSION OF THE WEEK

This week, Perplexity launched their new AI-powered ecommerce tool, and I truly think they’re onto something.

Let me preface this by saying that I know AI is controversial. BUT my take is that if AI is going to be an inevitable reality, it should be taking away things we don’t want to do — menial tasks — to free us up for things we enjoy.

This tool does exactly that: you can search for something you’re looking for in human terms (i.e. “black gown for my sister’s wedding in Mexico”), and it will pull all relevant links, including Shopify sellers. You can also search by image, similar to Google Lens.

Personally, I feel like Google shopping has been pretty abysmal so I’m all for tools that make search better.

What would take this to the next level is a partnership with affiliates like LTK/ShopMy for a more curated list of results. I’m sure they’re working on it.

🍿 BRAND NEWS

• So Jaguar rebranded and it was a total disaster. Their new campaign featured slogans like “live vivid” and “go bold” and had no actual cars (Elon’s aggro now-viral tweet to the brand didn’t help). The brand response is basically “wait and see what we have in store,” with the expectation that only 10-15% of their audience will follow them into this new era. An interesting strategy… kind of feels like a Hail Mary given sales are down.

• In rare GOOD news…Barnes & Noble is back, baby! Foot traffic is up 7% since 2019 and more than 60 stores are opening this year. Thank you, BookTok & celebrity book clubs.

• Airplane food is always ripe for disruption, so this new partnership between Delta and Shake Shack is exciting — you can preorder a Shake Shack burger and enjoy it in the sky. Of course, it’s only for first class passengers but we’d love to see more for the people in the back!!

• In order airline news, Spirit is officially bankrupt. Which is crazy, but also maybe not surprising? Apparently, they have a plan to recapitalize - so it’s not the end for them.

• Guinness is getting in on the non-alcoholic beer trend, which feels incredibly off brand. It’s only in the UK right now, but curious to see how it will fare when it rolls out.

• Leset and Madewell dropped a collab and everything feels cute, cozy, and very overpriced. I’m a huge Leset fan in concept but can’t bring myself to spend that amount of money on loungewear. Anyone with me?

• Famous chef Molly Baz just launched aesthetic mayo, and I’m into the loud branding. She cleverly positioned it as “sando sauce” and I can’t think of another brand in that space, so I feel like it’s a smart move.

• Earlier this week, Paramount staged an insane media takeover for Gladiator II: they played the same 60-second trailer across 4,000 different media channels. For $2 a million buy, they reached 300 million people at once, and I think we’ll see more of this kind of thing as brands try to crack our collective highly fragmented attention spans.

• I’ve written about the fall of Lululemon, and their new hire feels like a step in a new direction. They’ve brought on ex-Google and W+K exec Brandon Viney to lead Creative for NA. Having working on Nike and Gatorade, I’m excited to see how he’ll shake things up.

• I’m loving the new Olipop holiday campaign. For a brand that truly wants to be the next better-for-you Coke, creating a mascot that can stand the test of time is a smart strategy.

• The world’s priciest shopping street is maybe not where you think. No longer New York’s Fifth Avenue, it’s now Via Monte Napoleone in Milan — calculated by an storefront rents, which went up 11% year over year. Guess my next trip is to Milan.

• As part of its Experiences offering and in partnership with Gladiator II, Airbnb is apparently trying to stage gladiator fights in Rome’s Colosseum. Local lawmakers aren’t happy and feel like it’s giving Disneyland. I can’t say I disagree.

🆕 TREND REPORT

• Online shopping’s “Slop era”. This Atlantic piece is nothing short of an indictment on Amazon’s new Haul, offering under $20 products that are “unbelievable deals” a direct competitor to Shein/Temu/TT Shop. I can’t say I disagree — why are we overconsuming to this degree, and do we really need more thing-a-majigs?

• Anderson Cooper who? According to a study by the Pew Research Center, nearly 40% of young adults get their news from social media influencers.

• Eye color surgery. There’s a recent increase in a surgery called keratopigmentation, or corneal tattooing, which allows patients to change their eye color, surgically. It costs about $12k and is apparently super risky (which makes sense, because anything to do with the eyes tends to be). I’m honestly terrified of this and feel like people should just embrace their natural eye color, or wear colored contacts if they really want?!

• Grandparent woes. A controversial New York Times article came out earlier this month, called The Unspoken Grief of Never Becoming a Grandparent, and apparently the comments section is a bit of a minefield, with children of Boomer parents freaking out that Boomers could be so selfish and Boomers trying to defend their POV. Worth a read, tbh.

🎲 ONE LAST THING

I went to Barry’s the other day, and in my sweaty post-class stupor, saw these smoothies lined up perfectly on the bar. It was so pleasing to the eye that I snapped a photo.

Naturally, my brain went to the branding of it all. Seemingly small details like this are the reason that Barry’s has built such an incredible brand: nothing is accidental. Put differently, everything is intentional.

A Barry’s post workout smoothie (which IMO, are very mediocre, but I digress) is the ultimate reward — it’s also likely a very high margin product. The smoothie bar and lounge area of every studio is a great “third place” where Barry’s lovers socialize — building community, which builds loyalty.

Their locker rooms are stocked with premium beauty products & hairdryers, and of course, the Red Room lighting is ripe for selfies, with vibey EDM and pop remixes blaring — all of which justify the $37/class cost.

Pretty Brandiose if you ask me.

—

If you like what you see, consider:

• sending to a friend who might love this content

• following me on TikTok where I post videos lil’ videos about brands

have a great week.

- Sabena

I hope you’re enjoying this with a good cup of coffee and your favorite baked good. My go-to is banana bread (must have chocolate chips, no nuts) but a croissant is a fine choice too. Anything but a danish.

🧲 OBSESSION OF THE WEEK

This new collab from Grillo’s Pickles is so weird, it’s wonderful.

In honor of National Pickle Day, the brand launched a pickle toothpaste (Cucumber Dill flavored) in partnership with oral-care brand Boka.

Honestly, this is a collab done right:

• combines the DNA of two brands

• gets people talking

• is something customers just ‘have to try’

The goal with a collab isn’t longevity — it’s to make a splash at a moment in time and push the limitations of the brand.

For Grillo’s, they want to be more than pickles; they want to be a lifestyle brand. Getting into people’s bathrooms is a step in the right direction, and apparently the all-natural toothpaste is actually “quite refreshing.”

🍿 BRAND NEWS

• SKIMS’ is dropping a collection with Dolce & Gabbana. The collection drops on Tuesday 11/19, and I have to say, like all SKIMS drops — it’s pretty iconic, from the campaign to the actual designs; the epitome of Italian glam with tons of leopard print. While D&G has had its fair share of controversy this year, the Kardashians have worked with the house for years (Kourtney wore D&G during her Italian wedding to Travis Barker).

• Amazon launched a competitor to Shein and Temu called Haul — with everything under $20 (in exchange for longer ship times). It also feels like it’s trying to be competitive to TikTok shop. This feels like a race to the bottom, but Jeff Bezos always has an angle…

• I’ve written about the downfall of Lululemon before, and this recent collab with Disney feels like the nail in the coffin. Does anyone want Minnie Mouse Lulus?!

• Burberry is trying to make a comeback, with their iconic trench coat at the center of their story. Their stock is down 40% this year and the brand is realizing it priced out customers and needs to get back to its roots. Stay tuned for a deep dive.

• You can now buy the air in Lake Como in can for a mere $12. I honestly respect the capitalist approach to profiting on literal oxygen here, but honestly this could be a cute gift for that friend that loves to talk about their many trips to Italy (I’m that friend).

• I loved this article on the Taylor Swift effect, featuring the founder of Fazit Beauty — makers of glitter face freckles — who experienced a 1000% increase in sales and traffic after Swift wore her product to a Chief’s game last month and is now in talks with several NFL/NBA teams.

• United Airlines is finally going to have free wifi, powered by a partnership with Starlink and a new ad network. Honestly, it’s 2024, so this feels like the bare minimum for all airlines.

• If you haven’t noticed, Wicked is trying to be Barbie, with licensing deals and collabs on everything from marshmallows to pimple patch stickers. They had a slight mishap this week though, where the URL printed on a doll package took customers to an x-rated site rather than the movie landing page. Woops.

• Liquid Death & Dr. Squatch launched a new collab, ‘Dirt Murderer’ soap, and the trailer is exactly what you’d expect — with the tagline being ‘Soap for Psychos.’ The blood in the shower is a little much for me, but I guess I’m not the target.

• CPG startup BelliWelli raised a $10MM round to bring its fiber-loaded powders to the masses, with a focus on team and retail expansion. They are already viral on TikTok for their “Hot Girls Have IBS” messaging. I’ve tried their products and I do see the potential — collagen and probiotics have had their moment but it feels like there’s still whitespace in fiber,

• The $8.5B merger between fashion conglomerates Capri Holdings (Michael Kors & Jimmy Choo) and Tapestry (Coach & Kate Spade) is not moving forward to FTC regulation on the grounds of antitrust. This Forbes piece on why Tapestry “dodged a bullet” is worth a read.

• Poshmark just announced a new fee structure to better incentivize sellers — lowering Poshmark’s take from 20% to 5.99%. To offset, they added hefty buyer fees and buyer-paid shipping — and unsurprisingly, the community isn’t thrilled.

• ‘Hawk Tuah’ launched a new dating app called Pookie Tools, powered by AI. It has a built-in personal stylist and suggested conversation starters, but most disruptive is Height Detector, which tells you if a guy is lying about his height. There’s also a Bald Detector to predict how likely a man is to go bald. Savage, but you can’t hate on insight-driven product features.

🆕 TREND REPORT

• Dense Bean Salad. If you’re on the side of meal prep TikTok, you may have seen Violet Witchel’s epic dense bean salads (DBS for short) pop up. For the other 98% of you, these are salads that are packed with protein from beans that hold up in the fridge all week long. The internet is obsessed, and the Cut went deep on the origin of Witchel’s pièce de résistance.

• Doom Spending. Not surprisingly, post-election Doom Spending is a big trend right now, with 27% of Americans spending more in the face of concerns about the economy and foreign affairs. According to the study, a huge motivator is that Americans feel a general loss of control, and spending money gives them that sense back. I personally can’t say I’m a doom spender because I’m also a happy spender, bored spender, impulsive spender, and whatever other kind of spenders there are.

• Greener Pastures. More and more Gen Zs are opting to move to rural areas in states like Colorado, Georgia, Texas, and Montana and are moving out of LA and Brooklyn (which experienced a 4% and 8% decline in Gen Z residents this year, respectively).

• The cookie Crumbls. In other TikTok news, one of the most divisive brands on the platform is… Crumbl Cookies. I’ve seen countless videos of influencers & celebs — from Nara Smith to Kylie Jenner — do “unboxing” videos where they review pink sampler boxes and people have opinions in the comments. And apparently, the Crumbl Subreddit is full of “the most pissed off people in the planet.” I just…okay.

🎲 ONE LAST THING

If you’ve ever done the shopping for Thankgiving, you might be well aware that the cheapest part of the meal is actually the supposed star of the show…the turkey.

Which is strange, considering it feels like retailers could take advantage of our collective need to have the perfect Thanksgiving turkey at the center of our tables (whether or not we actually enjoy eating it).

But it’s actually a classic loss-leader strategy — the discounted turkey gets shoppers in the door, where they then spend on every other part of the meal, and those items tend to be profit-generating (champagne, pumpkin pie, etc).

I’m still a Steaksgiving gal myself.

—

If you like what you see, consider:

• sending to a friend who might love this content

• following me on TikTok where I post videos lil’ videos about brands

have a great week.

- Sabena