Heya,

My biggest takeaway from Pride Month: Where were the brands?

Pride, a global month-long touring party, is the one time of the year brands let their professional freak flags fly. Usually, they put on their best gay hats and have the design intern flip the company logo to rainbow. The best ones carve out a spot in their annual marketing budget to put paid media behind the month. 

Pride ads have always been an uncomplicated way for brands to communicate their progressive values: #pride + rainbow merch = “We’re not like a regular company. We’re a cool company.” Authentic or performative, these ads do good for our world. When big brands put thoughtful money behind these efforts, the doors for the LGBTQ+ and minority communities open wider and wider. Most Americans support corporate pride. 

But this year wasn’t so straightforward. Prior to Pride’s June start, conservatives pulled off two successful back-to-back boycotts against Bud Light and Target. Then we saw a bunch of brands fail like the Dodgers and Starbucks. WTF! At least Walmart, North Face, and Garth Brooks stood their ground.

With rainbow washing taking on a new meaning in the 2024 election, brands have conveniently taken their PTO during Pride. They are letting the bullies win… as said best by Dylan Mulvaney.

Feel-good queer content: There Are More Than Two Genders, World’s first LGBTQ video game, Live, Laugh, Lesbian by Target.

👇⬇️ What I consumed this month. ⬇️👇

FORK (ADS)

• Chili’s Wedding Proposal by Mischief @NFA – Made in response to a viral video, Chili’s is inspiring Chili’s lovers to propose at their local spot. (👋 I made this)

• 303 Creative for All by Work in Progress – Is offering free wedding website to anyone in love, to take a stand against SCOTUS’s latest anti-gay ruling.

• These ads give the same energy: The Murmuration by Anomaly LA – Runners, walkers, strollers, etc… flock to Hoka shoes. Dominos Pinpoint Delivery by Work in Progress  – Dominos can now find you in the park.

• The Palace x New Balance – Reimagines humanity's greatest invention, sneakers. 

• Duolingo x Crunchyroll – Brings anime-inspired lines to their Japanese course. 

• Microscopic Louis Vuitton Handbag by MSCHF – A grain of salt can’t fit inside this mini handbag.

• Not for Sale by Wieden+Kennedy LDN – Broke through the industry noise at Cannes with their rad pop-up.   

• Mother Samples by Mother – Gave out freebies to Cannes peeps.

• Stuck in the 80s – The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation reminds PA their laws need to be updated. 

• Airphoria by Nike & Airphoria Teaser – Released their Fortnite island and it's sick. …+ Fortnite Complete 'Airphoria' Guide

• The devil works hard, but @Barbie ’s marketing team is INSANE – Small visual thread of all their awesome work as of late.

SPOON (Resources)

• Cannes Lions 2023 (the whole work)

• Love the Work More – Don’t forget to use 🦁FREE🦁Cannes resources!

• Metalabel.xyz  & New Creative Era – Like an indie record label, except for any form of cultural expression. 

• Are.na – Tumblr meets Wikipedia

• Duncan Brazzil  – Design & animation portfolio, for real bookmark this site. 

• @archfiendco – Yes please, techno-colored bunnies in lethal jewellery. Abel Emmanuel is a 3D sculptural artist from South Africa giving major K-pop-core emo-core scenes.

• @dobrokotov – Used Adobe’s new Generative Fill feature to expand album covers. 

• AI can’t plant Rosemary – AI blooper.

• Whiskas Protein Cats #memes – A.I made a commercial for cat protein powder. 

• Hercules by @gerdegotit – Turns Greek statues into viral TikTok dancers with AI. 

• Off Type by Pangram Pangram – launches a new sister foundry to house their more experimental fonts.

• HEY – Digging the new website.

• Shades of Solitude by Bornfight Studio – A visual exploration to dive into.

• Dan House by Dan Striet – Director & Co-Founder of Grin Machine, making the dopest work right now. Work you’ve deffo seen…The Cactus Plant Flea Market Box x Mcdonalds (W+K) & Joji - Glimpse of Us (Official Video) 

• What was HBO Max thinking? 3 experts decode the rebrand blunder of the year

• Why Did HBO Max Become Max? Behind the Streamer’s Relaunch Strategy – I’m pretty bent on this rebrand/new app situation.

• Got Milk creators accused of violating federal law over Aubrey Plaza ad – Don’t do this!

• Desserto – You can make leather out of cactus now.

• Pimp My Portoflio – Has helped 800+ people level up their folio to land jobs.

• Margot Robbie Takes You Inside The Barbie Dreamhouse x Architectural Digest

• Courts Can’t Stop Abortion by @shoutyourabortion – 1-year post-Roe. 💔

JOBS

• 2x Creative Directors at BBC Creative in London

FINAL THOUGHT

Thanks for reading! All typos are intentional to make sure you're not sleeping.

& that's the sauce,

KK

 🗣️ Are there ad/brand lovers in your life who aren’t reading Ketchup? Hit that forward button to share this newsletter with them.

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Heya, 🍺

The Bud Light boycott explained:

If you only have 6s to read: Bud Light sent a six-pack of beers to the TikTok famous trans influencer, Dylan Mulvaney, and all hell broke loose.

Dylan rose to fame on TikTok through her “365 Days of Girlhood '' series, where she vulnerably shared her experience transitioning. I follow her content religiously because she reminds me of the fun parts of growing into a woman. Her content is seriously the most wholesome thing on the internet. With around 10M TikTok followers and millions more across her other channels, Mulvaney has become a household name for Gen Z. Naturally, Bud Light tapped her. 

What was supposed to be an innocent influencer sweepstakes bit turned into a total nightmare. 

Trans issues are currently front and center in America’s culture war. Just this year there have been 528 proposed anti-trans bills, with 50 passing. Excussseee me, multi-hundos? To put it in perspective, in 2022 we saw 26 bills pass out of 174 bills. These bills are targeting children, drag, driver’s licenses, sports, and health care. And unfortunately they’ve gone mainstream. 

Cue: Kid Rock shooting up Bud Light with an AR-15. Disgusting.

Then a bunch of wack dudes tried and failed to start a #boycottbudlight movement by dumping out their Bud Light beers. I say failed because many switched to Miller or Coors, who are huge supporters of LGBTQA+ rights. 

The response we all wish we got: “lol CRYBABIES,” a fake Bud Light billboard from comedian Jamison Lightfoot that went viral. 

Long story short, boycotts tend to damage a company’s reputation more than they do the bottom line. Anheuser-Busch InBev is a $100 billion company. They’ll ultimately be fine. 

With LGBTQA+ Pride on the horizon, I hope this BS didn’t scare brands from participating. This community needs you more than ever. Double down on those media dollars and show up the right way! 

👇⬇️ What I consumed this month. ⬇️👇

*Updated! Fork🍴: Ads. Knife 🔪: Creative. Spoon 🥄: Interesting. 

Fork (Ads)

For All Baby Butts by Quality Meats – This baby butt song lives rent-free in my head!! I know 0 things about babies, but Huggies proves they are a fun baby brand. 

You'll Do Anything For a Kitten by AMV BBDO – I audibly LOL’d for this one. Sheba the cat food brand reminds us cat people will do anything for cats. +OOH. 

Your Friends With Benefits by Esther Povitsky – Julie the Plan B emergency contraceptive pill competitor brand is bringing realness to the pharmacy aisle. Important to support these brands in our political climate!

Breeze by Johannes Leonardo – For a continuation of Velveeta’s "La Dolce Velveeta," legendary director Andreas Nilsson makes doing less = more, & appetizing. +More …

Don’t Go Gently by Preacher – Now I want cowboy boots for Brooklyn… Some rad Tecovas spots show off how cool handcrafted western boots can be. +More…

Get Your Sh*t Together, Baby by Mother LA – Paid Leave for All and Glamour released a series of books to highlight the lack of paid parental leave in the US. Made specifically for newborns, these books “teach” them how to be adults asap because mom & dad gotta go back to the office. 

The Reclaimed Blue Experiment by Polaroid – Polaroid made an accidental blue film that is actually pretty rad. Instead of trashing the waste material, they gave it to the masses & camera peeps are loving it. 

Bud Mag by W+K São Paulo – Problem: music magazines are irrelevant these days, so artists aren’t printed anymore. Solution: Print them inside Budweiser’s boxes for people to read. The art in this video is muy fogo.

More of life brought to life by Droga5 – The NYTimes chokehold on me…. 

Knife (Creative)

Drake x The Weeknd Collab by Ghostwriter977 – Made an AI-generated song with the Rapper's voices and it sounds so legit that we are in trouble fam. The Ballad of ‘Deepfake Drake’ 

Discord Nitro by Discord  – Didn’t have to go so hard on this new product feature demo video.

Fuckyou.design – Tumblr account for dark creative. Idk I was in a mood when I found this one.

Unfortunate News by Pedro Damasceno – Instead of sending a tweet, musical artist Saint Levant released a vibey tour cancelation film. 

@justinpoulter – Like this dude's work. 

Spoon (Interesting)

Creative on Strategist by Alex Morris – This feels illegal to have. Released a 190-page thorough AF deck on how creatives & strategists can collab best. 

Strat Scraps also by Alex Morris – Substack on strategist goodies. Found here: “if you were to get into a scandal, what would it be about” is a much better question than “what’s your greatest weakness” epic dinner party questions!

@katejeanhollowell – Director, singer, actress, writer, and a hilarious weirdo. More importantly, I want to be her? (She directed Preacher's “Don't Go Gently” spots above.)

TikTok deep dive on Pepsi’s $1M brand identity deck by Ashwinn

Open Brief Podcast by W+K – Inside Baseball.

How the Opening Titles of Netflix’s ‘Beef’ Underscore and Undercut Its Characters’ Delusions – Netflix’s dark comedy “BEEF” is hands down my favorite series of 2023 thus far, so much so that I am already rewatching it.

Why the Look of ‘Swarm’ Is as Unsettling as Its Superfan Serial Killer – Prime Video “SWARM” co-created by Janine Nabors and Donald Glover is my 2nd favorite series this year.

Final thought:

Thanks for reading! All typos are intentional to make sure you're not sleeping.

& that's the sauce,

KK

 🗣️ Are there ad/brand lovers in your life who aren’t reading Ketchup? Hit that forward button to share this newsletter with them.

Share

 💌 If someone forwarded you this email because advertising, design, and creativity are your sauce, subscribe here.

Heya, 👋

It’s official, Chili’s has entered its hot girl era.

Shameless plug: my first campaign at Mischief @ No Fixed Address.

Brian McKnight—Chili’s 3 for Me Remix

What would you do if you saw a waiter at Chili’s who happens to look a lot like Brian McKnight and claims he’s not Brian McKnight but also just happens to sing Chili’s ‘3 for Me’ deal like a classic 90s R&B music video? You’d get the coke, chips, and chicken crispers.

Apparently “Back To One” is charting at karaoke bars across America, which was the true goal of the campaign. 

Press: Ad Week, The Drum, Muse Clio, Nations Restaurant News, Campaign US, Ad Age 

Agency: Mischief / GCD: Howard Finkelstein / GCD: Ross Fletcher / Copy Writer: Patrick LaBelle / Role: Art Director

👇⬇️ What you came here for. ⬇️👇

Fork: (Ads)

• The Shining: A Social Media Documentary by Ryan Hampton - Miniseries on the History of Grillz in Hip-Hop and Black History.

• A Hero’s Story By Cabin Editing Company - For GQ x Gucci, shows a different side of Jalen Ramsey. I don’t know anything about football, but I like this piece.

• Fashion Cramps by MRM Spain – Over-the-counter Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) medication Buscopan crashes London Fashion Week with an editorial spread that we can all relate to. 

• Black Hair Is Professional by Ogilvy – Dove & LinkedIn are fighting workplace race-based hair discrimination.

• It Starts With a Swipe by Mischief – Celebrates all the various ways Gen Z defines relationships. 

• Who's Next? by Orchard – Silk taps nepo babies to sport their version of a NextMilk mustache.

Knife: (Stunts)

• Yellow Sticker Cookbook by Uncommon Creative Studio – No more food waste with this AI-powered app that helps you build meals from the random depths of your fridge.

• Clam-O-Naise by Cards Against Humanity – Turned its party trick into a tasty product. I mostly just love the website.

• Sole Music by And Us - With the streaming service, Anghami developed an insole that allows the hearing impaired to feel their music. 

• Hilton’s 10-Minute TikTok by TBWA\Chiat\Day NY – As part of its current platform, ‘It Matters Where You Stay,’ they broke TikTok’s short and sweet rule to have Paris Hilton and a million influencers keep your attention. It worked on me.

• BAGuette by Panera – I’m a little tired of limited-run products, but this made me LOL. 

 Spoon: (Resources)

• 🚨The Kennedys by Wieden+Kennedy – Applications are now live for the class of 2023. Forward this to the creative genius you know. 

• 🚨Metallic Fund – Is awarding over £60,000 in grants to young Black creatives. Applications are open now.

• Art and Research about Surveillance, Privacy, and Computer Vision by Adam Harvey – Uses art to find the holes in AI development. 

• The Process By Mike Smith – Of Smith & Diction, released a gorgeous step-by-step brand identity process. Hence "the process."

• @tuongkhuyenle – Insane poster work.

• The Backrooms (Found Footage) by Kane Parsons – 17-year-old creator has been tapped by A24 to create his first feature-length horror movie.

• Vid2Avatar: 3D Avatar Reconstruction from Videos in the Wild via Self-supervised Scene Decomposition

• How to make a portfolio when your work can’t be shared – Building a portfolio when all your work is under an NDA.

• 17 Black Directors to Hire for Super Bowl 2024 by Eleanor – Award-winning directors to put on your roster.  

• The Love/Hate List by Dream Baby Press – Has the hot reccos.   

One more thing:

Thanks for reading! All typos are intentional to make sure you're reading.

& that's the sauce,

K

Want to get in touch? Let’s connect on LinkedIn.

Heya, 👋

Life update: I moved from Denver, CO, to Brooklyn, NY, to make it official with Mischief @ NFA. We actually made it official back in July, but moving to New York is... insane. At least that's what I felt like after months of searching for apartments, visiting dirty-ass open houses, and meeting too many greasy brokers. As of Jan 1st, I officially moved to New York. If you live in the area, hit me up; I'd love to connect in person.

Okay, let’s talk about how someone needs to give M&M’s a hug.

Last year, M&Ms went through the wringer. And by wringer, I mean multiple-mentions-on-Fox- News'-Tucker-Carlson-Tonight kind of wringer.

Controversy explained:

Roughly a year ago, Mars Wrigley updated the looks of its beloved “spokescandies” to make them more progressive. It was an earnest move that lit the internet up. Apparently progressive meant ugly with annoying personalities: the grumpy red M&M turned cheery (mind you Omnicron was peaking at this time), orange morphed into an anxious Gen Z, brown became short and stumpy, and most notably, the green M&M who was downgraded from her iconic sexy self (a Samantha for sure), got short legs, white tights, and sneakers instead of her flirty go-go boots. 

Cue feminist activists and Tucker Carlson who want hot M&M’s. TBH, I’m with them.

More recently, seemingly out of nowhere, Carlson brought back the story about the "Woke M&M’s." While his segment provided no new information (info from 2015 & 2022) on the rebrand, it naturally inspired a viral TikTok trend where people used his audio clip to reenact useless information.

Then, suddenly, M&M dropped their big announcement that they are pulling the “spokescandies” indefinitely. From M&M’s official Twitter:

In the last year, we’ve made some changes to our beloved spokescandies. We weren’t sure if anyone would even notice. And we definitely didn’t think it would break the internet. But now we get it — even a candy’s shoes can be polarizing.

And Maya Rudolph is here to save the day? As quickly as the announcement went up, M&M’s changed all their accounts to Ma&Ya’s and dropped some very cute spots of Rudolph being her cute self as M&M’s new Chief of Fun.

 Five days later, Mars Wrigley confirmed to the New York Times that the “spokescandies” are very much alive and will be returning to the Superbowl.

It’s giving me dead Mr. Peanut?

👇⬇️ What you came here for. ⬇️👇

Fork: (Ads)

• I'm High Right Now by Receptor Brands & Sister Merci   – The Cannabis Media Council wants boomers in Connecticut to know it's okay to smoke pot and the war on drugs is over.

• Our Hands by MullenLowe Los Angeles – Patrón Tequila is literally made by the hands of artisan Mexicans and so is this ad.

• Wait'll you see this by Snap, Inc – Reminds us that Snapchat is still alive with its fever dream of filters. What’s cool is that every single frame of the spot is scannable and will take you to new lenses and Snap easter eggs.

• R.I.P. Leon by TBWA/Media Arts Lab – For the Apple iPhone 14, shows the perks of its latest (and, I’ll say, greatest) feature: unsent text messages. You should also watch Action Mode.

• Whopper Whopper by OKRP – People are freaking out about Burger King's new Whopper jingle. It’s so bad it’s good.

Knife: (Stunts)

• The Big Gay Donation by Uncommon Creative Studio – This subversive campaign aims to sway the next World Cup location in a big gay way.

• UnResignation Letter by Mischief – For Connect RN, nurses stick up for themselves by calling out their healthcare leaders.

• The Stacker by We Believers – Installed stacked BK logos at restaurants to promote Burger King’s new Stacker King burger. 

• The Conspiracy Mural by Amazon Prime - A trailer for The Boys Season 3 in the form of a mural that is updated over time to reveal the plot. 

• MISCHF Website by MISCHF – Finally, a website with all their work dating back to 2019.

Spoons: (Resources)

• 🚨 Cannes See It Be It program – Applications open for a female-focused accelerator program with Cannes. Deadline: February 13.

• 🚨 API Creative Scholarship by Asians in Advertising x Pimp my Portfolio – Is collaborating to give away 3 portfolio makeovers. Deadline: February 17.

• DoingCoolStuff.xyz – A directory of brand and digital product design studios doing cool stuff.

• Word Tonic – GEN-Z copywriting community + newsletter.

• @radvertising_co – An apparel brand for ad nerds.

• Marketing Examples by Harry Dry – A library of great marketing examples.

• @ana.yvy – Vibey fonts & animations for sale.

• Webby 2023 Trend Report – Everything Gen Z <3.

• @madtoya – Art Director & Editorial Designer for Businessweek, previously at the New York Times, Domino Magazine, and Man Repeller.

• D&AD Masterclasses Creative Courses – Level up with courses in brand storytelling, emotions in video editing, and selling work.

• Free the Nipples by Facebook – Instagram and Facebook now allow female nipples to be published online.

• @mediaproblems – Media team memes to send around.

• The Gist – A women-founded professional & collegiate sports newsletter and brand.

• The Avail List – January '23 Talent Spotlight and potential hires. 

One more thing:

Delightful Daytime Commercials from 1998!

Thanks for reading! All typos are intentional to make sure you're not sleeping.

& that's the sauce,

K

Want to get in touch? Follow me on LinkedIn

Heya, 👜

Last issue I asked if you wanted me to ditch the intro paragraphs. 50% of Ketchup readers voted to keep the intros they “loved them.” And another 25% voted to delete them. So I’ll meet you in the middle and keep them short. To those who love the intros, I love you.

👉 OK, here’s today’s intro: #cancelBalenciaga!

Talk about the least cheery holiday campaign ever. French fashion brand Balenciaga has properly pissed off the internet with their kid's Christmas ad, where they have two toddlers showcasing all their Balenciaga gear, including plush BDSM teddy bear backpacks.

To be honest, very cool bears for adults! For babies, not so much.

Cue internet anger. The brand immediately pulled the campaign and issued an apology on Instagram for what was perceived as over-sexualizing children. Smart, but once the internet smells a little blood, they show no mercy. Quickly, their Spring 2023 ad was called out for having displayed a copy of a 2008 SCOTUS ruling (United States v. Williams) which upholds the promotion or advertisement of child pornography as a federal crime not protected by free speech. Seriously, Balenci, why? Another apology was issued, claiming they’re going to take legal action against those responsible. Balenci, hi, it’s you, the problem is you.

Balenciaga has never been shy about controversy. It is best known for its "counter-fashion" products that are a satirical commentary on society's vapidity, like the Newscast, Ugly Sneakers, The Simpsons, and Kim Kardashian's Met Gala look. Since Demna Gvasalia took over as creative director in 2015, everything they’ve produced has been gold. Including most recently being the first brand to cut ties with Kanye West for his anti-Semitic tweets. 

Luxury brands are vigilant protectors of their brand image. Nothing gets out the door without extensive review, so while Balenciaga is trying to play dumb to smooth this out, it's hard to ignore the explicit messages conveyed.

💸 Balenciaga Wages $25 Million Lawsuit Over Controversial Ad Campaign

👇⬇️ What you came here for. ⬇️👇

Fork (Ads/Drops)

• Imagination Included by Broken Heart Love Affair – Gives Mr. Ferguson, an imaginary friend CPR to revive play in kids for ToysRUsCanada. 

• Subtract the Noise by Koto NYC – The Washington Post’s first-ever ad buy in Times Square asks readers to ignore the digital noise. 

• He’s Coming Home by Engine UK – For Women’s Aid, brings to light the increase in domestic abuse during big sporting events like FIFA.

• 1-866-OAT-LINE by Oatly – Launched their Emotional Support Hotline for Plant-Based Eaters on Thanksgiving so vegans can bat away Nana with talking points.

• Museum of Wonky English by UltraSuperNew – Duolingo lets Japan immerse itself in the art of mistranslations with its Tokyo exhibit. 

• The Slavery Cup by Mojo Supermarket – Projected onto FIFA Headquarters in Wembley and The United Nations in New York calling out the enslavement of workers and honoring those who died building the World Cup.

• OneLove Armband by TBWA Paris – Found a concept solution around FIFA’s armband ban – where European teams planned to wear rainbow-colored bands to protest against homophobia in Qatar.

• Winning is Undefeated by Mischief @ No Fixed Address – For FanDuel Casino, reminds us no matter how small a win is its still a win.  

• Ted Lasso by TBWA\Media Arts Lab – Fictional soccer coach Ted Lasso of Apple TV+’s hit sports comedy-drama writes personalized best wishes to US soccer players in their hometowns ahead of FIFA. 

• Heyday Canning by Outline – A brand identity that makes beans fun again.

Spoon (Resources/News)

• Studio Feixen – Independent design studio based in Switzerland that focuses on randomness.

• Sarah MacKinnon – LA/Greek artist uses pencil, chalk, and chaos to bring her POV to life. 

• Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio at the MoMa – A new exhibition launching December 8 showcasing the intricacies of bringing Guillermo’s stop-motion film to life.

• Inconstant Regular by Daniel Brokstad – Created a friendly sans serif font for people with dyslexia. 

• The Art of Deck Making by Aisha Hakim – Updated the 2020 version.

• R/GA Is Closing Its Current New York and San Francisco Office Spaces as It Continues Restructuring – New year, new office.

• 2010 Toy Story 3 Goes Viral – The internet is freaking out over an audio illusion of Ken doll saying 'oh Barbie' or 'oh f**k.'

• Secret Menu by Studio Yukiko – For Doordash, goes behind the scenes of LA’s Asian food scene and culture. Designers will love this concept mag. 

• Condé Nast Sues Drake and 21 Savage – Fake VOGUE cover album drop.

• Book180 by Francesca Piancone – 6-month advertising portfolio program.

🎁 Holiday Gift Guide For Creative Folks 🎁

👯 Winning Creative Partners – News Paper Club – Final collab of the year, a custom printed newspaper of all your ‘22 work. Minimum order 1. 

🐶 Animal lover Art Director – Gentle Giants Pet Products – Maxamilst packaging that they’ll want to save forever. 

✒️ Classic Creative Writer – Moleskine Notebook – Nothing is better than a fresh notebook.

✊ Badass designers – Iranian Women Of Graphic Design – *Free* downloadable Iranian protest posters to be framed for zoom backgrounds in support. 

📊 Media team approved – Freak in the Sheets Ugly Sweater – Because you bonded over Excel puns and this is semi-HR approved. 

🍴 Production & more – Cooking with Scorsese and Others: The Cookbook – A luscious journey of cinema and gastronomy. Call Me By Your Name’s peach but grilled.

🫶 Team activity – Srgn Academy – (NY/LA/LV) Customization workshop, turn those boring sneakers into something fresh for the new year. 

🫡 The Boss – Branche Olive Oil – Instead of giving a nice bottle of alcohol give elevated olive oil. You’ll get extra kudos when they show it off to their friends.  

One last thought:

P.S., OOO – This is the last Ketchup issue of the year and will resume on Feb 1 ‘23. Enjoy the break from emails! 

& that’s the sauce.

👋

– KK

Heya, 💀

We need to talk about the cultural savant Julia Fox is. 

A self-made pop culture celebrity and now icon, Julia Fox entered our zeitgeist early ‘22 via a staged relationship with Kanye West in his efforts to annoy the fuck out of his ex-wife Kim Kardashian. What felt and looked like headline noise actually was just the start of the Julia Foxverse.

If you’ve slept on her, let me give you the gist. Julia Fox is an Italian-American actress and model based out of New York, who had a debut role in Adam Sandler’s 2019 film Uncut Gems where she did well enough to be nominated as a Breakthrough Actor at the Gotham Awards. In 2015, prior to her Hollywood moment, she posed for Playboy. In 2017 she hosted an art exhibit of her own blood on silk called "R.I.P. Julia Fox.” So, yes, she is the perfect type of crazy to be seen with Ye.

During her very short relationship-stunt, Fox truly laid down the tracks to her stardom. She proved herself an interesting person when she went on the Call Her Daddy podcast to talk about her wild upbringing, the start of her dominatrix career, and her early years as a muse. The sound bites alone sent the world into a tizzy and made her meme royalty. While being a meme is usually a bad thing, Fox owned it. 

👉 Watch: UBER ONE - Julia’s Gems | Uber Eats by Special Group U.S. 

Knowing that she needed to ride the volatility, Fox was soon seen everywhere. With her Avant Apocalypse aesthetic, a stark difference from the rising IT girl look, Fox stole the spotlight at every major fashion, art, and music event. Her deconstructed outfits were worn the "wrong" way yet were the Y2K grunge the internet didn’t know it needed. While just being fashionable doesn’t usually skyrocket you to stardom, Fox made sure to do her job which was just to “be there” with a tinge of controversy. 

For me, though, it was her TikTok that really made her more than a meme. Fox’s account has just under 1M followers and she spits mad game and philosophy on misogyny, politics, religion, and motherhood while applying her signature ‘Thumbprint’ eyeliner, soaking in a bubble bath, or lounging naked in her closet. And what she has to say is profound in her own unhinged way. This little glimpse into her mind is what is setting her apart from other wannabe celebs and is driving her cult following. 

With style, grace, and black smudged eyeliner, we are all now living in Julia Fox’s universe.

⁉️POLL⁉️

👇⬇️ What you came here for. ⬇️👇

Fork (Ads)

• No Voting No Vucking by Majority – For BLK, a dating app for Black singles, reminds folks that performing your basic civic duty is sexy AF ahead of the midterm elections. 

• Abbott Out Advent Calendar by Preacher – Award-winning director Richard Linklater and Mothers Against Greg Abbott (MAGA) encourage Texans to vote Greg Abbott out of office. 

• Octocurse by Grey London – For Peta UK, warns people of the horrendous curse that will fall upon anyone who eats octopuses because truly eating them is cruel and unnecessary.  

• Don’t Die Before You Try It by Partyland – Uses freak deaths as examples of why everyone needs to get to Dave’s Hot Chicken asap.

• Palace Gucci x Palace Skateboards – Releases a campaign film from the minds of Max Siedentopf, Lev Tanju, and Gareth Skewis that is both out-of-this-world and down-to-earth.

• The Real Deal on Fentanyl by JOAN – Let’s ex-drug dealers school kids on the business and dangers of fentanyl for Ad Council. 

• Feel the Hydrow High by Mojo Supermarket – Has balloon people get us in motion for Hydrow at home rowing machines. 

• Ukraine is Calling by Banda Agency – The organization LUkraine asbl raises money in Europe for 100 armored rescue vehicles for firefighters and paramedics. 
  

Knife (stunts/drops)

• Get F*cked by the Government by Mischief @ NFA – For sexual wellness brand Dame Products, raises abortion funds by putting Mitch Mcconnell's face on real dildos. 

• The Finest of Fan Art by Riot Games – For Wild Rift’s anniversary celebration League of Legend fans could bid for real fan art at an L.A pop-up. 

• Snakes of Wrath by Young Jerks Studio – A tile-laying game where two players battle for the dominance of snakes. 

• Airheads Candy Flavored Floss by Highdive – Wants everyone to enjoy Halloween, especially dentists, so they’re sending candy floss to their homes so they can be the cool house on the block. 

• Martha Stewart Dismembered Moments Candle by Liquid Death – Stewart cleaves unsuspecting hands to get accurate replicas for her candle molds. 

• Burberry: Freedom to Go Beyond x Minecraft – Expensive and nerdy, Burberry is building an in-game experience that can also be worn on the streets. 

• Pasta Dreams by Otherway – Developed a brand identity for Chef Jamie Oliver’s pasta delivery brand.

• Bad Bitches Have Bad Days Too by Megan Thee Stallion – Alongside her must-listen album Traumazine, Meg dropped a mental health resource tool to help with the sads.

• Invisibility Cloak by University of Maryland – Created an ugly sweater to keep AI away. 

Spoon (Resources)

• Dan Wieden on why Wieden+Kennedy will never sell out – In honor of his passing, 30 minutes from Weiden about what makes W+K tick and how good ideas are born from chaos. 

• Bb-bureau by Benoît Bodhuin – Graphic and typography designer with a mathematical pov. 

• @sadeckwaff – Mesmerizing dance choreographer. 

• Liz Jackson | Honoring the Friction of Disability – Talks about building design for accessibility. 

• Check My Ads by Nandini Jammi and Claire Atkin – Is an ad tech watchdog exposing advertisers funding disinformation and hate. Their mission is to take down Fox News.

• Wondermind by Selena Gomez – Launches Gen Z-focused mental health platform. 

• Non-Coercive Marketing: A Primer by Rob Hardy – Pens about unlearning everything we know about ads to change traditional marketing for the better.

• Landlord of the Flys by Yoko Hayashi, Adam Vohlidka, and Hunter Fines – Made an 8-bit game that lets you kill NYC lantern flies for cheaper rent. 

& that’s the sauce.

🎃

– KK

👋 Heya,

I may be biased because I’m a California native, but Governor Gavin Newsom is my hero. 

In the – I can’t believe I’m about to say this – post-Roe era, Newsom seems to be the only politician saying what we’re all thinking to sitting Republicans – fuck you! 

On September 15, as part of his re-election campaign, Newsom released a series of billboards in six states that ban abortions, directing women to a newly-launched website, abortion.ca.gov, and lets them easily know how and where to get an abortion in California – whether or not they live in the state. 

But that was not the only G moment from Newsom. To let Californians know what he was up to -- they wouldn’t see those out-of-town spots, he called out every anti-abortion politician by tagging them on Twitter. This is the kind of leadership energy we need going into the midterms! 

Newsom isn’t just all talk. He’s also been fighting hard on the ground to keep abortion safe in California. As of September 28, he’s signed 13 abortion protection and reproductive health bills that:

• Strengthened privacy protections by blocking out-of-state subpoenas

• Banned police from prosecuting abortions that take place in California including the enforcement of out-of-state court judgments against doctors and volunteers

• Created special funding for low-income women needing abortions regardless if they are residents 

• Pushed forward Proposition 1, a ballot measure that would enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, you rule.

🚨 Shout out: The Land of Random

My favorite Monday newsletter that helps me rediscover the magic of the internet. Land of Random brings me so much joy and so much weirdness. It’s where I learned about an $800 Sushi Box as well as TikTok’s rising music genre Phonk that I now play on repeat before big meetings. 

Read Now

🧨 Special Recommendation: The End Up

THE END UP is a scripted podcast about two best friends living in a tilted near-future where terminal cancer patients can end their life with a weeklong Bootcamp … NO SPOILERS … This 7 part series was the only thing I was looking forward to this entire month. It's funny, dark, and is an endearing story about two male best friends loving each other until the end. On Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Listen Now

👇⬇️ What you came here for. ⬇️👇

Fork (Ads)

• Just Gotta Jamba by Preacher – For Jamba (formally known as Jamba Juice) took inspiration from TikTok to cut, trim, and splice this vibey music video-like spot.

• Your Voice by Girl Culture Films – Directed by Karyn Kusama for Planned Parenthood Votes, has a women’s desire to get an abortion thwarted when politics takes over.

• I'm Not Marching by Quality Meats Creative – Launched a chilling PSA for March Fourth, a non-profit org fighting for assault rifle bans, by saying all of our fears out loud. 

• Smile by Paramount – Is taking the internet by storm for its theatrical release (Sept 30th) by planting creepy AF actors on live TV.   

• This is How We Work Now by Alto NY – Upwork brings CEOs back from the dead to tell us the old way of working is deader than dead. 

• Monopoly Causes Fights, And That’s Ok by KesselsKramer – Captures the frustrations and learning moments of being wrecked by your grandpa at Monopoly. 

• Cash App Pay by Real Good Studio - Vibes on vibes on vibes when you pay to play.

• Good Eat’n by Utendahl Creative – Gives a healthy and bold brand identity to plant-based chips.

Knife (Drops/Stunts)

• Mother Goods by Mother – Releases their digital shop of products they’ve made for clients. The UX/UI is beyond cool.  

• Adoption Center by Mischief at NFA – Duolingo lets you support language learners by allowing you to adopt them to your subscription family plan.

• Inflashion by Deutsch LA – Nerdwallet sent Haute-saving tips down New York Fashion Week’s runways.  

• McDonald's x Cactus Plant Flea Market by Wieden + Kennedy – A Happy Meal for streetwear-loving millennials.

• Karen Calhoun by Netflix – Brought Jennifer Coolidge’s new show to life by putting real estate ads for her unhinged character all over Zillow.  

• THE DRE$$ by The Martin Agency – In partnership with TIAA, designer Fe Noel debuts a couture dress made out of 1.6 million dollars during New York Fashion Week to highlight the retirement income gap between men and women.

• Rescue Matches by Mischief at NFA – 60% of people say they are more likely to swipe right on profiles with dogs, so Tinder is photoshopping dogs into profiles. 

• Made with bravery by EVO – Launched an official Ukrainian marketplace to raise funds to help rebuild creative Ukraine lives. 

• Ciao, Kim by Dolce Gabbana – Iconic to say the least. DG is trying to make its comeback with the graces of Kim Kardashian, and it might work. 

• Summer of Music: PIeces of The Action by BBC Creative – Captured pivotal moments of Glastonbury so those with FOMO could still get a piece of the action.

Spoon (Resources)

• LIONS Creativity Report – A breakdown of the best work and people. 

• Young Guns 20 Finalists – The industry's future leaders. 

• Shuffles by Pinterest – TikTok is going wild for Pinterest’s invite-only collage app.

• @Harry Lambert – Harry Styles stylist, if you were ever wondering who the mastermind was behind Harry’s buzz-worthy fits.

• What the U.S. Can Learn From Ireland’s Win on Abortion – Discusses communication tactics to persuade people on the fence to vote for abortions. 

• In Bed With Social by Marie Dollé– Substack newsletter that talks about all things Gen Z and social media. 

• Brutalist Websites – All the rage right now, an index of examples. 

• @uglybelgianhouses – Ugly is trending across categories, even Belgian houses.

• @tomgoulery – Tom Goulet’s edits, and graphics are punk rock.

• Blaise Cepis – Extremely talented photographer/director who makes banal products fashionable. 

& that’s the sauce.

👋

– KK

Heya! 🍅

In all our years of Facebook, the imaginable has finally happened, the birth of a new viral social media platform: BeReal. 

BeReal is the antidote to social media fakery, or so we think. It’s an in-the-moment picture app that gives users two minutes to snap an image on the go a.k.a them being real. Daily, users will be randomly notified when it's time to take the image, and only after they’ve snapped will they be able to view their friend's fresh photos. It’s an incredibly simple experience with no filters, limited UX, and only positive emojis. As of July ’22, this sans Facetune app has been downloaded more than 20 million times.  

So inevitably brands are chasing it. BeReal doesn’t allow formal advertising, but that doesn’t mean social media managers aren’t getting savvy to bring real brand moments to followers' feeds. 

Take Chipolte, who joined back in April, has found a smart hack for generating in-app and brick n mortar engagement by uploading promo codes that they boast are redeemed within 1-minute of being posted. Makeup brand Saie used BeReal to leak a new product that fans could only get their hands on if they saw it in the moment (on the app). Lastly, 'Scream 6' a Paramount movie has been showing behind the scenes with celebs to drum up excitement for its 2023 release. 

For experimental brands, the lure and effort on an emerging platform make sense because being first to a platform is newsworthy. Brand Y does the first-ever activation on platform X.

While it’s only a matter of time before this platform naturally becomes saturated with inauthenticity, its success with Gen Z is tracking with other unfiltered trends like TikTok, Photobooth images, and the return of Tumblr. 

For those who want to stick to something familiar, social media platforms like Meta and Snapchat are scrambling to replicate the mechanics of BeReal so brands can finally “be real” on their feeds.  

🍅⬇️ What you came here for. ⬇️🍅

Fork (Ads)

• That’s Money by pgLang  – As part of Cash App’s ongoing campaign, Kendrick Lamar translates financial jargon and the benefits of “slow money” from billionaire investor Ray Dalio to comedian ExavierTV. 

• The New Rules of the Game by MONO – For Bumble, created a sports-themed campaign highlighting their safety tools that put women in charge of their dating journey.

• Never Done Evolving by AKQA – For Nike’s 50th anniversary, 1990 Grand Slam winner Serena Williams went up against 2017’s record-breaking Grand Slam winner… you guessed it Serena Williams with AI to prove the champ's athletic evolution.

• Vote No by Kansans for Constitutional Freedom – In the first ballot referendum since Roe v. Wade was overturned, this TV ad helped successfully keep abortion rights legal in Kansas.

• OOO by Surreal – The healthy cereal brand let its finance, operations, and accounts team fills in for its designer when they took their summer PTO. 

• Let Your Mayo Freak Flag Fly by Wieden+Kennedy NY – Warns mayo haters to look away. 

• Stupid or Genius by Johannes Leonardo – Has some serious stupid fun with Oscar Mayer’s ‘Keep It Oscar’ summer spots.  

• The Dating App Designed to Be Deleted by Red Antler – As a continuation of their 2019 campaign, has Hinge (a cute fury character) joyfully kill himself in unexpected ways when you finally find the one.

Knife (Drops)

• Miquela x PacSun – '90s retailer Pacsun holds on to Gen Z for dear life by signing “the queen of the metaverse” as their new spokesperson, @miquela, a forever 19-year-old virtual influencer who has made it cool to be fake with 3M followers. 

• Ketchup or Makeup by MSCHF x Fenty Beauty – Asked the question no one has ever asked, is that lipstick or ketchup?

• Tabasco rebrand by Mrs&Mr – Gives the iconic sauce brand a lively new refresh.

• Taco Bell Rewards by David Ayllon – Shares his branding evolution for TB’s latest loyalty design.

• Girl Scouts rebrand by Collins – Gives the legacy brand a bold new look by focusing on punching up its colors, mission, and Trefoil. 

Spoon (Resources)

• Frockups by Wytze Hoogslag – *Free* fucked up realistic mockups!

• Noah Camp – Known for his ‘90s themes, has next-level 3D lettering and animations. 

• Deck of Brilliance By Juggi Ramakrishnan and Todd McCracken – Helps structure storylines for script writing.

• Citizens "Old+New" – Dropped new heavy metal handwritten fonts.

• Blockchain for a better planet by Renee Fleck – Discusses why blockchain sustainability matters.

• @title.type by Wyatt Welles – Identifies movie typography in case you were wondering. 

• @wnzldnl – Showcases his typography and generative processes.

• 11 UK Branding Agencies to Check Out Right Now – Jolyon Varley Co-Founder of OK COOL shares who he’s been following.

• Here and Now – Creative agency for female-led brands.

• BLAC Internship Program – An internship program designed to bring more young Black people into advertising.

& that’s the sauce.

🍅

– KK

Heya! 💥

The worst best thing of the month: unhinged political ads.

Meet Ken Russell, a politician who is running for Florida's 27th District in the US Congress against Maria Salazar. If you don’t live in Florida, that might not mean much, but to Russell’s 400k TikTok followers (@kenforflorida), he’s one of the few Democrats who understands how to talk to the masses in 2022. 

Taking a page out of AOC’s playbook, Russell quickly became famous on TikTok for laying down the law with a tinge of humor. Take, for example, his first video. He holds local polluters accountable for dumping trash off their yachts by perfectly blending his Mr. Serious political face with TikTok's 2020 viral sound "Oh No" by Kreepa. Never did I care more about rich people trashing a harbor! 

His virality was instant; a likable internet dad figure who has TikTok transitions nailed down. So much so that he was able to raise $1M in donations with a 15s video trying to take down Florida senator Marco Rubio. 

What is the unhinged part? VOTE  - an INSANE TikTok stitch (where your TikTok is combined with someone else's) of Russell transitioning with a girl's seductive post and telling people to make sure they're registered to vote.

The internet is calling it the "best political ad ever." I’ve watched it a million times, so I agree.

Russell is putting the fun back into politics, and his viral stardom is proving how important it is to appeal to a generation of people who for the most part feel neglected by their politicians. 

The politicians who get it, get it, and Russell truly gets it.

💥⬇️ What you came here for. ⬇️💥

Fork (Ads)

• The NRA Children’s Museum by Change the Ref – Sent 52 empty school buses to Ted Cruz’s house to represent the 4368 children who have lost their lives to guns since 2020.

• That Reading Feeling Awaits, by Droga5 – Amazon Books explores all the big feelings that come from reading books.

• Cards of Qatar by Forsman & Bodenfors – Uses traditional soccer trading cards to tell the stories of migrant workers who’ve died building the 2022 FIFA World Cup. 

• Such a Great App by Maximum Effort – Has “Law & Order” thottie Chris Meloni work out in the buff for National Nude Day.

• Tina's leaving do. by Lucky Generals – Has Sir Patrick Stewart (X Men and Star Trek) give a proper coworker farewell for Yorkshire Tea under its running line “Where Everything’s Done Proper.”

• Break Free TV by Goodby Silverstein & Partners – Let kids be kids again with these Capri Sun shorts.

• Insure your Happiness by Uncommon – For ManyPets insurance brings to life that pets are more than just a companion — they make us better people.

• Heavy Silence by Havas – APSI (The Association for the Promotion of Child Safety) put a heavy metal band underwater to show you can’t hear drowning.

• Before it Melts By LOLA MullenLowe Madrid – In this 24-hour campaign they captured the beauty of Magnum bars melting in record-high heat. 

Knife (Drops)

• The Fuck You Collection by Molly Dickson & Computer Cowgirls – 10,000 stop motion NFTs to raise money for abortion access. 

• Thirst Trap by Mischief @ No Fixed Address – Coors Light doesn’t want misquotes to be a summer buzzkill.

• Emo Wendy by VMLY&R – New hair, who dis? The American fast food chain Wendy’s went punk rock for its eighth UK location launch in Camden. 

• North Sea Jazz Festival by STUDIO DUMBAR/DEPT® – Creates a mesmerizing identity and motion design for the world's biggest jazz event. 

• Marz Community Box by Franklyn – For Marz Community Brewing Co, releases an AI-driven design to build a fantasy world for their new subscription box.

• Miso Cards by Four Thieves Vinegar Collective – DIY biohacker collective embeds abortion pills onto business cards during Queens, NY hacker conference.

• “Little Miss” meme by @littlemissnotesapp – Og by @juulpuppy, brings back millennial nostalgia with hyper-focused & sometimes scathing personality traits. 

• YEEZY GAP by YE – Shock-dropped gear across the US, even making fans dive into dumpsters.

Spoons (Resources):

• Dirt by Kyle Chayka, Daisy Alioto – A daily newsletter about entertainment online.

• Kill Your Darlings: Presented by togetherr – A documentary that follows Creative Director Anouk Jans as they find their purpose in modern advertising. 

• The Secret To Happiness I Learned Working For The Uber-Rich by De Anna Brooks – Explores buying happiness.

• NaN Success by Studio Triple – New dripping typeface by Jérémy Landes.

• @gpm.global – Graphic designer with a fun attitude.

• Canary---yellow.com by Virgil Abloh – Index of all of this work.

& that’s the sauce.

💥

– KK

Heya, 🤘

This is going to be a hype intro. Let’s talk about Liquid Death.

If you know them then you know their twisted genius. Who knew water could actually be sexy? If you don’t, here is the rundown:

Liquid Death is a canned-water company founded by Mike Cessario who saw a massive opportunity to market eco-friendly water like energy drinks – all gas, no brakes. After a teaser video went viral in 2017, Cessario and his partners J.R. Riggins, Pat Cook, and Will Carsola decided to make it a legitimate product. Created as an alternative way to stay hydrated at parties, its familiar tallboy aluminum can and dark humor slogan “murder your thirst” and “death to plastic” made it an internet hit. Liquid Death officially launched in 2019 in tattoo parlors, bars, and skate parks and quickly grew into hardcore partnerships with Live Nation, Anti-Flag, and Tony Hawk. 

What truly sets them apart is their go-hard attitude towards marketing:

• The No Brainer by Partyland – In partnership with Netflix’s zombie show ‘Army of the Dead’ they produced a headband that holds your cold water and protects your brains.

• The Greatest Hates by Partyland – Turned their hate comments into a rock album.

• Killer Baby Namer by Humanaut – Created a metal name generator for newborns. 

• Tony Hawk’s Blood Board by Humanaut – Sold 100 skateboards painted with Tony Hawk’s blood.

• Wiz Khalifa: Heavy Liquid Death User, in-house – Partnered with Wize Khalifa, an LD investor, to show that the water can be ‘fancy’ – fancy bong water that is. 

• Liquid Death Flavors vs. The Most Expensive Beverages on Earth, in-house – Taste tests tallboys of flavored water vs. gnarly gross liquid versions of expensive food.

The list goes on and on. They are currently stocked at Whole Foods, Sprouts Farmers Market, 7-Eleven, and Sam’s Club. Liquid Death also makes frequent appearances at music festivals. For more follow the creatives behind LD: Andy Pearson, Greg Fass, and Alex Lang (now CD at RIOT Games)

⚡️⬇️ What you came here for. ⬇️⚡️

Fork (ads/design)

• Bury The Bills by Havas NY – To fight the anti-LGBTQIA+ bills circling in our government, NYC Pride put up billboards that let you fax lawmakers gay love scenes directly from your phone. 

• Rainbow Deposits by FCB Canada – To combat tokenism, Bank of Montreal (BMO) is challenging you to snap photos of rainbows to raise money for Rainbow Railroad. For every rainbow “deposit” they will donate $1.

• Buy My Cancer by Ogilvy – NFT’s that save lives. Partnering with artist Paweł Swanski for the Alivia Cancer Foundation they’ve turned actual living cancer cells into art, and art into life-saving cancer treatments.

• Sweet Sixteen by Sunday School – Shot by Kwame Blue, shows the beautiful influence of basketball in Black youth culture. 

• Sproutl by OMSE – Makes a refreshing brand identity to make gardening modern. 

• Mancationers by Mathery Studio – American Express x Delta highlights what the guys are really doing on their boy’s weekend.

Knife (Drops)

• Pride in Your Words by Penguin Random House – Published their very first LGBTQIA+ zine. 

• Platinum Jubilee by KesselsKramer – Dishes up a batch of alternative commemorative plates for the Platinum Jubilee that wouldn’t make the Queen happy.

• Meta Fashion Marketplace by Meta/Instagram – Tries to be cool with Balenciaga, Prada, and a Thom Browne avatar fashion collection. 

• Hulu Motel by Anomaly – Let fans “check in to their obsessions” through a series of themed rooms with TV show easter eggs.

Spoon (Resources) 

• Fuck Bans Action Support by Vote Save America – Released steps to take right now to fight back against SCOTUS. 

• Love The Work More by Quynh Tran and Toan Mai – Have hacked the Cannes Lions so you can see everything without a paywall.

• Creative Ladder by Maximum Effort – Launched a nonprofit to help make creative careers accessible to everyone.

• Creative Megamachine by Jason Bagley – Level up your creative skills & thinking with W+K veteran's 8-week course.  

• Fall 2022 Apprentice Applications Open by The Workshop – Advertising 101 immersive. 

• Paging Dr. Lesbian by Kira Deshler – One of the most hilarious lesbian pop culture newsletters you need to subscribe to right now. 

• DALL-E 2 – Viral AI bot turns users' descriptions into images. 

• gmgn supply –  Is turning NFT brands into consumer package goods, starting with gm cereal for Bored Ape. 

• The Gender Spectrum Collection by Vice – Stock photos beyond the binary.

• RipType Foundary – Freshly baked fonts. 

• The world's most hated art style by @Struthless – Ever wonder why every brand looks the exact same?

• @carlyjeanandrews – Obsessed with Carly Jean Andrews’s graphic design vibe. 

• Momternships by MullenLowe – Released a 10-week internship program to help moms get back in the game and level up their creative skills. 

& that’s the sauce.

⚡️

– KK

Heya! 🍕🌮

Let’s talk about Taco Bell, Doja Cat, and the brilliant return of the Mexican Pizza. 

Mexican Pizza: Taco Bell removed the fan favorite in 2020 in an effort to streamline faster meals. But fans immediately pushed back creating a Change.org petition with over 170,000 signatures. Even with the growing number of pleas TB harshly suggested diehards go eat as many pizzas as possible before they were officially gone. 

Doja Cat: In 2020, was just starting to become a star with her song "Say So" taking TikTok by storm. This hit landed her on the Billboard Hot 100 and propelled her to become the most streamed female artist of the year, and finally won her a spot as MTV’s Best New Artist. Unfortunately, her tour was halted by covid, but her momentum couldn’t be stopped. 

A timeline of events that created the buzziest product collab:

• May 2021 - Doja Cat tweeted “I will do everything in my power to bring back the mexican pizza from taco bell.” TBell responded by congratulating her on her upcoming album release.

• September 2021 – Doja Cat got a little bit more candid with her order “I want my fuckin mexican pizza back @tacobell why u quiet.” Teeb did not respond publicly.

• November 2021 – Using her star power and persistency “Hey @tacobell, just heard my song in your commercial… I'm a #TacoBellPartner now. where's my Mexican Pizza?” Again no public comment.

• February 2022 – She stars in TB’s Super Bowl ad The Grande Escape.

• March 2022 – Teases partnership through 'Contractual Jingle' on TikTok with a Mexican Pizza Freestyle that 100% slaps.

• April 2022 – Doja Cat officially announces the return of the Mexican Pizza during her Coachella set.

• May 2022 – Mexican Pizza returns to menus everywhere.  

Coming up: TBell has revealed, “Mexican Pizza The Musical” which will air on TikTok with Doja Cat & Dolly Parton. 

Why it works: Because Taco Bell anchors itself to what 25-year-olds love and right now they love Doja Cat & TikTok. Not only are they tapping into a cultural icon they are also letting Doja do Doja with her lo-fi content and natural plugs. It's a perfect match.

Applause to Deutsch LA, Edelman, The Syndicate, and the creative team at Taco Bell for making this tasty collab happen. 

⚡️⬇️ What you came here for. ⬇️⚡️

Fork (Ads)

• Something to Offend Everyone by MullenLowe NY – Brooklyn Film Festival (BFF) addresses your cringe straight on because art can be triggering and they pride themselves on never censoring filmmakers. Don’t sleep on these explosive OOH. 

• OutHorse Your Email by SS+K – Visit Iceland knows how hard it is to not answer your work emails on vacation so they’ve trained Icelandic horses to reply for you. 

• Monster Problem by Opinionated – Miro the collaboration tool shows how quickly WFH teams can solve big problems like Kaiju monsters destroying your city.

• Keep The Amazon Prime by Wrestler – For Earth Day Allbirds uses an 80s-inspired infomercial & early-web aesthetics to remind us about the Amazon before Jeff Bezos’s Amazon. 

• Wasteminster by Studio Birthplace – Greenpeace’s short film uses stop motion animation to raise awareness of the UK government’s failings on waste. (2021) 

• Broadband Nightmares by Saatchi & Saatchi & The Mill – BT shows a nightmare-like version of the family’s reality when the wifi goes down.

• Naomi Osaka & Devin Booker for Sweetgreen – Gives us a foodie ASMR announcement for their new ambassador partnerships. 

• The Myth by Wieden + Kennedy PDX – From the Call It Covid-19 team, released a new film about the pressures on the ‘model minority’ and the long-term ramifications. 

• McEnroe vs. McEnroe by FCB NY – Michelob Ultra pits tennis legend McEnroe against five of his younger selves in this real vs virtual tennis match. 

Knife (Drops) 

• Ultimate Participation Trophy by MSCHF – Sells $1000 Tiffany & Co. trophies that cover all sports in one trophy, even equestrian.

• Domino's x Stranger Things Mind Ordering app by WorkInProgress & Unit 9 –This brand entertainment tie-in lets fans order pizza with their mind … sort of, through facial recognition people can unlock pies and more. 

• Nurses Weak Gifts by Mischief @ No Fixed Address – Because companies are terrible at saying thank you, Nurses can now exchange their weak gifts for real ones during nurse week with ConnectRN. 

• Met Rihanna by Vogue Magazine – Because Rihanna couldn’t attend the 2022 Met Gala this year Vogue paid tribute to the met queen by immortalizing her with a marble statue – complete with a baby bump. 

• The Unburnable Book by Rethink – Penguin Random House brings awareness to the alarming rise in book censorship & burnings across America by giving Margaret Atwood a flamethrower and a burn-proof edition of “The Handmaid’s Tale.” 

Spoon: (Resources) 

• Hire Black Creatives – A list of Photographers, Film Directors, and Creative Directors for your next project.

• After School by Casey Lewis – Substack newsletter that keeps you on Gen Z trends.

• Instagram New Brand Identity – Refined their brand look to align with the evolution of creators.

• Interval Type by Ilya Naumoff – Typeface foundry that focuses on Latin and Cyrillic scripts.

• Calvin Klein slammed for featuring a pregnant man for Mothers Day – The internet lost their shit, but I think it's a W. 

• Out of Order by Nicolas Heller – a.k.a the legend @newyorknico is set to release his narrative short at the Tribeca Film Festival.

• D.M.B. by A$AP Rocky – Gives us a new ride-or-die love story with a beautifully cool music video. 

• Design in Motion Festival 2022 – Submit your work!

⚠️ Content Warning ⚠️

Most of this issue was written prior to the Buffalo, Laguna Woods, and Uvalde events. Instead of collecting what brands are saying and doing, which many are doing a great job at, I wanted to resurface some honorable work from the last year:

• The Lost Class by Leo Burnett Chicago – With Change the Ref, fools Ex-NRA Chief into giving a graduation speech to students killed by guns.

• Back-To-School Essentials by BBDO NY – For Sandy Hook Promise, released a chilling PSA to remind people that school shootings shouldn’t be normalized.

• Best Unbox Ever With Cayden Grey NY – From States United to Prevent Gun Violence, highlights that 4.6 million U.S. kids live in homes with unsecured guns.

Donate now to Everytown and help defeat the Gun Lobby's extremism.

VOTE. VOTE. VOTE.

& that’s the sauce.

🍕🌮

– KK

Heya, 🇺🇦

Let’s revisit the situation in Ukraine. If you read Ketchup #11, you know that I was initially and understandably pretty shook by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and now 60+ days later as it continues to rage on I’m even more shocked about how fast it has left our American conversations. 

So let’s keep you on top of it because as a creative we have the power to make solutions. Check out what others are ideating and get involved:

1. The New Exhibition by COLLINS – An online showcase/workplace for Ukrainian illustrators, animators, designers and creators to get hired for remote work. 

2. Labor Camp Report by Piotr Szyhalski – Released amazing black ink posters to raise donations for Ukrainian refugee organizations.

3. Backup Ukraine by Virtue Worldwide – Is using a 3D Polycam app to quickly scan and upload digital renderings of important landmarks to a virtual library in case they are destroyed. 

4. Nation of Heroes Forbes Cover – Explains how Forbes Ukraine designed its War issue.

5. Be brave like Ukraine by Banda – Ukraine/LA-based agency released downloadable and sharable 10-second video clips to show the resilience of the UA people. **must watch **

🙃⬇️ What you came here for. ⬇️🙃

Fork: (Ads)

• SKITTLES Bring Back Lime by DDB Chicago – Goes on an epic apology tour on Twitch and in Times Square to announce the return of Lime Skittles. 

• One App, One Tap by Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners – Honestly, just love this vibe.

• Paris, Tokyo, Berlin by Publicis, Ecuador – Cleverly uses aerial views of city lights to represent cracked smartphone screens for Movistar’s phone insurance program.

• Curls Are Cool by Wieden + Kennedy – Released a hair-raising fever dream of a music video for Old Spice curly hair products.

• Tide x Marvel by Saatchi & Saatchi – Mixes two fan favorites Marvel’s Dr. Strange & Stranger Things because the multiverse can get a little messy.  

• Toxic Influence by Ogilvy – As part of their #DetoxYourFeed campaign, Dove uses deep fake tech to Black Mirror moms and daughters about toxic beauty advice online. 

Knife: (Drops)

• Ozworld Adidas Originals by Jam3 – Let’s fans create avatar personalities based on its Ozworld shoe.  

• Off-White™ Paris City Guide by FLUX.Monks – The fashion and luxury team of Media.Monks released an app exclusive experience of Virgil Abloh’s favorite Paris locations. 

• Texting Szechuan Sauce by McDonald’s – Uses Community.com to inspire 1:1 conversations about their special sauce.

• Doja Cat x Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza by Deutsch LA – Created by far one of the buzziest Coachella moments when she announced “I brought back the Mexican pizza by the way.”

• Tropicana Crunch by Cramer-Krasselt – Cereal meant to be eaten with OJ not milk. 

• Conversations Amongst Us by New Balance – Partners with Joe Freshgoods to reconnect Black conversations after covid. 

• We Are Democrats by Studio Gradients – Gives the DNC’s brand a refresh with new typography and a revitalized donkey.

Spoon: (Resources) 

• Women Who Create – Mentorship program built by women of color for women of color. 

• Own It by Zambezi – Is buying out the boys club by creating resources for women to launch ad agencies.

• Text Messaging is the new frontier  – And SMS company Postscript leads it.

• Rogue School by James Hurst – Global Creative Director of Pinterest pens his design principles. 

• RE/IMAGINE Culture by VMLY&R – Released part one of their three-part trend series through the perspective of legends like Walt Geer & Alexandra Cavoulacos.

• MvVO ART/ AD ART SHOW – From May 1-31 ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​in NYC see Art Director's passions on display.  

• How Duolingo Conquered Brand TikTok – The only owl on the internet with 2.1M followers.

& that’s the sauce.

🇺🇦

– KK

I’m interrupting our Ketchup schedule to announce major news. 

If you are reading this, then you are a Ketchup reader and I want to thank you for all of your email opens, clicks, and shares. I hope Ketchup has been a valuable resource for you over these last 12 months, helping you grow, developing your eye, and sparking some creativity! Now, I’d like to ask you a favor…

NEWS: BRAND-BUILDING ART DIRECTOR NEWLY ON THE MARKET TO TAKE YOUR AGENCY TO NEW LEVELS.

Hello, it's me.

⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️

💻 WEBSITE: K8TLINK.COM 

🥫 EMAIL: K8TLINK@GMAIL.COM 

⬆ ⬆ ⬆

About Me: (Kaitlin K.)

April ‘22 Denver Ad School Art Direction Graduate

PAST LIFE: 7+ years of experience developing editorial, social, and video content for fashion e-comm & entertainment brands. 

• Created fantasy editorials for teenage fashion goths 

• Brought Australia babe fashion to the West Coast

• Produced Facebook Watch shows for movie super nerds

• Pushed movie theatres into the 21st century, like the internet, social media…

• Developed digital assets that helped film studios max out their passive revenues online

→ Click for more details

💯 ⬇️ My Good Stuff (Portfolio Work) ⬇️ 💯

Dr. Tichenor’s: It’s a Mouth Thing

Be Loud. Spit Proud. Mouth Hard.

Flamin’ Hot Cheetos: Snack With Caution

Can You Handle the Mouth Fire?

Costco: For Big Lives in Small Places

How to Live Large in NYC Starting at $2.99

Budweiser: Take Back 21

Budweiser Helps Dreamers Actually Live the American Dream

Seeking:

1. Creative advertising agency

2. A team that likes to get lunch together

3. CDs who inspire ambition

4. Brands who push culture

Also open to in-house. Trying to be here for a good time and a long time.

If this is you, get in touch!

⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️

💻 WEBSITE: K8TLINK.COM 

🥫 EMAIL: K8TLINK@GMAIL.COM 

⬆ ⬆ ⬆

& that’s the sauce.

– KK

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Heya, 👋

“If we look at the top 5 holding agencies in the US (accounting for over 358k employees), there seems to only be about nine Black Executive Creative Directors (ECDs). Seven of us met for the first time in person, to discuss the current state of the advertising space.” - Walt Geer

In partnership with the New York Festivals, Walter Geer, legendary creative director at VMLY&R, brought together for the first time Black ECDS in America to talk frankly about their career paths in advertising and the big steps that are truly needed to evolve the industry for future generations. 

Black Madison Ave is a two-hour, three-part deep dive on the challenges and barriers they have faced in their careers and their day-to-day interactions. 

In attendance: 

• Walter Geer, ECD, Experience Design, VMLY&R

• Sherman Winfield, ECD, VMLY&R 

• Andre Gray, ECD, Grey Group

• Shannon Washington, SVP, ECD, Head of Creative, R/GA New York

• Kaleeta McDade, Global ECD, Ogilvy

• Patrick Bennett, ECD, Momentum Worldwide

• Perry Fair, EVP, Global ECD, Global Director of Entertainment at McCann New York

This eye-opening conversation does not hold back and should be required listening for everyone in advertising. Even more for every corporate leader.

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⚡️⬇️ What you came here for. ⬇️⚡️

Forks: (Campaigns) 

• #TattooDuoOver by BETC Paris – Duolinlingo wants to help turn your cringy travel tattoos into grammatically correct translated pieces of art.  

• When All You Can Food Is Think About by Mother LA – Postmates spoofs commercials by hitting the protagonist with cravings. 

• Escape From the Office by Apple – Rallys the “The Underdogs” from their 2019 “Apple at Work” spot to join the Great Resignation with a nine-minute film. 

• Bring on the Sun by Base Design – Eyewear brand Ace & Tate reminds us – through very relatable eye squinting – why we all need sunglasses. 

• Made Possible by Hosts by Airbnb – An oldie but a favorite right now, Airbnb pulls heartstrings with BTS film shots of real vacations.

• Be My Freeze by WorkInProgress – Gives us a 2000’s boy band music video to introduce Mike’s Hard Freeze.

• Joy Is the Ultimate Trophy by GUT Miami – Michelob Ultra captures emotional shots of legends through their trophy wins. 

Knife: (Drops) 

• Loopholes Cereal by 72andSunny NY – Finds a loophole in food stamps to help make menstrual products available to all via breakfast cereal. 

• Pedigree Rescue Doodles by BBDO NY – Uses an AI chatbot to pair kid's dog drawings with similar-looking rescue dogs available for adoption.

• Telephone Hotline by West Side Elementary School – As an art project, a school set up a free phone hotline where callers get unscripted, motivational messages from kids. Call 707-873-7862 for a little joy.

• Oatly Lake by Oatly – The Swedish oat milk brand dropped a true crime-style podcast about a random lake in Michigan that shares the same name as the brand “Oatly” and… (spoiler alert) no crime.  

• The Oscars by Johannes Leonardo – Ahead of the Oscars, Oscar Mayer commits to breaking up the Hollywood sausage fest by pledging to use female-identifying directors on their future commercials. 

• NFT Treasury by Preacher – Put their own twist on the NFT craze during SXSW with a gallery of 'Nobody's Favorite Toy,' 'Ninety-Four Tacks' and “Nelly Furtado’s Toerings.” 

• The F-List Awards by Clean Creatives – Honored the best of the worst in fossil fuel advertising and climate change PR.

• Bored & Hungry by Andy Nguyen – Is opening a Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT-themed restaurant popup through its IP ownership access.

• Bombay 99 by &Walsh – Creates a gorgeous branding and package design for the newest drink mixer from Parlé Agro.

Spoons: (Resources) 

• @TheAdHustler – Brings visibility to BIPOC advertising professionals

• Get to know visionary designer Lisa Smith (ECD at Jones Knowles Ritchie) – She’s the mastermind behind the rebrands of Burger King, USA Today, Zocdoc and Grubhub.

• 30 Minute University – Coordinates 30-minute mentor meetings with legendary creatives. 

• Death To Stock Photos – Not your average stock images

• Portfolio Night 2022 – The One Club’s in-person folio review is coming to cities near you! 

• Fontwerk – Download free test fonts 

• Dread Labs – Tutorials on internet rave design 

& that’s the sauce.

👋

– KK

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Heya, 🇺🇦

I don’t normally pray but my heart sank when I saw the address of the mockup I had just purchased: Kyiv, Ukraine, I used the download time for a moment of silence. Just hours earlier Putin had done the unimaginable when Russia launched an invasion on Ukraine, now the largest conventional warfare operation in Europe since World War II.

Crazy to think I’d be writing about a war in 2022 in a substack newsletter about ads, but it's 1) all-consuming and 2) will be detrimental to our creative community ahead. 

A number of global agencies have swiftly and to their best efforts made plans to help protect their UA teammates including setting up medical care funds, advancing financial assistance, and planning relocations. The agencies with the largest Ukrainian staff are Publicis, WPP and Havas.

If you are like me and carrying guilt for being so helpless here are some resources to support Ukraine right now:

• Flags of Support – Lance Vining, SVP, Creative Director, BBDO NY, redesigned country flags with the Ukrainian flag so you can show solidarity online. 

• Kyiv Independent – Donate to English-language journalists covering the war in Ukraine.

• Ukrainian Fundraiser T-Shirt – The Ukrainian co-founder of Pleasures, an LA-based streetwear brand, is selling a vibey shirt to wear your support. 100% of the proceeds are going to UNICEF.

• Care International – Non-governmental org raising $ for humanitarian assistance in Ukraine (food, water, hygiene products, & medical)

• Voices of Children – Ukrainian org aiming to provide psychological & psychosocial support to children affected by war.

• International Medical Corps – Global nonprofit providing medical services in affected areas of invasion.

• UN Refugee Agency – Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds are matching $1-for-$1 up to $1M to help displaced Ukrainians.

⚡️⬇️ What you came here for. ⬇️⚡️

Fork: (Campaigns)

• All Together by Camp + King – RE/MAX’s long-form tear-jerker shares very real stories of family growing pains.  

• Junk Sleep by Droga5 NY – Mattress Firm’s new spot doesn’t want “junk sleep to lead you to a life of crime” described by actor Liev Schreiber’s deadpan narrative.

• We Are Golf by Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners – Makes golf fiery hot with  FootJoy.

• Welcome, Professionals by 215 McCann – Redefines what professionalism means on LinkedIn today with Director Joshua Kissi. 

• Brock Ollie by Weedmaps – Rejected Super Bowl ad personifies cannabis stigmas to call out marketing censorship.

Knife: (Drops)

• Support is Everything by Hyperactive London – Part 2 of Adidas London’s ongoing sports bra campaign (see the original ad stunt here), has installed eight 3D statues in London of female change-makers who are breaking boundaries in sports.  

• Giannis Antetokounmpo x WhatsApp by Translation – NBA All-Star Game MVP announces his brand partnership by sporting a custom hoodie representing his Nigerian roots. 

• The First Bounce by Atlantic New York – Yahoo Sports celebrates the NBA’s 75th anniversary by taking fans back in time to where it all began through an immersive court experience. 

• Menu Hacks By Wieden+Kennedy – Gives a new angle to McDonald’s ‘Famous Orders’ by tapping into TikTok stars food hacks which included “Land, Air & Sea,” “McBitchin,” and a “Crunchy McDouble”.

• The Burn Book by Han Lin, Alec Kleinfeld, & Dan Greener – Brings attention to the unfair laws keeping people in prison for cannabis possession by burning the laws on rolling papers. 

• Golden Grounds – Lay's grew potatoes with dirt from 29 NFL stadiums and turned them into the “greatest chips in football history.”

• The Tinder Swindler by POCC – Launches vibrant OOH for Netflix’s chart-topping new series.

• Love Thy Partner by Anomaly – Played virtual matchmaker for creatives trying to help copywriters and art directors meet. 

Spoon: (Resources)

• “Hey Whipple, Squeeze This” – The Martin Agency updates its cover for a new age.

• How Much Did Women Make in Advertising: 2021 by Jess Watts

• It’s Nice That Podcast – Gives the honest truth about building a creative career. 

• @herrstrom – Erik Herrström oozes cool with his brand systems. 

• Coinbase vs Martin Agency – Kristen Cavallo is doing the Lord’s work. 

• Dazzle Studio – Dazzles us with their company deck.

• Nobody and Partners – Interviews with creative movers and shakers. 

• Designboom – Architecture inspiration. 

• @mohamedsamirdesign – Mohamed Samir creates captivating Arabic type.

• @albertandersen – Albert Andersen makes 3D psychedelic designs.

• Creative Corner by Bernice Chao – Creative resources for junior creatives.

• Vocal Type Co by Tré Seals – Represents minority groups through type.

• Resource Library by Mars Nevada – Has compiled their top creative resources so you don’t have to search.

My Super Bowl Top 5:

• Uber Don't Eats by Special U.S. – Makes celebrities eat convenience store supplies that you can now get delivered by Uber. 

• Big Game, Small Ads by MailChimp – Created by their in-house team, the email provider interrupts the Super Bowl to give Twitter fans small business alternatives to the games' big brands by live-tweeting substitutes during commercial breaks. 

• Lizzo in Real Tone by Google – Partners with Lizzo to announce their commitment to making images more equitable for all with the new Pixel 6.

• Stuck In by Grey – Imagines what life would be like if you permanently got your chubby hands stuck in a Pringles can.

• Welcome to Irish Spring by Ten6 – Makes cults fun again. 

& that’s the sauce.

🇺🇦

– KK

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Heya! 🍾

Happy New Year! This email is coming a few days later than the usual drop because no emails should be sent or opened on Jan 1. :) 

Last month Peloton, the American exercise equipment brand, did their darndest to manage the series of crises coming their way. In order of events:  

1. The setup: Mr. Big, played by Chris Noth in Sex and the City and HBO Max’s sequel And Just Like That, met his demise when he had a heart attack after his 1,000th Peloton bike ride. 

2. The catalyst: Within hours the fictional character's death sent Wallstreet into a tizzy as the very real company’s stock dropped 11%. 

3. Plot point one: The internet took the brand to the cleaners on social media creating the most accurate memes.    

4. The midpoint: When trying to control the PR tailspin, Peloton spokesperson said, “[the company] was aware that a Bike would be used…[but] due to confidentiality reasons, HBO did not disclose the larger context surrounding the scene to Peloton in advance.”

5. The despair: Peloton oddly had a real doctor make a statement about the fictional character's “extravagant” lifestyle. (Mr. Big loved cigars and steak.)

6. The redemption: Peloton turned this campaign around in 48 hours. Ryan Reynold’s ad agency, Maximum Effort, ran an ad titled Unspoiler Alert showing a very much alive Mr. Big who had romantically run away with his Peloton instructor. 

7. Pre-lap: The commercial generated 1 million views in its first two hours. 

8. The end: As fast as the commercial was made, Chris Noth was accused of sexual assault and Peloton removed their commercial with the statement “Every single sexual assault accusation must be taken seriously.”

This is a public relations loop-de-loop most brands could never have handled. Peloton will go down for making the most iconic ad of the year. 

⚡️⬇️ What you came here for. ⬇️⚡️

Fork (Campaigns)

• When Harry met Santa by POL – Norway's state-owned postal service celebrates the 50th anniversary of same-sex relationships through a heartwarming love story with Kris Kringle.

• Betrue by PORTO ROCHA – Reimagined Nike’s “Be True” initiative to be ever-evolving. 

• Cardi B x Playboy – Icon musical Artist Cardi B becomes Playboy’s first Resident Creative Director and the founding member of their new creator-led platform, Centerfold. 

• Ode to Smell by Wieden+Kennedy – Old Spice x Netflix collab on not not making ads. Netflix, who doesn’t run commercials during programming, taps Old Spice to drive “The Witcher” fandom. 

• The Day Ones by SoundCloud  – Releases an original film produced by ArtClass to promote their “First on SoundCloud” 2021 artist accelerator program. 

Knife (Drops)

• Dojacode by Mojo Supermarket – Doja Cat releases the first-ever digital codable music video in partnership with Girls Who Code. 

• Vax Card-igan by Mischief – Blue Moon drops party cardis for the holiday season that safely holds your vaccination card so your hands are always free for beer. 

• Beernament by DDB – Miller Lite’s drinkable ornament is filled with 8 oz of pilsner.

• Gingerbread Dive Bar Kits by Miller High Life – Be sure to win the family game night with this boozy build.

• Daily Bugle by Goodby, Silverstein & Partners – Liberty Mutual partners with Sony Pictures to bring to life a Spider-Man-themed newsstand in NYC ahead of Spider-Man: No Way Home’s cinema release. 

• The Melted Gondola by The Aspen Skiing Company – In partnership with Protect Our Winters (POW), wants Colorado visitors to recognize climate change.  

• Album Receipts by Melody You – A passion project gets picked up by Universal Music Group’s next-gen label, 10:22pm, to be an official merchandise brand.

• TikTok Kitchen by TikTok – Order viral meals for delivery through ghost kitchens.

• Originals Into the Metaverse by Adidas – Launches new fits with Bored Ape Yacht Club, PUNKS Comic, and gmoney.

• We Make Movies Better by AMC Theatres – Recreated a working movie theatre for their New Year's Day Rose Parade float.

Spoon (Resources) 

• Awards List – Hatem El Akad, Copywriter at Mischief, lists best practices for entering advertising awards for students. 

• @adhemas – Adhemas Batista, EVP, Head of Design at Deutsch LA, abducts you with colors.

• 2022 Pantone Color of the Year — PANTONE® 17-3938 Very Peri is an entirely new color that's “courageous presence encourages personal inventiveness and creativity.”

• Variable Fonts by Future Fonts – 2022 is all about customization.

• Colleen Decourcy Retires – The W+K legend retires from advertising. 

• Spotify 2021 Wrapped – Rasmus Wangelin, Global Head of Brand Design at Spotify, explains the design behind this year's look and feel.

• Busy Simulator – Brian Moore, Creative Director at Anomaly, helps you never be in a meeting you shouldn’t be in again. 

• Virtualhumans.org – Tracks news on virtual humans.

• Cooking with AR – Lauren Cason, Co-Founder of RefractAR, shows the future in kitchen tech. 

• Useful School – Ritesh Gupta, Senior Director of New Product Ventures at GannettPay, launches a pay what you can online product design school for POC → Donate to support!  

2021 Tops: 

• YouTube 2021 Top 10

• Year in Search by Google

• Year on TikTok

• Adage’s 30 Best Ads of 2021

& that’s the sauce!

🍾🍾🍾

– KK

Leave a comment

Heya! 📲🪓

“I could be risking my career by doing this,” says Jack Constantine, CDO of Lush. “And you can’t deny there’s a commercial risk, but we’re prioritising people over profit.” (Vogue Business)

The cosmetics company Lush is quitting the social media top four – Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, and Snapchat – to fight for a happier future. The cult-like brand rolled out its Global Anti-Social Media Policy as a response to the latest mental health findings. In an effort to uphold their ethos, they are hitting delete and refresh on the way they connect with their fans. 

Lush’s anti-social strategy is bold and inspiring, but will it motivate other brands to do better?

Or is it all just a stunt? 

While some brands like Bottega Veneta have removed themselves entirely, others are using delete stunts to get PR headlines. Recently Jay-Z had an Insta moment with his first and last post on social media to drive buzz around his new Netflix film "The Harder They Fall," a move Taylor Swift also pulled in 2017 for her album Reputation.

“Sorry, this page isn’t available.”

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⚡️⬇️ What you came here for. ⬇️⚡️

Fork: (Campaigns) 

• Icelandverse by SS+K – Mercilessly trolls Facebook’s new Meta-verse pitch.

• Meta’est Campaign Ever by Oatly Department of Mind Control – The Swedish oat milk brands in-house team does it again with their bizarrely clever lo-fi ad.

• UnF**k It by YouTube Presents – A month of ideas, action, and four original shows to help heal the planet. 

• Reflections by Quality Meats – A PSA that encourages men to get the vaccine to protect their manhood.  

• Google Presents Black-Owned Friday by BBH New York – Gives individual small businesses a special focus with this beautiful film feat. T-Pain and Normani.

• Vegan Cannibal Steakhouse by Liquid Death – 100% plant-based, cruelty-free human meat. Yes, you read that right. 

• Giftnosis by Wieden+Kennedy – Camden Town Brewery releases its first ad campaign to hypnotize bad gift-givers for Christmas.

• Dangerous by Anomaly LA – The king of cold cuts Tony Bolognavich played by Brad Garrett continues to humor us for Jimmy John’s.

• Swipe Night by 72andSunny – Tinder’s Emmy-nominated interactive experience is back to connecting couples via a whodunit.

• We can’t negotiate the melting point of ice by NOMINT – To highlight the urgency of climate change they let ice melt, literally. 

• MTV brand identity by Loyalkaspar – Remasters the iconic logo for the small screen. 

• Mailchimp motion identity by DIA Studio – Scales out the inbox brand for digital. 

Knife: (Drops)

• Miami Mashup Collection by ILOVEDUST– One jersey with over 5,000 remixed versions to remind fans of the decades of heat. 

• Crypto.com Arena – On Christmas day the Los Angeles Staples Center will be changing its name to Crypto dot com for the next 22 years.  

• Gerry’s Partisan Pizza by Mischief – With RepresentUs, educates locals on Texas’ sketchy gerrymandering by restricting pizza delivery.  

• Dr. Rick Will See You Now by Arnold Worldwide  – Progressive drops a self-help book ahead of the holidays to help millennials not become their parents. 

• Tropicana Toothpaste by Cramer-Krasselt – Developed a toothpaste for maximum OJ flavor protection. 

• Tiffany & Co. x Supreme – As a follow-up to Tiffany’s “Not Your Mother’s Tiffany” campaign the lux jeweler slaps a Supreme logo on its silver to stay relevant.

• Reese's Thanksgiving Pie by Hershey Co. – Redefines what a pie is with this instant sell-out of the “largest Reese's Peanut Butter Cup ever” at 3.4lbs. 

• NIKELAND x Roblox – Nike creates a world where sports have no rules.

• Wheel of Time by Amazon Prime – Drops a fantastical anamorphic billboard.

• Bravo Virtual Bazaar by NBCU – AR shopping experience for your favorite shows.

Spoon: (Resources) 

• DaDa Projects – New female-led 3D studio challenging diversity in digital design.

• 2022 Graphic Design Trends – Motion, energized chaos, & self-prioritization

• Net Net Synergy by Matt Prince – Marketing, brand, and PR mentorship aid. 

• Rest in Peace Virgil Abloh – Creative legend of Louis Vuitton and founder of Off-White dies at 41.

• Drink Champs Interview Kanye West – Ye breaks down his current creative mindset & journey. 

• D&AD Creative Briefs – Practice with real briefs. 

• @DamienHirst – A British contemporary artist behind Drake’s album Certified Lover Boy.

• @girlbosstown – Gives legit PR advice to brands on TikTok.

• Audacity in Advertising Awards by SNL – You can’t not agree. 

• 12ft Ladder – Removes all paywalls with this browser extension. 

& that’s the sauce!

🧨💣 🧨

– KK

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Let’s talk ads in the comments. 👇👇

This month I’m dedicating this intro to David Kennedy, an advertising legend who died in October and whose agency put Nike on the map, setting the gold standard for advertising. 

Wieden+Kennedy, styled as W+K, was born in 1982 when David Kennedy and Dan Wieden united together to balk at traditional agency norms and created a “temple of outrageousness” in Portland, Oregon. They grew famous for their extraordinary “Just Do It,” “Bo Knows,” and “Mars and Mike” Nike campaigns, and made countless headlines for Subaru, Travel Oregon, Microsoft, EA, Old Spice, Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Heinz, and many more. 

Over the past month, creatives have paid homage to Kennedy’s greatness, referencing his Santa Kennedy magic, David Bowie-like energy, denim-on-denim fits (one time he was mistaken for a janitor), and his mischievous and loving soul.

“It is a cliche to say that someone gave advertising a conscience, even a soul. That they put what we do in a wider context. That they demanded we make things that were welcome, thoughtful, even life-changing. That would be a cliche. Unless you said it about David Kennedy. We will miss him.” – GS&P

Long live the legacy of K+W.

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⚡️⬇️ What you came here for. ⬇️⚡️

Fork (Campaigns) 

• You Don’t Just Taste It. You Feel It. by Gut – Transforms Philadelphia Cream Cheese into a multisensory experience with each bite.

• Mike's Hard Lemonade by Real Good Studio – In collaboration with Pablo Rochat, is memeing this tasty bev for TV.

• Let life Happen by Adam & Eve DDB - This adorable John Lewis Home Insurance spot directed by Tom Kuntz has unfortunately inspired 130 complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).   

• Expanding Outdoor Culture by Co-op Studios – REI’s #OptOutside is focusing on outdoor inclusivity.

• Welcome to NBA Lane by Translation – Highlights the league's magic over the past 75 years, both on and off the court.

• JoJo Siwa by DWTS – ABC hosts the first same-sex dance partners on Dancing with the Stars in support of phenomena Siwa’s LGBTQ+ identity. 

• Real Magic by W+K London – Refreshes Coca-Cola with a new “Hug” logo and brand identity anchored in humanity. 

• Dayuse Brand Identity by DesignStudio – Challenges “per night” to “stay open” with sunny feels.

• $20 Ad Agency by Venables Bell & Partners – To celebrate their 20th-anniversary they are offering full-service work for small businesses.

Knife (Products)

• Chatter Telephone™ by Fisher-Price – A working Bluetooth phone for grownups because we are all broken inside.  

• Clif Remix in Motion by Edible & UEG (Edelman) – Clif Bar gets people in motion to unlock Mike Posner's latest single, "Amor Fati" ("Love of Fate").

• Taco IRL by Deutsch LA – Taco Bell celebrates National Taco Day by letting snackers text taco emojis for real tacos. This stunt comes out of TB’s overarching ‘I See a Taco’ initiative. 

• Asics’ Movement for Mind by Neil A Dawson & Company – Branded running shoes as painkiller medicine to encourage movement and mental fitness. 

• Fall Collection by BBH London – Drops a Burger King silk shirt with ingredient camo patterns exclusively sold on the BK app. 

• Pronoun Plates by Gut – Lyft releases a collection of license plates designed by LGBTQ+ artists for International Pronouns Day.

• Pepsi x Cracker Jack by Pepsi – Baseball Tiktok/Twitter fans can post a video singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" to enter to win the #PepsiSingToScore sweepstakes.

• The Climate Does Not Exist by Mila Quebec – Uses AI to simulate your home address’s future. 

For the Halloween FrEaKz: 🎃

• Bring on the Candy safe by Crest – Let's parents lock up their Halloween candy in a new way.

• The Spellbook by Krispy Kreme – Krispy Scream drops their Halloween treats.

• Heinz Halloween Store by Black—Cod™ – Heinz Ketchup gets spooky with Tomato Blood. 

• Natty Fright by Natty Light – Same beer, just spooky. 

• Mini Whopper Jrs by de la cruz Ogilvy – BK’s candy-shaped mini treats.

Spoon (Resources)

• Campus by Max Lenderman – Talks about the evolving world of experiential marketing.

• Coffee at a Distance by We Are Next – Mentee Sign-Up (Fall/Winter 2021)

• The Academy at GS&P – Launches a new *free* advertising school. 

• Special Report by Highsnobiety – Should brands even be speaking about social causes?

• @iamharaldur – A Twitter thread of small to medium branding agencies you should be following.

• Y2k Aesthetic Institute – Tumblr inspiration to get you in the mood.

• Standards – A new way to design brand guidelines.

• Nathan For You – Breaks down marketing in the simplest terms on Comedy Central.

• Pangram Pangram Foundry – Updated their typeface site to keep on inspiring. 

• Studio Feixen – A wild type and animation studio pushing visuals.

• Self-care 2.0 by Paige Shuman – Camp + King shares how non-wellness brands can participate in self-care trends. 

• @derrickadams – Obsessed with this multidisciplinary artist right now. 

• The Mind of Kobe Bryant - Obsession by Piotrekz Productions – For some serious pep talk. 

& that’s the sauce!

🎃🤡🤠

– KK

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Heya! 🧯

An unpopular opinion: I believe brands should take a stance on social issues. 

Brands sell benefits, not products. People don’t buy light bulbs; they buy reading lights. People don’t buy cookbooks; they buy dinner parties. The greatest benefit a brand can give to its customers today is to show up publicly.

The hard part is doing it correctly. 

Doing it correctly:

• Match Group: Dating app parent of Hinge, OkCupid, and Tinder wasted no time launching a support fund for Texas employees who are forced to seek abortions as a result of SB 8. 

  • OkCupid launched a ‘Pro-Choice’ badge that allows users to proudly support women’s rights. 88% of users have added this to their profiles. 

• GoDaddy: Canceled the Texas Right to Life site set up to collect anonymous tips to prosecute people violating the new abortion ban. 

  • Unsung hero: TikToker makes a script to flood Texas abortion ‘whistleblower’ site with fake info

• Lift & Uber: Will pay drivers' legal fees if they're sued under Texas abortion law, because now private citizens can sue anyone involved in an abortion, including drivers.

• SalesForce: Offers to move employees and their families if they no longer want to live in Texas. 

• Portland, Oregon: Votes to ban trade with Texas – that’s some BDE! 

60 companies have signed an open letter with the organization Don’t Ban Equality to dissuade other states from copying Texas’ abortion restrictions. Has your company signed it?

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🧨👇What you came here for 🧨👇

Fork (Top Campaigns)

• Netflix Reality by Sid Lee – Received a Guinness World Record by breaking the most submissions to an online casting call in 24 hours. 

• Ice Cream From Another World by Lucky Generals – Ice-cream brand Little Moons launches flavors with "necks appeal."

• We Run as One by 72andSunny – Drops a high-energy NFL pep rally with the Hudson Dusters (aka, directors Michael Kuhn and Niles Roth) celebrating fan identity. 

• Kanye vs. Drake – Kanye West spammed his frenemy, Drake, by erecting massive ‘DONDA’ billboards in retaliation to Drake’s album ‘CLB.’ 

• Montero by Lil Nas X – A master of attention, Lil Nas X tops Drake and Kanye releases with his marketing chops.

• Don’t Get Vaxxed by BooneOakley – Drove around a “Wilmore Funeral” truck advertising death to inspire people to get the vaccine. 

• Voice Legend John McEnroe by Squarespace – Humorously turns McEnroe’s 2nd best talent, his voice, into an e-commerce product. It doesn’t stop there, they also made a 7-minute mockumentary about his new talents. 

• We Make Movies Better by Barkley – AMC Theatres releases their first-ever global marketing campaign with Nicole Kidman. As someone who works in the cinema/film sector, this is a big deal! 

• Clean Creatives Org – An open letter from advertisers to advertisers asking everyone to do better and turn down fossil fuel clients. 

• Scoop! There It Is! by The Martin Agency – Releases the much-anticipated second installment of their viral Geico campaign “Tag Team Helps With Dessert” with real ice cream flavors.

Knife (Top Products)

• Hiring by Funworks – Levels up their LinkedIn game with a hilarious recruitment video series by Best Actress Productions.  

• W+K is Certified B Corp – The Amsterdam dept has become a Certified B Corporation with the ambition of balancing purpose and profit. 

• Queer Eye – The Fab Five Loft set by Lego – Launches a shamazing collection of 974 pieces in anticipation of the newest Netflix season. 

• Balenciaga x Fortnite – Releases a dull collection of $800 hoodies, but the collaboration is intriguing.

• Karen Paint by Stuart Semple – UK artist sells out of Karen-themed pale white acrylic paint. Live Laugh Love! 

• Serif brand identity by Pentagram – A new creative and professional platform for LGBTQIA+ members.

• Maybelline Dynamite Mascara by Maybelline – The brand went all out with this explosive influencer kit.

• Sturdy.Exchange by Sturdy.Co – The creative team behind Drake, Travis Scott, and other culture kings, has launched the first NFT marketplace for performing artists.

Spoon (Resources)

• New Wellness by Preacher – Strategists Joel Linkewer studied the depths of wellness so you don’t have to. The digital report is chef's kiss!

• The Daily Beard Podcast – Advertising and creative wisdom from TBWA\Media Arts Lab legend Lee Cow.

• Where Are All The Black People (WAATBP) – This week hosted an annual conference on addressing the scarcity of people of color in the advertising industry.

• Beast of England Type – Vibey fonts inspired by personal memories. 

• @nick_b_designs – Double-tap to heart these poster designs.  

• I hope you stay op-ed by Brian Collins – Talks about ignoring the BS and creating your own circle of creatives to empower your abilities.

• @Emilyzugay – Goes viral on TikTok after brands adopt her ugly logo redesigns. Check out Amazon's new Amason logo.

& that’s the sauce!

🔥

– KK

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In an act of compassion and generosity, Airbnb has swiftly opened 20,000 doors to Afghan refugees. This global effort is being pulled off by Airbnb’s independent nonprofit that is best known for providing frontline workers places to stay during COVID-19. The official statement:

Today, Airbnb and Airbnb.org are announcing that Airbnb.org will provide temporary housing to 20,000 Afghan refugees worldwide – the cost of which is funded through contributions to Airbnb.org from Airbnb and Brian Chesky, as well as donors to the Airbnb.org Refugee Fund.

More brands who have stepped up: 

• Verizon: Waiving charges for calls to and from Afghanistan.

• Walmart: Donating $1M to nonprofits supporting incoming refugees.

• American and Delta: Volunteered relief flights.

• Lego: Donating 100M DKK ($15.7M USD) to support children in both countries.

This is how it is done! 👏👏👏

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👇 The goods 👇

Fork (Campaigns) 

• The Pitch by Eno Freedman Brodmann – The satirical truth of pitching.

• Black Beauty is Beauty by R/GA – In collaboration with The Cut and Sephora, they celebrate and educate Black beauty’s impact on our mainstream culture.

• Every Single Person by Mekanism – Bears, vaxxers, & cuddlers oh my! OkCupid releases this beautifully provocative out-of-home messaging.  

• Change the Lineup by Tom Snell and Dylan Hartigan  – A poster campaign demanding men to stop their nightclub BS.  

• Find The Truth. Find a Home by Interesting Development – Vandalizes plush NYC apartments to call out real estate lies.

• Dubai Presents by Mother – Drops a 6 part blockbuster-like series starring Zac Efron and Jessica Alba across multiple genres to show different sides of Dubai. 

• Prime Changes Everything by Joint London – Rapunzel & Cleopatra change their story with Amazon Prime. 

• Homeless Essentials by Chris Bosler and Simon Dolsten – Asked the people who have the least what they value the most.

• Adults Date Better by Mojo Supermarket – Match makes emotionally mature a top priority.

• Future Official Sponsors by VaynerMedia – Budweiser addresses the sponsorship gap in professional women's sports. 

• Savage X Caramel Curves by Fenty – Finds a new meaning of baddd for lingerie. 

Knife (Products)

• Reminiscence’s Deepfake by Warner Bros. – Lets AI transport fans into a trailer. 

• Vitacoca Hires via Billboard By Interesting Development – Tests designer chops. 

• Nestflix fake Netflix By Lynn Fisher – Finally an IMDB-like site for the fake shows you’ve only ever heard other shows rave about.

• SpaceX Billboard by Elon Musk – Because “the sky's the limit” doesn’t apply to Elon. 

• Neuralink by Play Studio – Another Elon product, but this time it's tech cute.

• Hard Mtn Dew by Mountain Dew, PepsiCo, & Boston Beer – Introduces teen parent’s next nightmare. 

• Homer by Frank Ocean – Launches a fine jewelry store in NYC with a $1.8M necklace.

• Rens Original Sneaker – They're not stylish but they are sustainable, sneakers made from coffee, more importantly, do they smell like coffee?

• Squarespace by DIA Studio – Drops their radical type on the NYSE.

• Lyft’s Oscar Mayer Wienermobile – Excuse me, ma'am?

• The Cup by Grand Army – Makes me like golf with their digi brand identity. 

Spoon (Resources) 

• Julian Cole Strategy Expert – Breaks down the strategy behind the best advertising campaigns.

• Jugend-ish type – Psychedelic blobs x decorative ornaments are trending. 

• MMM Sites – Easy drag and drop website, no coding needed. 

• The Meme Theory – How brands can tap into internet culture.

• @adweak – Laughs at our pain!!

• Erik Carter – Big fan of his MTV work.

• The Side Show – Get your hustle some brass. 

• The Font Brief – Find the perfect type for your brand based on its attributions. 

• The Travis Scott Effect– Complex found Scott to be Gen Z’s most influential person, sorry Kanye.

• Nappy – Beautiful copy-right-free photos of Black & Brown people.  

& that’s the sauce!

🖍

– KK

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