The Zeitgeist: August 9, 2024

Today’s Edition: Dog Perfume, Politics and More Olympics

Happy Friday! This week, Vice President Kamala Harris introduced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, praising his progressive charm. Walz's campaign camo hat, dubbed the "Midwest princess" hat, has raised over $1.8 million.

Meanwhile, homeowners got a break as mortgage rates dipped to their lowest in over a year, breathing new life into the U.S. housing market. Drama unfolded in the advertising world with Elon Musk's social-media platform X suing big brands like CVS Health, Mars, and Unilever, accusing them of a mega advertising boycott to push for stricter safety standards. Over on Reddit, the ad biz is booming as marketers flock to engage with its vibrant communities, though it still has some catching up to do with rivals.

The Paris Olympics saw a twist when Noah Lyles, battling COVID-19, finished third in the 200-meter final, adding a dramatic flair to the Games. Hurricane Debby caused significant destruction across Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas, with heavy flooding, widespread power outages, and numerous evacuations. McDonald’s is bringing back the fun with its Collector’s Meal, featuring six unique collectible cups designed to unlock some serious nostalgia.

Campaigns

Earned-friendly campaigns & clever moments

Also, Beetlejuice x Roblox ticket sales, Dunkin’ kicking-off PSL season, Glossier x Shopify treasure hunt, McDonald’s nostalgic collector cups and Snapchat AR integration, and Pop-Tarts extra large birthday pastry

Culture 

Snackable bites of consumer culture

Corporate

Commerce

Shopper society snapshot

Connections

Feed intelligence

Media Moves:

  • Axios announced it would lay off about 50 employees, or roughly 10 percent of the company.

  • CNN reporter Oliver Darcy is leaving the news organization to start a media newsletter called Status.

  • Sharareh Drury, an associate features editor at Variety, has been laid off from the entertainment industry publication.

  • Salvador Rodriguez has rejoined CNBC as deputy editor of technology news in San Francisco, reporting to Senior Editor Ari Levy.

  • USA Today has hired Andrea Riquier to cover the housing market.

  • Mary de Wet has been hired as managing editor of American Banker.

  • Crain’s New York Business has hired Ethan Geringer-Sameth to cover health care.

  • Bloomberg News has hired Newley Purnell to cover technology in Hong Kong.

  • Jessica Leibowitz has been named senior director of video for CNBC Make It.

  • PCMag has hired Alan Henry as its managing editor. He will start on August 19.

  • Derek Kravitz has joined Consumer Reports and will cover the Digital Marketplace, including how AI is and will affect consumers.

  • The Information has hired Josh Koehn to cover powerful people in technology, focusing on politics and public policy.

  • Morning Brew has hired Vidhi Choudhary as a retail reporter. She previously worked at Modern Retail, covering Amazon and e-commerce companies.

  • Aaron Krolik joined the New York Times Business desk as a data and technical correspondent.

Also... check out how Getty beams those incredible Olympic images around the world within seconds.

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