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- The Zeitgeist: March 21, 2025
The Zeitgeist: March 21, 2025
Today's Edition: Smart Shop, Jeni's and Verci
Good morning. Forever 21 is filing for bankruptcy again and closing all U.S. stores, as shoppers shift to even faster, cheaper options like Shein and Temu. While some nostalgically marked the brand’s end, its fall highlights how fast fashion is only speeding up, despite environmental concerns.
In other news, March Madness is in full swing. How’s your bracket holding up? According to NBC News, the number of women’s sports bars in the US is expected to quadruple this year, coinciding with the soaring viewership and popularity of professional and college women’s sports. Here’s to the upsets, the underdogs and the unstoppable energy of tournament season.
Campaigns
Earned-friendly campaigns & clever moments
Also, Apple’s Pedro Pascal ad (directed by Spike Jonze), 7-Eleven x Shaq’s Shaq-A-Licious XL Sour Pineapple Slurpee, JuneShine x Willie Nelson’s Social Tonic, Heineken’s Pub Succession initiative for St. Patrick’s Day and Liquid Death x Kylie Kelce’s Kegs for Pregs.
Culture
Snackable bites of consumer culture
Corporate
Trends at work and for good
Commerce
Shopper society snapshot
Connections
Feed intelligence
Media Moves:
Hope King, formerly senior business reporter at Axios, has left the outlet to launch a new business and economic news platform called Macro Talk this spring. It’s a “YouTube- and LinkedIn-focused media brand designed to be an essential resource for workers worried about their jobs and industries.”
Molly Taft, formerly freelance, is now senior writer at WIRED on the science desk covering climate, energy and the environment.
Hannah Ziegler, formerly business reporter at The Washington Post, is leaving to join The New York Times as a 2025-26 Express Fellow starting in June. She is moving to New York City as well.
Frederic Lardinois, formerly senior enterprise editor at TechCrunch, is now senior editor for AI at The New Stack.
Mark Yarm, formerly freelance, is now executive editor of features and special projects at PCMag.
Yerin Kim, formerly features editor at PS (formerly Popsugar), is leaving the outlet and has yet to announce her new role.
Francesca Krempa, formerly commerce editor at Well + Good, has left the outlet to pursue freelance opportunities.
Also... read this New York Times article about geriatric penguins who’ve moved to a new island for retirees at the New England Aquarium.
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