The Zeitgeist: October 31, 2025

Today's Edition: Grokipedia, KFC and Neo

October 31, 2025

Good morning. Halloween’s looking a little different this year. With SNAP cuts potentially on the horizon, nonprofits, parents and dietitians are asking neighbors to toss a few nonperishables into their treat bowls - small gestures that could help some of the 42M Americans who rely on food assistance. Meanwhile, chocolate candy lovers are getting their own kind of scare: prices are rising faster than inflation, thanks to climate-hit cocoa crops and pricier manufacturing. Maybe that’s why a new “trick” is trending - spuds instead of sweets. What began as one man’s joke has turned into a full-fledged potato movement, proving that even Halloween traditions can get mashed up.

Campaigns

Earned-friendly campaigns & clever moments

What Scares Up A Spooktacular Halloween Ad?

Top creatives share what makes a standout Halloween campaign and choose their favorites.

By Staff | Creative Salon

E.l.f. challenges consumers to ‘Give an e.l.f.’ in purpose-led campaign

E.l.f Beauty is highlighting its fourth annual Impact Report by challenging consumers to identify causes they “give an e.l.f” about.

By Jessica Hammers | Marketing Dive

Also, KFC’s Colonel Sanders lookalike at the World Series, Pizza Hut’s cheeky “Wings? Stop” stunt in Dallas, Starbucks x Delta’s in-air coffeehouse, Grubhub’s Snooze Insurance and Erewhon x Swarovski’s tote and juice collab.

Culture 

Snackable bites of consumer culture

I Tried the Robot That’s Coming to Live With You. It’s Still Part Human.

Meet Neo. 1X Technologies is taking $20,000 preorders for its humanoid housekeeper, set to ship in 2026.

By Joanna Stern | The Wall Street Journal

The Innovation That’s Killing Restaurant Culture

In 2024, nearly 75% of restaurant orders were eaten off-site, driven by the rise of food delivery.

By Ellen Cushing | The Atlantic

Have Halloween Decorations Become Too Scary?

Realistic skeletons and gory clowns dominate Halloween, but many parents say the scares have gone too far.

By Alyson Krueger | The New York Times

Corporate

See how the average U.S. worker has changed over 250 years

A scrollytelling post about how technological and demographic shifts turned a nation of farmers into a 150-million-strong workforce over 250 years.

By Max Rust | The Wall Street Journal

Portland coffee shop raises more than $184K for free breakfast for SNAP recipients

“It was a very simple thing. We have food. And we can give away that food to people who are hungry,” said Josh White, founder of Heretic Coffee Co. in Portland, OR.

By Mason Leib, Faith Bernstein | Good Morning America

Opinion: Return-to-office mandates are about to backfire

Tech’s RTO mandates may work for now, but history says they’ll cost companies top talent when the market rebounds.

By Joe Procopio | Fast Company

How KFC Lost Fast Food’s Chicken Crown - and How It Plans to Win It Back

Fried chicken is driving fast-food growth, led by sandwiches and tenders from Chick-fil-A, Dave’s Hot Chicken and Raising Cane’s.

By Heather Haddon, Christopher Kuo | The Wall Street Journal

Commerce

Shopper society snapshot

AI agents are becoming a major e-commerce channel. Will retailers beat them or join them?

Retailers from Walmart to Etsy are teaming with OpenAI as AI shopping agents reshape e-commerce, turning former rivals into allies.

By Alex Vuocolo | Morning Brew

Halloween Adventure, the Store Where It Is Always Spooky Season

In an e-commerce world, Manhattan’s Halloween Adventure endures as a year-round, hands-on haven that defies digital convenience.

By Kaja Andric | The New York Times

With two months to Christmas, here’s what retail leaders expect for holiday shopping

Retailers enter the holidays cautiously, leaning on deeper discounts as shoppers tighten budgets amid tariffs and inflation.

By Courtney Reagan | CNBC

Connections

Feed intelligence & AI tips

OnlyFans Goes to Business School

OnlyFans is launching entrepreneurship classes for creators, expanding its push into safe-for-work and professional content beyond its adult roots.

By Manisha Krishnan | WIRED

Gen Z is cutting back on doomscrolling - how it’s connecting with brands and creators IRL

At UTA’s ZCON, brands heard Gen Z’s message: digital fatigue is pushing them to cut screen time and be more intentional online.

By Gillian Follett | Ad Age

Elon Musk’s Version of Wikipedia Is Live. Here’s How It’s Different

Grokipedia is a crowdsourced encyclopedia powered by his xAI technology, aiming to rival Wikipedia.

By Mike Pearl | Gizmodo

Zillow adds DMs so you can chat about homes you’ll never buy

Zillow is adding in-app messaging so users can chat and share listings, bringing a social twist to house hunting.

By Emma Roth | The Verge

Media Moves & Intel:

  • Kevin Schaul, formerly graphics reporter at The Washington Post, is shifting to a new beat covering AI.

  • Matt Allyn, formerly editorial director at Men’s Fitness, is now executive digital director at Inc.

  • Garrett Collins, formerly booking assistant at NewsMax Media, is now booking producer at FOX Business’ Varney & Co.

  • Katherine Long, assistant editor at Politico, is joining its tech team to anchor the “Morning Tech” newsletter.

  • Dylan Matthews, senior correspondent and host of Future Perfect Podcast at Vox, is leaving the publication to join Open Philanthropy, a philanthropic advising and funding organization.

  • Ysolt Usigan, formerly VP, head of content at Ziff Davis (RetailMeNot, etc.), is now editorial director, commerce at Savage Ventures, supporting commerce initiatives at Vice, ComicBook, American Songwriter and more.

  • Culture Study, a newsletter and podcast covering pop culture and entertainment, is moving its platform from Substack to Patreon.

  • Who What Wear announced the launch of Who What Wear Parents, a new style-focused parenting vertical. Content includes shopping recommendations and interviews with stylish parents, including actress Justine Lupe, the first cover star for its inaugural Parents Issue.

  • The Financial Times and MIT Technology Review have formed an editorial partnership via “The State of AI,” a newsletter exploring the future of AI.

Also... check out this data-driven animation for Fulton Center (NYC) commissioned by MTA Arts & Design for its 40th anniversary.

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