The Zeitgeist: September 27, 2024

Today's Edition: Price Packs, Strega Nona and Zippers

September 27, 2024

Good morning. This week is Climate Week in NYC, which aims to bring solutions amid a growing eco-anxiety. According to Axios, the mood “blends excitement about low-carbon energy growth with stress about geopolitical headwinds.” Stay tuned for key learnings once the conference wraps Sunday. Also this week, we’re watching the aftermath of the Bridgerton Ball Experience, another “scam event” with photos and first-hand accounts spreading across the internet. The event once again casts suspicion on pop-up events that promise magical experiences and under-deliver.

Campaigns

Earned-friendly campaigns & clever moments

Succession’s Brian Cox & ASICS Promote World Mental Health Day

Ahead of World Mental Health Day on October 10, ASICS has teamed up with the world’s scariest boss to encourage desk breaks in the office.

By Michael Ehrlich | Sports Illustrated

Sour Patch Kids translates corporate lingo as Gen Z enters the workforce

Users can visit SourTranslator.com on mobile or desktop and download an app where they can input job jargon and receive a simplified message, along with an offer for Sour Patch Kids that can be redeemed at Albertsons and Safeway stores.

By Peter Adams | Marketing Dive

Also, Plunge x Liquid Death’s ice bath, Holiday Inn Express x Mr. Eatwell’s “pancakesuits” for National Pancake Day, Bratz x Mean Girls’ doll collection for the movie’s 20th anniversary, Frito-Lay’s burner flip phone giveaway, more Halloween costumes from Pop-Tarts and Auntie Anne’s/Cinnabon and Taco Bell x Omar Apollo’s hot sauce collaboration.

Culture 

Snackable bites of consumer culture

Inspired by a Children’s Book, They’re Having a ‘Strega Nona September’

A pasta-making witch from the beloved 1975 fable is being hailed online as the blueprint for autumnal coziness.

By Callie Holtermann | The New York Times

Meet the people using ChatGPT as their therapist

Across social media, people admit to asking ChatGPT to reply in Dolly Parton’s voice as their therapist or tell them advice from inspirational speakers.

By Laura Pitcher | Dazed

How birria took over restaurant menus across the country

Birria, which was once known as a regional Mexican food, has taken on a life of its own in the US, becoming a social media star and fast-food darling.

By Amelia Lucas | CNBC

Billie Eilish Partners With Google Maps to Direct Fans to Sustainable Options During Upcoming Tour

The partnership will direct fans attending shows on her tour to eco-friendly transportation and plant-based food options.

By Katie Bain | Billboard

Corporate

96% of young workers want their company to do more about sustainability

Research consistently shows that younger workers want their companies to prioritize sustainability. VP of Sustainability Development at Aquent offers tips for what leaders can do.

By Jody Mousseau | Fast Company

It's the ‘year of the mandate’ at offices, but hybrid and remote work aren't dying

A new report from Owl Labs breaks down who’s working remotely, hybrid and from the office - and the disconnects between what workers and bosses want.

By Jennifer Liu | CNBC Make It

How companies are shifting to smarter, subtle messaging on ESG

Big brands are communicating about environmental and social issues in a smarter way.

By Eleanor Hawkins | Axios

This $2.1 Billion AI Company Is Making Tens Of Millions In Revenue By Automating Dull Workplace Tasks

Moveworks has crossed $100 million in annual recurring revenue, a milestone many hyped AI startups have not yet reached.

By Rashi Shrivastava | Forbes

Commerce

Shopper society snapshot

Grocery chain puts its store brand’s prices right in the packaging, as a promise of price stability

Penny in Germany introduced Price Packs, which offer visual assurance that prices won’t change in the near future and make it easier for consumers to spot a good deal, particularly next to the higher prices of big brands on the same shelves.

By Tim Nudd | Ad Age

Social Shopping Is on the Rise—and It’s Not Just Gen Z

Social shopping could cut into traditional online shopping via websites or retail apps as it continues to gain momentum across age categories.

By Kathryn Lundstrom | Adweek

Olive Garden has long resisted food delivery — until now

Olive Garden had not previously offered a delivery option, and this new agreement with Uber Eats will allow customers to receive delivery at over 900 of the Darden-owned restaurants in the US.

By Drew Weisholtz | TODAY

Shoppers will spend a record $241 billion online this holiday season

More than half of online sales will be driven by electronics, apparel, furniture and home goods, according to Adobe Analytics.

By Jaclyn Peiser | The Washington Post

Connections

Feed intelligence

Vice Debuts Subscription Product and Relaunches Magazine

The relaunch of the print magazine, which has been on hiatus since 2019, coincides with the 30th anniversary of Vice and is part of a broader renaissance of the publisher following its May 2023 bankruptcy filing.

By Mark Stenberg | Adweek

Teenagers are stealing strangers’ Nike zippers. Blame TikTok

TikTokers are going viral for either showing their collection of removable zippers or mourning their now-zipperless backpacks. The trend has racked up more than 26 million related posts, and thousands of videos tagged #NikeElite and #zipper feature teens showing off their collections.

By Eve Upton-Clark | Fast Company

Twitch is transforming into a political arena. Hasan Piker is at the forefront.

The longtime streaming platform for online gaming is becoming a destination for Gen Zers and millennials seeking political news and commentary.

By Maya Eaglin | NBC News

Media Moves:

  • Hoda Kotb, co-anchor of The TODAY Show, announced she is stepping down.

  • Jada Gomez, formerly editor at SELF, is now executive managing editor at Inc.

  • Paul Glader, formerly senior editor at CNN Business, has left the news organization.

  • Pranav Dixit, formerly senior editor at Engadget, has left the outlet and has yet to announce his new role.

  • Emily Cohn, formerly deputy editor in chief at Business Insider, is now team leader at Bloomberg News overseeing consumer coverage in the Americas.

  • Ej Dickson, formerly senior writer at Rolling Stone, is now senior writer at The Cut covering culture.

  • Nick Pasion, formerly managing editor at the GW Hatchet, is now staff reporter at the Puget Sound Business Journal covering technology, innovation, airlines and airports.

Also... check out this online exhibit about the “language of flowers,” a 19th-century code used to make bouquets that passed messages between lovers and suitors.

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