Sonia sits down with Julie Fredrickson (managing partner at Chaotic Capital) to dissect the Advent calendar wars—and what Amazon's massive, perfectly-packaged K-beauty box says about the future of retail, beauty merchandising, and who's winning the tastemaker race.

We're talking about:

• Why Amazon shipped a $99 Advent calendar in custom foam inserts (and what that signals about their beauty ambitions)

• The end of de minimis tax and how it's reshaping K-beauty imports, counterfeits, and brand trust

• Sephora's loyalty program collapse: why 500-point rewards vanished and millennials are jumping ship

• Costco's rotating J-beauty drops, Trader Joe's SKU ruthlessness, and the rise of "box season"

• Amazon vs. Sephora vs. Saks Fifth Avenue: who's nailing the unboxing experience (and who's phoning it in)

• How Amazon's using logistics mastery to court American beauty brands—and whether they'll share customer data

• The millennial beauty gap: why there's no one merchandising to women in their 30s and 40s

• Gen Z's plastic surgery trend, buccal fat removal regrets, and whether "aggressively natural" is the next aesthetic shift

Plus: Why full-size beats samples, how TikTok unboxings are the new product review, and what gourmand fragrances have to do with Ozempic.

guest: Julie Fredrickson – Managing Partner at Chaotic Capital, retail expert, beauty substack writer (@almost_media on Twitter/X, nicepackaging.substack.com)

guest perspective: Julie brings deep retail and merchandising expertise—breaks down SKU strategy, 3PL logistics, counterfeit challenges, and why Amazon hiring Christine Beauchamp (former Ann Taylor) signals they're serious about taste. She's skeptical of Sephora's down-market shift and bullish on craft packaging as brand positioning.

marketing takeaways:

1. Packaging = brand promise (Amazon's custom inserts telegraphed \"we're luxury-ready\")

2. Curation beats assortment (12 full-size K-beauty products is better than 24 Sephora samples)

3. Loyalty programs die when you pull rewards from top spenders (Sephora's 500-point disaster)

4. Use operations as marketing (Amazon's 3PL pitch to beauty brands = trust signal)

5. Sampling tiers matter: trial vs mini vs full-size creates different conversion paths

6. TikTok unboxings are your real product reviews—design for that moment

7. Tastemaker positioning requires constant curation (Sephora lost it, Amazon's claiming it)

Sonia Baschez sits down with Hailey Allen (creative strategist at neuemotion) to dissect the marketing wins and fails making waves right now—from AI slop ruining brand perception to why companies are suddenly hiring "chief storytellers."

We're talking about:

• Why McDonald's pulled their AI ad in 24 hours (and why Disney chose the worst week to announce their OpenAI deal)

• "Slop" being named word of the year and what that says about 2025

• Substack launching sponsorships after years of being ad-free—is the dream over?

• Pinterest Predicts 2026 vs. Pantone's boring white color choice

• The viral WSJ article about chief storytellers and why AI can't replace human narrative

• A24's fake engagement announcement and Spielberg's cryptic Times Square billboard

• Kim Kardashian x Fortnite: actually genius or completely unhinged?

Plus: actionable takeaways for marketers trying to cut through the noise.

1. 00:40 – McDonald's AI Ad Disaster & Disney-OpenAI Partnership

2. 03:46 – 2025 Words of the Year (Slop, Rage Bait, Parasocial)

3. 05:12 – J.Crew Pop-Up & the Rise of Experiential Marketing

4. 07:38 – Substack Launches Ads: The End of Ad-Free Newsletters?

5. 19:22 – 2026 Trend Reports: Pinterest Predicts vs. Pantone's Flop

6. 24:30 – Chief Storytellers: Why Companies Are Hiring for "Vibes"

7. 36:30 – Movie Marketing Masterclass: A24's Fake Engagement & Spielberg's Mystery Billboard

8. 41:51 – Kim Kardashian x Fortnite: Genius or Chaos?

9. 49:55 – Marketing Takeaways Recap

This episode hits on five major marketing trends playing out rn. starts with F1's american takeover—Cadillac's super bowl livery reveal is perfectly timed with Apple's new broadcast deal to capture US audiences who've been waiting for a team that actually leans into being american. they also break down the wholesome carlos sainz unicorn helmet story that shows how user-generated content and ongoing storylines can build real fan engagement when you're not just extracting value from your audience.

The spotify wrapped vs granola crunched comparison is the meat of it—spotify's getting 500M shares but losing trust bc people think the data's cooked and taylor swift's juicing the numbers. granola launched a privacy-first year-end review that actually felt accurate and personal, proving that substance beats viral metrics for long-term brand equity. they tie this into nvidia hiring a merch director and palantir's cult following, arguing that founder personality + quality merch = walking billboards that signal community membership (the "if you know you know" factor).

Closes on rage bait marketing being a dead-end strategy despite easy engagement. paul graham called it scammer shit, and they show how companies like clueless and friend ai burned goodwill chasing attention instead of building product. the counterpoint: wholesome marketing, craft, and participatory events (percy jackson's fountain billboard, stripe's mini-city) are winning bc people are exhausted from doom scrolling. big thesis: attention economy thinking misses that not all attention is equal—optimize for trust and positive emotion, not just impressions.

• F1 Marketing Moves (00:01 - 09:14): Cadillac F1's Super Bowl livery reveal strategy, Apple TV's F1 deal, and Carlos Sainz's wholesome unicorn helmet story

• Spotify Wrapped vs Granola Crunch (14:04 - 26:37): Why Spotify's losing trust while Granola nails year-end reviews

• Merch as Marketing Strategy (29:24 - 43:00): Nvidia hiring a merch director, Palantir's cult following, and why founder personality matters

• Out of Home Evolution (44:16 - 52:30): Percy Jackson's fountain billboard and creating participatory marketing events

• The Rage Bait Problem (55:25 - 1:22:48): Paul Graham weighs in, why companies like Clueless are burning goodwill for engagement

Sonia, Amanda, and guest Kushaan Shah break down how Shopify and Stripe owned Black Friday/Cyber Monday 2025—not through traditional ads, but by spotlighting merchants, building miniature cities by hand, and proving B2B doesn't have to be boring. They unpack record-breaking consumer spending ($1 trillion+ for the first time), the dark side of buy-now-pay-later debt, mobile shopping's takeover of desktop, and why craft beats AI when you're trying to stand out.

The episode dives deep into Shopify's multi-channel BFCM strategy: Harvey Finkelstein's Twitter thread crowdsourcing merchant recs, a TBPN-sponsored broadcast featuring brand founders live, and projecting their real-time sales dashboard onto the Las Vegas Sphere. Then they dissect Stripe's hand-built miniature city live stream—15 buildings, motorized trains, 100+ customer Easter eggs, zero AI—and why unscalable activations create more buzz than Super Bowl ads.

They also tackle Target's flat Stranger Things partnership (retro Doritos vs. Aldo's exclusive heels), the shift from desktop to mobile shopping enabling impulse buys, why 67% of BNPL users don't plan to pay on time, U.S. credit scores dropping for the first time in a decade, and what all of this means for marketers trying to win attention in 2024.

key topics:

• Shopify's Black Friday strategy: Harvey Finkelstein Twitter thread, TBPN broadcast with founders, Las Vegas Sphere activation

• Stripe's hand-built miniature city live stream (craft vs. AI, customer Easter eggs, model makers)

• Black Friday 2024 breaks records: $14.2B spending (up 6%), first-ever $1 trillion holiday season

• Buy-now-pay-later explosion: $1B+ in BNPL volume, 67% don't plan to pay within terms, worst kind of debt

• U.S. credit scores dropping: largest decline since Great Recession, high interest rates + inflation + student loans

• Mobile overtakes desktop for shopping: impulse buys, Instagram ads, always-on commerce

• Target's Stranger Things partnership falls flat: retro Doritos, generic merch, missed experiential opportunity

• Aldo's Stranger Things heels as a better brand collab example (exclusivity, task-oriented shopping)

• Why unscalable = memorable: Stripe, Ramp, Anthropic pop-ups vs. traditional B2B ads

• Craft as brand positioning: Stripe Press, Apple's glass logo, Barbour's Wallace & Gromit vs. Coca-Cola AI

• Making customers your marketers: organic reach, spotlight merchants, extend activation shelf life

guest: Kushaan Shah - Lifestyle Marketing at Superhuman (formerly Grammarly), writer on Substack (@kushaanshah on Twitter/X)

guest perspective: Kushaan brings a B2B SaaS lens—talks about TBPN as the new TechCrunch, brand halo effects, task-oriented behavior vs. high-traffic browsing, and why happy customers extend marketing ROI. He's bullish on experiential unscalable activations and skeptical of partnerships that don't create unique value (Target/Stranger Things). Also shares insights on Superhuman's rebrand from Grammarly and building an end-to-end productivity suite.

marketing takeaways:

1. Spotlight your customers—they'll extend your reach organically (Shopify merchants, Stripe's customer Easter eggs)

2. Unscalable beats scalable when everything looks like AI slop (hand-built city vs digital renders)

3. Craft = brand positioning in the AI era (Stripe Press, Apple glass, live-streamed model making)

4. Brand partnerships need unique value, not just co-branding (Aldo exclusive heels vs Target retro Doritos)

5. B2B can be experiential and cultural (Ramp's Kevin stunt, Stripe City, TBBPN as status symbol)

6. Mobile-first = impulse-first; design for task vs. browse behavior

7. YOLO/FOMO marketing: create experiences people can't miss, not just products they can buy later

(00:00:00) Welcome and Introducing Kushan Shah from Superhuman (00:02:19) Shopify's Black Friday Takeover on TBPN (00:07:03) Shopify's Las Vegas Sphere Activation (00:11:22) Black Friday Shopping Records and Economic Trends (00:12:27) The Rise of Buy Now Pay Later and Consumer Debt (00:17:00) Mobile Shopping Revolution (00:21:45) Amazon vs Shopify: The Battle for E-commerce (00:25:39) Stripe's Miniature City Campaign (00:34:55) The Value of Craft in Marketing (00:39:29) B2B Marketing Doesn't Have to Be Boring (00:41:06) Stranger Things x Target Partnership Analysis (00:48:08) What Makes Effective Brand Partnerships (00:59:05) Key Takeaways for Marketers

• 00:00-02:51 — Intro + Kushan on Superhuman rebrand (Grammarly → productivity suite)

• 02:51-14:25 — Shopify's BFCM blitz: TBBPN broadcast, Harvey's Twitter thread, Las Vegas Sphere

• 14:25-23:38 — Black Friday spending records, buy-now-pay-later explosion, credit score collapse

• 23:38-42:01 — Stripe's hand-built miniature city: craft vs. AI, live stream, customer Easter eggs, B2B experiential marketing

• 42:01-end — Target's Stranger Things partnership critique, Aldo heels as better example, key takeaways + where to find Kushan

episode description: sonia and kaleigh break down why traditional marketing is dying and what's replacing it. they cover timothée chalamet's $250 jacket sellout, apple tv's continued failure to market good shows, hulu's genius grocery store hack, lionsgate listening to fans for hunger games casting, shopify's president crowdsourcing black friday recs, and why a luxury brand just said "fuck ai" with their new website.

main thesis: communities beat celebrities, craft beats slop, and giving your audience a voice beats shouting at them with ads.

key topics:

• timothée's marty supreme marketing turning movie promo into cultural participation

• apple tv fumbling pluribus marketing despite vince gilligan attachment

• hulu's qr code apples for abbott elementary (physical media comeback)

• elle fanning hunger games casting as fan service done right

• shopify president's black friday thread strategy (crowdsourced recommendations)

• miu miu's handcrafted anti-ai website aesthetic

• lionsgate hiring tiktok creators for in-house fan cams

• the shift from brand awareness to community buy-in

• why netflix/hulu finally stopped dmca-ing fan content

• advent calendar quality wars (sephora losing, amazon winning with korean skincare)

guest: kaleigh moore - freelance seo/aeo content writer for saas companies, retail contributor at forbes (@kaleighf on twitter/x, kaleighmoore.com)

guest perspective: kaleigh brings software/saas marketing lens throughout—talks surprise-and-delight moments, secret handshake marketing, first-mover advantage, crowdsourcing content strategy. she's obsessed with pluribus, advocates hard for fandom-first approaches, and makes the case that production houses need to treat audiences like content partners not consumers.

marketing takeaways:

1. novel placement beats ad spend (apples in grocery stores beat billboards)

2. listen to your audience but don't let the loudest voices pivot your whole product

3. executives as community builders not just figureheads

4. unscalable = memorable when everything else looks like ai slop

5. fan involvement creates buy-in (casting, merchandise, experiences)

6. physical/tactile marketing cuts through digital fatigue

• timothée chalamet's marty supreme marketing (merch pop-up, $250 jackets) - 0:00-3:33

• apple tv's pluribus marketing struggles - 3:33-6:33

• hulu's abbott elementary apple sticker campaign - 7:16-15:44

• lionsgates's elle fanning hunger games casting (fan involvement) - 15:47-24:17

• shopify president's black friday thread strategy - 34:36-42:01

• miu miu's anti-ai website design - 43:12-53:05

• marketing takeaways roundup - 53:51-1:03:13

This episode covers five major marketing and media topics: ChatGPT's new group chat feature launching in Asian markets as a potential WhatsApp competitor; Timothée Chalamet's innovative meta-marketing campaign for A24's Marty Supreme that blurs satire and reality while creating memeable experiential moments; the breakdown of Steph Curry's 12-year Under Armour partnership and what it reveals about brands failing to read cultural shifts in athletic wear; Disney+'s controversial decision to allow AI-generated content using Disney IP and the brand safety concerns it raises; and YouTube's emergence as the premier platform for launching new media companies, with creators leaving legacy outlets for better monetization and distribution.

Key themes throughout: the shift from performance-based to culture-based marketing, the importance of experiential and memeable marketing for audience engagement, timing as brand positioning, and how video-first platforms (especially YouTube) are reshaping media consumption and creation.

• [00:02-05:49] ChatGPT's Group Chat Feature - Discussion of ChatGPT's new group chat feature launched in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan, allowing up to 20 users to chat together with AI assistance for planning trips, splitting checks, and keeping tabs on decisions.

• [08:01-23:35] Timothée Chalamet's Meta Marketing for Marty Supreme - Deep dive into Chalamet's 18-minute satirical Zoom call with A24's marketing team, the blurring of reality/satire, experiential marketing tactics (blimp, Wheaties box, Regal Cinemas event), and how he's creating memeable moments to build cultural relevance.

• [23:35-36:16] Steph Curry & Under Armour Split - Analysis of the 12-year partnership ending, Under Armour's failures in reading cultural shifts, product missteps, the CEO's Trump endorsement controversy, and what this means for athlete endorsement deals going forward.

• [36:16-47:51] Disney's AI-Generated Content Strategy - Discussion of Disney+ letting subscribers create AI content using Disney IP, concerns about brand safety for parents, comparisons to other brands' AI strategies (Coca-Cola vs. Barbour), and whether this aligns with Disney's legacy brand identity.

• [48:01-1:05:50] YouTube as the Next Media Incubator - Mark's reporting on YouTube becoming the premier platform for new media companies, creators leaving legacy outlets for YouTube, monetization advantages, dynamic ad insertion, and the platform eating podcasting/audio content.

Sonia and Christina break down consumer brand marketing wins and fails across Apple's glass logo rebrand, Nike's LA murals, Sephora's tone-deaf holiday ad with Mariah Carey, the AI wars between Coca-Cola and Barbour's Wallace & Gromit collab, and the Starbucks bear cup chaos. They also dig into Apple TV's quality-over-quantity approach, consumerism culture, and how brands are staking claims on AI vs craft.

• Nike Dodgers Murals (00:18-01:53)

• Apple's Glass Logo Rebrand & Apple TV (01:54-11:03)

• Sephora's Mariah Carey Holiday Ad Backlash (17:18-27:39)

• Coca-Cola AI vs Barbour Wallace & Gromit (28:34-37:20)

• Starbucks Bear Cup Disaster & Consumerism (37:21-47:03)

• Takeaways & Optimism (47:03-54:20)

Episode Summary
In this episode, Sonia and Moshe dissect four big marketing moments. They start with Cracker Barrel’s self-aware tweet that uses humor to defuse backlash over its remodel, then dive deep into Nike’s “I Love LA” Dodgers World Series spot that swaps Randy Newman for Kendrick Lamar—layering the LA–Toronto rivalry with the Kendrick–Drake beef to show true cultural fluency. They pull out why speed and social listening matter, and why Gen Z (73%) rewards brands that read the room.
They pivot to Neo, a consumer humanoid home robot marketed as a gentle helper—covering pricing ($20k or $500/month), remote operation/privacy tradeoffs, and why humanizing tech beats hype. From there, they break down Grammarly’s bold decision to rebrand the parent company to Superhuman and launch Superhuman Go, shifting from “grammar checker” to an AI-powered productivity suite in a $102B market—plus naming risks and brand equity realities. Finally, they critique PepsiCo’s corporate rebrand—new pastel-coded categories and “food, drink, smiles” tagline—questioning the move away from iconic Pepsi colors and whether corporate identity should ever feel this… corporate. The episode closes with crisp takeaways on cultural timing, expectation-setting, naming strategy, and portfolio signaling.

00:00 — Welcome + Guest intro
00:41 — Cracker Barrel’s clapback: humor to defuse a remodel fiasco
01:08 — Nike’s Dodgers ad: Kendrick vs. Drake and LA vs. Toronto, cultural layering
06:38 — Culture-coded Nike: city focus, social listening, Gen Z’s 73% cultural awareness stat
12:08 — Global stars, sponsorship nuance: Shohei (New Balance) omitted; city pride
14:17 — Real-time rollout: speed beats perfection in cultural moments
15:09 — Meet Neo: the home humanoid robot (tasks, tone, positioning)
21:47 — Price, privacy, and trust: $20k/$500 mo., remote ops, 68% welcome robots if secure
29:11 — Marketing physical AI vs. software AI: education and expectations
31:00 — Grammarly → Superhuman: parent rebrand and Superhuman Go launch
35:02 — The productivity landscape: $102B market, tool fragmentation, AI tool growth
40:22 — Naming and equity risks: “Superhuman Go,” tech vs. mainstream recognition
42:40 — PepsiCo’s corporate rebrand: portfolio signaling, colors, “food, drink, smiles”
52:16 — Takeaways: Nike—cultural fluency and timing
53:47 — Takeaways: Neo—humanize tech, be transparent
55:03 — Takeaways: Grammarly/Superhuman—name strategy, suite vs. single feature
58:13 — Takeaways: PepsiCo—design communicates legacy vs. future
59:28 — Wrap + where to follow

Halloween meets K‑pop as Amanda and Sonia kick off with costumes, community, and a Demon Hunter sing‑along, then pivot to the Bugonia “bald screening” stunt—who actually shaved vs who got bald caps, and what that says about event design and expectation setting. The core segment tackles why surveys mislead (AP’s Halloween stats; SparkTogether’s “would attend again” vs reality) and how better survey design, open‑endeds, and customer interviews avoid bias.

They jump to baseball: a Dodgers fan’s steak ritual turns into an Omaha Steaks sponsor moment—textbook social listening and low‑lift brand collab. Next up: SportsPro’s Most Marketable Athletes list—Lewis Hamilton tops Messi/Ronaldo, Simone Biles and Steph Curry surge, Caitlin Clark outranks LeBron—and why athlete brand “multitudes” (vegan, Ferrari, causes) drive long‑term partnerships. They close with a mini‑masterclass on TikTok’s chaotic‑smart algorithm and why hiring a native editor helped the pod go viral, plus pragmatic takeaways on labeling, fandoms, and investing early in creators.

• 00:05–03:02: Halloween vibes, suburban community, costumes, and AMC K‑pop Demon Hunter sing‑along

• 03:03–06:15: Bugonia “bald screening” stunt: shaved heads vs bald caps, Emma Stone comment, event design ethics

• 06:16–20:45:Survey data ≠ reality: AP Halloween stats, healthy snacks discourse, SparkTogether attend-again gap

• 20:46–23:38:How to not screw up surveys: design, bias, goals, open‑endeds, customer calls

• 23:39–27:56:Dodgers steak superstition: Jacob Brownson, Omaha Steaks social listening + sponsor code, creator collabs

• 27:57–33:49:“Most marketable athletes”: Lewis Hamilton #1, Simone Biles, Steph Curry, Neymar, Caitlin Clark, LeBron; Kelce rank, Ohtani/NB, Curry/UA origin story

• 33:50–38:02:TikTok virality: why the For You algorithm hits different, hiring a TikTok‑native editor, outsource what you’re not great at

• 38:03–43:14: Key takeaways + wrap: intentions don’t forecast action, remove labels to grow fandoms, invest early in long‑term creator/athlete stories

From The Office's Kevin trapped in a glass box for Ramp to Lionsgate finally embracing fan editors, this episode unpacks the biggest marketing moves of the week. We break down how a B2B fintech company created the most talked-about experiential campaign, dive into Twitter's game-changing link update, and expose a wild Reddit marketing takedown that cost one company 80% of their revenue.

Plus: AMC x Netflix's theatrical partnership, Heineken trolling Friend AI, and why one movie is asking fans to shave their heads. Bonus segment: how a viral YouTube video helped launch an innovative ultrasonic knife.

Topics covered:

• Ramp's viral Office-themed marketing stunt

• Twitter's new in-platform link browsing

• Lionsgate embracing fan editors

• Reddit marketing investigation

• AMC & Netflix partnership

• Product marketing innovation

Follow us: @memeteampod (YouTube) @memeteampodcast (Spotify & TikTok) memeteampodcast.com

#marketing #socialmedia #contentcreation #marketingstrategy #viralmarketing

(00:00-00:42) - intro & celebrating 30 episodes

(00:42-02:16) - new balance & shohei ohtani marketing

(02:16-03:31) - amc & netflix partnership, k-pop demon hunters

(04:34-06:13) - bugonia movie head-shaving stunt & heineken's friend ai campaign

(06:32-14:25) - deep dive into ramp's office-themed marketing stunt

(14:25-15:53) - discussion on positive vs rage marketing

(15:53-31:50) - twitter's new in-platform browsing

(31:50-35:13) - reddit marketing investigation case study

(35:13-end) - ultrasonic knife invention & product marketing

In today's episode, Sonia and guest Christina Garnett break down three major shifts in marketing: Timothée Chalamet's genius guerrilla campaign for indie ping pong movie Marty Supreme, Taylor Swift's variant overload that's testing even die-hard Swifties, and why politicians desperately need to learn how to make TikToks AND go on 3-hour long podcasts.

Plus: Netflix drops "Original," Apple TV loses "Plus," and why these streaming giants don't need to flex anymore. Special guest Christina Garnett drops knowledge on weakening fandoms, the problem with stunt marketing, and why your favorite brands might be trying too hard.

Key Topics:

• How Timothée Chalamet is revolutionizing movie marketing

• Taylor Swift's variant strategy vs fan fatigue

• Why politicians need to master 30-sec vertical videos

• The death of streaming service flexing

• When fandoms get tired of your BS

• Tech's obsession with rage-bait marketing

• The real reason behind all these rebrands

• Why manufactured authenticity wins

Guest: Christina Garnett, author of "Transforming Customer Brand Relationships"

00:00 Introduction

02:51 The Evolution of Streaming Services

05:47 Timothée Chalamet's Unique Marketing Approach

23:31 The Risk of Attention-Seeking Marketing

33:33 The Evolving Role of Politicians in the Digital Age

47:37 The Changing Landscape of Fandoms and Brand Loyalty

58:44 Christina Garnett's Book Launch and Marketing Insights

01:06:18 Takeaways

In this episode of the Meme Team podcast, Amanda and Sonia discuss various marketing strategies and cultural phenomena, including Cracker Barrel's logo controversy, Williams F1's community engagement, Tame Impala's unique concert experience, Anthropic's pop-up in New York, Taylor Swift's influence on the wedding industry, and the marketing strategies behind K-Pop Demon Hunters. They also touch on Merriam-Webster's clever campaign related to AI language models, emphasizing the importance of adapting to cultural trends and engaging with audiences in meaningful ways.

00:00 Cracker Barrel's Logo Controversy
02:43 Williams F1 Campaign and Community Engagement
05:04 Tame Impala's Unique Concert Experience
07:16 Anthropic's Zero Slop Pop-Up in NYC
09:59 Taylor Swift's Impact on the Wedding Industry
21:22 Taylor Swift's Wedding Soundtrack
23:03 K-Pop Demon Hunters Rise
25:41 Halloween Costumes and Cultural Representation
26:39 Marketing Strategies for K-Pop Demon Hunters
31:49 Cultural Trends and Brand Opportunities
34:48 Key Takeaways and Final Thoughts

This week on Meme Team, Sonia and Amanda dive into four big culture-meets-marketing moments:

Taylor Swift x KitchenAid? How brands are borrowing her orange aesthetic to drive hype — without her even collabing.

OpenAI’s first brand campaign + "agentic commerce." What instant checkout inside ChatGPT means for small businesses, DTC, and the future of discovery.

The unicorn that won F1. How a fan’s sticker turned into a viral, feel-good growth story.

Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl. Why skipping a U.S. tour but taking the halftime stage is a masterclass in distribution strategy.

From fan whimsy to AI-powered shopping carts, this episode is full of smart plays marketers need to watch.

Halloween re-releases, 3-day theater drops, and brand ads masquerading as short films. This week we unpack how "eventfication" is reshaping entertainment and marketing, why most "make it go viral" mandates miss the point, and what Oura's $875M raise (at an $11B valuation) says about wearables — especially for women.We cover:"Sinners" returns for Halloween and why timing + communal cosplay can revive the box office (and awards chatter).Central Perk Times Square: great IP, mid vibes — how theme builds should feel like the show, not a Starbucks.Sabrina Carpenter x The Muppets: playful brand fit, not tired “women-compete” tropes.Taylor Swift’s Life of a Showgirl theater “soiree”: event-based scarcity, cross-platform numerology, and AMC as a release partner.Virality, properly defined (hat tip: Roy Lee/Cluely): it should multiply traction, not substitute product-market fit.Claude vs. Perplexity ads: two creative directions for the same category, and why brand POV matters more than budget.Oura’s mega round: growth vs. usefulness, the smart-ring moat, and the glaring gap in women’s health insights.Takeaway: Build experiences people want to gather for, make content that deserves amplification, and ship products that solve real problems — especially for the customers you claim to serve.

This episode explores how major institutions are adapting their content strategies for new audiences. We start with Robert Redford's passing, discussing how his work with Sundance created a blueprint for using cultural capital to build new communities. This ties into modern marketing innovations like "The Long Walk's" treadmill screenings—where the medium literally becomes the message.

Our guest Caitlin Rease (San Antonio Spurs' content creator) breaks down how sports teams are evolving their content game. She shares insights on their viral food art schedule release and the challenges of real-time social content creation—where you've got minutes, sometimes seconds, to capture and share moments.

We dig into how traditionally male-dominated spaces like the NBA are finding creative ways to engage female audiences (partially inspired by the Taylor Swift effect in the NFL). Nike's shift from "Just Do It" to "Why Do It?" shows how even iconic brands are rethinking their approach for Gen Z's more purpose-driven mindset.

The key theme throughout: Successful modern marketing requires both speed and cultural awareness—whether you're running social for the Spurs or rebranding Nike's 37-year-old slogan. It's about finding authentic ways to connect with new audiences while keeping your core base engaged.

Segments:

0:00-4:30: Sundance and Streaming: Redford's legacy meets modern movie marketing

4:30-7:00: Hot girl walks and treadmill screenings: Gen Z fitness trends

7:00-13:30: Emmys recap: timer drama & award show evolution

13:30-22:06: Scrubs to tuxedos: Figs' Emmy night innovation with Noah Wyle

22:06-30:00: Nike's gen z pivot: from 'just do it' to 'why do it?'

30:00-55:16: Behind the viral food art: Spurs' schedule release innovation

55:16: Takeaways

Guest: Caitlin Rease, Content Creator for the San Antonio Spurs

Key Insights:

• sports teams adapting content for female audiences post-taylor swift effect
• real-time social media challenges in sports coverage
• cross-demographic collaborations in sports marketing
• importance of storytelling in social media, especially with 3-second attention spans

Marketing Takeaways:

• calculated risks can unlock new audiences
• unexpected collaborations can refresh standard content
• know your base but don't be afraid to expand
• timing and cultural relevance matter

Comms pro Cristin Culver joins Meme Team to dissect Austin, TX's universally-dragged logo rollout, Reese Witherspoon’s shallow AI talking points (and how to master the PR art of bridging), and the Builder.ai collapse (aka why your ship-to-yap ratio matters). We also hit Instagram’s long-awaited iPad app, Threads’ watermarking, HBO’s latest rename spree, and Apple’s just-announced iPhone Air — with a through-line on hype vs. product and why social media is now entertainment first.

Chapters:

00:00: The new logo for Austin, TX; OpenAI's hiring platform; HBO

09:30: Reese Witherspoon's missed opportunity to discuss the future of AI and filmmaking

18:03: No seriously, THIS is why women should be using AI...

23:50: What went wrong at Builder.ai

35:30: Humane's outcome

38:39: Apple Vision Pro (and their content misses)

41:35: Instagram finally gets its own iPad app and here are the specs.

45:11: You can pin your own comments on your IG posts!

46:42: Threads' clever logo watermark on iPhone app screenshots

47:54: Apple's new iPhone Air announcement just dropped.

Follow Cristin Culver: https://x.com/CristinCulver

Follow Sonia: https://x.com/SoniaBaschez

Follow Amanda: https://x.com/amandanat

Learn more at memeteampodcast.com.

In this episode of Meme Team, we break down three major marketing moments: Sabrina Carpenter's masterclass in brand authenticity after her album cover controversy, YouTube's game-changing new "Hype" feature for small creators, and Lionsgate's wild treadmill theater experience for "The Long Walk." From handling haters to innovative marketing stunts, we explore how brands and creators are pushing boundaries in 2025.

Key moments:

00:00 Intro

00:10 Lego's Tom Holland campaign

04:20 Sabrina Carpenter vs Tommy from Arkansas

17:52 YouTube's new Hype feature

28:29 The Long Walk's treadmill theater experience

Join Sonia Baschez and "F1 Guy" Vincenzo Landino as they dive into the exciting announcement of Cadillac's entry into the F1 world for the 2026 season. Discover the strategic marketing decisions behind choosing experienced drivers Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez, and explore the marketing implications for Cadillac and the broader F1 community. The conversation also touches on the American identity of the new team compared to existing teams like Haas, and the potential for Cadillac to leverage its brand recognition to attract fans and boost sales.Key Points:- Cadillac's official announcement and its impact on the F1 landscape.- The choice of drivers: Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez.- Marketing strategies and the role of social media in the announcement.- The significance of Cadillac's American branding in F1.- Insights into the future of F1 and Cadillac's long-term plans.00:00 Cadillac's F1 Announcement Overview02:35 Driver Selection and Team Strategy05:08 Marketing and Brand Building07:21 The Role of Sponsorships and Partnerships10:00 American Identity in F112:48 Future Prospects and Community EngagementGuest: Vincenzo LandinoFollow him on Twitter @VincenzoLandino and learn more at bizofspeed.com.Follow Sonia: @soniabaschezFollow Us:YouTube: @memeteampod Spotify: @memeteampodcast

Join hosts Sonia Baschez and Amanda Natividad as we explore the cultural phenomena of Dubai chocolate and Labubu dolls, the impact of GLP-1 drugs on societal expectations, and the unique marketing strategies behind the film Weapons. We also quickly cover Zohran Mamdani's #zcavenger hunt, the viral success of Netflix's K-pop Demon Hunters, Sydney Sweeney's latest controversies, and the failed Cracker Barrel rebrand.

00:00 Introduction to the Meme Team Podcast

01:07 Zohran Mamdani's Innovative Politic Campaign

03:39 K-Pop and Theatrical Releases

07:14 The Resurgence of Movie Theaters

13:43 Cracker Barrel's Rebranding Controversy

17:33 The Impact of Branding Changes

20:50 Gen Z Trends and Cultural Shifts

32:15 The Role of GLP-1 Drugs in Weight Management

37:22 Authenticity in Celebrity Endorsements

40:11 The Contradiction of Perfection vs. Imperfection

44:00 The Impact of GLP-1 Drugs on Food and Fitness

45:41 Marketing Strategies in Film: The Case of 'Weapons'

01:02:59 Takeaways

Guest: Martin O'Leary - Irish tech marketer who accidentally ended up in fintech in DubaiFollow Us:Martin: @MartinolearySonia: @SoniaBaschezAmanda: @AmandaNatPodcast Socials:YouTube: @MemeTeamPodSpotify: @MemeTeamPodcastCall to Action: Don't forget to leave a review and subscribe for more insights into the world of marketing and virality!

In this episode of the Meme Team Podcast, hosts Amanda and Sonia explore the intersection of marketing, culture, and branding. They discuss the recent rebranding of MSNBC, the legacy of Duolingo's social media strategy, and the backlash against AI personalities. The conversation also touches on creative marketing campaigns, the cultural impact of Taylor Swift, and the importance of authenticity in brand engagement. Additionally, they delve into the evolution of Coach, the impact of tariffs on fashion brands, and the role of CEOs as storytellers. The episode concludes with key takeaways that highlight the significance of understanding consumer insights and the balance between data and creativity in marketing.Chapters00:00 Updates: MSNBC and Duolingo05:40 The Backlash Against GPT-5 and AI Personalities11:12 Taylor Swift's Cultural Impact and Monoculture Marketing16:38 The Role of Brands in Participating in Pop Culture22:08 Tariffs and Their Impact on Coach Handbags29:10 The Timeless Appeal of Coach Handbags36:49 Sustainability and the Launch of CoachTopia47:12 The CEO as Chief Storyteller56:15 Key Takeaways and Insights🎧 Subscribe for more takes at the intersection of marketing, culture, and the internet.Follow Us:Sonia: @SoniaBaschez | bendgrowth.co/yaasAmanda: @AmandaNat | amandanat.comPodcast Socials:YouTube: @MemeTeamPodSpotify: @MemeTeamPodcastDon't forget to leave a review and subscribe for more insights into the world of marketing and virality!