The Digest 11
Replacing your AM social media doom scroll
Hope you’re hungry…
Throughout the week, I keep track of all the bits and bobs that stand out to me from the onslaught of media I consume. I take that list from my notes app and turn it into this download of books, bodies, and culture tidbits to keep you in the loop on what I think you should know about this week. I hope you enjoy and take your time to Digest.
On another note, be sure to take care of yourselves and protect your peace this week in whatever ways you can (after voting, if you haven’t already!). Fingers crossed for good news by the time I see you next.
Think of this as your curated morning paper, best read with coffee in hand
x Jo
It was smart to leverage Charli + Troye’s Sweat Tour for this, but we really need to stop trying to make full-body deodorant happen. Please!
More non-candle companies launching candles: incoming from Vacation and Pillsbury
Run clubs aren’t going anywhere. They’re (maybe?) still operating as a dating app replacement, but running is more broadly taking non-fitness brand advertising by storm. The NYC marathon is today, and it only underscores the craze. For the first time, the marathon has a beauty partner. Are marathons the new fashion show?
One of Merit’s (many) marketing tactics for their new scent is a $52 limited edition coffee table book “that explores the art of fragrance and its deep connection to nostalgia and memory”. Smart or silly?
We’ve talked about how Susan Alexandra is a brand uniquely positioned to benefit from the customization boom. They continue their streak of smart partnerships, this time with Crocs, creating over-the-top Jibbitz packs. The brand is also carrying some shoe styles from Crocs, including rubber Mary Janes
Selena Gomez partnered with PacSun on a collection called “Rare DNM Edit”, with 10% of sales going towards her foundation for mental health. The collection is only available in sizes S-XL
Love Law Roach’s work but I find his collection with Pepsi to be a bit of an odd match and also.. unfortunate looking? Uninspired? The collection is only available in sizes XS-XXL
So refreshing to see Universal Standard’s truly size inclusive collection with Jordan Underwood, available in sizes 00-40. Great read here on why this is a collab done right
I wrote in The Spread this week about trains in non-travel brand marketing + the proliferation of age gap romances. In the couple days after I published that, I saw this and this as further supporting evidence
In that newsletter, we also talked about the push for brands to innovate products, presenting something we’re familiar with but in an unfamiliar format (a la EOS lip balm). I’ve been wondering if we’ll start to see perfumes morphing in this way, considering how saturated that market is becoming. Glossier gave a glimmer of that this week. Curious to see where this could go
Unfortunately, Lizzo continues to be such a disappointment. Her attitude adjustment in the last couple of years has given me whiplash
“Coffee Mate Just Launched a First-of-Its-Kind Creamer That Isn’t for Your Coffee”
My current “hear me out” is Doctor Odyssey. The Cut perfectly encapsulated the show’s absolutely inexplicable but addictive nature here. It is so weird but I am so in
Homage culture is getting stronger by the minute, as discussed by Emily Kirkpatrick and Alyssa Vingan on The New Garde podcast recently. Halloween this year was a weird competition to see what celebs could look the most like other celebs. I’ll be honest, I think this whole emulation schtick is a little tired
This video of Jenna Lyons and Ella Emhoff fangirling over each other made my day
After reading this, I’ve been noticing the popcorn bucket trend everywhere. Does anyone really think we need a Moana nacho boat?? The Merch Effect is getting out of hand, as evidenced by the promotion cycles + product collabs for movies like Barbie and Wicked. It was 80 degrees on Halloween; let’s calm down with the plastic toys
This movie theatre popcorn-adjacent advertising, however, makes total sense to me
I am personally very sad that we are laying the MetroCard to rest. Olivia Rodrigo graces the second-to-last custom MetroCard in a collaboration with Sony
I enjoyed the YSL show this season and I love it even more seeing the clothes in action on Hailey Bieber
Alex Consani is on the digital cover of Teen Vogue holding a (nonexistent) copy of a physical cover of Teen Vogue featuring… Alex Consani. It’s very meta and very indicative of our fervor for print magazines as of late, despite our solidly digital media landscape. I like it
Smoothie King is ready to make a profit off the 1 in 10 Americans who have taken a GLP-1. We are only at the very beginning of a deluge of supplementary products like this
Every major fashion/marketing Substack wrote this week about Cami Tellez’s new venture with L’Eggs. The founder of Parade is now tackling the iconic, classic hosiery brand and bringing it into the 21st century. I’m really enjoying the imagery I’m seeing so far, but it does seem from the website that the size range will potentially be only S-XL, a major miss IMO. This is the perfect time, though, to bring back a legacy brand like this and capitalize on the nostalgia / remake wave
I really enjoyed the styling on this Queen Latifah campaign for Good American. Smart!
“The Russian-doll model is a reflection of how we want to shop (and dress) in 2024” - on the surge of vintage stores-within-stores
Ferragamo’s ballet-inspired SS25 had some of my favorite color combos, but the inspo is indicative of something more sinister. We’ve seen recent rhetoric about the “ballet body” being “in” (body types should not be trends, FYI) and today alone I’ve seen 3 articles about the “Pilates Princess” micro trend. While harmless on the surface, we should be wary of what it fosters as it progresses (a la “clean girl”)
Shopping via livestream is extremely popular in other countries, and America is poised to enter the chat. Livestreaming can be a scary venture for advertisers. Will it take off here?
The creepiest new novels to read this spooky season, according to Dazed
Even the sweatpants jean is not safe from the chaotic customization trend. Real jeans are also seeing an accessorization revolution: “embellished jeans are the cool girl solution to party dressing”
Delighted to discover that Tatiana chef Kwame Onwuachi is the official chef of the 2025 Met Gala
You may have noticed I tend to cover the coffee beat in many of these newsletters. As a premiere coffee lover, I was excited to find these delectable looking coffee syrups, c/o
’s newsletter. Come on flavors!!On the beverage note, I also stumbled across Mad Tea this week, a brand making non-Nespresso associated tea capsules for your Nespresso machine
May every aspiring pop girly have a PR team that works as hard as whoever is promoting Nerds Gummy Clusters right now. Google it and toggle to the “News” tab. Everyone is talking about her
Sorel and Proenza Schouler dropped boots, Marc Jacobs dropped a Wizard of Oz collection, and for $1000 you, too, can own a Veronica Beard x NFL branded blazer/dickey combo (sizes 00-14)
Brands really want to bring back cigs
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oooh definitely putting transcendence coffee syrups on my to try list!
Love it! Thanks for the mention!