[025] Monday Scroll starter: 90's style AI slop + everyone's joining the band!
Plus: a giant baked bean
Happy Monday fellow Victims!
Coming at you after a long week in which my attempt to buy Melbourne Grand Prix tickets ended in a) a minor nervous breakdown and b) qualifying tickets only (beggars can’t be choosers).
In today’s newsletter:
The brand content you missed last week
What everyone’s been talking about on social
Social media news you may have missed
What I’ve been watching (and loving)
Let’s get into it.
Winner of the week: Cozy Cookies with their Humilkifier. Note: technically this post is 9 weeks old, but it’s new for *me* and I make the rules around here, I guess. This kind of unhinged content (which almost verges on rage-bait) doesn’t align with every brand’s tone, but if your goal is reach and awareness, it can be a very effective strategy.
Now for the best of the rest:
Branston Beans with this somewhat disturbing but effective video. Anything that grabs my attention in this brain-rot era is a win, and the deep link to british culture (the lime bike) tickled me. I remember living in NYC and struggling to explain to Americans why as an Aussie, baked beans on toast was not only an acceptable main meal, but a delicacy loved by many. One of the few parts of British culture i’m proud has endured (emphasis on “few”).
Beis showing how the sausage gets made! I enjoy these videos immensely, but that could be because I work in social, so I like feeling as if I’m part of the team.
Six the Musical - did I follow every step? Yes! A new spin on an old trend, and it worked.
Meshki with a piece of fashion content that feels real, and really feels like taking a trip back to Lookbook (where are my millennial girlies at?).
Tower 28 choosing an influencer to be the face of their new eyeshadow launch, who truly embodies the purpose behind the brand: creating eczema safe products that everyone can enjoy.
ICYMI: this is what everyone’s talking about on social right now
Everyone would rather join the band than let you go through their group chat
A nod to HBCU marching bands, this trend is taking off at the moment (and is a delight to watch). For those who aren’t familiar with marching bands, I highly recommend the Netflix documentary series Marching Orders, which is a delightful watch!
The upcoming Wuthering Heights movie is already controversial…so naturally it will be a blockbuster hit, right?
There’s a lot of discourse around the upcoming film version of the 1847 novel, featuring and produced by Margot Robbie, and directed by Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman & Saltburn, remember them?). Namely: the casting of Jacob Elordi as plays Heathcliff (described in the book by Bronte as “dark-skinned”) and the highly sexual nature of some scenes. My theory: this drama, combined with a soundtrack made by Charli XCX, means people who wouldn’t have otherwise considered watching the movie are going to buy a ticket, just to see “what it’s all about”.
We all watched Unkown Number: the High School Catfish on Netflix, right?
I can’t help but think those who agreed to participate in this documentary may be regretting it after seeing the explosion of reaction videos on TikTok this week.
In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, people are mass unfollowing influencers.
I’m seeing a lot of content discussing unfollowing influencers who posted in support of Charlie Kirk - with Paige Lorenze’s (influencer and now founder of the brand Dairy Boy) name showing up time and time again. I’m surpised that people didn’t pick up on the vibe of a brand founder whose entire aesthethic is based around an ultra-feminine “american lifestyle”.
Visual trend: desktop folder and windows 98 nostalgia
I’m seeing a lot of content throwing back to old school desktop folders and Microsoft browser windows. Every week I point out a nostalgia filled trend, and it all comes back to the idea that we’re in a “culture recession”. The Trend Report did an excellent job of dissecting the idea in this piece.
Subscription culture
Thanks to this video, I cannot stop thinking about the fact that I’m locked into Google Storage fees for…life?!? I think the reason this video blew up is that it speaks to the bigger feeling of resentment and fatigue we all have about our overly connected digital lives. We all know our phones aren’t “good” for us and yet…at this point we’re locked in!
This giant baked bean has left me feeling…unsettled
Thanks, I hate it! 10/10 for creativity though.
The social media (and adjacent) news you need to know this week.
AI generated “nostalgia” videos based in the 80’s and 90’s are everywhere on social media
Nostalgia for a simpler time isn’t going anywhere, and now social media accounts dedicated to producing AI videos of 90’s and 80’s “moments” are picking up millions of views. I can’t help but notice that these videos skirt nicely over the blatant sexism, ageism and racism that was rampant in the media during those so called “glory days”. The grass is always greener, yada yada yada…
A lot of kids watched Charlie Kirk’s assassination after it went viral on Social Media
One has to wonder whether this could have been prevented with robust moderation…I’ll just leave this here.
France’s parliament wants to ban TikTok for minors, or at least introduce an overnight curfew
Now that Australia is set to officially ban social media access for under 16’s, I think we can expect to see a lot more countries following suit. The data is in: we know young brains can be seriously harmed by extensive social media use.
YouTube will be the new home of Sesame Street
I’m positive about this streaming deal, if it means that another generation of kids will get to learn from this extremely important show :’).