Jolyon Varley

I'm a social media guy. But I couldn't help but appreciate this lovely bit of copywriting.

The Ordinary are a masterclass in brand authenticity.

While other skincare brands push:

Celeb endorsements
Miracle promises
Glossy marketing

The Ordinary lean into their strength:

Making effective products at honest prices.

They choose science over hype.

This is what happens when a brand:

Knows exactly who they are.
Understands their audience.
Dares to go against the grain.

And guess what?

It works better than any celeb endorsement ever could.

Authenticity + bravery is the ultimate formula for trust 🤷‍♂️

Amiriteee? Who else loved this ad ?!

♻️ Repost to share this lesson.

_

👋 I’m Jolyon Varley, co-founder of OK COOL, strategic and creative partners to the hottest brands on the planet. I drop insights on culture and entrepreneurship every day at 7:30am EST 🔔

Ask that person for a coffee.
Message that leader on LinkedIn. 
Don’t give one wild fuck what people think of you.
Just reach out.
9 in 10 might say no.
But 1 in 10 is all you need.

Life is short, and if you don’t open doors for yourself, no one will.

Be reckless in the first draft.

Be ruthless in the second.

Dream so big it feels ridiculous.

Stop optimising the thing while you’re still imagining it.

Magic doesn’t survive premature logic.

Hope this helps 💚

81-year-old grandma streams Minecraft to pay for her grandson's cancer treatment.

Sue Jacquot, known online as GrammaCrackers, launched her YouTube channel in 2025 after learning Minecraft from her two grandsons over the summer.

One of them, Jack, had been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.

The medical bills were mounting. 
Sue decided to do something about it.
So she started streaming.

𝗜𝗻 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝟯𝟲𝟬𝗸+ 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀

And tens of thousands of dollars raised through YouTube ad revenue and $48k+ from her GoFundMe page.

Sue’s now built a community of 570k+.

The internet gets a bad rep.

But it has a habit of showing up for the right people at the right time.

Her grandson is now in recovery.

What a story! 💚

The NBA star roasted for dry legs is now fronting CeraVe. Elite turnaround.

After years of people laughing at Kevin Durant’s dry legs, he found a way to laugh with them.

If you don’t know the context, this has been rumbling on for a while.

Back in 2021, when Durant was at the Brooklyn Nets, a close-up photo captured the now infamous patch of skin between the top of his socks and the bottom of his compression tights.

His legs looked dry. The image travelled. The internet did what it does.

Durant’s NBA peers made jokes. Fans piled on. Durant fired back, as he’s known to do.

Even better that he is known for not ignoring the trolls. His pettiness level is high.

Recognising that body skin is neglected despite being up to two times drier than facial skin, CeraVe is partnering with the basketball icon to highlight the importance of total-body hydration through its fan favourite CeraVe Moisturizing Cream.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆:

→ Durant takes to social to read and respond to the viral mean tweets about his dry skin.

→ Paparazzi-style photos appear of him in the gym holding CeraVe Moisturising Cream, sparking online chatter about his sudden commitment to skincare.

→ Dermatologists and skin influencers join the conversation, using the moment to explain the science behind skin barrier health and proper hydration.

→ CeraVe officially names Durant the “Face of Legs”.

→ The campaign culminates with visibly moisturised legs as the punchline and the proof point.

THIS is how a brand steps into a story that culture has already written and steers it in its favour.

Salute, CeraVe 🫡

Nigel Sylvester is crushing this Nike Air Jordan 4 rollout 😮‍💨

Sylvester was the first BMX athlete ever signed to Jordan Brand.

This is the second chapter of a story he started last year.

The first shoe was called BRICK BY BRICK, all about laying the foundation.

This time it's BRICK AFTER BRICK. And it's about what happens next.

The discipline it takes to sustain success after you've already built it.

As Nigel put it. Achieving success is one thing. 
The real challenge is sustaining it.

That's the story he's telling with this whole rollout.

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗼𝗻𝗲. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

→ He’s parked a giant Air Jordan 4-branded concrete brick on top of a busted black BMW in the middle of downtown NYC and called it 'The Weight Of Progress'.

→ The brick crushing the car IS the metaphor.

→ The pressure of sustaining what you've built.

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝘁𝘄𝗼. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲.

→ He’s launched a Tetris-inspired game where you stack falling bricks.

→ Same name. BRICK AFTER BRICK. The longer you survive, the faster it gets.

→ That IS sustaining success.

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱.

→ For the next three weeks, the top scorer on the leaderboard each week walks away with a free pair of Air Jordan 4s.

⬇️

𝗦𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝘃𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝘀𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲.*

→ A piece of street theatre stopping people in NYC. 
→ A game keeping people engaged for three weeks. 
→ And shoes you can earn rather than just buy.

🔥🔥🔥

Dove fly-posted negative Reddit reviews across NYC.

They launched “r/eal reviews” built entirely from unfiltered Reddit commentary about its Intensive Repair 10-in-1 Serum Mask.

The first 50 consumer reviews, positive, negative and neutral, appear exactly as written.

No attempt to steer sentiment.

𝗥𝗲𝗱𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝟭𝟬𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬+ 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝟭𝟭𝟲𝗺+ 𝗱𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘀.
And content views on Reddit are growing 30%+ year on year.

It’s where people get answers, share ideas, offer advice and go for real product reviews.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁:

→ Review culture has moved from brand-controlled testimonials to open community commentary.

→ Consumers are actively seeking out unfiltered opinions in places like Reddit before they buy.

→ Brands are responding by engaging directly within communities rather than relying solely on influencer amplification.

→ On Reddit, that means participating in the format of the platform. AMAs, community threads, content that sits naturally within the ecosystem.

The campaign launched with a pop-up takeover of Flatiron Plaza in New York, where oversized, unedited reviews sit alongside product sampling.

To honour Reddit’s anonymity, Dove covered all participant faces with their Snoo avatars.

There’s a HUGE opportunity on Reddit that most brands are still underestimating.

IKEA's gone all in on the POV from inside my bag trend!

'What I see vs what my bag sees' has MILLIONS of posts on TikTok.

Their ‘FRAKTA Point-Of-You’ OOH campaign shoots life through the iconic blue bag.

Each one showing a different product use… Picnic Bag, Laundry Bag, Carry-on Bag all at the same 9-kronor price point.

Perfect IKEA summer campaign.

And pretty wild how its bag continues to be a cultural icon.

45% of UK households own one 😅

An artist just hosted a floating banquet on the sea… insane 🤯

Set between two calanques at Les Goudes.

This is Alix LaCloche.

Franco-American chef and culinary scenographer in Paris.

She's famous for bespoke culinary performances. 
Think theatrical tables that look like paintings.

Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Jacquemus have all come knocking. 
Because nobody's doing this like she is.

There's ridiculous amounts of inspo brands can take from artists like Alix LaCloche when it comes to pushing the boundaries of creativity in brand experience.

I encourage everyone to go and find artists like this and look beyond their usual places for creative inspiration.

There are some incredibly cool things happening in niche corners of the internet.

And the bit that gets me… she spends her mornings cooking for the homeless in Paris.

Walking the neighbourhood dropping meals off to people who need them.

👏 💚

Spotify's new OOH is goosebumps and the ad break that ruins everything!

To promote their premium ad-free service the work uses extreme close-ups of human skin and goosebumps to show the physical effect music can have when listeners are fully immersed.

Pretty genius way to show the jolt of an ad break interrupting that deeply emotional moment.

Every single person who has ever listened to music on Spotify knows this feeling.

That fragile point where a song catches you completely only for the mood to be broken.

This is exactly the play. 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲.

It's actually a pretty heated topic right now.

Spotify has raised Premium prices three times in three years. 
There's been a lot of public backlash.

Nearly 60% of their 700m+ users are still on the free ad-supported tier.

That's a huge audience to convert.

And with prices going up they need to make the emotional case for why it's worth it.

So they made a campaign that makes you feel exactly what you're paying to protect.

This is an insanely good story 💚

Dan Simpson is 68 years old and has been delivering pizzas for Domino's in Idaho for 14 years.

On a busy Friday night he got an order for a pizza and a 2-litre Diet Coke.

His store was out of DC.
So he drove 100 yards out of his way and bought one himself.

Wilson's wife posted the Ring camera footage to TikTok with the caption "The world needs more Dans".

It quickly racked up 3m+ views.

Commenters told the Wilsons to start a GoFundMe. 
They did. It's now raised over $150,000 🔥🔥

𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸

𝗗𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘄𝗮𝘆.
𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲'𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴  ✌

Big love for this one from L’Oréal x Gillian Anderson 💚

“F**k off, they’re still worth it.”

It’s part of L’Oréal Paris’ Lessons of Worth series, where ambassadors talk about the moments that shaped their sense of worth.

“The greatest misconception is that a woman over fifty just shouldn't bother… People often ignore the wisdom and energy we've gained. In reality, this is the time when many women truly find their power and shine.” 🙌

As we know, a lot of International Women’s Day brand content can feel pretty formulaic.

This leans into a platform L’Oréal has owned for decades and pushes it culturally forward.

Gillian Anderson is also a certified legend.

From 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘟-𝘍𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘴 to 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯, 𝘚𝘦𝘹 𝘌𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, and 𝘚𝘤𝘰𝘰𝘱, her characters have inspired generations through portrayals of complex, empowered women.

Brava 👏👏

Nike ACG repurposed an Italian commuter train into a mobile basecamp for outdoor exploration. 𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗔𝗙 🔥

The four-day journey departed from Milan Central Station and travelled north into the Orobic Alps as part of Nike ACG’s reintroduction.

Passengers, including athletes like Jannik Sinner and Bebe Vio, were taken from the centre of Milan straight into the mountains, finishing at Pian dei Resinelli in the Orobic Alps.

𝗢𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹.

→ Curated trail runs and hiking sessions led by expert guides
→ Time spent directly in the terrain ACG designs for
→ A clear refocus on trail running, hiking and high-intensity exploration

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝘁𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹.

A customised orange “All Conditions Express”, designed as a fully immersive environment.

→ Dedicated carriages built around specific athlete needs
→ A showroom showcasing the latest footwear innovations
→ Specialised recovery zones integrated into the experience
→ A café cart inspired by classic alpine refuges
→ A dedicated gear laboratory facilitating workshops and discussions

A literal physical manifesto for the brand’s renewed commitment to the global trail community.

Nike ACG continues to push the boundaries of brand activations.

HP stuck 319 individual A4 sheets to a billboard in Clapham. Live!

Gotta love London's OOH 🔥

I’ll say it again… the real billboard is on the feeds.

This is exactly the kind of OOH that gets Londoners snapping and sharing.

All to prove one simple point about how long their Smart Tank printer ink lasts.

They also threw comedian Alexander Armstrong into the mix to front the "Rapid Response Print Squad."

A mobile unit driving around London helping commuters with everyday document emergencies.

Return labels. Visa forms… actually a pretty sick business idea 😅

Taste is the most valuable commodity in marketing. But you can't fu*king buy it.

You have to find someone who has it and trust them completely.

And that's genuinely terrifying for most brands, because taste means surrendering control.

It usually means letting somebody make a call you don't fully understand yet.
My best attempt at defining something almost impossible to define…

Taste isn't knowing what's good. It's knowing why something everybody else thinks is good is actually not.

It's that feeling when a campaign looks right but feels wrong.

When a brand is ticking every box and you still wouldn't follow them.
When something is technically perfect and yet completely forgettable.

Virgil Abloh said something I think about all the time.

"I'm only 3% different from what came before me, but that 3% is everything."
That 3% is taste.

AI can produce a million versions of anything faster than any human team.

The one thing it genuinely cannot do is feel the difference between something that's almost right and something that's undeniably right.

Most brands don't have anyone in the room who can actually tell the difference.

👀

Loewe is setting the benchmark for luxury brands on TikTok 🔥

2.4 million followers. Almost every video hitting a million+ views.

While most luxury brands manage one or two viral moments a month, Loewe is consistently hitting six or seven.

They've topped the Lyst Index as the world's hottest brand twice in the last year. And a big part of that is what they're doing on TikTok.

If you're chronically online and check out their TikTok you already know exactly what I mean.

The AI fruit videos. 
The "which bed would you sleep in" format. 
The "Nara Smith when her kids want a Loewe bag" content.

The mistake most luxury brands make is treating TikTok like IG.

Loewe understood from the jump that TikTok has its own culture, its own language and its own expectations.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸:

→ The brand is having fun. You can feel it. Zero corporate committee energy, just a team that clearly loves the internet and is trusted to run with it.

→ They work with niche creators and let them do their thing in their own format rather than handing them a rigid brief and expecting magic.

→ The craftsmanship content is next level. Watching the step by step process of a Loewe bag being made should feel serious but on TikTok they make it completely native to the platform.

→ The meme integration is on point. A viral tomato meme became a meticulously crafted leather tomato accessory.

They're fully participating in culture and earning the right to pull it back to the product.

The goal isn't selling directly on TikTok. It's building the kind of brand love that makes someone walk into a store six months later because they've been watching the content for weeks and already feel like they know the brand.

Top of funnel done properly.

Go and have a look if you haven't already 👀

This story never gets old.

Back in 2020 an 11 year old boy named Anthony Madu was filmed dancing barefoot in the rain on a concrete street in Lagos, Nigeria.

The video went viral.
Famous actors shared it.
Millions of people watched it.
And then something amazing happened.

The internet rallied.

And Anthony was offered a full scholarship to the American Ballet Theatre in New York.

This story is a few years old now but it came back across my feed this week and I had to share it.

Because every now and then we need a reminder that talent finds a way.

And sharing the right video at the right moment can genuinely change a life.

Every now and then the internet gets it completely right. 💚

THIS is fire from Picante 🔥 🛹

Picante linked up with pro downhill skateboarder Cole Trotta to announce their new tees dropping.

The whole thing is just him hill bombing at terrifying speed wearing the product.

Just a pro doing the thing he's the best in the world at, in their tee.

This is what happens when a clothing brand actually understands the culture.

Skateboarding has always been about doing it for the love of it.

The energy. 
The adrenaline. 
The homies filming each other.

Brands that try too hard to manufacture that vibe get clocked instantly.

The tee sells itself off the back of it.

So sick 👏

Shout out to man like Saam Zonoozi

Fashion creator Kalu Putik is KILLING it! 🔥 👀

Putik is based in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, and is going viral for his highly creative and bold fashion content.

All using locally sourced materials and everyday objects to create his looks.

No expensive tools. Just an insane eye for creativity and whatever he can find around him.

The internet is absolutely loving it and honestly, so am I.

Brands like Nike Sportswear are clocking this type of content and snapping up creators who have built an audience entirely on their own terms with their own aesthetic. 👀

Rooting for Putik 🙌 Find him on IG @𝗸𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀.

McDonald’s just dropped the first ever 𝗠𝗰𝗡𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗮𝗿 𝗞𝗶𝘁 for Valentine’s Day 😂

Jumping on the internet’s obsession with ‘high-low’ food combos.

Videos have been going viral of foodies across social media topping fast food with premium ingredients.

Created in partnership with Paramount Caviar, each Maccy’s kit includes a 1-ounce tin of Baerii sturgeon caviar, a $25 McDonald’s Arch Card, crème fraîche, and a mother-of-pearl spoon.

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗮𝗿. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴.

The kits are being offered entirely for free and distributed in limited quantities.

McDonald’s is leaning into drop culture, borrowing cues from streetwear and high fashion.

The kits are only available online forcing fans into a digital race likely to dominate social feeds in the run-up to Valentine’s Day.

The pairing points to a shift in how younger audiences perceive luxury.
Food status is getting looser. The old rules matter less.

… who wants one?

The Winter Olympics is now one of the biggest fashion moments in the world.

In true Italian fashion, the Milan Cortina 2026 Opening Ceremony put culture, music, and fashion front and centre.

What used to sit on the sidelines is now fully mainstage. 
𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗸𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 🔥

Ceremonial looks pulled national heritage through designers like 𝗥𝗮𝗹𝗽𝗵 𝗟𝗮𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗻, 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗼 𝗔𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗶, and 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗿, while brands like 𝗔𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘀 and (beloved OK COOL client) 𝗟𝘂𝗹𝘂𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻 focused on making kit look cool AF for ice and at altitude.

Luxury houses, heritage brands, and sportswear giants all competing in the same arena for attention.

The collision between fashion and sport is being driven by consumer demand for meaning, narrative, and cultural relevance.

This is functional performance and cultural storytelling at its best 💚

… favourite?

Vans out here reminding everyone who built skate culture first 🛹

About 60 years ago, a culture icon was born… the Vans Authentic 🔥

A shoe most people had at one point in their life, skaters or not.

The “Off the Wall” campaign celebrates 60 years of the Authentic and its influence across culture.

For the last few years, Vans has struggled to stay culturally central.
This campaign is basically a brand reset through cultural lineage.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁!

→ SZA – contemporary pop culture dominance
→ Travis Barker – pop-punk lineage
→ Hayley Williams – alternative rock credibility
→ Lizzie Armanto – core skate legitimacy
→ T-Funk – no bs street skate culture

𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲:

→ 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 → skaters
→ 𝗔𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 → rock/punk artists
→ 𝗠𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 → global pop stars

All three intersect around the brand.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲:

1966 origin story
↓
iconic product (Authentic)
↓
modern cultural figures

This is how legacy brands are rebuilding relevance.

We’ve seen similar plays from heritage brands like:

→ Levi's with archival storytelling
→ Adidas reviving Samba and Gazelle
→ Converse repositioning Chuck Taylor

𝗔𝗻𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗲-𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗳𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲?

Taco Bell are dropping Mountain Dew Baja Blast under-eye patches 🫨

The patches were revealed during Taco Bell’s Live Más Live product event.

In a game called “Made or Made Up?” celebrities like rapper Lil Jon had to guess which Taco Bell products were real… and which were fake.

When the Baja Blast patches appeared on screen, the camera cut to FINNEAS wearing them in the audience.

Very real.

No official launch date yet.
But the feeds have already clocked the move.

→ 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿-𝗲𝘆𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗮 𝗧𝗶𝗸𝗧𝗼𝗸 𝗶𝗰𝗼𝗻
This makes them a perfect memeable brand object.

→ 𝗚𝗲𝗻 𝗭 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗲
Brands have permission to jump lanes if the idea is fun enough.

→ 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴

Chipotle × Wonderskin “Lipotle” lipstick
McDonald’s × Nails.INC nail polish
Dunkin × e.l.f. cosmetics 'Dunkin Dozen' eyeshadow palettes

The categories blur… the internet leans in.

Got collab fatigue… or here for it?

I encourage EVERYONE to watch this today!

𝗘𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗚𝘂, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗹𝘆𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗰 𝗚𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗽 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻.

I don’t care if you’re a 22 yr old gold medal Olympian, or in your 60s still thinking about starting that business.

If the voice says, you’re not ready. You hesitate.
If it says, this is mine. You move.

When you’re building something that doesn’t exist yet or stepping into something that feels way out of your depth, the story in your head can make or break you.

𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽, 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁, 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗻𝗲.

The quality of your life is deeply tied to the quality of the narrative running in your head.

Your life moves in the direction of your dominant thoughts.
Make sure they’re working for you, not against you.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 💚✌️

What Arsenal's victory has taught me ab…… (I joke) 😈

I grew up in North West London and all my classmates were Arsenal. It would have been so much easier to defect, but that would be spineless.

But how this club has been showing up on and off the pitch is undeniable.

I regularly cover their marketing work, from the women's team to the NTS and Aries collabs.

And at OK COOL we've got some of the most tapped in sports fanatics in the business. People who live for sport and London culture.

So as you can imagine, we talk about it a lot.

Everything about the club has been on point this season.

The management, the football (men’s and women’s), the marketing. 🤌

I live near the stadium and last night North London was shut down until the very early hours of the morning.

The energy was on another level. THOUSANDS packed out the Emirates.

Right now North London is the centre of the world for football.

Who was there....?

💚 ✌

The story behind Nike ACG’s iguana collection is WILD!

Back in the 70s, scientists found remains of a Jamaican iguana that everyone thought was extinct.

Then in 1990, a few were rediscovered in the wild.

Which turned into a proper conservation effort to rebuild the population.

Part of that meant tracking them once they were released back into their natural habitat.

There wasn’t really any gear for attaching transmitters to animals shaped like that.

Somehow, Nike ACG got pulled into it.

In 1999, a small team ended up designing these tiny vests for the iguanas.

From a business standpoint it made no sense. Tiny endangered iguana “customer base”.

But they did it anyway 🔥🔥

Then the story basically disappeared.

Just lived in ACG folklore and the odd scientific mention.

Fast forward and CPFM bring it back through this collection.

Iguana bags, accessories, all of it.

This originally happened with no audience. Nike didn’t do it to be cool. Which is exactly why it’s COOL AF now.

💚 ✌

Best IG story I've seen this week 🔥

This is the true difference between being inspired by culture vs. creating culture.

Killer!

Credit @tedchildish

Hiking is exploding with Gen Z! The North Face is tapping straight into it.

They just dropped “𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮 𝗛𝗶𝗸𝗲” for next-gen adventurers.

The campaign promotes the SS26 Hike collection and aims to re-energise hiking for a new generation.

Gen Z is now the fastest growing demographic in outdoor activities, particularly hiking and trail running.

Hiking hashtags now have billions of views on TikTok.

57% say outdoor experiences are important for their mental health.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁:

→ For Gen Z hiking is less about endurance and survival.
→ And more about identity, expression, community and content.

At the same time, outdoor brands are behaving like culture brands.

Fashion is a huge driver.


The rise of 𝗴𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 has turned hiking gear into everyday style.

Gen Z are wearing technical outdoor pieces in cities and at festivals, not just on the trail.

Which is why campaigns like this frame hiking differently.

Not as endurance sport.
But as self-expression.


On-point.

The name comes from GORP, short for “Good Ol’ Raisins and Peanuts,” a nickname for trail mix.

Liquid Death ran an AI-generated Olympics ad. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁.

During the Winter Games on Peacock, viewers started seeing a strange spot from Liquid Death.

→ An AI-generated figure skater glides across the ice, urging people to avoid artificiality and choose Liquid Death sparkling water.

→ Then she crushes a soda can with her bare hands. The crowd, also AI-generated, stares on.

→ Finally, she morphs into a red-eyed demon and warns that AI like her will bring about the end of humanity.

𝗨𝗻𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱. 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱.

The ad wasn’t posted on Liquid Death’s social channels or mentioned in the media.

So when viewers went looking for it, they couldn’t find it.
A Reddit user started a thread in the “HelpMeFind” forum.
Others joined in.

Shaky phone recordings surfaced on TikTok, Instagram and X.
One post calling it “AI slop” racked up 4.5 million views.
People genuinely questioned whether the ad was real.

𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵, 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲, 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁.

Liquid Death thought it would be funny if people saw the ad but couldn’t find it online.

A calculated distribution strategy.

A brand known for extreme, polarising creative used the very thing people distrust to reinforce a message about artificial vs real ingredients.

Cool move 😏

BUT, I’ll be honest.

The anti-AI ads are starting to lose their bite…. Where do you lot stand?