The Relevancy Read

Hot takes, early calls and astute observations, carefully curated.

A Sampling

Pasta as creative direction.

April 04, 2023

The macaroni-to-mafia pipeline sticks to the ceiling.

An infatuation with all-things pasta suggests consumers are yearning for the indulgence and style of old-school Italian culture. In fashion, designer Rachel Antonoff’s pasta puffer became a winter sensation, while jewelry brand Panache’s Italian cuisine-inspired creations consistently sell out. The Standard Hotel has partnered with NYC design practice Jumbo on an exclusive line of “pool noodles,” announcing a pasta-themed installation at Art Basel Miami. Meanwhile, La Dolce Vita, Frank Sinatra’s favorite Italian American hideaway, re-opens this month, tapping into classic upscale service and red sauce-heavy dishes. Like clockwork, this week marks The Godfather's 50th anniversary, bringing the iconic franchise back into the zeitgeist. Crack open a bottle of white, a bottle of red, and consider how your business can deliver a taste of old-world Italy.

The relationship self-help genre goes from cringe to cool.

Casual sex is easier than ordering pizza, romance is dying, and loneliness is an epidemic. Desperate times call for the return of the relationship guru, made popular again by podcasts. Author, life coach, and former monk Jay Shetty resonates with young people, integrating topics of mindfulness and relationships on his podcast and in recent book, 8 Rules of Love. Known for critiquing hedonic-treadmill dating apps and romantic consumerism, Esther Perel has reached celebrity status through her podcast and card game, Where Should We Begin? Don't limit yourself to Valentine's day and get gushy with intimacy-inspiring assortments and initiatives.

Discovery isn’t dead.

In a sea of endless selections and sameness, consumers still want to discover things they haven’t seen before. Tired of sifting through the internet abyss, they're gravitating towards niche discovery initiatives that remove friction and clutter. Recently opening an NYC location, Pop Up Grocer has acquired a cult following shining a spotlight on new grocery brands and products through pointed curation. In LA, popular secondhand marketplace Depop turned various small businesses across the city into shoppable vintage edits, tapping local tastemakers to curate exclusive product only accessible through QR codes at the selected locations. Consider this your reminder that when it comes to discovery, small-bite activations attract.

Brands belong to consumers.

Dubbed “the world’s first open-source brand,” Nouns Deli is a fee-less franchise model that can be easily replicated worldwide with everything open-source (think: recipes, packaging designs, and brand assets that can be downloaded from a website). Operating under a Creative Commons Zero (cc0) license, everything belongs to the public domain. Each Nouns NFT owner is part of a DAO that votes on how the funds are used for a project, such as the Nouns Deli. Outdoor Voices founder Ty Haney enters Web3 with Try Your Best, a blockchain-based community management toolbox for Shopify, rewarding customers with tokens for actions like social media posting and referrals, which can be redeemed for special products or discounts. Confused? Set up a time to tap our Web3 whisperer.