The Relevancy Read

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

A Sampling

The best Super Bowl strategies.

February 14, 2023

Super Bowl-ad standouts tapped into niche internet fandom.

While most brands lacked original thinking, resting on celebrity names or puppies (low hanging fruit, Amazon), Dunkin Donuts and Molson Coors gave the people what they wanted—good, clean, clever advertising. Dunkin showcased Ben Affleck running a drive through, referencing viral paparazzi photos of the star looking disheveled grabbing his jolt of choice. The combination of a true superfan and an organic internet movement created pop-cultural gold. Runner up goes to Molson Coors for letting viewers in on the newly competitive beer ad-scape, partnering with DraftKings to facilitate betting on how the spot would play out. Jackpot: $500,000, cultural relevance: priceless.

Roses are red, violets are blue, this Valentine’s Day, gift a cockroach to the zoo.

Shoutout to all the not-so-basic Valentine’s Day moves. The San Antonio Zoo’s “Cry Me A Cockroach” fundraiser lets anyone symbolically name a cockroach after an ex, sending them a digital card with a message saying they were fed to an animal. Artist Lady Delaney updates the cookie-cutter floral arrangement with Flowergram, a bouquet of dried blooms tied to a custom antique-style telegram. An Anti V-Day campaign from queer sexual wellness brand Howl Worldwide reframes the narrative celebrating non-heteronormative relationships. Remember, love comes in all forms—next year think beyond conventional gifts. Xoxo!

Do not let them eat cake. The Era of Paywall Restaurants sends people to street food.

Pricy membership models and impossible reservations apps see restaurants reach peak elitism, leaving a bitter taste in foodies' mouths. Meanwhile, social media continues to make dining experiences more about #vibes than culture or taste. This, coupled with food-flation, creates opportunity for cheap, culture-rich eats. Enter Urban Hawker, the late Anthony Bourdain’s concept for a Singaporean street food emporium, where specialized dishes made by local chefs and vendors are served on cafeteria trays, starting at $1.80. All over New York, lines are stacking up around popular food stands like Brooklyn Curry Project. For the people, by the people is officially in season.

Ladies, pick up some weights! Strong is sexy and smart.

A #MidSizeModel movement on TikTok turns the body-positivity spotlight from plus sizes to standard sizes. Average in weight and height, model Jill Kortleve is the talk of the town, representing modern beauty and health standards. While inclusive beauty ideals are important, “medically healthy” becomes the focus as the obesity epidemic worsens, and scientists find further correlation between muscle strength and longevity. Pilates enthusiasts and hot-girl-walkers, brace yourselves, it's time to work on your bench press.

Lack of face-to-face interaction is eroding our basic social skills.

The Wall Street Journal found that stunted social interaction amongst college students, whether due to social media dependence or pandemic lockdowns, is taking a serious toll on mental health, driving Gen Z to become more isolated. Shmoody, a mental health-focused app, provides users with pre-written, scripted responses for hard-to-send or awkward texts. And just last week, New York Magazine asked, “Do you know how to behave?” polling a range of contributors on how to act in polite society, or just how to be “normal.”