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Shaboozey’s "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" has dominated the Billboard Hot 100 for a record-breaking 13 weeks, marking it as the longest-running No. 1 single of the year and positioning the Virginia-born singer-rapper as a strong contender for a Grammy nomination. Meanwhile, Sabrina Carpenter is also making chart history with her trio of hits—"Espresso," "Taste," and "Please Please Please"—which have secured her six consecutive weeks with three simultaneous top 10 singles on the Hot 100, a feat that places her alongside icons like Drake and Cardi B.
Pharrell Williams' animated biopic “Piece by Piece” released its final trailer ahead of its release, offering a glimpse into the unique Lego-fied retelling of the artist's life. Featuring Lego versions of Williams’ collaborators, including Kendrick Lamar, Daft Punk, Gwen Stefani and more, the film blends music and animation to capture Williams' creative journey. The trailer showcases Williams’ reflection on life’s design and potential for change, with Rolling Stone noting the film as a bold mix of gimmick and genius.
By embracing playful, unexpected formats like this, brands can explore creating interactive brand experiences—think custom-designed Lego sets or immersive digital activations—that tap into nostalgia and creativity, while aligning with major cultural moments in film and entertainment.
The NBA on TNT American Express Road Show returns on Oct. 22 at Boston’s TD Garden to kick off the 2024-2025 season. Celebrating the Celtics' championship win, the event will feature performances by Shaboozey and Benson Boone alongside live coverage from TNT's Inside the NBA team. The event coincides with the NBA season opener featuring the Celtics vs. Knicks and Timberwolves vs. Lakers, both airing on TNT.
Ahead of “Wicked” hitting theaters on Nov. 22, fashion and beauty brands have continued to enter collaborations with merch, makeup collections and more. Home fragrances brand Voluspa released two new candle and diffuser scents - Glinda's Perfectly Pink Yuzu and Elphaba's Bewitching Banyan Forest. Ariana Grande, who is playing Glinda in the film, created limited edition Glinda and Elphaba specific makeup sets with her brand R.E.M. Beauty. Other collaborations include OPI’s nail polish collection, Forever 21’s jerseys, and Conair’s branded hair tools.
The rising popularity of film collaborations presents a great opportunity to enhance brand visibility and intentionally connect with new audiences in the entertainment and lifestyle space. We can explore creating special edition products tied to anticipated film releases, such as limited edition bottle art inspired by a film’s characters or themes or exclusive merch.
The Council of Fashion Designers of America has launched a Fashion Equity Fellowship with Google, designed to connect designers and their brands directly with Google‘s resources and support their upcoming February 2025 NYFW collections. The three participating brands are Area by Beckett Fogg and Piotrek Panszczyk, Collina Strada by Hillary Taymour, and Diotima by Rachel Scott. Each designer will receive a $50,000 grant toward their collection and show development, showcasing pieces they created with product inclusion and equity in mind.
Brands can expand upon their inclusivity efforts and elevate existing DEI programs by establishing similar fellowships/ programs for a lasting impact. This could be done by bringing awareness to underrepresented bars and distilleries, offering mentorship programs on various aspects of the spirits industry (marketing, event activations, product development), or sponsoring community events for underrepresented groups (e.g. continuing to sponsor Latin Music Week events, or creating our own events, similar to Kevin Hart’s Coramino Cup).
As a result of innovations in player safety, the NFL reported a record low of 44 concussions during the 2024 preseason (a 24% decrease from 2023). Key factors for this low concussion rate include rule changes, advanced helmet technology, and increased use of the Guardian Cap, which has resulted in a nearly 50% reduction in concussions in practice sessions where its use has been mandated compared to the pre-mandate average. This season’s Dynamic Kickoff rule contributed to a 32% decrease in injuries on kickoff returns, and lower-extremity strains fell by 27%. Additionally, almost 99% of players are now using top-performing helmets, ultimately moving the overall safety of players in a positive direction.
The NFLPA has raised concerns about media access in locker rooms, citing invasion of player privacy and discomfort. Despite efforts to move interviews outside of locker rooms, progress has been minimal, and the Professional Football Writers Association (PFWA) acknowledges ongoing discussions to balance media access with player comfort. Additional current players like Marlon Humphrey (Baltimore Ravens) have taken the matter into their own hands by individually refusing to participate in locker room interviews, while the NFL has remained largely silent apart from internal communications on the matter.
The National Hockey League (NHL) launched a new ad titled ”Gen Z” as part of its ”The Next Golden Era is Now” campaign, which premiered ahead of Tuesday’s 2024-25 season opener. The spot pokes fun at Gen Z stereotypes with NHL stars like Connor Bedard (Chicago Blackhawks), Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers) and Jack Hughes (New Jersey Devils) to playfully address the claims.
The NHL has locked in on Gen Z with its latest marketing efforts in a continuation of its significant investment in recent years across the demographic. Brands looking to attract specific audiences should consider adopting a similar strategy by focusing on targeted approaches based on existing data gaps.
The NWSL’s Angel City FC has been punished for breaching the salary cap, resulting in fines, point deductions, and administrative suspensions. The league’s investigation found that the club violated multiple rules, including entering into five “side letters” with players in 2023. These agreements provided excess benefits and compensation that were not reported to the league, causing the team to exceed the salary cap by approximately $50,000 over a four-week period. Team president and CEO Julie Uhrman and general manager Angela Hucles Mangano are suspended from “conducting duties relating to any player transactions” until January, while the club has been handed a $200,000 fine and a three-point deduction in the standings. The NWSL also said it will conduct annual investigations and audits of player spending across the league to prevent similar incidents.
This punishment presents an opportunity for brands to partner with or sponsor the NWSL with the intention of addressing what appears to be a flawed player wage structure and providing support for players and teams while pushing for the implementation of higher pay.
Retired track and field star and 11-time Olympic medalist Allyson Felix is launching a women-focused sports management firm called Always Alpha, with a mission to empower female athletes, broadcasters and coaches across all sports. Co-founded with her brother Wes and former Wasserman agent Cosette Chaput, Felix says the agency is dedicated to helping clients who are changemakers by growing their brands and amplifying their stories through their platforms. Felix, who retired from competition in 2022, has long advocated for women and even testified before Congress in 2019 to highlight racial disparities in maternal health.
Always Alpha provides brands with a unique opportunity to engage women in the sports space directly with impactful stories that foster purpose-led conversations and campaigns aimed at creating change and empowering underrepresented communities. Brands may benefit from identifying notable signees with compelling narratives that align with their vision and values.
Anne Hathaway confirmed in a TikTok video that there will be a “Princess Diaries 3”, captioning the video “Miracles happen ✨👑 Back to Genovia with @Disney Studios & @Somewhere Pictures. The fairy tale continues.” The third film will come more than 20 years after The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement was released. Plot details and Julie Andrews' involvement in the film are unknown at this time.
“Joker: Folie à Deux” made its box office debut on Friday, Oct. 4, bringing in $37.8 million in its first weekend of release. By comparison, the original “Joker” earned a record $96.2 million in its opening weekend. The film was initially estimated to bring in close to $70 million, but in recent weeks projections began to shrink, likely due to bad buzz and word-of-mouth, including a “D” grade on CinemaScore.
Airheads is introducing a limited-edition Halloween Cherry Scented Foot Spray, designed to mask bad foot odors with the sweet smell of cherry candy. This quirky product is part of the brand’s push to bring its signature candy flavors into unexpected spaces, adding a playful twist to Halloween traditions. Available for free on the Airheads website in limited quantities from Oct. 14–18, the spray offers a fun, albeit unusual, way to celebrate the spooky season.
A burning question many of us might have is — why feet, Airheads? Of all the places to slap a candy scent, why choose the least fresh part of the body? While quirky products can generate buzz, there should still be a meaningful link to the brand's identity. Airheads is playful, but for this Halloween push to truly resonate, the novelty needs a clearer connection to the fun and flavor the brand stands for, rather than feeling purely random.
Samuel Adams is celebrating Halloween with a limited-edition At-Home Séance Kit, designed for beer and ghost enthusiasts alike. The kit includes a Sam Adams portrait, a "How to Summon Sam" instruction card and pint glasses, allowing fans to conjure the spirit of their namesake while enjoying Octoberfest beer. Available now for $18.03 (the year Adams died), the kit blends spooky fun with humor, inviting drinkers to experience the Halloween season with a twist.
Kamala Harris was interviewed on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast this week, where she discussed women’s issues in this election, including reproductive rights. The podcast hosted by Alex Cooper has millions of listeners with its primary audience being Gen Z and millennial women and often covers sex, relationships and celebrity interviews. While the interview has garnered backlash for bringing politics into a space that typically appeals to a more casual audience, Alex Cooper published a video stating she felt her podcast is a platform to discuss women’s issues. Cooper also stated she had also extended an invitation to Donald Trump to join as a guest. Political analysts have commented that the interview is an example of candidates seeking out unconventional spaces to reach voters.
Elon Musk made his first appearance at a Donald Trump rally on Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania. Musk made many comments in support of Trump, calling him the only candidate “to preserve democracy in America.” The appearance was evidence of the growing alliance between the two in the final stretch of the presidential election. Musk created a political action committee supporting Trump that has been spending heavily on get-out-to-vote efforts, and Trump said he would tap Musk to lead a government efficiency commission if elected.