long live the female founder
two new girlboss podcasts were announced yesterday
Happy Friday!
Today is a great day to be an as seen reader, even better if you’re a paid reader.
A source told me what to expect from Unwell’s newly announced podcast with Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni. It might be their most out-of-touch launch yet. I also wrote about why large engagement rings are no longer a status symbol, why I think LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault needs to work harder, bad news for Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine, more ways YouTube is taking on Hollywood, and a bunch of other stuff.
A couple hundred of you have filled out the Gen Z career survey I made with Kate. I’d like a couple hundred more. If you’re Gen Z and reading this, fill out this survey and let me know how you’re feeling about your life and career. Closes this weekended.
I have a thought. This week, Set Active started selling flawed products after a production error with their sizing. Along with the collection being heavily discounted, the brand also launched a “Bloopers” campaign to the tune of “we’re gonna own our oops!” It's smart. Fun too. A real pat-on-the-back moment. A friend of mine—not a brand person, but a big Set Active fan—shared the campaign with me. Our conversation brought to mind an idea I’ve been playing around with: what happens to marketing when your average consumer is also a marketer? Those of us who grew up on the internet have a heightened awareness of brand building—mostly because we’ve had to employ those tactics ourselves. So now, when I hear my friends talk about brand moments, it's always “how smart,” less often “how fun.” It’s like we’re looking at an ad, but instead of seeing the ad, we’re seeing the mechanics behind it. We know too much. That’s why I think the most successful brands are able to create a compelling “essence”— one that cannot be easily distilled into specific marketing moments. Like looking at a painting without being able to see each stroke. These days, I find myself wondering who’s actually enjoying these campaigns when we’re all busy dissecting them to death.
Boohoo, the parent company of PrettyLittleThing, has rebranded as Debenhams, the British department store chain it brought out of administration in 2021. PrettyLittleThing is also undergoing a rebrand—from BBL fashion on a budget to quiet luxury on a budget. On their website, former models, mostly women of color, have been replaced by thin white women with “clean-girl makeup.” I can’t take anything PLL does seriously, so this means nothing to me. I just think it's lazy to be so damn literal. Geez.
Victoria's Secret has ditched their DEI goals. Sorry, this is just funny.
