Over the last decade, since blogs and music websites ruled the discourse we’ve seen a decline in relevance of mastheads like The Fader, Pitchfork & Pigeons and Planes. Not to diminish the quality of their brands or editorial teams, simply their king maker status became less relevant as social media and personalisation of feeds became the norm. The rise in popularity of TikTok around 2020, its powerful algorithm and ability to place specific content with specific audiences has seen an uprise in creators doubling down on their niches, attracting engaged and passionate crowds of people. Increasingly, the niche is being rewarded. People are inadvertently seeking out depth in knowledge and as they ride the algorithmic wave of feel good, frictionless scrolling want to feel either smarter or joyous.

The likes of Derrick Gee, Marg.mp3, Verbatim Intern and Tia Ho have prevailed as dedicated, well informed and highly valued voices in the modern music scene. Their wealth of knowledge, prolific output and charisma has allowed them to foster large and dedicated audiences. Amongst these figures is Hayden Quinn (@null_electronics). I’ve known Hayden for many years, first through his electronic music alias Null. Null was a ‘faceless’ artist, leaning solely on the quality of the music and creative direction of the project (the music holds up strongly - check it here). In 2025 I saw Hayden begin posting face-to-camera videos that broke down niche moments in music history. It was nuanced, informative and engaging. Hayden’s knowledge was on display as he pulled back the curtain on musical theory and history that I wasn’t across.

Hayden’s grown his audience substantially, experimented with content, launched a podcast and reached millions of people. I wanted to know what’s he’s learnt, his approach and vision as a modern music critic. Enjoy the interview!

How would you describe your videos to someone new?

I talk about the music that means things to me and try to find the interesting stories behind them—especially stuff I can approach with a cynical point of view. I like to explore the marketing angles behind bigger cultural moments and the weird industry fuck-ups. I’m trying to highlight music that completely fell flat or that people think absolutely sucks, and convince them they’ve got it wrong. There’s a lot of merit in commercial flops.

How have your past experiences fed into your creative output?

Over the past 15 years of trying to make music and a music career, I’ve become incredibly disillusioned and bitter about how the music industry operates. There’s a freedom now that I’ve thrown the idea of “making it” out the window—I can be completely transparent about how I feel. That’s a big part of what I want to talk about. I’m inspired by people like John Safran, The Chaser and Shaun Micallef who do this kind of critical, investigative work.

How do you conceptualise and put together a video?

A lot of what I talk about is stuff I’ve wanted to discuss with friends, but I either get cut off or they’re not interested. Much of the music I recommend is stuff my friends have made fun of me for listening to. So it’s an outlet. I’ve never had anyone listen before, and now I have hundreds of thousands of people who want to hear about it. It’s stuff that’s been building up over years of being a huge music fan—thoughts I’ve always wanted to communicate but never could.

What are you trying to distill and express in your videos?

The main thing is that music is incredibly subjective. How people listen to it, enjoy it, and what they take away can all be different, even from the same piece of music. I’m also trying to distill the idea that all the marketing and bullshit around music—the manufactured essence of cool designed to sell records—is just as conceited and stupid as it was in the seventies, eighties, and nineties. It’s commercialization of art that listeners pretend to rally against while being sold to unknowingly. The artifice of cool and liking the right things is all so moronic. Whether it’s the Red Hot Chili Peppers or some exclusive unknown New York sound artist, it’s all just as valid. We should stop hanging our personalities on what we know and don’t know, and what we do and don’t enjoy in music.

What are you observing of your audience?

Some people don’t like me because I come across as bitter and cranky. I also think people sometimes miss that I’m extrapolating from reality and hypothesizing about how certain moments in music history operated. They don’t always understand that I’m exaggerating stories to make them entertaining, and sometimes saying things I don’t actually believe just to get a laugh. With talking-head videos, people forget it’s an extrapolation of television and entertainment. It’s not meant to be taken at face value—it’s a hyperbolized piece of entertainment designed to engage people. I’m taking artistic license to be entertaining and make myself chuckle, hopefully making others do the same.

What do you find works and doesn’t work with the platforms you post on?

Instagram and TikTok are basically opposite beasts. On Instagram, when I do vox pops, go to events, and do location-based interviews, that performs better because it feels local and gets distributed to people at those events. The long-form, heavily researched seven-to-fifteen-minute videos don’t do as well on Instagram because it pushes you to keep things under three minutes. On TikTok, the longer and more detailed the video, the better it performs algorithmically. But all the location-based interview stuff completely flops on TikTok because the algorithm is worldwide and can’t find people invested in local events.

Which creators, video makers, authors, artists, figures inspire your style?

I don’t really have any new content creators I get inspiration from. Most of it annoys and frustrates me—it all makes me cringe. That was actually a big hurdle to finding success myself because it’s hard to do something when all the examples make you cringe. What I’m trying to emulate is something more like what John Safran did in a TV show format, tweaked to fit social media. I’m aiming for documentary-style storytelling rather than useless content making.

Music i’m enjoying right here

My own thoughts:

I recently wrote about the Grammy Awards 2026, you can read it here → Grammys 2026: My thoughts and feelings

The last couple weeks, the Australian Open has taken over Melbourne. Tbh, it hasn’t been the most compelling year for the Open (Edit: I wrote this BEFORE the Semi-Finals and Final, things got dramatically more interest). As the top seeds have dominated and no. of 5 set/3 set matches has dropped considerably since last year. Interesting parallel to the condensed Ashes Test Series in the cricket. Sport is getting faster and faster on it’s own accord, no need for reduced minutes, it’s self imposed.

The chaos of the ICE raids and murders in Minneapolis have been tragic and scary to watch unfold. Every time I see a video from the scene I feel a sinking feeling in my stomach. It’s particularly telling how little pressure governments outside of the USA (such as Australia) are applying to Trump about this. To watch a government attack it’s own people is unbelievable to watch, and something I hope never to encounter.

I’ve been reading Dirtbag Billionaire: How Yvon Chouinard Built Patagonia, Made a Fortune, and Gave It All Away. I am enjoying it, it’s fairly journalistic and interesting to see the tension of running a global apparel company whilst also claiming to love and care for the environment. Oh and have been loving the first few episodes of Industry, Season 4, worth watching if you haven’t seen it.

I was walking in the park this week on a warm Summer’s day and I saw a guy collecting 3 pizzas from an Uber Eats delivery driver. I’ve never seen Uber Eats delivered to a park. Maybe I’m not hanging in parks enough but this stuck with me.

“Ai slop is the junk mail of social media” - Me

—

Trends to keep track of this month:

I went to see Nettspend at Festival Hall. I filmed a couple of videos here. I noticed alot of the crowd (between 15-20 yrs old predominately) filming in landscape. I’ve seen a rise in non-vertical uploads on TikTok recently. An attempt at nostalgia perhaps but a reminder that being ‘perfectly optimised’ on social media is not necessary. It’s an ever changing landscape.

Choppelganger - “basically saying you're the ugly version of another person.”

Quotes by others:

“Politics is downstream from culture, we are driven by our underlying value preferences, and culture is how we interpret our value systems” Jason Falinski

“As fans of music, especially with the way algorithms work, we just make this first impression then we hold onto it like it’s so precious to us or we reject like it’s never going to mean anything to us. It’s so extreme one way or the other” - Zane Lowe whilst interviewing Fcukers

“Wilful perversity is rewarded (in advertising)” - Rory Sutherland

“East London Boy descending into existential crisis as he realises his entire personality is constructed around a set of cultural and consumer touchpoints he feels no real connection to.” Al Nash via Eugene Healey

Justin Bieber Live Streaming Debate [via Colin & Samir]

Justin Bieber has been live-streaming (influenced by Kai Cenat) himself hanging out, jamming, skating etc. The internet (and his team) clip the 8 hour content blocks and disperse these online. I personally think this is a smart way and low-cost way for JB to connect with his fans without having to leave his house and go on a tour. It’s a sustainable way to produce a lot of content without burning out. Obviously his built-in fame is important for this to work.

@colinandsamirJustin Bieber live streams his life on Twitch: In or out?

Tiktok failed to load.

Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser

FKA twigs x Gentle Monster

Amazing creative direction.

Industry Myha’la Promo

Incredible promo run for the HBO show Industry. I really appreciate with actors promote their project in new and exciting ways (eg. Marty Supreme). Myha’la (star of Industry) is native to TikTok so she gets it. The cast also made collab with the ‘Man In Finance’ girl.

@no_notes_moviesOn Wall Street with INDUSTRY’s Harper Stern herself — the one and only @mmyhalaa With S4 premiering tonight on @HBO we posed insane scenarios from INDUSTRY to New Yorkers and asked them what THEY would do 🗽🤑 #industry #myhala #tv #wallstreet #nyc @HBO Max

Tiktok failed to load.

Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser

Terrence O’Connor (Charli xcx Creative Director for BRAT) rare interview [via The Cutting Room Floor)

Demystifying (as best as he can) the role of a Creative Director lol

Lexa Gates promotes her album by walking on a treadmill for 10 hours

Love this concept, it feels artistic, meaningful, modern and captivating for social.

Hipster font-core brand Graza is launching a line of mayonnaise.

Keen to try this and also Molly Baz’s mayonnaise brand Ayoh!

Chaos Gardening is a trend where people spread native plant seeds in desolate and soil-ridden areas in cities. Applying seeds to the ground like parmesan is also funny.

@sfinbloomReplying to @Gohst Gospel Music 🇿🇦 how-to: chaos gardening

Tiktok failed to load.

Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser

This Australian chef Toby Wilson is cooking meals from weird and whacky cook books

Below a Peanut Butter and Bacon Hot Dog from Fatty Vautin’s ‘Big BBQ Book’. This is a memorable and unique series. Makes me wonder how many whack cook books and receipes exist in the world.

@tobywilsoRating Fatty’s Sausages Ep1: Peanut butter and bacon. I’ll be testing every sausage recipe in fattys big bbq book over the next couple weeks so stay tuned for snags galore #nrl #fattyvautin #sausages

Tiktok failed to load.

Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser

Pigeons & Planes website returned designed by Portland’s FISK Studios

The written word is so back. I enjoyed reading P&P’s return article and explanation into relaunching their website 7 years after taking it down. “In 2019, we made the tough decision to shutter the Pigeons & Planes website. It was the wrong decision”

Jannik Sinner x Heinz (Unofficial)

Fun and could see this campaign actually happening. Heinz should jump on it.

Lier Archives “Turning Random Objects into a Design” series

Really engaging, and great way to show off his design abilities on TikTok

@lierarchivesDay 6 of turning a random object into a design!🥝 We was a little late today sorry yall. LIKE FOR MORE☀️ @Photoshop #streetwear #designer #graphicdesign #fashion #photoshop

Tiktok failed to load.

Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser

2016 music sounds so 2016 Charlie Puth

Another banger video from Charlie Puth

@charlieputhProfessor Puth Ep. 2016

Tiktok failed to load.

Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser

Another banger take from Eugene Healey - The ‘analog’ narrative we keep hearing about is an inaccessible fantasy. Let’s be honest with ourselves.

@eugbrandstratThe analog lifestyle is an inaccessible fantasy. Today: examining the reality behind our offline aspirations - how the personal brand turned logging off into a luxury, and why we can't use social media as a scapegoat.

Tiktok failed to load.

Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser

Learn about the solar panel roof they’ve installed on the new Sydney Fish Market

@yeanswersThey said solar panels would ruin the award-winning design. Matt Hartney from Inspire Energy in the Macarthur region shows how they integrated a powerful solar system so seamlessly into the Sydney Fish Market's roof, you can't even tell it's there. Could this be the future of building design? #SolarDesign #SustainableArchitecture #solarsystem

Tiktok failed to load.

Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser

Burgers, beer and Beyonce’s designer: Inside the Australian Open’s transformation - Festivalisation of Aus Open

I really enjoy watching the Grammy’s every year. Many people love to hate, but I enjoy awards ceremonies. As society gets faster and faster, having these moments to stop and reflect on the past year of popular music feel helpful and entertaining. I love the surrounding fashion and social media moments, behind the scenes nuggets, hot takes, discussions and political statements. The 2026 Grammys felt the most complete in a long time. In 2025, the Awards were postponed and effected by the LA Wildfires. Unfortunately in 2026 the Grammys coincided with another American disaster. The Trump ICE raids and attacks of migrants and USA citizens, which has been a genuinely harrowing and terrifying thing to watch unfold.

Coming into the 2026 Grammys, I assumed FUCK ICE would be a fairly popular sentiment amongst most of the crowd. It felt like the moment for the music community to unify and stand up against these racist attacks on America’s people. The parallel narrative of an Hispanic artist, Bad Bunny, being the favourite to win Album of the Year, a week before his Super Bowl Performance added weight to the moment. The dichotomy of mass popularisation of Spanish music in the United States with a hostile force of US Government fascists trying to ‘cleanse’ the country was sure to come to ahead at the Awards. That, was the subtext of the Grammy’s 2026.

These were my highlights and takeaways from the Awards:

Bad Bunny:

His reaction to winning Album of the Year was that of stillness, inward reflection and silence. This felt very symbolic. A moment of silence for all migrants that have been harassed, hurt or killed. When he eventually collected the award, he delivered his speech almost entirely in Spanish. I assume, this had never happened before. Speaking directly to Spanish speaking people felt powerful. A direct message. A not-so-subtle gesture that his win and his voice was those who speak Spanish. As mentioned, this sets the table for this Super Bowl Performance next week.

The power of Black music:

Usually the medley, in memorium moments at awards shows are earnest to the point of taking focus away from the performance being remotely entertaining. The sprawling D’angelo tribute led by Lauryn Hill was the opposite, and an example of the greatness of Black music in America. The interview with Kendrick at the bringing of the ceremony with Trevor Noah, to the closing performance of Clipse and Pharrell demonstrated how talented, layered and important Black music is to the culture of music and art. Black music’s legacy, stories and the musicality was really on show at this year’s awards.

Justin Bieber:

Justin Bieber’s performance, stripped down to his boxers, a guitar and an MPC was incredible and I highly recommend watching it. His album 2025 SWAG was a turning point in JB’s career, a coming of age and return to form after a tumultuous career. The Dijon and Mk.gee tinged music from SWAG was on show when he performed YUKON. It was raw, emotional and passionate. Frankly, it was straight up hot. As put by Joe Coscarelli from NYTimes Popcast, there was a sense of relief, when he pulled off such a vulnerable performance. And Hailey Bieber little clap at the end, was a subtle fuck you to all the haters. It sets up his 2026 ahead of his headline slot at Coachella in April.

Other honourable mentions:

• Billie Eilish stood on business, acknoledging the stolen land of America followed by “FUCK ICE” during her speech.

• The Best New Artists Medley performance wasn’t perfect, but I loved seeing it and I hope it continues every year.

Thanks for reading!

Music i’m enjoying right here

My own thoughts:

“Do the hard thing early” I don’t know where or why I had this thought but it feels pertinent.

—

I predict that TikTok will offer users a paid, ad-free tier in 2026. Why? This builds upon the notion that TikTok has become the new TV for many people. A randomised, non stop scroll of new content. Turn your phone sideways and it’s a mini TV. Turn your TV upwards and it’s a giant phone.

—

The Australian social media ban for U16s has come into effect in Dec 2025. I appreciate the potential upsides of decreasing youth activity on social media. But there doesn’t appear to be any consideration for the artists and creatives who use these platforms to build audiences and consume content. It reminds me of the ridiculous 2014 Sydney Lock Out Laws in Sydney brought into reduce alcohol-fuelled street violence. These laws were a disaster, ruining the nightlife and creativity of the city which is still being felt over a decade later. It was complete mistake by the government at the time.

—

Dreaming vs reality - I find it more useful to just forget about the future, the lack of potential and focus on right now only. Then other times I dare to dream. To aspire, to plan. To be creative in the context of what I can do and what I want to achieve. This is a constant pendulum.

—

Trends to keep track of this month:

Friction-maxxing

Corporate slop bowls

Quotes by others:

“Money doesn’t buy happiness. It buys the absence of certain pains.” Erin Lowry

“Its unwise to over-learn any lesson” - Maya Handa (Zohran Momdani Campaign Manager)

“Emotions are timeless” Josh Safdie

“Twitch live-streaming is just talk back radio” Chris Black

“New Social requires brands to think of certain features within an app for awareness and think of other features within an app for community. If your feed is your front door, then your DMs are your dinner table. How do you make content that invites someone in?” Rachel Karten via her Substack

The Clubbing Bubble via @arnii.wav

Loved this breakdown of how club culture and the underground will always exist as a necessity and rebellion. Also the macro economic shifts that will impact creative industries and workers.

Julia Fox x David Protein Bars

Well executed, perfectly cast and genuinely engaging

Interview with Patreon Founder Jack Conte and @crazybr0keasian

In regards to ‘cracking’ the IG and TT algorithm, he said:
“The more personal the feeling, the more universal it is”

NYC Photographer and author Jared Thomas Tapy. Brilliant video, really interesting take. Here’s a couple takeaway quotes:

• "Artists don’t market their lifestyle, they market their perspective.

• “People don’t need your morning routine, they need the way you think”

Why Are So Many Actors Creating Alter Egos?

Really, this is an excuse for me to talk about Mr Fantasy. I think it’s fascinating how this character is being played in front of all of us. It reminds me of the conversation around AI influencers. Technically, Mr Fantasy is an artificial influencer (played by a real life actor). He’s getting brand deals, growing his socials and having more fun than any ‘regular’ person can.

Charlie Puth ‘Producing’ a stranger’s song from TikTok

Basically, Charlie found this incredible raw demo by an artist (Kenny Whitmire) on TT, then properly produced it for him so it’s studio-ready. An incredible insight into how people can find success on TikTok and how bigger artists can ‘give back’ in meaningful ways. Worth a watch.

@charlieputhI am blown away by people’s talents @Kenny Whitmire

Tiktok failed to load.

Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser

Harry Styles and Jacob Elordi are wearing the same loafers

They’re by The Row (Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s brand)

Vic Mensa political commentary from the backyard (featuring orange trees)

For many years, I thought Vic Mensa was corny. But seeing these videos, the procuction quality, the insights, the humor I’m very impressed. He’s speaking truth to power in a crazy time. These videos and his voice feel very necessary right now.

put together a list of Knowledge Influencers that you need to follow on TikTok and LinkedIn.

“If you want your feed to make you feel smarter instead of slightly concussed, here’s who you should actually be following.”

If Seinfeld was filmed today series by @alexfsands.

@alexfsandsIf #seinfeld was filmed today pt. 47 w/ @Maria Frankis - the gang talks feet and concurring #modernseinfeld #fyp #comedy #sitcom

Tiktok failed to load.

Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser

The Secret Behind Zohran Mamdani’s Viral Videos

These guys are at the top of their game. Really insightful, in the weeks stuff on one of the most effective social campaigns of the year.

Spotify Wrapped: ‘Your 2025 Artists’ Top Artists’

Geese mentioned. Dijon mentioned. Oklou mentioned.

breaks down how brands should be marketing like K-pop groups

Fred again.. and Ezra Collective’s Femi Koleoso in-depth chat with a group of young musicians in collaboration with Instagram

They talk vulnerability, nurturing your resilience, and the never-ending pursuit of making.

Foley Artist Sanaa Kelley Creates Iconic Footstep Sounds for HBO’s I Love LA

I do wonder if this role will be replaced with AI eventually. I hope not, cos this is really cool to see.

@Outbacktom posted this mini-movie. No ad, no hashtags. I love how it’s shot, and it’s a fun use of social media as a means of expression

Addison – Addison Rae

Black Star – Amaarae

Baby – Dijon

Choke Enough - Oklou

It Starts Again – Dylan Atlantis

Lifetime – Erika De Casier

Fancy That – Pinkpantheress

SISTER – Frost Children

Getting Killed – Geese

Black British Music – Jim Lxgacy

New World Disorder - meat computer

Wide Awake – Mechatok

I Love My Computer – Ninajirachi

Music – Playboi Carti

T2 – Palmistry

Revengeseekerz – Jane Remover

Cutting the Stone – Safe Mind

Fuck U Skrillex You Think Ur Andy Warhol but Ur Not!! <3 – Skrillex

Star – 2hollis

GODSPEED – These New South Whales

Never Enough – Turnstile

Riviera – The Hellp

It’s A Beautiful Place – Water From Your Eyes

My own thoughts:

Publications like Channel 5 and American Style are asking people simple questions and letting them unravel their raw yet complicated opinions. They are putting a mirror up to society as it’s morphing, without judging. Instead guiding, framing and nudging the information out of people. There’s a restraint and reduction of ego required but it fruits the best insights. The truth is not linear, it’s not always pretty but it’s the way forward and unlocks what’s coming next. In a society of yelling, and telling, listening is the answer to true understanding and clarity.

—

I had a thought watching this Rosalia interview - that artists, musicians and creatives are the ultimate creative directors. They are disciplined, determined, relevant and in touch with the zeitgeist. They understand not just what is happening now, but what is to come, how people behave and how trends form. It might not always be conscious to them, but they are in tune with the human condition like no other. Next time you need a cinematographer, a mood-boardist, a stylist - talk to an artist you know and respect, they will have the answers.

Quotes by others:

“The cultural and societal circumstance of post 9-11 New York, that birthed those early 2000s bands (The Strokes) mirrors the societal circumstance of New York, post-pandemic (Geese etc)” Tia Ho via TikTok

“Stanley Kubrick described his job of director as being a ‘kind of idea and taste machine. To make right decisions as often as possible’” via ‘Liberation Through Hearing’ book by Richard Russell

“Phone is cigarette for eyes” Anon in TikTok comments

“My favourite artists don’t give you what you want, they give you what you need” - Rosalia via NYTimes Interview

Holy Carp

I think this is quite genius. Such a simple and elegant solution to the small plastic fishes we are used to.

@heliografIntroducing Holy Carp! 🐟 The world’s first plastic-free, home compostable soy fish dropper. Made from natural plant pulp, it breaks down and disappears in just a few weeks. No microplastics, no ocean pollution. From the moment we launched Light Soy, we knew awareness alone wasn’t enough. Cleaning up 32+ tonnes of plastic was only part of the mission. We needed a real solution for everyday sushi lovers, and in collaboration with @vertdesignstudio we’ve done it! Holy Carp! is for those moments when reuse isn’t possible. It lets you enjoy your soy without using plastic that never goes away. Drop your soy, then it disappears. Help us spread the word that every drop matters, share this with your local sushi spot, friends, and family, and let’s make change together 🌏💧#sustainability #sushi

Tiktok failed to load.

Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser

Pigeons but shoot it like a hardcore show

Sometimes you see something like this, that feels like it’s been sitting in plain sight but you’ve never thought about it. I’m buying the coffee table book once if it ever drops.

ZEP - Promo Vids

An artist I like, nate sib signed to a publishing company recently and I saw this guy ZEP also on the company’s IG feed. Went down the rabbit hole and discovered his incredible promo videos for his songs. They are part-music video, part-performance video. They make me intrigued and excited to listen to him and follow his journey. Good inspo for the aspiring musicians out there thinking about what content to create. Spending creative energy on videos like this is how to cut through the algorithm and get people’s attention.

Speaking of incredible artists videos. This is how you do it. I love how Eli Dayo does this format, repeatedly. These videos engaging, shareable, showing off her talent and aesthetic all in one.

@eli.dayoReplying to @Black Kate Moss sure thang miss moss x #imnopro #addisonrae #dietpepsi #femaleguitarplayer #girlsplayingguitar

Tiktok failed to load.

Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser

Blood Orange x AIAIAI Headphones Collaboration

I now own these headphones. Surprised they haven’t sold out tbh. Love the design, probably wont listen to them but love them as a collectable.

Jols Rebrand

I’ve been on the Jols wave for a couple years and they recently rebranded their packaging to appeal to Gen Z. Turning a grandma product into something for everyone is smart and I think they’ve done a good job here. If you’re trying to kick a vape habit, which I did a while ago Jols are very helpful as a supplement

Nara Smith x Algae Cooking Club Garlic Oil Collab

I’m a sucker for these types of collabs. I’m intrigued to buy this and as I’ve never tried algae oil before. I love the creative direction of the Nara collab, the shoot, the graphics, the bottle. Also, algae seems like a magical product similar to coconuts.. makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

ADIP X Gap

ADIP makes elite cooking videos. They look incredible, the recipes look amazing as well. This collab with GAP was extremely well done. The narrative, the visuals, the food p*rn. Loved it.

Gabbriette x Devon Lee Adidas Campaign

Getting these 2 alone will sell these shoes out. Such a great campaign video, creative direction. Couldn’t have nailed the brief harder. Expect all the girlies to be wearing these shoes in the coming weeks.

Shygirl ALIAS 5th Anniversary Skin Box

“Using the new lube to open your box” - This just popped up on my feed. It looks weird as fuck, but I love it. Anything emulating skin texture or hair is creepy but very intiguing at the same time.

Erykah Badu x Erewhon Smoothie Collab

This is a perfect alignment tbh. Out of all the Erewhon smoothie collabs, these feels extremely on-point. I would love to try this smoothie.

Listening to right wing pods for a week straight and this is what I’ve learned.

Respect to his woman for doing this. Anytime someone takes it upon themselves to investigate an issue in a weird and new way I am very intrigued. Going back to my point above, listening to what people are saying is the ultimate guiding light. Even if it’s unpleasant or goes against what you think, understanding through listening allows for strength and confidence.

@americanmenaceI feel like a spy lol let me know if you guys want me to make this a series #politics #conservatives #progressive #candaceowens #tuckercarlson

Tiktok failed to load.

Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser

“I think a 42-year-old and a 15-year-old could have the same humor and style,” he expressed, going on to explain how “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” was a huge hit to him as a teen, but there was a distinction in taste compared to older rap fans. “Now it’s like, people be on Twitter, 25 years’ age difference, talking about the same thing.”⁠ - Tyler, The Creator via NYTimes Magazine

Timothee Chalamet live stream promoting his new movie Marty Supreme directed by Josh Safdie

Timmy’s second experimental live stream, this time promoting Marty Supreme. Amazing performance art, bizarre, weird and artistic. Timothee understands how to generate real buzz and hype rather than just telling people to “WATCH THIS MOVIE”.

Burberry Fish and Chip Shop featuring Olivia Colman and Nara Smith’s husband Lucky-Blue Smith.

Extremely British, great storytelling and acting. Continuing Burberry’s recent quintessential British series.

Ben Stiller launched a soft drink company, called… Stiller’s!

Incredible branding (by Barrel NY), website and launch video.

Amelia Dimoldenberg (Chicken Shop Date) launched a production company called Dimz Inc. and a new content series with F1 ‘Passenger Princess’

Erewhon are now selling their famous $25USD smoothies as smoothie kits, shipping USA-wide

@eatfrozenfruitTrying the @Erewhon Hailey Bieber Smoothie Box! #foodreview #erewhon #fyp

Tiktok failed to load.

Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser

Elliot Grainge, CEO of Atlantic Records discusses the modern music industry with Billboard. He is the son of Sir Lucian Grainge (CEO of Universal Music Group)

Insightful conversation about the modern music industry. AI, rights-holders, growing artists and more is disucssed. Worth the listen.

Bret Easton Ellis x Stone Island

No notes, just very cool

Oatly released their “REPORT ON THE FUTURE OF TASTE”

Interesting to understand drink trends aroudn the world, what’s happening now and what’s to come…

“Predicting what’s next in beverage culture. Flavours, numbers, trends (and guesses).”

Alison Roman interview with Semifor

Loved learning about Alison’s career and life updates, her thoughts on AI and themes around her new book.

This woman surveyed 1000 ‘straight men’ via Tinder DM’s asking “What is your most controversial opinion?”

I love the idea of trend reports via platforms like Tinder DMs lol some wild stats here…

@an9eleThere was no way I would collect all this data and NOT make a couple of charts with it… #tinder #lesbian #lgbtqia #datingapp

Tiktok failed to load.

Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser

Funny Librarian x Crashout TikTok

@cityofmarionlibrariesThis is your sign to come in and join the library! 📚 And if you’re already a library member, thank you, and this is just a video for you to enjoy. 🥰 Happy Monday! #marionlibraries #librariesoftiktok #booktok #librariansoftiktok

Tiktok failed to load.

Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser

Festival Running Interview TikTok

@itsawesomejoeyWhen we were Young 2025 barricade run!!! That was SO FUN! Love the energy here! A lot of Panic! At the disco fans are here! #whenwewereyoung #wwwy #panicatthedisco #musicfestival #brendonurie

Tiktok failed to load.

Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser

Cameron Winter covered Bruce Springsteen for an Xbox Commercial

@highregardmagazineGonna need this on streaming asap #cameronwinter #geeseband #geese #musicnews #brucespringsteen

Tiktok failed to load.

Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser

Pitch Music and Arts Festival launched with a new direction and video

Saw this Nike poster. I love the tagline ‘Only One Way. To Find Out’. Invariably, the answer? ‘Just Do It’

I thought this was interesting…

“Always start with the product… building relevancy… if it becomes relevant it can become cool“ - Gene Pressman on How Long Gone

Amelia Dimoldenberg (Chicken Shop Date) in conversation with Kareem Rahma (Subway Takes)

Really interesting and relaxed chat between these two. Great insight into creating digital content, interviewing, psychology behind it all etc..

Interview with The Hellp

“Really good music is being made right now, it’s just that culture is moving so fast its not really grabbing hold.. make things special again” - Noah Dillon (The Hell)

‘It’s A Tricky One’: Adam Ferrier & Tom Wenborn Explain Thinkerbell’s New Made Promptly AI Thing (Sort Of)

Seeing an agency embrace AI in a practical and meaningful way to create interesting creative. Seems to be a tool and mentality to assist creatives rather than replace them altogether. The name Made Promptly is also good.

“It’s mainly to signal to us internally that we have the capabilities where we’re happy to evolve with it but also externally to the industry and clients that we’re not shying away from whatever this is going to become.”

Mamamia shifts brand strategy as new content launched

Mamamia are focussing on their sub-brands under the Mamamia umbrella. Feels somewhat risky to abandon the work they’ve done in building the MM brand but in reality content silos are increasingly more effective than one monolithic brand.

“When I talk about these brands, they’re not one dimensional. They’ve got website activity, they’ve got social handles, they’ve got newsletters. They are a full ecosystem in themselves … you could almost call them mini publishers in themselves, even in terms of how we’ve structured the teams here.”

TikTok is the New TV

I saw the wellness brand Matrix partner with Emily Mariko (12.6M followers). Interestingly, they spliced a VHS style ‘advertisement’ in the middle of her TikTok tagged a ‘glitch in the Matrix’. This was an interesting way to partner with a creator without having to interfere with the style of content that’s being made.

This reminded me how much TikTok has become the new TV. People will watch anything! Much like TV, they are scrolling the feed like they are surfing the channels. If you turn your phone sideways, suddenly it looks like a mini TV. Likewise if you turn your TV, it’s a large phone…

@emilymarikoSoft and sleek hair + a green juice to start the day off right! @Matrix #matrixpartner #foodforsoft #glitchinthematrix

Tiktok failed to load.

Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser

“AI companies aren’t selling intelligence, they’re selling certainty” - Tobias van Schneider

This is pretty hilarious and hardly surprising. At least they gave them a refund…

“Our analyses showed just how effective TikTok is at getting even its heaviest users to swipe more and watch more on its platform”

With vanity metrics like follower counts meaning less and less, it’s possible to gain traction on each video, finding fresh audiences every upload and forming micro forums in comment sections. Relevance is “the quality or state of being closely connected or appropriate”. Everyone is seeking the same relevance from the same audiences. It used to be that an emerging artist for example would be trying to find their audience in a completely different manner to a giant corporation. TikTok and hyper-personalised algorithms have flattened the playing field. The name of the game is now, “how do we find our audience and stay relevant?”.

A crucial byproduct of relatable content is shareability. The ‘silver bullet’ to virality is how content is being shared. Word of mouth cuts through the strong algorithmic currents. Memes are cultural shortcuts that carry shared meaning, leading to cognitive fluency making them feel honest, less risky and more likeable. According to Jonah Berger’s research in Contagious “people share content that provokes strong emotions” like amusement, awe, anger or delight.

Memes trigger an emotional reaction and desire to share a feeling with others. We’re constantly building social capital through signifiers of taste, timing and cultural awareness. Memes pack a punch with maximum engagement per pixel that create a loop of virality that is hard to throttle and prone to remixing, reposting and circulation in group chats, private DMs and stories. Understanding memes happens in milliseconds, acting as a dopamine-rewarding puzzle. Rather than asking for attention, they earn attention creating a stronger connection.

Last year, Ethel Cain declared we are in an ‘irony epidemic’ where “everything has to be a joke at all times…I LOVE funny shit…. but there is such a loss of sincerity”.

The risk of leaning too heavily into meme culture as a brand or artist is the complete lack of identity and ironically, loss of relevancy. Making memes your entire personality can hurt your brand in the long run. Enjoy it while it lasts!

Research has shown that shared attention intensifies emotional connection and memory (The Conversation, 2024) and simple collective experiences can trigger a psychological lift known as “positivity resonance” (Psychology Today, 2023).

The Telstra “Wherever we go” aka whistle ad campaign was initially trolled on TikTok for being annoying, repetitive and ‘played at the wrong times’ ie. during the ad breaks when people’s teams were losing. This sparked people to make their own videos trolling the ad. Instead of retreating, Telstra leaned in. They owned it and slowly, the perception shifted.

Telstra’s CMO Brent Smart put it simply, after the brand remixed the original cartoon ad by inserting a series of fan-made TikTok clips and airing it to 5.6M people during the State of Origin III decider game:

“We've had a bunch of people make TikTok videos doing the walk and whistle from our ad, some positive, some negative, but all of them taking the time to engage with our brand and play with our brand. And we love that, so we decided to celebrate it on the biggest stage we could.” (LBB, 2025)

Come July 2025, 10 months after launching the campaign during the 2024 NRL & AFL Grand Finals - creators, sporting stars and politicians have all taken part (see below).

Through social proof and Australian humour, Telstra have taken the trolling in stride and turned it into something positive. What started as backlash has become genuine affection. The mix of TikTok virality, goodwill and timing has helped the brand land in culture, creating emotional equity that will sustain long after the ads end.

The goal of creative marketers is for their work to transcend just awareness and to become memorable and relevant to their target audience. Better yet, galvanising audiences to have fun and connect with each other is priceless. The Telstra whistling ad has done this for Australians over the last few months and the positive impact this has on Telstra as a brand is impressive.

"If you want to change how people feel about your brand, change how your brand feels" Brent Smart, CMO of Telstra

TikTokers @kick.it.forward

@kick.it.forwardSomething #nrl & #afl can agree on, worst ad ever #telstra #telstraad #aflmemes #funny #sketch

Tiktok failed to load.

Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser

St George Illawarra / NRL Player Sione Finau / Try celebration

@braaydo.nrlSione Finau does the whistle Telstra ad celebration for Try July 🤣💀 #funny #nrlmemes #nrl #nrledits #tryjuly #trycelebration #sionefinau

Tiktok failed to load.

Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser

Hawthorn AFL player Jack Ginnivan / Goal celebration

@7sportauJack Ginnivan hit the Telstra ad celly 😂 #afl #7afl #telstra #ginni #hawthorn #aussierules #celly

Tiktok failed to load.

Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser

North Korea border crossing

@th0td0gJust realised I have free will #fyp #DMZ #telstraad #korea #whatthehelly

Tiktok failed to load.

Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser