Graza 2.0 Makes No Sense 🫒
Inside Graza's new product, Apple's controversial new ad, Kendall Jenner's Erewhon Smoothie, and more.
GM everyone and welcome to Who Do You Know? if you’re a new subscriber.
Today I’m going to discuss Graza’s new product launch and why I think it makes no sense, the controversy behind Apple’s biggest advertising ‘mistake’ ever, Kendall Jenner’s new Erewhon smoothie (exclusive), and more. But first let’s talk about yesterday’s letter.
The first installment in an informal new series I’m calling ‘Good Brand vs. Bad Brand’ for lack of a better name, was a massive hit.
The comment section was booming. Here are a few of my favorites from some heavy hitter industry experts—
But did it work well w Kin? I am not sure about now, but at the start of their merger it did not and very much felt like brand that is not doing well attaches celebrity name as bandaid. And this is at no fault to Bella. I don’t know her well but she always been incredibly sweet and has such radiant energy. I really like her and I just wish she had better people around her. I also wish people would learn that lots of followers / fame + idea does not automatically translate to success. The biggest example of this is Beyoncé. All of her stuff (but her music) continuously flops. The whole celeb brand culture is all just very lazy. —
The Kelly Slater brand is interesting, and as you say, it looks to be executed well a la Humanrace. In a theoretical scenario in which I'm his manager, I would've had him do a collab with an established sun care brand. He's certainly not pivoting to "beauty founder" in his day to day life, so I question how this brand will grow over time? Vacation is a little too kitsch for Kelly's personal brand, but to the benefit of Vacation, he could definitely provide the legitimacy angle if they were to ever launch a hardcore performance sunscreen (vs. the lifestyle/fragrance slant). Hmmm.. I think honestly I would try to get him a fat check for a partnership with a brand like Khiels to do a huge performance sunscreen push with one product. Kelly's fanboys (dad surfers) aren't really the type to shop d2c, but probably a lot of them have a big ol bottle of Facial Fuel, do you agree? —
I think the true marker of success here with Freaks of Nature was that I was excited about it just from looking at the products / site, without even knowing who Kelly Slater was (sorry!!! outing myself there). I think that’s what makes rhode stand out (shameless plug for the post I just made about it) — it truly feels like a child of Hailey’s and has the USP / actual product efficacy to stand on its own.
I also think there’s something to be said about when a celebrity makes a SECOND brand with a new name (Fenty doesn’t count). At that point, I’m really fatigued and it all starts to feel exponentially more artificial. —
I am currently speaking with the team at Freaks of Nature. More on that to come.
But its safe to say I’ll be doing more in-depth branding break downs in the near future.
OKAY NEWS—
Graza has officially launched a another new product. The olive oil CPG brand thats dominated chronically online coastal elite countertops for the last few years has been teasing the launch of Graza 2.0 for the last few weeks. The rollout included an Apple iPod style billboard teaser and renting out a theatre in Brooklyn.
The speculation on what the product would be was rampant. I had initially predicted it would be an olive oil infused ice cream. But I was wrong, its not really anything new per se, but rather a new way of packaging their existing olive oil. Graza 2.0 is essentially just refills for their squeeze bottles, packaged in aluminum cans you’d typically find used for sodas or sparkling water.
I am sorry but am I feel like I am taking crazy pills? Kudos to the team on bringing this product to market and changing how other competitors package their olive oils, but the brand’s recent moves are truly baffling to me.
Earlier this year they released a potato chip fried in Graza oil, and they were terrible. Then they dropped an olive oil infused soap. Now their next iteration, is essentially the same thing but in a can.
In what world would I reach for my Graza squeeze bottle, find it to be empty, then go to Whole Foods and instead of just getting a new bottle, buy a can, then go home and try to funnel the oil into my existing squeeze bottle. That is such a pedantic thing to do, and as
said they missed an opportunity to bump up average order volume by not white labeling a funnel.Its especially confusing when you consider many olive oil experts say keeping the oil in a plastic bottle is not ideal, and can lead to some traces of microplastics. So now we just keep the same plastic bottle for years and persistently buy these cans? Even though they will be sitting next to the squeeze bottle on store shelves?
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PLEASE chime in the comments. I really want to know what you all think of Graza 2.0 ⬇️
Apple is apologizing for their latest ad and vowing not to air it on TV. Earlier this week, Apple unveiled their new iPad Pro (who the actual f*ck is using an iPad) and showed off a new ad which depicted various artistic tools like paint, musical instruments, and arcade games, being smashed to pieces by a hydraulic press and then revealing the new iPad.
The point of the ad is simple… demonstrate the iPad can do all of the things shown on the ad, in the thinnest aluminum body the company has ever produced. But it sparked a pretty tremendous fury online from ad people and normal folk alike saying it missed the mark by showing the destruction of these precious items. Now Apple is backtracking, saying they messed up
We missed the mark with this video, and we’re sorry. — Apple
Okay here’s my take on what the brand should have done: not apologize. The mark of a truly great ad (and really all art in general) is that its inherently divisive. A great piece of work is going to inspire some hate, some love, but what matters is that it sparked anything at all. Brands are increasingly playing it safe these days, hoping not to catch the ire of the internet masses and what this has resulted in is a slew of uninspiring, boring ads that we don’t even mentally register because we are so inundated.
The ad is well produced, clearly communicates the message, and yes maybe it could have been framed differently, but its got you, me, and everyone on X talking. So it worked.
Kendall Jenner is the latest star to get an Erewhon smoothie. I don’t think this has been officially announced (so scoop?) but I am linked up with a top exec at the company and he said the Kendall’s peach smoothie launches May 15th. This comes as the model is covering Vogue and taking a look back on her 10 year career.
Minted NY is launching their first shoe collab with Saucony. The New York based athletic and menswear brand, founded by Marcus Millione (I’ve ran with him, he’s a legit athlete) has unveiled their first shoe collaboration. It drops online and at a popup at 435 Broome St. on Saturday (I’ll probably stop by) I think its cool they are working with Saucony, which may be the next niche brand to catch a cultural wave a la New Balance or Asics (which are nearly done to death) The artwork for the rollout is so great.
Chris Black says Odeon is one the best restaurants in New York. Not really news but more of a plug to a great article I read from
on his Substack The Supersonic. I love Odeon but my friends don’t really like it. LAME!
It's hard to go to restaurants now in New York. It's like you have to know somebody to go to a restaurant. You know what I mean? It's turned into that. Luckily, my wife and I are able to go to kind of our neighborhood spots. Balthazar. Lovely Day. Odeon.
Balthazar feels like a restaurant for tourists. I like it, but it feels different. The Odeon feels like it's for us. It's reasonable to get a table there. And I think also when Condé Nast moved in it became the canteen a little bit. I mean, obviously I romanticize that stuff more than most people – the glory days of expense account lunches and publishing. But I think that still exists a little bit at Odeon. There's celebrities and it's glamorous, but it's like a restaurant for New Yorkers. — Chris Black
OKAY that is all for today. Once again welcome to all the new subscribers, you’re going to love the Who Do You Know universe. We are just getting started here.
I’ll be back on Monday. Have a great weekend!
Jake Bell is a content marketing and creative strategist based in NYC. He specializes in content creation, branding, art direction, creative strategy, and making things cool.
To learn more about Jake visit www.jb.studio
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People actually got mad about that apple ad? Must have been a slow twitter day.
I never understood the hype because of it's plastic packaging. As an elderly millennial, I've learned not to trust a product if there's a lot of money spent on marketing. Eg - our place. And really and dtc product at this point.