Happy New Year
limping into 2024...
GM all happy new year. I had a really fun NYE spent at a party in the LES hosted by Envy La Vie. Then we went to Jean’s and I didn’t go to bed until 8am. If you spent NYE at home on the couch, there’s always next year!
It goes without saying I spent most of yesterday recovering and watching ‘May December’ while falling in and out of sleep. Today is my January 1st. I am so glad the holidays are past us and we can get back into having interesting things to talk about. Let’s jump into a few—
NYT Style Section: 12 Predictions for Life in ‘24
Prediction lists make any editor salivate. They’re easy, and often times no one is looking back to see if they were correct. The NYT Style section published a list of 12, I’d like to review a few standouts
Jocks are Cool Again: This writer predicts a cultural resurgence of the jock, based off the frenzy around Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift’s budding romance, and the ‘24 Olympics (I forgot about those) Yes, being in shape has been and always will be one of the coolest things someone can do. While it is not a replacement for a personality, it does make people want to talk to you.
Gen X Will Age Out of Social Media: Honestly, let’s hope this is true. Social media has always been a young person’s game, and is better when the most unhinged, irresponsible, and funny individuals are leading the discourse. If Gen X is the cohort leaving X in droves for apps like Threads, BlueSky, etc. then good riddance!
Unhinged Drinks are Coming Back: With the rise in popularity of non-alcholic beverages (think Ghia) are we destined to see a resurgence of ludicrous beverages that supplement other voids in our lives? Case in point, the ridiculously caffeinated Panera Charged Lemonade? This writer predicts Four Loko’s original mix could return to fill this void, but I don’t know. The branding is too bad. Celsius is the perfect case study on how to brand an energy drink for a modern consumer (ditch the crazy alt packaging and just make it look clean and fitness focused) For me, this year we are sticking to water and coffee.
Aesop’s Growth is Outpacing the Industry 📈
BIG NEWS for my favorite skincare brand. After becoming L’Oreal’s biggest acquisition to date last year ($2.3B) Aesop is now reporting they’re growing at 2x the industry average. Aesop has made a name for themselves by creating amazing products, a sensational in-store experience, and strategically placing their soaps in great restaurants. Super stoked to see what ‘24 has in store for them.
Vogue: Leopard is Back
We are seeing leopard and cheetah (what’s the difference again) experience a bit of a renaissance and I expect this to continue throughout the year. It works well as a nice accent pattern on a plain outfit. Also seeing a lot of the Wales Bonner sambas with the print around the city. Here is some inspiration—
I used to wear this Supreme fleece jacket way back in the day.
Oren John Launches YouTube Channel
One of my favorite creators who has been giving free advice on branding, marketing, strategy, and creative direction has launched longform YouTube videos. I find it interesting how so many short form creators are pivoting into creating long form content, and long form content creators are clipping their material into short form content. I could write a whole newsletter just on content strategy (it’s what I do for a living) so maybe I’ll do that. Oren’s content is a perfect example of how giving out valuable content will reward you on social media.
Show Notes
This year’s newsletters will have more interviews with people here in NYC doing cool things in fashion, content, art, and business. So stay tuned and if there’s anyone you’d want featured email me: jake@jb.studio.
SEE YOU TOMORROW!
About Jake
Jake Bell is a content marketing strategist based in NYC. He specializes in branding, art direction, creative strategy, content creation, and making things cool.
To get in touch visit www.jb.studio
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Like fit pics and pictures of chairs? Visit his Instagram.