The Drink Cart: An April Fools' Free Zone
Your weekly dose of advertising people like, some we hate, design things and pop culture notes and a cocktail from a creative director that still likes banner ads.
This week, for our 3rd crack at this newsletter, you’re entering a 100% April Fools’ free zone. Everyone’s been talking about them for days. We live in a world where anytime can be time for a April Fools’ style fake product. Can we not just do the stupid idea already?
Anyway, it’s also the end of the first quarter, how is that even possible? I feel like this and it’s only April.
Things people like right now
This past week, the Wall Street Journal published the “missing” articles of staff writer Evan Gershkovich. It was Gershkovich who has been wrongfully detained in Russia for a year for his reporting. This simple campaign is perfect.
Everyone went goo-goo over these British Airways OOH ads. What I love even more is the debate over the missing calls-to-action, headline or QR code. Will these work. Will they fail? Are they for the echo chamber of advertising nerds or actual travellers? Did it make you feel something? Or did it just remind you that they are just another frustrating airline that offers the same mid customer service? All i know is that if you can convince a client to not have any of those things on your billboard, you’ve won.
Rightly so, everyone is pleased as punch with Matty Matheson’s new packaged goods company’s look and feel. I do like the retro look and I like the high and low of Matheson’s brand. That he can do this and Prime Seafood Palace in the same universe. The only thing I am eye rolling over is the branding agency’s use of the term, “Cultural Foraging process” which is a lot.
I’m totally obsessed with this training video from Waffle House. The Pull Drop Mark Order calling method is amazing.
Things people I might hate right now
Admittedly everyone is raving about the branding of this Negroni in a can. I was too, until I glossed over the fact that they are non-alcoholic. And apparently negronis are the most popular non-alc cocktails. They’re everywhere. What’s the point? Sure, it’s not like this brand highlighting the negative effects of drinking it. But this is such a No-groni for me, dawg.
I’m sneaking some baseball content in this section - deal with it. But lets start with this ‘zoo-ification’ of the LA Dodgers Social Media team. This is worse than all the zero alcohol Negronis. Do not tap the glass.
This trend - real or not - of people having Power Point parties is bonkers. I do like this meme, "We're having a party Friday night if you want to join, please bring minimum 7 slide deck on what you do."
I read this whole Ad Age article about an “upscale” hand sanitizer brand that they describe as a, “mist that looks like a small iPhone and smells like an overpriced candle.” Immediately no.
The dirty underbelly of your stupid giant water bottles. This is way too much work for something you can just drink out of a cup.
Things I can’t stop thinking about
Let’s talk about Hallmark Wines. Yes. buckle up.
If you know me, you know I’m a sucker for watching Hallmark movies. But these wine bottle labels are just wild. It’s a Tuesday after a hard day, are you really reaching for a bottle of Loveuary merlot?
This is what they describe it as: “Celebrating Loveuary just got a little more delicious. Our reserve Merlot is the perfect pairing with a Hallmark Channel original movie. Our Loveuary Reserve Merlot offers notes of strawberries, raspberries and layered dark fruits. Rich and romantic with a velvety smooth finish.”
Where’s the romance? Where are the small town vibes? Where’s the god damn gingerbread cookie festival/contest/store? If there’s not a story on these label, what are we doing? That’s just a lazy branding experience right there. I want Hallmark wine to be as immersive as the extended Liquid Death universe.
What about capitalization? I also keep saying this sentence from a Wall Street Journal article in my head in a random Tiktokers voice. Morgan Rae Playle “typed in lowercase throughout her 20s, feeling it gave off a kind of carefree mimosa-brunch vibe.” Apparently she’s grown out of her “all-lowercase era”. Via Casey Lewis and her must-read After School Newsletter.
Another Round Bartender
Here’s a few other things that are too good not to share:
A very simple X thread about Francis Ford Coppola and how he continually bets on himself. Via the always amazing Trung Phan.
Everyone is talking about this article about Trader Joe’s. It is about the culture of dupes.
The social mob turned on Swiss members of government and they were forced to give up their free ski passes. Bummer.
That at some point McDonald’s had a classy brandy decanter collection.
My brain is still trying to come to grips with the idea of Italian Hot Sauce.
A graphic of fully booked Airbnbs showing the path of the solar eclipse next week. And what’s with this eclipse? Stores are closing. The Niagara Falls region has declared a state of emergency.
I would like to go to there. A Wes Anderson inspired Grand Budapest Hotel cocktail series at Maybe Sammy, a hotel in Sydney.
In 1988 a French children’s choir with fake drinks and cigarette’s wished Serge Gainsbourg a happy birthday by singing “Je suis venu te dire que je m’en vais” to him. While he smoked. On national TV. It’s everything.
Breaking: Boat shoes are back. Via Emily Sundberg’s Feed Me newsletter.
Bonus, self indulgent, baseball content
The Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters are out here writing the book on entrances and making a sporting spectacle. If my first game of the year next week isn’t like this, I’ll be very disappointed in the Toronto Blue Jays even if i’m drinking something out of a cup with a tiny hat. Look. At. It.
33 years later, I too am having trouble figuring out why these 1991 Score Dream Team cards went so hard.
The Tampa Bay Rays are now serving dessert pretzel bites in a plastic glove is next level. Love this person sharing this novelty.
Not going to lie, I might have to open a boutique softball training club given these franchise numbers. Or a small vending machine empire.
Exit Fastball Question: If you owned a baseball team, why wouldn’t you be buying fans beers like all the time?
Chills. Ask my wife, I cannot stop with watching Moneyball.
Last call: The Drink Cart Recipe
We are dedicating this one to SCTV comedic giant Joe Flaherty who passed away this week. As you make your weekly drink, watch him in 5 Neat Guys, Count Floyd and maybe this sketch called Half Wits.
I “collabed” with ChatGPT to figure out an idea on an appropriate drink for one of his best characters, SCTV President Guy Cabellero. And you can drink it while listening to an AI created emo drink cart song using Suno, “The Drink Cart.”
Guy Caballero's Smooth Operator
2 oz aged rum, maybe make it 3
1/2 oz amaretto
1/2 oz lime juice
Ginger beer
Stir with ice and garnish with a giant cigar
Excited for the next Power Point meeting!
Great read. Thanks for the weekly recap!