THIS WEEK SUMMED UP

We’re watching YouTube, getting psyched for the Super Bowl, feeling grateful for Elmo, and pondering Apple’s Vision for the future.

Read time: 2 minutes and 13 seconds


THREE PARTS THAT MATTER

Marketing

Marketing Bowl (aka the big game, thanks to NFL trademarking) is this Sunday, but one of our favorite campaigns already aired. Lay’s and Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort created *eight ads* featuring Groundhog Day actor Stephen Toblowsky in a time loop. On Groundhog Day, the ads ran over and over—75 times—on ABC.

Given the skyrocketing price of Super Bowl ads (adjusted for inflation, a spot in 2010 cost about $4m, compared to $7m today), making a splash in advance is a clever idea. Also smart: a 6-8 week buildup to ad reveal. We can’t wait to see the conclusion of CeraVe’s bonkers Michael Cera campaign.

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Unlike the ads and the athletes, artists for the halftime show aren’t paid. But performing does pay off. J.Lo gained 2.3m followers across social media in 2020, The Weeknd became #1 on Spotify in 2021, and Rihanna generated $88.3m in media impact value for Fenty Beauty in 2023. Stay tuned to see how Usher fares.

Culture

A *new study from Pew Research* shows that YouTube is the most popular online platform in the U.S., with 83% of Americans using it. Meanwhile, *Variety reports* that YouTube TV has become the country’s biggest TV subscription streamer.

That aligns with *this take* from media journalist Simon Owens, who believes TikTok’s fight with Universal Media Group is a strategic error. With TikTok undervaluing content creators, YouTube has the opportunity to dominate the landscape. It’s taking the right steps, too—YouTube shorts has paid creators *$70B* over the last three years.

Also having a moment: Elmo. His tweet asking *"how is everybody doing?"* returned a collective “not great.” In response, Elmo started a *viral conversation* with the hashtag #EmotionalWellBeing. Even President Biden joined in, encouraging folks to offer (and ask for) help. Most adorably of all, other Sesame Street characters replied from their own accounts. Who says there’s nothing good on the internet anymore?

Technology

For the first time, Apple released a first-gen product with “pro” in its name. Vision Pro, a mixed reality headset, *launched* last week, making us wonder if a more affordable non-pro version is coming.

But like its reality, reactions to Vision Pro are *mixed* . It lets you work anywhere, no monitor required, but it’s expensive ($3500!) and an unusual fashion statement, to say the least. Critics also ask if technology has gone too far—are devices taking over our lives? Worth noting, people said the same thing about smartphones.

In the end, Vision Pro’s success depends on Apple’s execution. Right now there’s room for improvement, particularly in terms of getting app developers on board. YouTube, Netflix, and Spotify aren’t building apps for VisionOS, although you can access them through a web browser.

It’ll be interesting to see if Apple can convince developers—and consumers—that this is the way of the future.