WELCOME TO THE·BY·PRODUCT. A WEEKLY RECAP OF WHAT IS GOING DOWN & WHAT IS COMING UP ON THE INTERNET. THIS WEEK WE DRINK SLOW, SPIN SOME VINYL, AND EXPLORE THE POPULARITY OF SAMPLE SALES ON TIK TOK.
ALSO ON THE TIK TOK TIP WE TAKE A LOOK AT #GRWM VIDEOS AND HOW THEY ARE NO LONGER JUST ABOUT FIT, BUT MAYBE GETTING READY TO SPEND A FEW MONTHS IN JAIL OR TO PICK UP YOUR JUNK FROM A EX.
THE TREND GOD WILL ALSO HELP YOU HELP YOURSELF. NOW AS ALWAYS ON TO THE LINKS.
THIS WEEK’S HOT TAKE
GET OFFLINE, COME LISTEN TO SOME MUSIC
SAMPLE THIS
Long relied upon by brands to clear stock but often known only to fashion ‘insiders’, sample sales are gaining newfound popularity on TikTok. For Gen Z and millennial consumers, they’re an entry point into luxury. / Via Vogue
GET READY
From sharing stories about fentanyl addictions while applying concealer to make-up routines for funerals, ‘Get Ready With Me’ videos are becoming deeply personal. It’s no longer just fits.
Three years later, hyper-confessional GRWMs have become a staple of the TikTok landscape. The app’s ever-changing algorithm means any video has the potential to be swept in front of audiences of millions, even if the creator hasn’t established a large following prior. It’s a sharp contrast to the 2010s influencer era, where follower bases and communities were grown more gradually over more extended periods, and there was an opportunity to build trust with an audience before sharing intimate information. “What’s changed is that it’s now hyper-visible,” The very boundaries between what we traditionally understood as public and private have become blurred.” / Via Dazed
SORRY I WAS IGNORING YOU
The platforms that control search were conceived in sin. Their business model auctions off our most precious and limited cognitive resource: attention. These platforms work overtime to hijack our attention by purveying information that arouses curiosity, outrage, or anger. The more our eyeballs remain glued to the screen, the more ads they can show us, and the greater profits accrue to their shareholders.
This is why we also need to learn ‘critical ignoring’ – the ability to choose what to ignore and where to invest our limited attentional capacities. / Via WEF
SEARCH PARTY
Since the early days of the web, the search box has been a daily fixture in our lives, allowing for the discovery and navigation of the internet’s sprawling stores of information. Search has consistently evolved over the past three decades, but no change has been so dramatic as the new conversational search paradigm introduced by ChatGPT.
The application of language models to create better chat-based search interfaces will have a broad impact across businesses, but applied incorrectly, will create more fragmented and frustrating experiences for users. Good UX planning and meaningful technical integration is critical to making conversational interfaces work for your users. / Via Left Labs
REAL BEAUTY
TikTok’s new Bold Glamour filter has been downloaded more than 16 million times since it launched last month. Dove is taking a stand against it and the unrealistic beauty standards it perpetuates in an influencer-led campaign from Ogilvy and David.
Part of the long-running Dove Self-Esteem Project, the #TurnYourBack effort kicked off March 9 with TikTok post from Dove. Stating that “no filter should tell you how to look,” it shows women turning away from the camera and walking off screen. It also explains the wide impact of similar tools, noting that 80% of girls are using filters by age 13 and 54% of girls prefer the way they look when their photos are edited. / Via AdWeek
BETTER BEAUTY
Last week my neighbor dropped her long awaited beauty line! Fara Homidi is dedicated to creating enduring and design driven products from formulation to packaging. The collection is comprised of edited essentials designed to reduce any unnecessary waste through circular packaging and refills, minimizing plastic use wherever possible - using bioplastic, and/or finding plastic alternatives. With a deep commitment to being environmentally and ethically conscious, the brand is committed to steadily improving alongside newly available technology. / Via Tim Nolan
PROMPTING
Trend God is an artificial intelligence project created and trained by Piers Fawkes, Founder of PSFK. / Via PSFK
SPINNING OUT
Your humble host of this weekly newsletter is spinning some vinyl tonight at Local in Soho. I will be playing wax that spans genres from the late 80s to today. There will not be much of a theme so to speak, but rather jams you will know and love. Pull up from 6pm on. Great wine, killer beers, hotdogs, free popcorn and a chill vibe. / Via Tim Nolan
SLOW DRINKING
Captain Morgan— owned by drinks behemoth Diageo—has launched its largest-ever responsible drinking campaign, with help from Vice-owned agency Virtue.
The spiced rum brand has enlisted singer, songwriter and rapper Bree Runway to front a zesty spot imploring customers around the world to “Enjoy Slow” and moderate their drinking. / Via Adweek