Silence, Brand! 06.13.25
🦀 FRIDAY THE 13TH + TikTok ban 06.19 + Taco Bell vs McDonalds + Grimace birthday + Sabrina album cover + new Grammy cats + Labu-billionaire + OpenAI x Mattel + LV x Real Madrid + $20K burger ring 🦀
happy friday the 13th 🔪🦀
just a reminder: next TikTok ban
is supposed to be next Thursday
(very spooky, we know!!!)
so much has happened in so little time,
like you can get tatted like a Chipotle bag today,
and Dua Lipa getting engaged
(someone check on Duolingo)
let’s see what other foolishness is floating
in the content seas 🌊 🦀
fresh catch:
quick question: does a brand make culture, or does the culture make a brand?
so it’s Taco Bell vs Popeyes vs MacDonald’s now??? waiting for Wendy’s to join the chat!
IG is letting you rearrange your grid?!
trends:
the ‘sassy techno’ trend is adding a lot of fun to fit checks
the ‘this and a spritz’ trend reminds us which drink is the true drink of the summer
the ‘and the girl inside of me‘ trend from Addison Rae’s new album is giving girl power
and don’t even get us started on…
a sea of Pitbull fans in London display the ultimate fandom
would you pay $20K for a hamburger ring??? plenty of people would!
Elon is still trying to make robotaxis fetch
take a break from your other tabs
and have a scroll with us!!!
TO THE LINKSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
we’ve evolved, so we added a paid tier!!!
freebies still drop fridays, but paid gets the full unhinged brilliance—special reports, chaos, and rare insight.
basically, you’re funding our glorious descent into crabby madness.
🦀 TL;DR: Join or be a sad little fomo crab.
Why Are People Mad at Sabrina Carpenter This Time? (The Cut)
Sabrina Carpenter's upcoming album cover has sparked controversy, with some accusing her of setting feminism back 100 years and others criticizing the imagery as deeply irresponsible. Despite Carpenter's explanation that the songs about sexuality are popular because fans love them, the debate continues, with some rejecting the idea that the album cover may have a different meaning within the context of the album. Others are speculating that the big reveal will be: she’s actually the person in the suit, holding her own hair in the photo.
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Pitbull is a fan of his fans. He says it's his job to make them feel good (AP News)
Pitbull, the musician known as Mr. Worldwide, discusses his high-energy performances and the phenomenon of fans dressing up as him at concerts, expressing gratitude and appreciation for their support. He also shares his willingness to dress up for concerts of artists from the past, emphasizing the importance of humor and not taking himself too seriously.
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What is a fridge cigarette? The viral Diet Coke trend explained (Fast Company)
The “fridge cigarette” isn’t actually a cigarette—it’s a metaphor. The viral TikTok trend pairs a cold Diet Coke (or any fizzy drink) with a moment of pure, chaotic self-soothing. Inspired by the idea of sneaking a smoke to reset, fridge ciggies are how Gen Z romanticizes cracking open a soda in front of the fridge when life gets a little too lifey. Carbonation as coping mechanism.
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An absurd TikTok trend lets AI finish your photo (Mashable)
TikTok users are embracing a new trend that uses CapCut and AI to transform ordinary photos into absurd, dreamlike animations. One of the prompts asks, "Who will be taken by the police?"—a question that risks drowning out or even suppressing real videos about police and ICE activity, which many users rely on for sharing urgent, real-time updates. Users have also noticed that the AI often chooses the darkest figure in the photo—whether it's a person or a pet—as the punchline, reinforcing harmful and racist stereotypes.
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and the girl I used to be
Addison Rae’s song Money is Everything is trending on TikTok, with users sharing throwback photos of themselves vs them today. Simple, cute, low-lift trendy content.
Fat Horse Sticker
TikTokers have found a tiny brown horse sticker buried in their keyboard shortcuts and they’re letting it wander aimlessly across their videos and chats. The trend seems to have originated in Russian brain rot circles, but it’s since galloped into broader For You pages, paired with absurd audio and zero context.
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Dong Dong Tumblers
Leo Skepi, a TikToker with nearly 10M followers, just unboxed a diamond-encrusted Versace tumbler and declared war on Stanley cups. In the video, he dubs them “dong dongs” (derogatory) and pledges allegiance to the slimmer, Starbucks-style silhouette. Now his fans are ditching their emotional support jugs and dusting off the previous style of cup.
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Gog x Brain Stew
Gog, the green alien dog, has returned with a cursed Green Day cover of “Brain Stew.”
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Sassy Techno
TikTokers are using a track by producer Flash as background audio for fit checks and everyday videos, but the vibe has been dubbed “sassy techno.”
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this and a spritz
TikTokers are using the song “Vacay” by aminé as a summer anthem. It’s showing up in beach vlogs, fit checks, and sun-soaked edits, sometimes layered with text on screen that reads “this and a spritz.” Sarti Spritz, specifically, are gunning for drink of the summer’s top spot!
POVs 1-5
TikTokers are doing a chaotic group trend where five people stand in a circle, backs touching, and lip sync the “If you wanna a burger, eat a burger…” song while recording their own POVs. Each of the five posts their individual angle, which sends viewers hunting for the other four—turning a silly song into a full-blown content scavenger hunt.
Mike’s Way
TikTokers are rehearsing all the bizarre ways to order a sandwich, “Mike’s Way” at Jersey Mike’s.
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How 13 brands are celebrating Grimace’s birthday (PRWeek)
Yahoo Mail Unveils AI Mobile App Feature and Collabs With Anti Social Social Club (WWD)
L’Oréal Is Launching a Global Campaign for World Refill Day (WWD)
Labubu’s popularity has made its owner China’s youngest billionaire (Dexerto)
Chipotle offers Friday the 13th BOGO deal for tattooed customers (USA Today)
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Taco Bell Is Coming for McDonald’s With Its New Menu Items (Allrecipes)
Good Read: Does a Brand Make Culture, or Does the Culture Make a Brand? (Highsnobiety)
Instagram will finally let you rearrange your grid (Tech Crunch)
TikTok Rolls Out New Badges to Highlight Seller Performance (Social Media Today)
Pinterest is adding third-party influencer content to its feeds (The Verge)
Snapchat adds new features for creators, including an easier way to edit videos (Tech Crunch)
Reddit Enables Users to Convert Comments to Posts, Adds Comment Analytics (Social Media Today)
YouTube rolls out more unskippable ads that make viewers wait even longer to watch videos (Dexerto)
Good Read:
The State of Social Media: Instagram and Facebook Still on Top Despite Rise of TikTok (TheWrap)
The meme-ification of marketing: the marketing language of the culture impacting consumer behaviour (Pretty Little Marketer – written by our crab,
)
Pentagon Has Been Pushing Americans to Believe in UFOs for Decades, New Report Finds (Gizmodo)
Sen. Lindsey Graham slammed for ‘game on’ tweet after Israel bombs Iran (The Independent)
Alleged Luigi Mangione Birthday Letter Features Shoutout to 'Latinas for Mangione' (Complex)
Louis Vuitton & Real Madrid Make It Official (Highsnobiety)
First Look at Nike’s Custom Running Shoes and Apparel for Faith Kipyegon’s Attempt at the 4-Minute Mile (WWD)
Softball Beats Baseball in College World Series Social Media (AdWeek)
Top Beverage Brands Are Racing to Partner With Formula 1 (WWD)
The Meta AI App Lets You ‘Discover’ People’s Bizarrely Personal Chats (Wired)
OpenAI and Barbie-maker Mattel team up to bring generative AI to toymaking, other products (Tech Crunch)
Musk targets June 22 launch of Tesla's long-promised robotaxi service (Tech Crunch)
Disney and Universal sue Midjourney, alleging AI-related copyright infringement (Tech Crunch)
Google’s test turns search results into an AI-generated podcast (The Verge)
Anker recalls 1.1 million power banks due to fire hazard risk (Fast Company)
Air Traffic Control in the US Still Runs on Windows 95 and Floppy Disks (Wired)
An Experimental New Dating Site Matches Singles Based on Their Browser Histories (Wired)
American Airlines Taps Brandon Blackwood for Collaboration (WWD)
Rothy’s Has a Plan to Outlast the Ballet Flat Craze (Business of Fashion)
Rebag Joins Amazon Luxury, Selling Pre-Owned High-End Goods (AdWeek)
Good Read:
This Is (Still) the Golden Age of Old Folks Selling New Clothes (Highsnobiety)
Shoppers Are Investing in Luxury Handbags Over Stock (WWD)
Who Would Pay $20,000 For a Hamburger Ring? (Business of Fashion)
The great rap logos from the history of hip-hop acted as cultural co-signs (Instagram)
Bill Pullman & Rick Moranis Returning For New ‘Spaceballs’; Keke Palmer, Lewis Pullman Also Set (Deadline)
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Dua Lipa Confirms 'Exciting' Engagement to Callum Turner, Says She's 'Obsessed' with the Ring (People)
Grammys Introduce New Country Album Category, Best New Artist Rules for 2026 (Rolling Stone)
Wale Gets Nintendo Switch Sponsorship Out Of Awkward Kai Cenat Encounter At BET Awards (Stereogum)
Good Read: What’s Driving the Filipina Influencer Takeover (Business of Fashion)
Tone deaf post from Gushers about b-2 bombers (???)
Who approved this and then left it live for 6 hours?
Love seeing local brands/businesses get creative and it WORKS
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Silence, Brand! is an internet culture and marketing newsletter compiled by unhinged brand marketing professionals—an elite army of internet idiots.
Thank you to this installment’s contributors: Ryan Benson, Dayna Castillo, Lenny Leithauser, Apple Xenos, Dejaih Smith, Benton Williams, and Janine Davis
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