Welcome to Friday Fives, Vol. 319!
The Working Assembly
Design-led creative agency based in New York City and working globally.
Every Friday, we highlight five things we have on our radar that we think should be on yours, too.
This week, we’re breaking free from the advertising time loop, serving up more than sandwiches, attending bingo raves, introducing an artificial podcast bro, and sipping on some bubbly experiences.
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1. The Staying Power of Quick Creativity
What do you get when you combine a legacy company with an ambitious take on advertising? Well, a lot. PepsiCo Foods has been tackling new (and weirder) creative heights with “Groundhog Lay’s” as an example—a series of spots meant to create a time-loop effect like that of Bill Murray stuck in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. It’s important to mention it came together in two weeks. With speedy production, slimmed approaches, and “out there” concepts, PepsiCo proves that a brand, no matter how mega, shouldn’t overthink it when a great idea comes along. Acting fast and avoiding becoming too precious about what you put out helps you stand out and maximizes output in a constantly evolving ad sphere. PepsiCo and their embracing of quick creativity is a good reminder for other brands to take a similar approach. We say get down with the always on.
2. A Super Duper McDonald’s Campaign
McDonald’s is launching their new sandwich the Chicken Big Mac, and they’re pulling out all the marketing stops. Tapping into “dupe culture”—Gen Z’s strategy for finding the less expensive versions of luxury products—they launched their sandwich at a “McDonnell’s,” a pop-up experience presented as a dupe of the national chain. (The RealReal also duped their fans this past summer.) Additionally, they partnered with the fifth most popular Twitch livestreamer Kai Cenat to host a debate with his other celebrity friends on whether a Chicken Big Mac is truly a Big Mac. The campaign further leans into gaming culture with a retro mini-game on Zynga, where users can build their own Chicken Big Mac. When it comes to this multi-channel campaign, we can’t help but say … we’re lovin’ it.
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3. Grandma Called, She Wants Her Bingo Night Back
Activities traditionally associated with older generations have become the new rage for younger people. Millennials and Gen Z have recently embraced mahjong nights, pickleball matches, and social chess clubs. Now, they're adding bingo to the list. The FADER’s Sandra Song traveled to Las Vegas to see what the fuss was all about. The experience satisfied her in an “ASMR” type of way when hearing the “calming feedback of the caller’s microphone.” Evidently, she’s not alone in this sentiment—a bingo hall franchise in England recently reported that half of its new players are under 35. This statistic reflects young people’s desire for more genuine, in-person interactions in the post-pandemic world, as well as an intrigue in becoming “sober curious.” Which may explain a recent report that the UK is losing five nightclubs per week in lieu of bingo-themed clubs. Bottom’s up?
4. Hey Everybody, This Is Your Host AI
Google recently launched Audio Overview, a new AI podcasting tool that's become a viral hit. This tool allows users to upload links, videos, and PDFs, providing a brief summary of the content. The summary can then be entered into its podcast called “Deep Dives,” which features remarkably human-sounding hosts—both male and female—who discuss the uploaded content. The AI hosts even sound human with phrases like “Hold on, let me get this right,” and they even interrupt each other. (It's weird, but why do we kind of dig it?) In one viral clip, the AI systems even got existential about their identities upon realizing they were indeed AI and not human. Now that’s some “Her” lore …
5. Pop the Bubbly (Tea)
Bubble tea chains are crowding the streets of China like tapioca pearls crowding the bottom of a matcha milk tea. And while you can easily find boba on any street corner in NYC’s Chinatown, these chains are selling much more than boba: they’re selling experiences. Take 3Bro Factory for example, a milk-tea joint serving bougie flavors in a Communist-era-inspired factory or HEYTEA, a spaceship-esque boba chain that’s collaborated with 74 brands in four years. These imagined worlds aren’t just queueing up lines, they’re creating a new consumer culture for the country, showing that revitalization, à la new flavors and new ambience, can take a product into the stratosphere. And with a side of the speediest delivery you’ve ever seen. Why should this matter to us consumers on the other side of the Pacific? Well, with milk tea chains already growing in popularity in the U.S., it’s only a matter of time. The bubble boom will be here before you know it.