Holiday shopping is officially ruined.

‘Unmissable deals’ are coming at consumers for the entire second half of the year, from Black July (?) onward.

And what was once a magical season has become a slog. The worst thing brands can do is join the race-to-the-bottom game. Because customers are looking to get that excitement and anticipation back—and endless ‘sales’ ain’t it.

In today's newsletter:

• 5 Ways to put the magic back into holiday shopping (if you’re as tired of the neverending sales tactics, try this)

• Mockumentary proves this postal service is more reliable than Santa (check out this unconventional, but hilarious campaign)

• Trend plug - Wild over wild horses

• Ask the Editor - How do I get more followers on our brand account without spending tons of money on video production?

- Charlotte, Editor ♡

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Ah, holiday shopping...

It was once a time of twinkling store windows. Dramatic doorbuster deals. And enough frantic energy to make Home Alone's airport scene look calm.

I remember being a kid, and my panic-stricken mother dragging me around the mall, hell-bent on checking each person off her list before I could sit on Santa's lap.

The finale? A McDonald's cheeseburger.

It was an event. The event.

And, although chaotic, it had that feeling. You know, of holiday cheer or whatever.

Now, holiday shopping seems to have followed the same path as, well, everything else in the fricken world.

It's turned into an algorithm-powered endurance race that starts with Black Friday in July and never seems to end.

Thanks to a particular Bezos-owned company, and its other copycats, every holiday season feels like a never-ending loop of beige banners screaming 'Deals, Deals, Deals!'

And I’ll be real with y’all, I’m over it.

Holiday season has lost all meaning and my wallet is SUFFERING.

How did we get here? And more importantly – how can we break the never-ending sale cycle and reignite the magic of the holidays?

The Black Friday creep and the beige-ing of the holidays.

Amazon’s 'Prime Early Access' sales and year-round discount culture turned Black Friday into Black November (or let’s be honest, Black Quarter Four).

What used to be a single, high-energy day has bled into weeks of notifications nudging you to snag 'unmissable deals' on random products like portable blenders and heated socks.

Heated socks, for crying out loud. We used to build PYRAMIDS.

[Keep reading]

-Sophie, Writer

Mockumentary Proves This Postal Service is More Reliable than Santa

Fame comes at a cost.

And no one knows that better than Rudolf.

Yes, the red-nosed reindeer.

In a satirical twist on celebrity culture, Norway’s Postal Service has taken the holiday season by the antlers with a mockumentary chronicling Rudolf’s meteoric rise to fame—and his inevitable fall from grace in ‘The Reinfall.’

This clever campaign isn’t just a jab at fame’s pitfalls. It’s a masterclass in modern, self-aware holiday advertising.

Posten’s latest Christmas ad delivers a familiar narrative arc that mirrors the public’s obsession with fame gone wrong.

Rudolf, the once-beloved misfit turned red-nosed superstar, spirals into a cautionary tale of excess.

From his gaudy supercars and debaucherous nights at the club to tantrums on set and tabloid-worthy antics, Rudolf’s story feels all too real.

Yet, the campaign is as much about the postal service as it is about its infamous protagonist. Even amid Rudolf’s meltdown, Posten reminds audiences that their track record of holiday deliveries since 1674 remains untarnished.

And that, no matter how chaotic Santa and his team may be, they’ve always had it covered, delivered with a smirk and impeccable timing.

Posten’s knack for injecting cultural commentary into Christmas is no accident.

[Keep reading]

-Sophie, Writer

Trend Plug - Wild Over Wild Horses

Venting on social media is nothing new, but how about celebrating the wins?

Take a look at TikTok and it seems people are going wild over…wild horses. Confused? Fear not. This trend is positive, it’s relatable, but best of all, it’s agonisingly simple.

People have taken to TikTok to talk about things they absolutely love – whether it’s turning up halfway through the party so you get a warm welcome from people already inebriated, or being late to work and your boss not being at their desk yet – and it’s set to pictures of beautiful horses running through gorgeous landscapes.

How you can jump on this trend:

Head to Google. Find a couple of picturesque images of a horse midway through a run across a spectacular landscape.

Then, think of some things that make you feel amazing. Write those things down as individual pieces of text over each respective picture and post it as a carousel. It’s THAT easy.

A few ideas to get you started:

• 'How it feels to agree with a customer when they complain about prices'

• 'When you’re hosting a garden party and there isn’t a cloud in the sky'

• 'How it feels to look in the fridge and see a slice of cheesecake you completely forgot about' 

-Curls, Show Writer

Today on the YAP podcast…

Want even more ‘YAP’ing? Check out the full podcast here.

Ask the Editor

Q - How do I get more followers on our brand account without spending tons of money on video production? - Ashlee

Hey Ashlee!

Plenty of brands and creators have built followings without pouring lots of money into content creation. So you definitely don't need to create full video productions to get more followers! Plenty of creators have very simple video formats that cost nothing to produce.

I'm not saying you should put no effort at all into making high-quality content. But instead of thinking you need more money to pour into video production, you should be focusing on your strategy first. You should have a really clear idea of who you're talking to. What you want to get across to them. Why you're on the platforms you're on. What kind of content will connect with your audience.

Once you can answer those questions, start creating content in line with that strategy. You can slowly invest in equipment to making higher quality videos. But if you don't get the strategy right, that alone isn't going to help you grow.

- Charlotte, Editor ♡

For the group chat

😲WTF: Jaw. Dropped.
❤How wholesome: Protect that man at ALL COSTS
🎧Soooo tingly: why can’t i stop watching this??
🍝What you should make for dinner tonight: Steak bites 😋 

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