Santa’s ditched the sleigh for a red Ford Bronco.

Father Christmas has had a glow up in Target’s new campaign featuring model Brent Bailey.

But this isn’t just another campaign featuring a ridiculously good-looking person. ‘Zaddy Santa’ is curvier, older, and more approachable than your traditional sex symbol, proving that a new kind of ‘hot’ has arrived. And we’re here for it.

In today's newsletter:

• Marketers take note—What we call 'hot' is changing (here’s how to get on board!)

• What the rise and fall of NFTs says about human behaviour (plus what we, as marketers, need to watch out for)

• Trend plug - They were popular…RIGHT!

• Ask the Editor - How do I know whether a piece of content is good source material?

- Charlotte, Editor ♡

Target, you’ve officially made me believe in Santa again.

Sexy Santa, that is.

Yes. I said what I said.

The jolly, cookie-crunching caricature we’re used to looks a little different in this year’s Target ads, 'sleighing' in more ways than one.

Target’s Santa has traded his usual red suit and belly for a salt-and-pepper beard, a quarter-zip red sweater, and perfectly groomed charm. Needless to say, the internet is eating him, I mean it up.

With Christmas just around the corner, Target has rolled out a new series of commercials featuring model Brent Bailey as Target employee ‘Kris. K.'

And he is no average Santa Claus.

Titled ‘Born to Be Kris,’ the first 30 seconds ad shows the silver fox driving a red Ford Bronco with the license plate 'Sleigh.' He hops majestically out the car outside a snow-dusted Target while 'Born to Be Wild' by Steppenwolf plays in the background.

All I could think watching it? Mrs. Claus, you are one lucky woman.

But Hot Santa isn’t an anomaly; he’s the latest in a long line of unconventional heartthrobs.

The shift is clear: 'hot' is no longer confined to youth, perfection, or even traditional attractiveness.

It’s layered, nuanced, and—most importantly—interesting. And audiences can’t get enough.

[Keep reading]

-Sophie, Writer

What the Rise and Fall of NFTs Says About Human Behaviour

If 2021 was the year of the NFT, 2024 seems to be its swan song.

Non-fungible tokens promised ownership of digital art, memes and even tweets.

Hailed as the future of art, finance, and fandom, the NFT phenomenon was so much more than just a fickle trend.

These flashy digital collectibles, built on blockchain tech, exploded into the spotlight with quirky projects like CryptoKitties in 2017 and reached fever pitch by 2021.

At their peak, they promised to revolutionise ownership in the digital age. Instead, they left us with some overpriced JPEGs and a hangover.

By 2021, NFTs became the must-have digital status symbol, with everyone from artists to tech bros to your uncle who’s 'really into crypto' cashing in. Jack Dorsey sold his first tweet for $2.9 million. People paid six figures for cartoon apes.

It was a time of absurd abundance and strange displays of wealth.

And then—predictably—it all fell apart.

Honestly, the NFT craze had nothing to do with art.

Owning one was a social signal, a golden ticket into exclusive communities like Bored Ape Yacht Club.

Brands jumped on the bandwagon, too. From Taco Bell’s NFT taco art to Gucci’s digital sneakers, everyone wanted a slice of the blockchain pie. For a brief moment, it seemed like NFTs could do it all—revolutionise ownership, democratise art, and create entirely new revenue streams.

And then...the cracks started to show.

[Keep reading]

-Sophie, Writer

Trend Plug - They Were Popular…RIGHT!

Ever felt so vindicated, so justified in your beliefs, that you just wanna shout it out in someone's face?

Then hold back no more, because the new Wicked movie has the magic touch you need!

The biggest musical film of the year is out now. And fans are obsessed with a slight lyric change in the standout song 'Popular' sung by main characters Glinda and Elphaba, played by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo respectively.

At one point in the song, Glinda sings about heads of state, saying, 'Did they have brains or not? Don’t make me laugh. They were…'

After Elphaba quickly interjects with, 'Popular', Glinda's soft vocals turn VERY PASSIONATE as she yells 'RIGHT!' and slams a book on a table, making a bang so loud it shows up in the official audio!

This moment has made for a quality sound bite for anyone on TikTok who feels like they're FINALLY being seen, whether it's a coworker that hates the same person as you or a mom who didn't trust the vibe off their kid's friend.

How you can jump on this trend:

This sound bite from the Wicked soundtrack is your first step. Then you just need to think of convos that make you wanna scream, 'YES THANK YOU!!' This is your OST.

You can also get creative and use onscreen text to replace 'popular' with something closer to your frustrations, like the secret behind the Kardashians' quick hair color changes or someone FINALLY getting your Marvel reference!

A few ideas to get you started:

• When you meet someone who also loves (x)

• 'She wasn't late for work, she was...' 'Buying a coffee' 'RIGHT!'

• 'The floor isn't dirty, it's just...' 'Crumbs my dog will eat' 'RIGHT!'

-Devin, Copywriter

Ask the Editor

Q - You guys recently wrote about how every piece of content is a remix and nothing is original. How do I figure out whether something is worthy of a remix? -Lili-Anne

Hey Lili-Anne!

When looking for source material, we are looking for content that’s highly engaging, highly relatable, and easy to replicate.

Highly engaging refers to how well the video performed. A rule of thumb is anything around 10-20% is considered a good engagement rate on TikTok. Highly relatable content means it's a concept that everyone can instantly understand without a lot of explanation. And easy to replicate just means it's something you can practically do a version of yourself.

While performance stats are important, everyone's audience is different so you need to balance their numbers with whether you can make the concept relate to your brand and audience. 

And remember, the platforms reward people who are posting often. So if you're not sure whether your finished product is any good, it doesn't hurt to post it anyway.

- Charlotte, Editor ♡

For the group chat

😲WTF: It’s honestly not that bad
😂Yap’s funniest home videos: Sometimes breakfast just hits different
❤How wholesome: Enough to make a grown man cry
😊Soooo satisfying: I don’t know why, but I love it

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