Ford prepares to enter the Metaverse with virtual automobiles and NFTs — cointelegraph.com

Ford is expected to make its way into the world of NFTs and the Metaverse after filing new trademark applications for its major car brands covering future Web3 initiatives.

Angelbaby Owner Hume Lands $11.7 Million To Create, Promote Virtual Music ‘Metastars’ — www.forbes.com Web3 music-tech company Hume has raised nearly $12 million to build out its collection of virtual musical 'metastars,' led by the character angelbaby, which already has released songs.

NFT

UNICEF Giga NFTs to connect schools in developing countries to internet — cointelegraph.com UNICEF's Giga initiative shows the value of blockchain-based NFTs for fundraising, raising funds to connect schools to the internet.

Disney hiring transaction lawyer for 'aggressive' NFT and DeFi plans — www-theblock-co.cdn.ampproject.org Walt Disney is looking to hire a corporate lawyer to handle emerging technology transactions, including NFTs, working at an "accelerated and aggressive timeline," according to a job posting on LinkedIn.

Starbucks brewing revolutionary Web3 experience for its Starbucks Rewards members — stories.starbucks.com

New Starbucks Odyssey experience will offer members the ability to earn and buy digital collectible stamps (NFTs) that will unlock access to new, immersive coffee experiences.

Scotch & Soda launches NFTs enabled loyalty program — www.diarydirectory.com Scotch & Soda launches NFTs enabled loyalty program

Business/Marketing/Adv

How the world's biggest four-day workweek trial run changed people's lives — edition.cnn.com

It's the world's biggest trial of a four-day work week so far. Already, some workers have said they feel happier, healthier and are doing better in their jobs.

What Starbucks’ bet on NFTs says about the future of loyalty — www.marketingdive.com

 “With the depreciation of cookies, getting access to that first-party data [in other ways] is going to be critical.”

Interestingness

$70 Million in Art at MoMA to Be Sold to Extend Museum’s Digital Reach — www.wsj.com

Masterpieces from CBS founder William Paley’s museum trove are heading to Sotheby’s this fall, as MoMA seeks to expand its online presence and possibly buy more digital art.

That's all folks!

Ready Player Me raises $56M for metaverse avatars — venturebeat.com Ready Player Me, a cross-game metaverse avatar platform that allows users to explore virtual worlds with one consistent identity, has closed a $56 million funding round

NFT

Why Fox Is Investing Millions in NFTs and Blockchain Technology — variety.com Fox Corp. is the only company among its peers that has launched a dedicated Web3 and NFT division.

Introducing Digital Collectibles to Showcase NFTs on Instagram — about.fb.com

We're testing digital collectibles on Instagram so you can show the world your NFTs.

Mars' M&Ms partners with Universal Music's Bored Ape NFT band KINGSHIP — www.ledgerinsights.com M&Ms have launched limited edition candies with faces of Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs from the KINGSHIP music group

Interestingness

Intro to the collector economy — andjelicaaa.substack.com How to turn brands into collections and products into collectibles

Wellness

Spotify allowed its 6,500 employees to work from anywhere in the world. Its turnover rate dropped Spotify decreased its turnover rate and increased its diversity numbers after launching a new remote-work policy in 2021.

Platform News

Zuckerberg says Meta’s next VR headset will launch in October and will focus on ‘social presence’ — techcrunch.com Zuckerberg said the headset is designed to capture users' facial expressions and have them replicated on avatars in real time to enhance non-verbal communication.

Twitter is becoming a podcast app — www.theverge.com

The app is launching a test this week that includes podcasts in the Twitter Spaces tab. It is the company’s first foray into podcasting.

That's all folks!

Virtual influencer Miquela is back. This time, brands are metaverse ready — www.voguebusiness.com Teen retailer Pacsun has announced a multi-season partnership with virtual creator Miquela in a bid to continue its exploration of identity in and around the metaverse.

Nearly 7 Million People Have Visited Nike’s Metaverse Store — www.thedrum.com Nike claims that nearly 7 million people from around the world have visited Nikeland, its metaverse store, since it opened five months ago.

NFT

Planet of the Bored Apes: Inside the NFT world's biggest success story — www.inputmag.com Six months after their identities were revealed, the BAYC creators finally open up — and address the "f*cking evil" campaign against them.

Sales from the crypto: Muse NFT album to become first new chart-eligible format in seven years Industry figures hail ‘the future of music’ as rock band announce first album of its kind to qualify for official UK charts

Why NFTs are more than just JPEGs — www.alchemy.com Despite the popularity of NFTs continuing to grow, many are tempted to write them off as 'Jpegs' or just "Art." Here's why they are so much more.

Business/Marketing/Adv

Starbucks teases Web3 rewards program to attract new customers — cointelegraph.com While the CEO kept his cards close to his chest, he hinted that it would include integrating the Starbucks Rewards ecosystem with Starbucks-branded digital collectibles as part of a reward and community-building mechanism.

‘I Wanted To Be Somewhere Shaping The Future’: Why Jo Wallace Moved To Media.Monks — www.thedrum.com After making a surprise move from Wunderman Thompson to Media.Monks and winning a legal battle with the Daily Mail, star creative director Jo Wallace tells us what we can expect to see from her next.

Interestingness

Why is the Mona Lisa so famous? — trungphan.substack.com It's a combination of da Vinci's genius and a notorious crime in 1911.

Platform News

Twitter is becoming a podcast app — www.theverge.com The app is launching a test today that includes podcasts in the Twitter Spaces tab. It is the company’s first foray into podcasting.

Meta is expanding NFT support on Instagram to 100 countries — techcrunch.com Users and businesses in more than 100 countries in Africa, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and the Americas will now be able to share their NFTs on Instagram.

That's all folks!

Gucci owner Kering says crypto “no longer niche,” wants to be Web3 “pioneers” — www.voguebusiness.com Kering chief client and digital officer Grégory Boutté lays out his Web3 strategy for the French luxury group.

How L’Oréal is gearing up for the metaverse — www.glossy.co

L’Oréal is leveraging physical, digital and virtual channels to move into the next stage of experiential beauty.

Puma makes big Web3 push as sports brands go all-in on the metaverse — www-voguebusiness-com.cdn.ampproject.org

The German sportswear brand sees digital goods as an extension of physical products that can add a new level to the experience through digital perks, but it’s entering a competitive sneaker landscape.

NFT

Fashion industry leans into NFT experimentation in spite of bear market woes — www.theblock.co

The biggest brands experimenting in this space aren’t backing down, said Michael Litman, Senior Director of Web3 and NFT at Media Monks, an advertising firm. “We work with brands on a global level, with the likes of Gucci and Cool Cats and Ledger, which are building for the long-term rather than the here and now," he said. "The NFT community has quite a short attention span and goes on to the next thing very quickly. Our advice is, be agile and experimental but be building now for when the bull run begins again.”

10 learnings from NFT.NYC — www.linkedin.com

10 learnings from NFT.NYC, here we go!

Business/Marketing/Adv

Depop's Collaboration With 'The Sims 4' Is All About Thrift Shopping — www.nylon.com The collaboration offers original fashion items that 'Sims' players can purchase in the game's local thrift store and boba hangout spot, ThrifTea.

Apple’s mixed reality headset will reportedly feature content created by Hollywood directors — www.theverge.com Apple is reportedly teaming up with Hollywood directors, like Jon Favreau, to create video content for its upcoming virtual reality and augmented reality headset.

Interestingness

Cathie Wood: NFTs, DeFi, digital wallets will become important, huge opportunities — www.cnbc.com Cathie Wood says digital property rights related to NFTs and DeFi and the emergence of Web3 "are going to become incredibly important."

Crawley Town FC Owner WAGMI United & Adidas To Drop NFTs — www.cryptotimes.io WAGMI United, the crypto company that purchased Crawley Town FC, has teamed up with Adidas for an NFT collection dropping on July 6.

Platform News

Samsung turns to Discord to build out its metaverse strategy — digiday-com.cdn.ampproject.org Discord -- a popular messaging platform for gamers that in recent years has gained more mainstream adoption -- has been increasingly important for Samsung's metaverse strategy.

Facebook begins testing NFTs with select creators in the US — techcrunch.com

After debuting NFT support on Instagram in May, Meta has launched digital collectibles support on Facebook with select creators. A spokesperson for Meta told TechCrunch that the company has started a slow rollout that allows a select group of creators in the United States to post digital collectibles on Facebook.

That's all folks!

RTFKT Is the Creator-led Studio Bringing Nike Into the Metaverse — www.highsnobiety.com

"The goal of RTFKT was to create the first native brand bonding crypto and gaming culture, and to redefine what you think of a brand, a product, a community — everything."

Logitech hosted the first music awards show in the metaverse — journaltime.org

With a ceremony taking place in Roblox, the second edition of the official Song Breaker Awards was made, recognising the creators who shape pop music on social networks.

Web3/NFT

Starbucks: We're creating the digital Third Place — stories.starbucks.com

“We are fascinated by how NFTs allow people to own a programmable, brandable digital asset, that also doubles as an access pass. We believe they have broad potential to create an expanded, shared-ownership model for loyalty, the offering of unique experiences, community building, storytelling, and customer engagement.

Chris Dixon thinks web3 is the future of the internet — is it? — www.theverge.com

Why VC firm a16z has spent $3 billion funding crypto startups like CoinBase and NFT platforms including OpenSea.

Business/Marketing/Crypto

S4 Capital posts whopper results despite auditing delay share slump — www.cityam.com

The ad tycoon said that S4 would continue its focus in tech, exploring areas such as the metaverse, NFTs and crypto.

Gucci to Accept Crypto Payments in Some U.S. Stores — www.bloomberg.com Gucci will accept payments in cryptocurrencies in the U.S. starting this month, as the luxury industry takes tentative steps into the digital-asset universe.

Interestingness

FIFA 2022 in Qatar will have Blockchain supported Wallet — www.unlock-bc.com

FIFA has teamed up with Algorand Blockchain for both a sponsorship and technical partnership deal. Algorand will become the official blockchain platform of FIFA and provide the official blockchain-supported wallet solution.

Wellness

PwC offers UK staff shorter Friday work hours for summer Accountancy firm extends its flexible-work ‘deal’ to woo staff after popular trial last summer

Platform News

Elon Musk lines up $7bn backing for Twitter deal — www.bbc.co.uk The billionaire has tapped the likes of Oracle's Larry Ellison and Sequoia to finance the takeover.

That's all folks!

The parallels between sneaker culture and Web3 — uxdesign.cc How does sneaker design relate to Web3? The emergence of cryptocurrencies and NFTs is comparable to the popularity of modern sneaker design. Historical patterns and human behavior can help identify…

The Sandbox metaverse hits 2M users and launches Alpha Season 2 — venturebeat.com The Sandbox now has more than two million registered users and is launching Alpha Season 2 for its metaverse.

NFT

[Podcast] NFTs and Social with Michael Litman, Lead Creative Strategist at Media.Monks — open.spotify.com

NFTs have broken through to the mainstream in a big way. Currently, brands such as Lamborghini, Prada, and Nike are figuring out that NFTs can be seamlessly woven into their marketing strategies and used for brand loyalty. In this episode, Media.Monks Lead Creative Strategist, Michael Litman discusses why NFTs are in the spotlight, how they're used today, and how they translate into social.  

Adobe is taking another step into NFTs — www.theverge.com Adobe has added support for the Polygon blockchain platform to its Behance social network, letting artists make theoretically more environmentally friendly NFTs.

Japan's E-Commerce Giant Rakuten Launches NFT Marketplace — blockworks.co Rakuten said its NFT marketplace would allow for the purchase, sale and trade of virtual assets based on Japanese manga and TV shows.

Business/Marketing/Adv

How Luxury Brands Are Manufacturing Scarcity in the Digital Economy — hbr.org Lessons from Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton, and Gucci.

Nike Converted The Kid’s Space Of A Physical Store Into A Virtual Playground — designtaxi.com Nike’s virtual world can be accessed from home.

Interestingness

Hugo Boss Hires Virtual Influencers to Promote Their Rebrand — www.virtualhumans.org

As part of their rebrand strategy, Hugo Boss is betting on virtual influencers and young celebrities to help it enter a new, younger market and become a top global brand in the next digital era.

The Rise and Stall of the U.S. Smart Speaker Market — voicebot.ai Smart speakers powered by Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri represented a white-hot consumer device market in the 2016-2019 period. Surging..

Platform News

Instagram says it’ll stop supporting the IGTV app — www.theverge.com Instagram has announced that it’s shutting down the IGTV app, which was introduced in 2018 as a competitor to YouTube. Since then, it’s struggled to entice users, especially after Reels came along.

Non-crypto natives launch social tokens to engage with community and fans — cointelegraph.com

"Social tokens can be used to gain access to specific communities, like on Discord. By being less financially focused, social tokens are more accessible to the mainstream, which is why we are seeing increased interest,”

That's all folks!

Gartner: A quarter of people will have spent time in the metaverse by 2026 — cointelegraph.com New research by Gartner has found that 25% of people will spend at least one hour a day in the Metaverse by 2026, and brands are already gearing up for the changes.

Disney hires Mike White to lean into metaverse efforts — www.theblockcrypto.com Disney has hired tech executive Mike White to fill a new role coordinating the company's metaverse efforts, according to a memo that CEO Bob Chapek sent to employees.

NFT

How A NFT Pivot Turned A Tiny Mobile Game Company Into Multi-Billion Dollar Powerhouse — www.forbes.com Yat Siu has transformed Animoca Brands from a struggling Australian game maker into a blockchain powerhouse. His audacious gamble on more than 150 NFT investments is the ultimate litmus test for the future of the $200 billion video game industry.

Steve Aoki Says He’s Made More Money With NFTs Than From 10 Years of Music Advances NFTs could prove essential for artists, said Steve Aoki, adding that "labels will have to do more than just add the song on a playlist."

Business/Marketing/Adv

Bored Apes, BuzzFeed and the Battle for the Future of the Internet — www.vice.com The self-righteous anger over the identification of the founders of a popular NFT club says a lot about the web3 battles to come in the years ahead.

Apple To Enable Crypto Payments With ‘Tap To Pay’ by the End of 2022 — finance.yahoo.com

Using the NFC technology the company will be providing its iPhone XS and higher model holders, the opportunity to conduct their transactions entirely wirelessly.

Interestingness

Move Over Digital Media, China’s First Virtual Magazine Is Here — jingdaily.com Within two days of launching, MO Magazine — China’s first virtual publication, co-created by Huasheng Media and Alimama — has garnered over 400,000 readers.

Why Streetwear Is Dead — www.nytimes.com Long live fashion. They are actually one and the same.

Platform News

YouTube to Allow Creators to Mint Content as NFTs — raritysniper.com

In a preview of YouTube’s new tools for creators and viewers in 2022, YouTube’s Chief Product Officer Neal Mohan revealed that YouTube creators will have the ability to mint content as non-fungible tokens (NFTs). The innovation attempts to leverage Web 3.0 technology to better connect creators with their fans.

Twitter lets you tip creators with Ethereum — www.engadget.com Twitter just made it easier to tip creators using Ethereum as well as services like Barter and Paytm..

That's all folks!

5 Discord, LinkedIn, and Telegram groups ad execs are joining — alongside the likes of Mark Cuban and Snoop Dogg — to get up to speed on the metaverse — www.businessinsider.com

"I am fascinated by the colliding worlds of anonymous identity where you get to know people in the NFT community simply by their username and profile picture, versus the real world personal connectivity on LinkedIn," said Litman, Lead Creative Strategist at Media.Monks.

McDonald’s Metaverse Moves: 11 Trademark Applications for 'Virtual Restaurant' & Virtual Goods — cryptonews.com American fast-food behemoth McDonald’s is the latest major brand to make a move into the metaverse by filing no fewer than twelve trademark applications on February 4, eleven of which make direct references to virtual restaurants, cafes, concerts, and other virtual services, goods, and events.

NFT

Gucci Acquires Land on The Sandbox Metaverse — www.highsnobiety.com Expanding its roster of digital initiatives, Gucci is partnering with The Sandbox, a metaverse world where players buy and develop virtual real estate.

Ex-Disney Chairman Bob Iger expects NFTs to explode and hints at the media conglomerate's push into the metaverse — markets.businessinsider.com "You're going to see an explosion of things being created, traded, collected in NFTs," he told the New York Times.

Business/Marketing/Adv

PrettyLittleThing releases first virtual model, officially entering the metaverse PrettyLittleThing just released their first virtual model, featuring this season's hottest trends on the PLT website

Interestingness

David Guetta Will Perform as an Avatar for First Time In Upcoming Roblox Set — www.billboard.com

The French producer will make his debut as an avatar during a 45-minute set in online gaming platform.

Platform News

What a Salesforce NFT cloud service could mean for marketers On a company call this week, Salesforce executives discussed a vision for rolling out an NFT cloud service, according to published reports. This could mean that marketers on the fence about whether they should get into the NFT game could have support if they are a Salesforce customer, or if other major tech companies decide to provide a similar cloud service.

Twitter’s roll-out of NFT profile pictures offers insight into what users really want — www.theblockcrypto.com

Twitter Blue, a paid subscription offering from Twitter, rolled out a new feature for its subscribers to upload non-fungible tokens (NFTs) as profile pictures.

That's all folks!

How Discord became the “Soho House of Web 3.0” — www.voguebusiness.com The invite-only social media platform has become a way to create hype and find audiences for NFT projects. It’s the latest gateway for brands including Adidas and Gucci to enter the metaverse.

Ralph Lauren CEO says metaverse is way to tap into younger generation of shoppers — www.cnbc.com Ralph Lauren CEO Patrice Louvet said participating in the virtual world extends the brand's reach and creates new money-making opportunities.

The Sandbox Partners with Warner Music Group to Create Music-themed World in the Metaverse — www.animocabrands.com The Sandbox, a leading decentralized gaming virtual world and a subsidiary of Animoca Brands, announced today that it has partnered with Warner Music Group (WMG) to create the first music-themed world in The Sandbox gaming metaverse. A combination of musical theme park and concert venue, the Warner Music Group LAND in The Sandbox will feature concerts and musical experiences featuring WMG’s leading roster of artists.

NFT

Pablo Picasso's Family to Release Groundbreaking NFT Collection — nftnow.com Marina Picasso, granddaughter of Pablo Picasso, and her son Florian Picasso have announced a multimedia, multi-platform collection of NFTs.

adidas Originals and Prada Announce a First-of-its-Kind Open-Metaverse & User-generated NFT Project — news.adidas.com

Introducing adidas x Prada re-source — an ambitious first-of-its-kind NFT collaboration that will feature user-generated and creator-owned art.

YouTube’s CEO Says the Company Will Explore NFT Features for Video Creators — www.bloomberg.com YouTube is exploring adding nonfungible token features for its video creators, Chief Executive Officer Susan Wojcicki wrote to the site’s broadcasters on Tuesday.

Business/Marketing/Adv

Cyber raises $6.7m to empower creatives to build their own worlds with digital assets — mirror.xyz

Cyber was born to give collectors and artists accessible tools to easily display their NFTs in immersive, composable spaces — we built Cyber with a mission to unlock creativity for all and foster the development of a curated online world filled with endless, valuable content.

Google is building an AR headset — www.theverge.com Google is building its own AR headset called Project Iris with the goal of shipping it in 2024. The device could see Google go up against Meta and Apple in the coming metaverse wars.

Wellness

Eat, Sleep, Exercise, Make Art — amp-theatlantic-com.cdn.ampproject.org

Just like exercise and sleep, engaging with the arts is a necessity for a full and happy life.

Platform News

How Jenny Gyllander Scaled Her Instagram Into a Business — mailchimp.com Passionate for brands and entrepreneurship? Learn how the founder/CEO of Thingtesting grew her social media following into a VC-backed business and much more.

That's all folks!

The Metaverse Has Already Arrived. Here’s What That Actually Means — time.com Once a niche concept, the idea of a centralized virtual world has careened into the mainstream landscape this year. Here's what to know.

The next Supreme will come from the metaverse — andjelicaaa.substack.com Why a crypto-native brand is the ultimate flex

Nike teams up with Roblox as metaverse interest grows — adage.com The sporting goods giant takes another step into the metaverse with 'Nikeland.'

adidas Enters the Metaverse With POAP — www.highsnobiety.com

adidas has quietly entered the metaverse with a mysterious digital collectible.

NFT

Mark Cuban’s Dallas Mavericks issues NFTs as reward to game attendees — www.ledgerinsights.com The Dallas Mavericks is issuing player profile picture NFTs as a reward to all fans that attend a basketball game

Luxury NFTs could become a $56 billion market by 2030 and could see 'dramatically' increased demand thanks to the metaverse, Morgan Stanley says — markets.businessinsider.com Getty Images Luxury NFTs could become a $56 billion market by 2030, Morgan Stanley said. These high-end tokens could "dramatically" increa...

Interestingness

Why Tokyo Works — metropolisjapan.com Understanding what makes Tokyo so special is noticing the aspects of Tokyo’s urban design that make the city so easy to be in.

Introducing the Brave Wallet, a Browser-Native Crypto Wallet With No Extension Required — brave.com Today, we launch the Brave Wallet, a native wallet built into the browser, enabling users to store, manage, grow, and swap crypto from within Brave.

Wellness

The 7 types of rest that every person needs — ideas-ted-com.cdn.ampproject.org

Rest should equal restoration in seven key areas of your life.

Platform News

Food Scan is inspiring the next generation of cooks, and it’s as easy as pie — newsroom.snap.com

Say hello to your new sous-chef: Food Scan! It’s available to Snapchatters starting today in the United States. 

Food Scan can parse and understand foods and ingredients you have right in front of you using computer vision.

Twitter Sets up Dedicated Team to Focus on Cryptocurrency and Decentralized Apps — news.bitcoin.com Twitter has set up a team to focus on "crypto, blockchains, and other decentralized technologies — including and going beyond cryptocurrencies.”

That's all folks!

Discord: Imagine a Place — www.notboring.co

Discord is not just a communication platform, it’s a hidden world. 

DAOs: Absorbing the Internet — www.readthegeneralist.com

If you only have a couple of minutes to spare, here’s what investors, operators, and founders can learn about DAOs.

NFT

How NFTs Create Value — hbr.org

*Must read* Understanding this new — and often confusing — asset class.

Universal Creates Virtual NFT Band Kingship with Jimmy McNelis — www.bloomberg.com Kingship, consisting of four virtual apes, reimagines the idea of a band — and a brand

Business/Marketing/Adv

Peloton slumps as more Americans return to the gym — www.washingtonpost.com Shares slumped more than 35 percent after the fitness equipment maker slashed its sales and subscriptions outlook.

Coinbase Revenues Could Hit Nearly $50B by 2025, Investment Firm Says — www.coindesk.com Hayden Capital writes that the crypto exchange giant is best-positioned to benefit from the industry’s strong growth.

Interestingness

DJ Khaled Launches Global Chicken Wing Delivery Restaurant — hypebeast.com DJ Khaled Launches Global Chicken Wing Delivery Restaurant: Another Wing is now available in over 150 cities, and can even be delivered by jet ski.

Wellness

The Great Resignation isn't just about employees demanding higher paychecks, it's about people completely rethinking their relationship to work. — www.businessinsider.com Americans are quitting their jobs at historic rates. They're tired of work conditions and are demanding more.

Almost one in four UK workers planning job change Confidence about finding new role especially high in manufacturing, with those in construction, tech and logistics also upbeat

Platform News

Twitter Blue launches in the US and New Zealand with expanded feature set — techcrunch.com

Twitter’s premium subscription service, Twitter Blue, is launching today in the U.S. as well as New Zealand, offering an expanded slate of features meant to appeal to Twitter’s most engaged users.

Original Penguin launches series of NFTs created by TikTok influencers — www-glossy-co.cdn.ampproject.org

Original Penguin will be the first fashion brand to use TikTok content as an NFT, working directly with TikTokers to support their talents through a limited collection drop of their designs.

That's all folks!

Metaverse

Investing in Friends With Benefits (a DAO) — a16z.com

Why Andreessen Horowitz invested in a DAO.

What Are DAOs And Why You Should Pay Attention — www.forbes.com DAOs envision a collective organization owned and managed by its members with all of them having a voice. While DAOs are not ubiquitous yet, they do seem to be picking up steam within the creator community and brands and businesses need to start to understand them.

NFT

EA calls NFT and blockchain games 'the future of our industry' — www.pcgamer.com

EA CEO Andrew Wilson called NFT and "play-to-earn" games the "the future of our industry," but added that "it's still early to figure out how that's going to work,"

Nike files for 'virtual goods' trademarks to brand NFTs, video games — www.cnbc.com Nike files for a 'virtual goods' patent. With CNBC's Melissa Lee, and the Fast Money traders, Tim Seymour, Dan Nathan, Karen Finerman and Brian Kelly.

Business/Marketing/Adv

Netflix launches first games for subscribers — www-bbc-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org

Netflix is launching its first games worldwide as it seeks to break into the game subscription market.

Oatly Moves Into Sustainable Fashion With Vintage Clothes Drop: With More To Come — plantbasednews.org Oat milk giant Oatly is making moves into sustainable fashion with the launch of a range of vintage reworked denim jackets

Interestingness

Are There Enough Strawberries in a Kellogg’s Strawberry Pop-Tart? A Court Might Decide — www.wsj.com

Lawsuit asks for $5 million in relief, claiming the toaster pastries actually contain more pears and apples; ‘non-strawberry fruit ingredients’

Netflix's 'Formula 1: Drive to Survive' Led to a Boom in Popularity — www.si.com From crashes to comebacks, the storylines in 'Formula 1: Drive to Survive' have given the sport a major boost in the U.S.

Wellness

Friends & simcha: a simple start to restore workplace culture — www.getrevue.co

We are making everything ultra efficient. How many steps you take, how quick we get things done, for instance video conferencing vs face to face meetings. However good a video call is you really cannot see if their irises are opening and they don’t allow us to establish real rapport.

Kellogg's to give staff fertility, menopause and miscarriage leave — www-bbc-com.cdn.ampproject.org

Cereals manufacturer Kellogg's has announced it will provide more support to staff experiencing the menopause, pregnancy loss or fertility treatment.

The Real Culprit Behind Zoom Fatigue — www.kornferry.com The underlying problem behind feeling “Zoomed out” is actually camera fatigue, a new study indicates.

That's all folks!

Metaverse! Metaverse? Metaverse!! — www.ben-evans.com

This might be the new ‘information highway.’ But however it works, some kind of break-out of new devices, new experiences and new kinds of popular culture seems pretty easy to believe in.

Labs Report - A practical guide to the Metaverse — docs.google.com

Check out this excellent practical guide to the metaverse from the super smart innovation team at Labs.Monks.

NFT

Coinbase’s NFT Waitlist Tops 1 Million Signups on First Day — www.bloomberg.com Coinbase Global Inc.’s not-yet-launched marketplace for nonfungible tokens is already a hot spot.

NFTs offer a new way for society to ‘store culture’ says Animoca Brands CEO — cointelegraph.com Animoca Brands co-founder Yat Siu argues that NFTs offer society a new way to “store culture”

Business/Marketing/Adv

Chanel limits purchase of its iconic bags to one per customer per year — designtaxi.com It’s going to be more difficult and expensive to get your hands on the brand’s coveted offerings.

Invisible fridges and cooling cubbies: how kitchens have been designed for the rich

The latest status symbol in kitchens is invisible appliances – but hiding behind that fridge disguised as a cabinet is a long history of people trying to engineer society.

Interestingness

Epic Games may be launching an Entertainment Division, potentially making a Fortnite movie - Gamepur — www.gamepur.com Will Jonesy or Peely headline this film?

Bored Ape Yacht Club Creators Yuga Labs Sign Representation Deal With Madonna, U2 Manager Guy Oseary — www.nhregister.com As the NFT — or nonfungible tokens — marketplace has found its footing among...

Wellness

Amazon ditches three-days-a-week requirement — www.protocol.com

Amazon announced that it will no longer require its entire workforce to report to the office three days a week.

Lack of job candidates is pushing up pay increases at fastest rate since 1997 — www.cityam.com

Pay increases are currently being powered by a near-record drop in the number of candidates for job vacancies, according to new research, shared with City A.M

That's all folks!

Fintech Revolut Is Launching its Own Token, Which Will Be Earned By Users — bitcoinexchangeguide.com

Fintech company Revolut is now exploring launching its very own cryptocurrency token. Revolut has more than 16 million customers and sees over 150 million transactions per month.

Guardian owner invests in Unlock, an NFT protocol designed for subscriptions and memberships — techcrunch.com

GMG Ventures (parent company of The Guardian newspaper) has unvested in Unlock, the developer of an open source, Ethereum-based protocol designed to monetize and manage community memberships.

Business/Marketing/Adv

Dapper Labs Partners with La Liga, Hits $7.6 Billion Valuation — boardroom.tv Dapper Labs made two major announcements on Wednesday as the company behind NBA Top Shot prepares to bring you moments from La Liga.

Katy Perry, Nas, and Jason Derulo Are Investing Big in a Spotify Rival — www.rollingstone.com

When you play a song on major streaming platforms, money doesn’t just zoom straight into an artist’s pocket. But what if it did? That’s how payments are designed to work on Audius, a platform built on a blockchain — yes, the same technological network that NFTs run on.

Interestingness

Netflix Acquires Iconic Roald Dahl Story Company — about.netflix.com The Roald Dahl Story Company (RDSC) and Netflix are joining forces to bring some of the world's most loved stories to current and future fans in creative new ways.

Meet Spottie WiFi, the CryptoPunk Rapper Who Made $192,000 in 60 Seconds — amp-www-complex-com.cdn.ampproject.org

Mig Mora thought his music career was over in 2012. This year, he released an NFT project that generated more money in 60 seconds than he'd ever made from a full year of releasing music. This is a story all about how...

Wellness

The ‘workation’: why working from a dream destination isn’t all sunshine. Heading for Bangkok, Lisbon or Budapest to work remotely? You might want to consider your work-life balance – and bank balance – before you go

Platform News

TikTok launches first creator-led NFT collection — newsroom.tiktok.com Featuring Lil Nas X, Bella Poarch, Brittany Broski, Curtis Roach, and more Inspired by the creativity and innovation of the TikTok creator community, we're exploring the world of NFTs as a new creator

Twitter exec reveals test footage of verification tools for NFT profile pictures — www.theblockcrypto.com In addition to verified NFT profile pictures, users may display other NFTs they own through the upcoming “Collectible” menu option.

That's all folks!

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Crypto/Metaverse

Born In The Metaverse: Will RTFKT’s New Avatar Project Be The Next Big Thing In NFTs And Fashion? — www.forbes.com Punks, Apes, Cats, and now Akiras? Born from the fashion world, the Akira Project, is a new 3D avatar NFT project that is leading the way by showing how to enter the metaverse authentically and with a focus on creators and community. Brands that are watching from the sidelines should take notes.

Vans is launching its own world inside of Roblox's metaverse Vans World is the latest way Roblox has become a marketing platform to help companies reach 46 million kids a day.

Business/Marketing/Adv

Karl Lagerfeld Inspired NFT Collection Sells Out in 49 Minutes — nftevening.com

The Karl Lagerfeld brand’s first foray into NFTs was a massive hit. The digital collectibles were sold out in just 49 minutes.

Burger King's NFT strategy matures beyond stunts toward real engagement — www.marketingdive.com

As part of the celeb backed Keep It Real Meals, customers can scan QR codes and receive collectible game pieces that go toward other rewards

Interestingness

“Imagine If the ‘Mona Lisa’ Was Digital and Then Auctioned on the Internet”: The Only NFT Explainer You Really Need, From a True Believer — www.vanityfair.com Are NFTs real? And here to stay? Nick Bilton checks in with Coinbase cofounder Fred Ehrsam, an early crypto champion, who thinks the world is changing before our eyes.

Dirt: Are NFTs status symbols? — dirt.substack.com Exclusivity in the digital world.

A Framework for Investing in NFTs — medium.com The NFT Art ecosystem is here to stay. It will have its ups and downs, but it is here to stay. And faster than you might expect, it will eclipse the physical art market in terms of capitalization…

Platform News

TikTok overtakes YouTube for average watch time in US and UK — www.bbc.com TikTok has higher watch time per user than video giant YouTube in the US and UK, a report suggests.

Ray-Ban and Facebook introduce Ray-Ban Stories, first-generation smart glasses — tech.fb.com

Starting at $299 USD and available in 20 style combinations, the smart glasses are available for purchase online and in select retail stores

The Met to Sell Limited-run Designer Goods Via Instagram — wwd.com Instagram is also making the Costume Institute’s upcoming exhibition possible.

That's all folks!

Coke takes a sip of the NFT trend with charity auction for digital collectibles — www.thedrum.com Coca-Cola has teamed with 3D creators at Tafi to host an auction for special-edition virtual ‘loot boxes’ of NFTs. Profits from the event will be donated to the Special Olympics, of which Coke is a long-standing sponsor.

Cultural Liquidity: The Rise of Cryptomedia — digitalnative.substack.com

Status is just as important to us online. It just hits different. Status in the form of projects w/ prestige & recognition. Status in rarity of individual mints. Status in being part of exclusive community...

Mapping the Net-a-Porter of NFT marketplaces — www.voguebusiness.com As fashion and beauty brands test strategies and appetite for non-fungible tokens, both established and emerging players are positioning to become the dominant marketplace.

Business/Marketing/Adv

S4 Capital unveils network-wide agency rebrand as MediaMonks takes center stage — www.thedrum.com S4 Capital has announced a network-wide rebrand, repositioning its 24 companies – which previously each operated their own individual agency brands – into a single ’unitary brand’ identity. The company will now be known as Media.Monks.

Jay-Z and Will Smith Invest in Rent-to-Own Startup Landis — www-blackenterprise-com.cdn.ampproject.org

Jay-Z and Will Smith are among a list of investors involved in a startup that helps renters build credit until they can buy a home.

Interestingness

Nearly a third of waking hours spent on TV and streaming, Ofcom says — www.bbc.com Older people have been watching more linear TV while on-demand is a big hit with younger audiences.

The Pandemic Changed How We Spent Our Time — www.nytimes.com Minute-by-minute data offers a glimpse of how we suddenly adapted to a different way of living in 2020 — and how those changes varied greatly across groups.

Wellness

Bumble to give staff unlimited paid holiday — www-bbc-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org

The move comes after the firm temporarily closed its offices in June for a week to combat workplace stress.

‘It will be draining to build new routines’: Rusty interpersonal skills need addressing for office returns — digiday.com Employees’ soft skills didn’t disappear during lockdown, but they did lie dormant and will need dusting off and refreshing.

Platform News

TikTok, your new in-flight entertainment option - CNET — www.cnet.com The video-sharing service takes to the skies on American Airlines.

Travis Scott Dropped a New Single Via Drone — www.rollingstone.com

To those looking to debut new music during a concert set, Travis Scott has a solution: QR codes, delivered by a legion of gigantic overhead drones.

That's all folks!

Mark Zuckerberg is betting Facebook’s future on the metaverse — www.theverge.com The Facebook CEO talks to Casey Newton about why he is putting his company’s resources toward the "metaverse," a future that imagines an internet that combines physical, augmented, and virtual realities.

Damien Hirst's ‘Currency’ NFT drop more than 6X oversubscribed Damien Hirst’s NFT drop saw 32,472 people apply for a total of 67,023 NFTs, which was more than six times the amount of NFTs available in the drop.

Business/Marketing/Adv

Sir Martin Sorrell toasts his comeback at booming S4 Capital — www.thisismoney.co.uk

Sir Martin Sorrell's outfit S4 Capital said in a trading update that sales and profits had surpassed expectations this summer.

Peloton Launching Video Game for Bike Owners — gizmodo.com Bike and Bike+ owners will be able to work out while playing a video game.

Interestingness

NFTs may outlast physical art galleries, says famed British artist Damien Hirst — www.cnbc.com "Anything that looks good and feels good" is art, Damien Hirst told CNBC on Wednesday. "It doesn't have to be in a gallery."

PES renamed eFootball, goes free-to-play, digital-only — www.eurogamer.net The dramatic shift begins with this year's game, simply titled eFootball, which is due out on consoles, PC and mobile with cross-play.

Wellness

Too Many Zoom Meetings? ‘Core Hours’ Keep Some Remote Workers Productive and Sane — www.wsj.com

Slack, Dropbox and other businesses try limiting the time that employees have to be ‘on’ to preserve life-work balance.

Why introverts excelled at working from home — www.bbc.com Remote work offered 'quiet deliverers' who flew under the radar in the office a chance to really stand out.

Platform News

Snap buys another company to make AR shopping a reality — www.theverge.com Snap has acquired Vertebrae, an AR shopping company that helps brands turn their goods into 3D assets, which could help Snapchat become an augmented reality shopping destination.

TikTok Becomes the First Non-Facebook Mobile App to Reach 3 Billion Downloads Globally — sensortower.com Sensor Tower data reveals that TikTok has now surpassed 3 billion installs globally, the first non-Facebook app to do so.

That's all folks!

Damien Hirst's New NFT Project Forces Buyers to Choose Between Owning a Digital Token or a Work on Paper — news.artnet.com Damien Hirst's new project "The Currency" gives collectors the choice to own an NFT or a corresponding physical artwork.

NFT sales volume surges to $2.5 bln in 2021 first half — www.reuters.com The market for non-fungible tokens (NFTs) surged to new highs in the second quarter, with $2.5 billion in sales so far this year, up from just $13.7 million in the first half of 2020, marketplace data showed.

Business/Marketing/Adv

McDonald’s has big hopes for its loyalty program — www.restaurantbusinessonline.com

“This is something our customers have been waiting for,”

Popshop Live raises about $20M at a $100M valuation for its livestream shopping platform for hipsters — techcrunch.com

Like Depop, the ethos of Popshop is based around a mix of interesting items, sold by equally interesting people, with some socializing thrown in for good measure by way of a stream of chat that runs alongside the selling videos, and of course an algorithmic feed that lets you watch show, after show, after show, as you swipe into the night.

Interestingness

Netflix Expands Into Video Games With New Executive Hire — www.hollywoodreporter.com Netflix is expanding into video games and has hired Mike Verdu, a former Facebook and EA executive, as its vp game development.

Content, Services, and Asset Businesses in the Metaverse — www.matthewball.vc The role of content, services, and asset businesses in the Metaverse. Part VIII of ‘THE METAVERSE PRIMER’

Wellness

The twisted psychology of browser tabs—and why we can’t get rid of them — www.fastcompany.com New research proves that it’s not just you: Browser tabs are scientifically terrible.

The radical return: why we’re making hybrid work into a creative advantage — www.thedrum.com Ad agency R/GA recently unveiled its plans to create a hybrid workplace that works for staff as well as clients. Global chief strategy officer Tom Morton explains how and why they created the model.

Platform News

YouTube’s TikTok competitor YouTube Shorts is rolling out globally — www.theverge.com

The short-form video experience arrives in more than 100 countries

Are Instagram Curators the New Influencers? Rimowa Thinks So

"They have the ability to take a product out of its context and go deeper into it. "

That's all folks!

Crypto Quarterly by Andreessen Horowitz — a16z.com

Volume One of the Crypto Quarterly by a16z covers the rise of NFTs, crypto's potential to reduce fraud, and enabling digital microwork globally.

Business/Marketing/Adv

Long Read: How Oatly used offbeat marketing to turn vegan milk into a $10 billion business — qz.com Sweden's Oatly is tussling with Big Dairy and taking the US, Asia, and Europe by storm.

Gap: where did it all go wrong for the iconic 90s brand? — www.thedrum.com When Gap appeared on British high streets in 1987, its particular brand of all-American fashion proved an instant hit. Three decades on, however, it had lost its distinctive appeal and yesterday (July 1) shuttered all 81 of its UK stores. So, where did it go wrong?

Interestingness

Roblox signs music partnership with Sony — www.theverge.com

Roblox has signed a deal with Sony Music Entertainment for "innovative music experiences,"

John Lewis plans to build 10,000 rental homes — www-bbc-com.cdn.ampproject.org

John Lewis has announced plans to move into the residential property market by building 10,000 homes for rental over the next few years.

Wellness

World’s largest ever four day week trial in Iceland ‘overwhelming success’ — www.independent.co.uk Unions in the country are following up the trial by negotiating agreements that cut hours

Platform News

Twitter Dives Into NFTs, Offers Newly Created Assets in Giveaway — www.bloomberg.com Twitter Inc. will give away 140 new NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, the social network’s first official foray into the digital assets that have grown in popularity since the beginning of the year.

Instagram Tests 'Fan Club' Stories, NFT-Style 'Collectibles' In-App — www.socialmediatoday.com Instagram appears to be working on a couple of different experiments aimed at boosting interaction in the app, and tapping into the rise of NFTs, or digital products, in-stream.

That's all folks!

Crypto is 'the future of finance’: Why Gen Z is ditching traditional investments — www.cnbc.com

The next generation of investors are super online ⁠— instead of traditional investments, many Gen Z and young millennial investors, from teens to those in their early 20s, are bullish on cryptocurrency and the technology that surrounds it.

Digital land in Decentraland sells for $913K... to a virtual property developer — cointelegraph.com An investment firm has spent more than $913,000 on 259 virtual land plots in the crypto-powered open gaming metaverse, Decentraland.

Business/Marketing/Adv

Lego has created an Adidas sneaker, complete with laces and a shoebox — www.cnn.com Sneaker fans can add yet another new product to their collection, although this shoe is not one to wear.

Ferrari moves into food and fashion — www.freemalaysiatoday.com Luxury sports carmaker is keen to 'support excellence and the best Italian creativity'.

Interestingness

Creativity is dead, long live curation — andjelicaaa.substack.com

Curation as a preferential strategy for brand differentiation, relevance, and equity gain.

Unilever reveals world-first paper-based laundry detergent bottle

“Innovating with alternative materials is a key part of our sustainable packaging strategy and will play an important role in our commitment to halve our use of virgin plastic materials by 2025.”

Wellness

You are not your job — www.thenewfatherhood.org On the unbundling of work and identity, and the search for purpose

Platform News

The Sims 4 Is Hosting An In-Game Music Festival Now — kotaku.com Bebe Rexha, Glass Animals, and Joy Oladokun to sing their songs in Simlish at Sims Sessions

That's all folks!