Friday Fives, Vol. 184
This week we’re loving Airbnb’s humanitarian efforts, skateboarding into the weekend with a gnarly new board, and pretending to be music producers with an addictive rap soundboard.
In a last salute to summer, TWA will be going on summer break next week, but we’ll be back (refreshed and potentially sunburnt) on September 17!
We’re commending Airbnb for stepping up and providing temporary housing to 20,000 Afghan refugees. The Airbnb community has a history of supporting displaced people, from natural disaster victims to frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky hopes that this gesture inspires other businesses to do their part in this humanitarian crisis. Read the full statement here.
Liquid Death is a canned water company famous for their brutal yet delightfully macabre branding. They promise to help “Murder your thirst,” but also want to kill off other problems such as plastic pollution and boring marketing. To that end, their latest stunt involves coating a skateboard with red paint infused with skateboarding legend Tony Hawk’s actual blood. Sadly, they only made 100 boards, which sold out in a heartbeat. Each retailed for $500, with 10% of profits going to good causes like 5 Gyres and The Skatepark Project. If you’ll excuse us, we’re off to sip on some haunting canned mountain water and play Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater.
Dreams are mysterious. They say we have them every night, but we don’t always remember them–and even when we do, we wake up scratching our heads wondering why we’ve dreamt about eating a big plate of lasagna with Freddie Mercury and our 5th grade PE teacher. Well, according to experts, there are common dreams that have real world meanings. This article is a helpful guide, but we have one more question about a dream not listed on there: What does it mean when you’re having a nightmare where you can’t come up with a clever way to end a newsletter article? Asking for a friend.
Have you ever noticed that books published in the same era often have similar cover styles? Or wondered why certain cover trends catch on? Publishers say a lot of it has to do with marketing. Take Instagram for example. We’re all guilty of literature bragging on social media, showing the world how gosh darn smart and cultured we are by virtue of our book choice — not to mention, people are more likely to photograph beautiful cover designs. Amazon thumbnails come into play, too, forcing covers to be visually arresting, even in small form. When one type of art style sells books, others are prone to repeat it. Hit us up for your next book design project.
Rap ad-libs are a beautiful thing. They’re like the sonic croutons on a delightful word salad. This early 2000s style internet soundboard collects all the classic grunts, barks, screams, and one-liners from iconic rappers. Pepper these into your next Zoom call the way these artists sprinkle them into their songs, and your coworkers will absolutely love hearing Lil Jon scream “yeahhhuhh” in support of their ideas. Enjoy, and if you’re in need of pepping up in preparation for the weekend, just remember the wise words of DJ Khaled–“we the best.”
The Working Assembly is an award-winning branding and creative agency.
Established in 2017, we collaborate with emerging and evolving companies for end-to-end brand building, including strategy and visual identity, print and digital design, content, and creative campaigns.
Have a project in mind? Let’s talk.
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The Working Assembly
NYC branding agency exploring the intersection of art, design, technology and culture. Partnering with emerging and evolving brands.
