Friday Fives, Vol. 252
This week we’re not loving the new take on “I Love New York,” rethinking how we view narcissists, getting the scoop on a cereal giant’s new name, peeping some “pantry porn,” and discussing the new AI media generator that’s also generating some legal concerns.
We Love New York, But Not Its Logo
In this week’s episode of “The Rebrand Nobody Asked For,” we have the immediately divisive “We Love NY” unveiled by the Partnership for New York City. This new design replaces the “I Love NY” logo that’s been a mainstay of New York tourism since Milton Glaser created it in 1977. New Yorkers have had mixed feelings about it, or to be more specific, a mixture of rage, confusion, and disappointment. As New Yorkers ourselves, we like the inclusiveness of the “we” and understand the subway inspired type…but we’ll save our most honest reactions to it for our Slack channel.
Stop the Cynicism Around Narcissism
Narcissists are some of the most publicly hated figures in America. Donald Trump. Elon Musk. Meghan Markle. Even our own parents, according to #narctok. These toxic personalities may deserve the “no contact” treatment: to be cut out of your life entirely. But Dr. Craig Malkin, author of Rethinking Narcissism believes narcissism exists on a spectrum and can be positive when someone is on the more benevolent side of the scale. At its core, narcissistic thinking is rooted in our ability to maintain “positive illusions” about ourselves that lead us to believe we can accomplish great things. A little narcissism can fuel confidence and boost self image. We’re not saying you should blow up your Instagram story with endless selfies, but a little self-love won’t hurt anybody.
Kellogg’s announced this week that their iconic company name and large portfolio of products are doing the big split. And by big split, we mean turning into one North America cereal-focused division and one snack-focused division. Many of us would have never noticed or bothered to chat about this change, but they made one interesting update: the snack division will be called “Kellanova”. Kellanova, a name that feels like a mystical drama, combines the iconic name with “nova”, latin for “new”. Naming is harder than it looks, folks.
If you are on TikTok, Pinterest, or are a fan of the Kardashians, chances are you’ve come across the term “pantry porn”. Hyper-organized shelves are all the rage now, with a 2019 report sharing that a walk-in pantry is one of the most sought-after kitchen features. While it’s mesmerizing and oddly soothing to watch, the obsession has quite a few underlying problems. The history of classic, racist and sexist structures proves that pantry porn isn’t as pretty as it’s filmed to be.
Adobe’s New AI Model Raises Concerns
Adobe has entered the AI game with Firefly, a new family of AI models for generating media content. This is sure to transform how creatives and agencies use the quintessential software; though with AI softwares popping up left and right, there are a lot of ethical and logistical concerns. From owning the rights to Firefly-produced images to generating new content from copyrighted images, Adobe is going to be facing quite a few legal hurdles in the months to come. Might be smart for your creative department to hold off on any public facing AI work for now.
Gearing up for summer travel? Grab a bottle of Betty Buzz at American Airlines and British Airways new JFK airport bar.
Partake Foods founder Denise Woodard opens up her pantry and shares her must-have favorites.
