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with Clara Malley, Eli Williams, and Trey Taylor

Side Projects Podcast

A Marketing , Business and News podcast

#174 in Marketing · 🇩🇰
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About the show

Side Projects is a strategy studio and creative outlet helping brands, marketers and everyday people think critically about how advertising shapes the cultural landscape across digital surfaces, generational cohorts, and our social fabric. Every Tuesday on our podcast, we talk with the most interesting voices across tech, media, and art to give marketers an inside look at the forces shaping culture before it hits the mainstream. Hosted by Clara Malley, Eli Williams and Trey Traylor. Find video episodes on YouTube. For questions, comments and inquiries: info@side-projects.co Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Newest episodes

Ep. 2 | Exploring the Secret History of Subway Ads

24 min

Welcome back to the Subway Series. Across four episodes, we’ll examine the past, present and future of New York subway advertising in conversation with experts from across the city. In Episode 2, we’re speaking with Jodi Shapiro: curator of the New York Transit Museum. We discuss the history of advertising within the subway system and the role that the subway system, and the MTA as a brand, have played in the culture of New York. Was advertising always a part of the city’s transit system? How were the first subway ads received by New Yorkers? Do women really prefer men who wear hats? Tune in to find out. Step in and stand clear! IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ep. 1 | Welcome to the Subway Series

23 min

Welcome to the Subway Series: a four-part series where we’ll examine the past, present and future of New York subway advertising in conversation with experts from across the city. To kick things off Eli and Clara are discussing a few of the obvious questions. Why do a month-long deep-dive into subway advertising? And what can it reveal about broader trends within the marketing world and culture writ large? They also give a preview of what you can expect in the weeks to come. Stay tuned on our Substack and social channels for more. Step in and stand clear! IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This Documentary Is the Psychopath-Off of the Year

30 min

You Can See Everything, the new documentary from Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim about the Theranos founder Elizabeth (or “Liz”) Holmes, has proven to be a real cultural moment — the biggest non-music documentary opening since Fahrenheit 9/11 in 2004. In this episode, Clara, Trey, and Eli discuss the enduring cultural curiosity surrounding Elizabeth Holmes, her domineering, coke-addled boyfriend Billy Evans, and why the film’s success and hype can be attributed to its stripped back production and secretive rollout. IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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All episodes

Ep. 2 | Exploring the Secret History of Subway Ads

24 min

Welcome back to the Subway Series. Across four episodes, we’ll examine the past, present and future of New York subway advertising in conversation with experts from across the city. In Episode 2, we’re speaking with Jodi Shapiro: curator of the New York Transit Museum. We discuss the history of advertising within the subway system and the role that the subway system, and the MTA as a brand, have played in the culture of New York. Was advertising always a part of the city’s transit system? How were the first subway ads received by New Yorkers? Do women really prefer men who wear hats? Tune in to find out. Step in and stand clear! IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ep. 1 | Welcome to the Subway Series

23 min

Welcome to the Subway Series: a four-part series where we’ll examine the past, present and future of New York subway advertising in conversation with experts from across the city. To kick things off Eli and Clara are discussing a few of the obvious questions. Why do a month-long deep-dive into subway advertising? And what can it reveal about broader trends within the marketing world and culture writ large? They also give a preview of what you can expect in the weeks to come. Stay tuned on our Substack and social channels for more. Step in and stand clear! IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This Documentary Is the Psychopath-Off of the Year

30 min

You Can See Everything, the new documentary from Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim about the Theranos founder Elizabeth (or “Liz”) Holmes, has proven to be a real cultural moment — the biggest non-music documentary opening since Fahrenheit 9/11 in 2004. In this episode, Clara, Trey, and Eli discuss the enduring cultural curiosity surrounding Elizabeth Holmes, her domineering, coke-addled boyfriend Billy Evans, and why the film’s success and hype can be attributed to its stripped back production and secretive rollout. IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Liberté, Égalité, Cultural Strategé

26 min

This week, Eli, Trey, and Clara are talking about what seems to be a growing existential crisis in the ill-defined world of “cultural strategy:” Who is it really for? What does it really mean? And as youth-led protests swell from Marseille to New Delhi, to what extent is “cultural strategy” helping to shape (or better) society in any meaningful, material way? We talk about Matt Klein’s recent “State of Cultural Strategy” poll, WGSN threatening to sue for “proprietary trend IP,” paying $1,000 to “define taste and culture,” industrial piping, and much more. IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gentleminions for Tech Dweebs

25 min

What’s one thing bringing high-flying Hollywood directors and regular Americans together en masse? Vilifying tech billionaires. Just as anti-tech populism is simmering to a boil ahead of the midterms, a slate of biopics and documentaries with hubristic tech billionaires—Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman, and Elizabeth Holmes—are hitting the theaters. Eli gets Trey’s thoughts on The Social Reckoning, Musk, You Can See Everything, and Artificial, how much these movies will really do to change anyone’s mind, and whether or not “really good creativity” or structural change (like getting $$ out of politics) can help turn the tides. IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Exactly Is a “Knowledge Creator”?

34 min

Over the past few years, we’ve been seeing a new genre of creators gain prominence. Maybe you've heard them referred to as “knowledge influencers,” “brandsplainers,” or the “alternatively influential.” Their credibility comes less from sales-savvy or attention hacking as it does from a depth of knowledge and expertise across a range of niches—from advertising to AGI. On this episode, Trey and Eli are talking with Jenny Rothenberg, the co-founder of Smooth Media, a creator rep agency/B2B conduit helping to expand the audiences and commercial viability of this growing crop of creators. We discuss how Smooth is building a new version of industry trade publications, why there’s so much demand for trend/brand creative breakdowns, and CatGPT’s equity deal. IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are There Too Many “Social-First” TV Shows?

27 min

Clara, Trey, and Eli discuss everything becoming TV, New York morphing into one big content backdrop, navigating Washington Square Park like it’s ABC’s Wipeout, and whether or not there are too many branded social series. Plus, Aliens, DraftKings VIP list, and Unzipped. IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One Novelty Popcorn Bucket to Rule Them All

25 min

This week on the pod, Clara, Trey, and Eli discuss the Grey Lady’s campaign celebrating 175 years of print advertising, and the quote “advertising reflects the moments that shape our world,” really means in its current context. Plus, Bumble cribbing (to put it lightly) friend of the show Amy Rose Spiegel’s “Most Eligible New Yorkers” piece, and an exploration of novelty popcorn buckets. IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How to Find Cool Music

43 min

Georgia Jaffe is the founder of Indie Hourzz: an online music, media, and culture platform which hosts intimate live sessions, concerts, and more. We spoke with her about hosting shows in her college apartment, cold-calling the Coca-Cola hotline, whether there are still regional differences in music scenes, and how to build an audience that trusts your point of view. IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A Whole Earth Catalog for the New Space Age

39 min

When you think about space exploration today, it’s easy to scoff at the profligate spending of billionaires drunk on ambition, the vanity trips laced with an impressive lack of self-awareness (best characterized by Gayle King’s “have you been?”), or even Space Force uniforms “inspired by the discipline of the Starship Trooper uniform.”  But there are actually good, insightful, and even artful things happening. One of them is the launch of SPACE JUNK, a new print publication “examining the intersection of the culture of space travel and humanity’s relationship with the cosmos.” We spoke with Jack Mills about why space is both a “red herring” and an “excuse to think about the future and ways that we might rebuild,” an impending NASA partnership butt-dialling astronauts, and how he got Bottega Veneta to foot some of the bill. IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Life Gives You Lemons, Drink a “Pink Lemon Drop Suncloud Lemonade”

23 min

It’s been a while since we’ve had the full gang together, and there’s much to discuss. Trey gives the run down on Corgi Cafe—and makes the case for Capitol One Café. Clara rants about how “special drink” culture has gone too far. Eli closes us out on a positive and optimistic high: Flock Cameras. IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Case Against “Cool Parent” Brand Strategy

46 min

Recently, there’s been a lot of anxiety around the health of subcultures: “Subcultures aren’t dead, they’re just not where you’re looking,” “Teen Subcultures Are Fading. Pity the Poor Kids,” “Alt Erasure: Has TikTok Killed Alternative Subcultures?.”  Brands like to think of themselves as conduits to subcultures, or, if you’ve spent time in the hefty, vertigo-inducing haze of a brand strategy deck, what we now call “niche communities.” But in practice—thanks to the need for immediately legible ROI—they tend to strip mine and erode what actually helps interesting ideas and people flourish. So what role if any do brands have to play in helping to build and cultivate subcultures? We spoke with Elliot Aronow, the founder of Minor Genius, about living in an “aggressively legible world,” why he thinks Ralph Lauren is the greatest marketer of all time, a “hot MILF” theory of brand strategy, and why brands should start thinking of themselves as cultural patrons. IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Don’t Hate the Creator, Hate the Economy

46 min

The creator economy has officially won, and periodic waves of influencer backlash have become a perennial feature of online discourse. Some recent examples include the “no influencers sign” in Nantucket, whether “hating influencers has become a socially acceptable way to hate women,” and talk of an influencer recession as the landscape becomes more crowded and competitive.  To parse legit grievances from convenient moral cover for envy, we turned to the writer and strategist Ochuko who you might know from her newsletter “as seen on.” We discuss why waiting for the end of influencers is like waiting for the end of the Kardashians, where we’re at in the five stages of acceptance, capitalism, honor, meritocracy, and scrounging for scraps on TikTok Shop.  IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How Do You Rebuild America’s Lost Sense of Community?

42 min

Is it a fun new beverage? Fast food innovation? Celebrity wedding? A disdain for data centers? An underdog sports story? We’re living through a moment of seemingly calcified cynicism and alienation, but there are palpable signs that people are looking to involve themselves in something bigger than themselves that’s positive.  As America celebrates its Semiquincentennial, we wanted to get a gut check (and an optimistic take) from someone who has a few ideas on positive connectivity and finding common purpose. Our guest this week is Scott Reich, author of One Day in September and The Power of Citizenship: JFK 60 Years Later. We talk about his push for mandatory civil service, why we need more local heroes, getting off the phone, tiny Cheez-It bags, and why you should visit a presidential library.  IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How Sotheby's Conquered the Attention Economy

34 min

Phyllis Kao is a senior auctioneer at Sotheby’s. You might’ve recently seen clips of her taking bids for a 67-million-year-old T-Rex named Gus, which sold for a whopping $50.1 million to an unnamed buyer. Being an auctioneer (auctioneering is not a verb) has always sat at the intersection of performance and expertise. And in the attention economy, Kao has displayed a knack for both in a way that’s helped the 18th century institution navigate the modern media ecosystem while also attracting a younger audience of bidders. We talk with Phyllis about how auctions have evolved with the rise of social media, her thoughts on celeb-backed auction houses like Pharrell’s JOOPITER, why there’s such high demand for brand archives in the age of AI, the lost art of expertise, and more. IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AI Won’t Get You Laid

38 min

Brands have rightly diagnosed a desire for connection and romance, hosting “mixers,” posting personals, and even producing dating shows on social. But what role should they really be playing as matchmakers? We wanted to hear from someone with a real pulse on the dating scene and hit up Amy Rose Spiegel, a senior editor at The Cut and author of the publication's Personals newsletter to come on the pod. We talk about why she doesn’t buy into the stereotype that Gen Z aren’t having sex, dating narrative bias in media, why you should never use AI for dating, how romantasy has shifted the way some people are dating, and if people are tired of brands mediating their love life. IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The FYP Halftime Show, Brought to You by FIFA

24 min

Eli and Clara discuss the highs and lows of the World Cup, with an eye toward how brands leveraged big-name talent like Madonna, Messi, the Muppets, and David “the Coca-Cola of humans” Beckham. Plus: our thoughts on the FIFA Peace Prize, Hidden Valley Ranch, Erling Haaland’s vlog, and (unexpectedly) Kamala Harris.  IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Good Style Requires an Interesting Life

49 min

Clara and Trey sat down with Jalil Johnson—fashion professional, writer, and creator of popular Substack ‘Consider Yourself Cultured’—to talk about the changing role of fashion in culture and the current obsession with taste. They discuss how social media incentivizes reference curation over developing a point of view, “buying the look” instead of learning the ropes, Covid-era style experimentation, the pleasures of delayed gratification via made-to-order clothing, and heat wave styling inspiration. IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Advertising Is So Highly Hypnotic”

33 min

Hypnotist and hypnosis instructor Désirée Eckert joins Eli and Clara to talk about the trance states we enter every day (scrolling on our phones for one) and why building our awareness of trance is a useful tool for seeing both how our attention is extracted and how we can reclaim it. We discuss the infinite scroll, quitting cigarettes, prescription drug commercials, The Twilight Zone, hate-reading IG comments, the Folgers jingle, and more examples of how hypnotic inductions and trance states appear in advertising and on our screens. IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is the Rick Rubin Polymarket Ad Good?

32 min

As prediction market platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket stretch their tentacles across culture, their advertising has become ubiquitous. Ahead of the World Cup, Kalshi has inked partnerships with a slew of high-profile athletes and football personalities, like José Mourinho and Lionel Messi. Polymarket, for its part, was a marquee sponsor for the UFC 250 fight at the White House earlier this month. They’re also currently under investigation for deceptive marketing practices (something for another podcast).  But more recently, a new Polymarket spot, directed by Gabriel Moses featuring Rick Rubin, Future, and Peso Pluma, has caught people’s attention. In this episode, we break down the spot, discussing the deliberate dissonance between the ad and the product, tastewashing, if these people are too hot to be gambling, why tech seems to be the only place where brand marketing is alive, and more. IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Linking & Consensus Building on the Croisette

25 min

For our second special edition pod, we spoke with Mark Stenberg, Senior Media Reporter at AdWeek, to compare notes on what people are talking about this year: AI FOBO, the proliferation of creators, and the increasingly blurry purpose of the festival itself. We get into why Cannes may be less about new ideas than consensus building, why public panels feel more PR-approved than ever, and data dissonance in the basement of the Palais.  IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cannes Lions Is an Endless Times Square

24 min

This is the first of two special edition podcasts this week, recorded on the ground at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity ™️. Today, we’re joined by breakfast aficionado and friend of the show, Ben Dietz. Ben is ½ of the Hip Replacement podcast alongside our friend Kyle Raymond Fitzpatrick.  Ben is a longtime Cannes attendee, so we pick his brain about how the festival has evolved for better (and worse) over the past decade, why the work matters less and less, Toucan Sam snorting a line of stars, a theory of brands as mammals, the queen of Cannes Sara Fischer, the Pope, Cannes vs. Cannes, and more.  IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Limits of Gatekeeping Fandom

22 min

An enduring theme of the Knicks’ historic finals run has been squabbling over who and what constitutes “a real fan,” exacerbated by astronomical ticket prices, the intrusion of Kalshi, and the Side Talkification of New York. But what, exactly, is the role of gatekeeping when you want these moments of mass enthusiasm?  On the pod this week, we talk about New York after the Knicks’ win, why the gatekeeping discourse is almost as annoying as the kind of “GRWM to watch the Knicks at the White Horse Tavern”-type content, and avoiding a Jesse Plemmons in Civil War-style fandom litmus test. IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Is “Youth Culture” in a Gerontocracy?

33 min

Youth is vanishing. In a material sense, birth rates are plummeting around the globe and older people are staying in positions of power across both the public and private sector for longer periods of time. It’s also vanishing in a cultural sense, too thanks to a steady stream of reboots, remakes, and de-aged celebrities, as studios and execs bet on proven hits vs. net-new creative. Against this ossified backdrop, just how much is youth actually leading culture? And are we even giving them a chance? To learn more, we spoke with Samuel Moyn, a Kent Professor of Law and History at Yale University and the author of the upcoming book “Gerontocracy in America: How the Old Are Hoarding Power and Wealth—and What to Do About it.” He breaks down why gerontocracy poses one of the biggest challenges to a thriving youth culture and, by proxy, to creative risk taking.  IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why Every Brand Wants a Piece of Bravo

47 min

Reality TV has shaped the fabric of American society, from the White House to Summer House (sorry, had to). And Bravo-lebrities are some of the hottest tickets in town: racking up brand deals and starting their own companies and media empires which succeed or fail by their on-screen reputations. To better understand the state of play on all things Bravo and brands, we invited Gibson Johns to join us in the studio. He’s a Bravo aficionado, freelance writer, and host of the ‘Gabbing with Gib’ podcast. We discuss the Skinnygirl theory of brand building, the Bravo wink, why even the Kardashians keep coming back to reality TV, the new franchises he is most bullish on, and of course… the Summer House Reunion! IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Would You Buy a Luxury Shampoo For Your Dog?

44 min

Our resident cat owners Trey and Clara discussed the white space for luxury pet care with Alexandra Pauly. She’s the founder of Biche: a pet grooming brand bringing beauty industry standards to the category. We look at how pet care products fit within the larger trend towards “premiumized” household staples (ex. Graza and Fishwife) plus the ins and outs of developing a dog shampoo, DINKWADs, and the sorry state of dog etiquette in New York.  IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Coolest Thing in Tech Is Nothing

25 min

They’ve poached the CMO of Loewe, have a compelling social presence, and recently tapped Charli XCX as a shareholder and global ambassador. In doing so, Nothing, the nascent UK-based tech startup, seems to be aspiring to bring a measure of intrigue and cultural cachet to an industry otherwise highly deficient in cool: tech. On the pod this week, we go Marques Brownlee mode to discuss what the last cool moment in tech was, why Nothing’s strategy of carving a niche with young creatives is a smart play, Trey’s walkman, and more. IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Football After Fans

38 min

The World Cup is less than one month away. The lead up has been marred by craven opportunism, flagrant price gouging, and worst of them all—a Jelly Roll theme song. It’s the most potent symbol of where global football is headed—endlessly mediated, ultra-exclusive, and heavily commercialized—and what it’s leaving behind: the fans. Our guest this week is Thomas Gorton, the co-founder of unk Studio. We get his take on how to ensure brand collaborations feel generative to the culture rather than extractive, gamified upstart leagues like “Baller League,” how gambling has zapped the viewing experience, and the beauty of lower league football.  IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why Does Palantir Want to Be a Lifestyle Brand?

40 min

They’ve got Hollywood ambitions, buzzy merch drops, and swarms of loyal fans (and drones). Why is Palantir, a shadowy data analytics company that many view as emblematic of America’s slide into an unaccountable surveillance state, building a brand universe? This week, our guest is Daysia Tolentino. She’s a freelance writer covering internet culture, with bylines in GQ, Teen Vogue, Vulture, and NBC News. She also writes the Yap Year newsletter on Beehiiv. We ask her about Palantir chore coats, her interview in GQ with Eliano Younes, the Head of Strategic Engagement at Palantir, and why tech’s pursuit of “good taste” is in bad faith and won’t work.  IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

BREAKING: Your Favorite IG Reading Club Has IPO’d

28 min

Eli, Clara, and Trey are back together again and talking about what the proliferation of reading clubs reveals about how brands and savvy entrepreneurs are trying to literally capitalize on the analog bandwagon. We cover $1,000 reading retreats, friendship as KPI, and what makes attempts to scale and/or market “analog” succeed or fall flat. IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Does a Men’s Magazine Look Like in 2026?

38 min

Lauren McCarthy is the Editor-in-Chief of NYLON and the newly-relaunched NYLON GUYS. We asked her about the opportunity she identified to speak to young men at a moment in which the culture around what it means to be a man is often controversial (and a bit American Psycho-coded). We also discuss nightlife coverage, where and how Nylon finds rising talent, and the value proposition of a magazine profile in the age of TikTok. IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Semafor's Max Tani Says People Are Still Reading News (Sometimes)

40 min

Max Tani is the Media Editor at Semafor and co-host of the Mixed Signals podcast. He also writes the must-read Semafor Media newsletter every Sunday evening. Max is a longtime friend of the pod (and in real life) and we’re honored to have him on as our first guest. We wanted to get Max's take on some of the puzzling and contradictory phenomenons we're noticing in media. We discuss how long of a runway he gives the “dumb question” interview format, whether MrBeast is just a reskinned version of Home Makeover but with a creepier host, and why CNN’s fake podcast gamut was a misreading of why audiences don’t trust media. IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Side Projects

6 min

Day One FM is now part of Side Projects: a strategy studio and creative outlet helping brands, marketers, and everyday people think critically about how advertising shapes the cultural landscape.  Eli and Clara share some context about what Side Projects is and what this transition will look like for the pod: what’s new (our theme song, a studio revamp, and YouTube Channel) and what’s staying the same (great conversations and your hosts Eli, Clara, and Trey).  To learn more about Side Projects, check out side-projects.co where you can subscribe to our newsletter and order our first print issue.  IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Carolyn Bessette, Love Story, and Let Them Eat Cake Marketing

24 min

We’re going on a break for a few weeks! But before we do, we talk about how the most sauceless couple you know are doing Carolyn Bessette and JFK Jr. cosplay, the viral Interview magazine piece about the “Finest Boys in Finance,” and why fashion was better when it was about the clothes, not the business.   Recommended this week: JFK (Dir. Oliver Stone)Angel's Egg (Dir. Mamoru Oshii)The Play PodcastBenjamin Edgar on Navigating Cultural Tipping PointsThe Verge’s Nilay Patel Believes Gen Z Will Revolt Against the “Brand Deal” Economy“Trend Bipolarity” and How Brands Kneecapped CoolIG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Verge’s Nilay Patel Believes Gen Z Will Revolt Against the “Brand Deal” Economy

50 min

Nilay Patel is the editor-in-chief of The Verge and host of Decoder with Nilay Patel. The Verge is “about technology and how it makes us feel,” and Nilay knows people don’t feel so hot right now. We speak with him about how founders have never been more transparent about the negative impacts of their product, how AI products are actually bad, the poison that is prediction markets on our information ecosystem, why Gen Z will ultimately turn on the brand deal economy, and the moment he realized everything is just fans.  Recommended this week: The Conquest of Cool by Thomas Frank IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Happens to Youth Culture When Everyone’s Old?

25 min

We dive into Greg Ip’s article in the Wall Street Journal talking about how people aged 65 and older are healthier, wealthier, and, essentially, propping up the entire American economy. We also discuss if brands are going to shift their attention towards the “silver economy,” stretched adolescence, rotisserie chicken, books as cultural signals, and the death/end of the mass-market paperback.  Recommended this week: The Faltering by Tristan TaylorRonin (dir. John Frankenheimer)Canada - John Beltran and Placid Angels IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jenkem Magazine Founder Ian Michna Still Thinks Skateboarding Is a Healthy Subculture

40 min

Ian Michna is the founder of Jenkem Magazine. We talk with him about bringing an outside perspective to skateboarding, being a good beginner, why a combination of fear and shame keeps skateboarding alive, cold plunges with “Andy” Huberman, how Jenkem works with brands as a boutique agency, and why most things that turned out well also could’ve been terrible. Recommended this week: Be a beginnerGo to Amoeba and shop for records based on their album art Where to find Ian: @ian.michna@jenkemmag jenkemmag.comyoutube.com/@jenkemmag  IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Too Much Taste and Excellence on Ice

26 min

We begin with a very brief Super Bowl recap, where Eli was one lazy holding call away from a handful of benjamins. Then, we put some respect on some of the American athletes sweeping, skating, and skiing in Milano Cortina. Nothing cooler than being extremely good at one specific thing. And finally, Clara and Trey dive into a lively debate centered around Joshua Rothman’s latest piece in The New Yorker, “Is Good Taste a Trap?” Yes.  Recommended this week:  It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley (dir. Amy Berg)3 Women (dir. Robert Altman)The Culture Journalist IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A Super Bowl LX Special Report with Adweek’s Mark Stenberg

38 min

Ahead of the Super Bowl, we caught up with Adweek’s Senior Media Reporter Mark Stenberg to help us contextualize the trends we’re seeing in this year’s crop of commercials and identify what you should look out for as you watch on Sunday.  We cover the rise of the multi-week attention ecosystem, why we’ll see more health-focused ads, and more. Plus, we get Mark’s thoughts on the integration of prediction markets into media platforms and whether he buys that people trust journalists less than funeral home directors.  Recommended this week:  Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry Where to find Mark: @markstenberg3On Background AdweekIG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Laziness Epidemic with The Trend Report™️’s Kyle Raymond Fitzpatrick

43 min

Kyle Raymond Fitzpatrick writes The Trend Report™️ on Substack and co-hosts the HIP REPLACEMENT podcast alongside friend of the pod, Ben Dietz. We talk about Kyle’s early trend reports while at Nickelodeon, working in broadcast news, why America isn’t so bad actually, Barcelona internet vs. American internet, why advertisers often don’t talk to real people, how people are pouring themselves into “brand lore” instead of fighting for healthcare, “letting people just enjoy things,” and more. Recommended this week:  “GALA” – XG “Tati Quebra Barraco” – Montagem GuerreiraJeff Mills Live At The Liquid Room - Tokyo 1996 Where to find Kyle: @1234kyle5678Trend Report™️HIP REPLACEMENT IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Netflix, Alex Honnold, and the Future of Live Spectacle

22 min

We talk about Alex Honnold’s Taipei 101 climb on Netflix, the return of David Blaine-style spectacle, greasy poles, construction YouTube, and more.  Recommended this week:  The B1MPrehistoric Planet, Season 3Wigwam socks IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Death of Social Media with Kate Lindsay

40 min

Kate Lindsay is the author of internet culture substack, “Embedded,” and host of Slate’s ICYMI podcast. She joins us to unpack social media’s cause of death in 2026, analog bags, how we got too addicted to stay addicted, brain rot as political resistance, and what happens when social platforms become places of entertainment instead of places to connect. Plus, stay tuned until the end for the reveal of Kate’s family secret.  Recommended this week:  Ancestry.com  Where to find Kate: @kathrynfionaEmbeddedICYMI podcastIG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

OnlyFans and O-1B Visas

19 min

Welcome back! To kick off the year, we’re talking about a new exposé in the Financial Times, which found that OnlyFans creators and influencers are now increasingly dominating requests for O-1B visas, a speciality visa reserved for “exceptional” creatives with “extraordinary ability or achievement.”  Recommended this week:  "Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know" - E.D. Hirsch Jr.https://nytv.live/ PersimmonsIG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eating Our Words: The 2025 Slop Review

30 min

Welcome to Tum Town. Long time listeners will know that we often center our distaste for marketing slop and feral commercialism around a few brands, namely Crumbl, Blank Street, and MrBeast. So in our final episode of the year, we decided to actually try the stuff for ourselves and review it live. Stay until the end for a small crumb of analysis on brands trying to “tap into culture.” Here’s what we got:  Crumbl (6 pack): The Cookie That Stole Christmas, Chocolate Crumb Cookie ft. OREO®, Holiday Red Velvet Sandwich Cookie, Candy Cane Brownie Cookie, Peanut Butter Cup Cookie ft. REESE'S, Confetti Cake Cookie Blank Street: Iced Strawberry Shortcake Matcha, Iced Blueberry MatchaMrBeast: Feastables BarPrime: Ice Pop, Mystery flavorIG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

BNPL, QVC, and the New American Dream

25 min

We talk about how Saudi Arabia has renewed Dakota Johnson’s faith in film and Clara eavesdropping on Gen Alpha sleepover semantics. We also dive into the broader implications of younger consumers’ preference for Buy Now, Pay Later, Gary Vee evangelizing livestream shopping, and how frictionless access to credit has allowed the creator economy and the trend ecosystem to rise at scale.  IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amy Francombe on Touch Grass Marketing

44 min

Amy Francombe is a contributing editor at Vogue Business and writer of the amy_coded newsletter on Substack. We talk about why news is out and gossip is in, moving from a post-truth society to a post-meaning one, how unplugging became luxury’s most valuable currency, entertainment vs. conversion, why engagement metrics are junk, whether or not it cheapens a brand to have TikTokers sitting front row at fashion week, restoring fashion brands to a level of cultural leadership, and more. IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

No Good Deed Goes Unposted

25 min

We talk about Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy’s desire to “go back to an era where we didn’t wear our pajamas to the airport,” real bread lines at Meadow Lane, only doing charity if it’s a good content opportunity, and being “ghosted” by brands. IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

LIVE: Annie Rauwerda Takes Us Into the Depths of Wikipedia

32 min

Annie Rauwerda is a comedian, long-time Wikipedian, and founder of the must-follow @depthsofwikipedia Instagram. In this special live episode, we ask her about the current right-wing attacks on Wikipedia, the Wikimedia awards, what it takes to be a Wikipedia editor, “Corn” being such a controversial entry page, muffins, why she’s optimistic about the next generation of internet users, and a wonderful story about making life-long friends from her “Perpetual Stew.” IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brands Are Taking the Wrong Lessons from Mamdani

21 min

The crew unpacks Zohran Mamdani’s electoral victory and what it says about a younger generation of New Yorkers who are looking to claw back a sense of agency, power, purpose, and connection beyond the “brand universe.”  IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anu Lingala on “Trend Bipolarity” and How Brands Kneecapped Cool

46 min

Anu Lingala is a trend strategist and founder of the must-read Substack, WHAT’S ANU. We get a crash course in trend forecasting methodology, and then move on to who killed cool, the collapse of the irony/sincerity cycle, why people are trying to escape being seen by brands, Anu’s new theory on “trend bipolarity,” why we need to return to the basics of brand strategy, Anthony Bourdain, shareholder value, the Grimace shake, Peter Thiel, and more. IG: @sideprojects__ YouTube: @SideProjectsPodcast Substack: https://sideprojectsco.substack.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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