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Wasserman’s Generic New Name Gets the Job Done
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Good morning. Today, nothing lasts forever (although the protein craze could be a first).
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Casey Wasserman. Patrick R. Fallon/AFP/Getty Images
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The powerhouse talent and marketing agency Wasserman has changed its name to “The Team,” the latest fallout from the release of years-old flirtatious emails between its founder and Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
The name change is one more attempt to quiet the storm that followed Casey Wasserman’s appearance in recently released records pertaining to Epstein. He put his 24-year-old, eponymous firm up for sale last month after clients including Chappell Roan and Abby Wambach said they were cutting ties.
“Wasserman is rebranding as The Team,” the company said Monday:
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As a company we have been shaped by our work, our people and our unifying belief in the power of Sports, Music and Entertainment. That philosophy remains the foundation of who we are — and where we are going. We remain completely focused on serving our clients with the same professionalism that has always been our standard.
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In some ways, The Team is an easy evolution, flowing out of Wasserman’s longtime internet and email domain “teamwass.com”—just drop the “wass.” (The website now redirects to “the.team,” enabled by ICANN’s expansion of generic top-level domain names in the 2010s.)
It’s also generic in the extreme, for the moment not much more specific than corporate placeholders like “NewCo.” But that may be what the situation required. There wasn’t time for a six-month (or longer) branding exercise, any new owner might drop the brand regardless and “The Team” at least meets the key spec: getting “Wasserman” out of the name.
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Content from our sponsor: Deloitte
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Qualcomm CMO on Brand-Building, AI, and the Power of Partnerships
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In an interview, Qualcomm EVP and CMO Don McGuire discusses building brand resonance at scale through strategic partnerships, AI workflows, and a passion-led approach to marketing. Read More
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Beyond Meat is now known as Beyond The Plant Protein Co. Mario Tama/Getty Images
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Sometimes corporate renamings mark a moment for a company. Covista, the healthcare education provider featured in today’s CEO Brief newsletter from the WSJ Leadership Institute, last month changed its name from Adtalem Global Education to emphasize its strategic shift from a broader focus.
Other new names punctuate a moment in the broader culture.
Beyond Meat last week said it was changing its name to Beyond The Plant Protein Co., reflecting its recent move into protein energy drinks (in flavors like Strawberry Lemonade and Cucumber Grapefruit) and a protein bar planned for this summer.
Those product innovations in turn reflect falling sales for plant-based meats, however, and the image problem facing highly processed foods.
“For me, it is an opportunity to reshape the company around very real food that is directly from plants,” Beyond President and CEO Ethan Brown said when he announced the new name for a company he founded in 2009. “It’s about delivering all those benefits of the plant kingdom to the consumer in ways that they’re going to be able to easily integrate it into their lives.”
Getting “Protein” into the name probably isn’t a bad idea, either.
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341,000
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Instagram followers for “Melanskia,” a AI-generated character imitating an Amish woman who advocates for unprocessed food and a supplement called Modern Antidote. “Peoples’ unease about it will, I think, fade more and more away,” said the supplement’s creator, Josemaria Silvestrini, about AI influencers. “Very soon it’s going to just become so commonplace that it’s just more content.”
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Lego reported record sales last year. Maxim Shemetov/Reuters
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Lego reported a 16% rise in consumer sales in 2025, outperforming the broader toy market as its play sets including new F1 products proved popular among adults and children. [WSJ]
The Food and Drug Administration will consider allowing e-cigarettes in flavors it considers aimed at adults, citing possibilities such as mint and coffee, but said it will continue rejecting sweet varieties that it says appeal to teens. [NYT]
A lemon FaceTimes a lime. A makeup compact looks strikingly similar to the colorful old clamshell MacBook G3. Apple’s new TikTok strategy is “filled with bizarre non sequiturs and tableaus”—and it’s working for some people. [Creative Bloq]
Former MSNBC president Rashida Jones was named CEO at Uncensored, Piers Morgan’s company building on his show “Piers Morgan Uncensored.” [Variety]
Five reasons Warner Bros.’ “The Bride!” tanked with moviegoers. [Variety]
Arnold Schwarzenegger will reprise his role as Conan the Barbarian for a new movie to be called “King Conan.” [Deadline]
Inspire Brands promoted Jimmy John’s Chief Marketing Officer Darin Dugan to president of the restaurant chain. [QSR]
Why the 2026 Chevrolet Bolt is like the McRib of cars. [TechCrunch]
Gap keeps the dancing going in its new spring campaign, featuring Young Miko, her song “Wassup” and 26 dancers in sweats. [Ad Age]
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