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Retailers Embrace Summerween; Zohran Mamdani Projects ‘Skinny-Tie Socialism’; Think Twice Before Marketing the AI in Your Product
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Welcome back. Today, a new holiday materializes on the retail calendar; New York City’s Democratic nominee for mayor uses fashion to tailor his brand; and research suggests that advertising the AI at work in a product chould change consumers’ calculations—for the worse.
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Summerween has grown from an inside joke among ‘Gravity Falls’ fans into an opportunity for retailers to fire up shoppers during a slow time of year. Photo: Disney Channel/Getty Images
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Retailers have taken notice of a new faux holiday that fans of Halloween are starting to make real, Ann-Marie Alcántara reports: Summerween.
It originated in a 2012 episode of the cartoon “Gravity Falls” about a warm-weather take on Halloween with carved watermelons instead of pumpkins.
The idea began to catch on in real life last summer and has grown even bigger this year.
Now TJ Maxx offers decor specifically for Summerween, including an ornament of Frankenstein in a beach chair and a candle with a ghost in a pool. And Walmart’s front-of-store “Summer Frights” section includes blankets emblazoned with skeletons in bikinis.
“I was a weird kid who liked monsters and liked the supernatural and wished it could be Halloween every day of the year,” said Alex Hirsch, the show’s creator and originator of Summerween. “There’s a greater demand for what Halloween gives us than there is a supply.”
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Content from our sponsor: Deloitte
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3 Ways to Accelerate Digital Product Development with Generative AI
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Organizations can apply generative AI across the digital product lifecycle to help drive growth and realize substantial business value. Read More
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Zohran Mamdani’s not-too-skinny neckties evoked the Kennedys’ preppy style, but their length had more in common with President Trump’s runaway neckwear. Photo: Kyle Stevens/Shutterstock
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Zohran Mamdani earned New York City’s Democratic mayoral nomination in many ways, including an energetic campaign and an emphasis on affordable living, but culture and fashion reporter Sam Schube argues that careful wardrobe choices also played a part in his winning brand.
By almost always wearing a responsible-looking dark suit with a white shirt and a slim patterned tie knotted tightly at the neck, the 33-year-old democratic socialist aimed to reassure voters at risk of being scared off.
Mamdani’s suits aren’t the blousy, boxy styles favored by most politicians. They’re cut slimmer, befitting both his youth and antiestablishment credentials. Schube calles the vibe “skinny-tie socialism.”
But neither are they terribly bleeding-edge, noted menswear commentator Derek Guy. The candidate’s choices, including J.Crew’s popular Ludlow model, bear the slim silhouette of a slightly bygone era.
“He dresses like a guy that would have been interested in clothes in, like, 2012,” Guy said.
More Mamdani: The little-known candidate’s contemporary media strategy included talking with anyone, including the fashion podcast “Throwing Fits” and beat reporters at the hostile New York Post. [Semafor]
More politics: California Gov. Gavin Newsom sued Fox News, alleging that the network defamed him by saying he lied about a phone call with President Trump, and is seeking at least $787 million in damages. [WSJ]
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Under $10,000
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JCPenney’s cost to outfit #TheOtherVeniceWedding—a wedding in Venice, Calif., that the retailer made into a marketing stunt playing on Saturday’s $5 million Bezos-Sánchez wedding in Venice, Italy
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Artificial intelligence isn’t always appreciated by consumers when they make buying decisions, a recent study found. Illustration: Eglė Plytnikaitė
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Promoting the presence of AI in your product may hurt its appeal more than help it, Sean Captain writes.
The effect is especially pronounced for offerings perceived to be riskier buys, such as a car or a medical-diagnostic service, according to recent research from Washington State University and Temple University.
“When we were thinking about this project, we thought that AI will improve [consumers’ willingness to buy] because everyone is promoting AI in their products,” says Dogan Gursoy, a regents professor of hospitality business management at Washington State and one of the study’s authors. “But apparently it has a negative effect, not a positive one.”
The researchers are now working on projects to identify the cause of the negative responses, though they speculate that concern for privacy is one.
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“Your name is Cracker Barrel, so you’re
kind of stuck with the whole nostalgia thing.”
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— Julie Bidtah, an occasional diner at Cracker Barrel over the years, on the proper limit to the restaurant chain’s decluttering drive. Diners and employees are divided by the brighter, more modern look.
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Not that long ago, extreme couponing was practically a sport. Now, some former enthusiasts say it just isn’t worth it. Photo: Clark Hodgin for WSJ
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How coupons became passé, even in a high-price world. [WSJ]
Brands are tweaking their products and labeling to avoid tariffs pegged to details such as zippers. [Modern Retail]
How marketers can decide between emphasizing search engine optimization and its newer, AI-focused cousin, answer engine optimization. [Ad Age]
Food companies trying to eliminate artificial dyes are finding that green is the hardest color to make naturally. [NYT]
King’s Hawaiian updated its logo and packaging in a rebrand meant to modernize without losing the power of nostalgia. [Fast Company]
Yet another of this year’s Cannes Lions winners is under investigation for an allegedly misleading entry. [Adweek]
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