Good morning. Today, the hardcore water brand plans an energy drink that’s easy on caffeine; businesses get help attracting the pretty people; and an advertising holding company is feeling more optimistic.

Liquid Death, known for selling water in beer cans emblazoned with dripping skulls, is planning an energy drink that will pack less caffeine than many recent entries, Katie Deighton writes for CMO Today.

It will market Sparkling Energy as a better-for-you choice with vitamins, no sugar or artificial sweeteners and an “unextreme” 100 milligrams of caffeine.

That’s nearly on par with Red Bull, whose 12-ounce cans contain 114 milligrams of caffeine, but roughly half the caffeine of Celsius and Prime.

“We thought, ‘Let’s have a sane level of caffeine, that’s equal to a cup of coffee, because it seems like the category has gone a little caffeine-crazy’,” said Liquid Death’s founder and chief executive, Mike Cessario.

Holding back on caffeine and additives in an energy drink also continues the brand strategy that helped Liquid Death water become a breakout: hawking a health-conscious product in packaging that nods to death metal.

Drink up: President Trump said Coca-Cola agreed to use cane sugar in Coke following criticism of sweeteners like high-fructose corn syrup by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. [WSJ]

Turn-of-the-millennium fashion phenomenon Von Dutch is getting into new business lines, first with organic mocktails and healthy sodas, then alcohol and Von Dutch Water. [Fashion United] 

Or don’t: Startups are pushing alternative caffeine delivery systems from chewable coffee bites to sprays. [Modern Retail]

Businesses that believe good-looking customers will bring others in their wake now have an app to help their strategy, Lane Florsheim writes.

Neon Coat connects models and influencers with restaurants and other businesses that will provide free food or steeply discounted goods and services in exchange for some social-media promotion.

Not just anyone can join. Models need at least 1,000 Instagram followers and a substantial portfolio, influencers need 5,000 followers on either Instagram or Tiktok, and both need a high engagement rate. Business users pay a monthly fee, usually less than $1,000.

Craig Hutson, managing partner of a restaurant in Manhattan’s West Village, offers 30 to 40 free meals a month through the app.

“You fill the room with young, influential, good-looking people,” he said.

They didn’t read the TOS? If you’re wondering, no, the app’s beneficiaries don’t always follow FTC disclosure guidelines.

Publicis Groupe raised its forecast for organic growth after a string of major account wins helped ride out tariff concerns to beat analysts’ expectations for the second quarter, Adrià Calatayud reports.

The French ad company, which owns agencies including Leo and Saatchi & Saatchi, has been taking market share from rivals, winning assignments from companies including Mars, Nespresso and Lego in recent months.

It said Thursday that it now expects organic growth close to 5% this year, up from a previous range of 4% to 5%.

Some ad firms have sounded the alarm over the chilling effect of President Trump’s tariffs on spending plans by marketers. WPP cut its annual guidance last week, saying it expects uncertainty to weigh on client spending and new business, while Omnicom gave a more cautious outlook in April.

DeBeers’ campaign to convince consumers that lab-grown diamonds are inferior includes a countertop machine for jewelry stores that takes just seconds to tell natural stones from the rest. [WSJ]

HP is pitching a media network that displays ads on its computers and apps. [Adweek]

Shares in GrabAGun, the online gun retailer backed by Donald Trump Jr. as an “anti-woke” business, fell more than 20% in the company’s debut on the New York Stock Exchange. [CNBC] 

DraftKings’ legal chief cut the words “diverse” and “inclusive” from a draft press release about the company’s planned Spanish-language feature. [Barron’s] 

Tween and teen shoppers are lining up for selfies with a 17-year-old Brandy Melville worker whose video about finally landing the job put her on the path to TikTok fame. [NYMag] 

China’s consumers don’t want a house any more; they want Labubu, gold jewelry and bubble tea. [WSJ] 

Poppi is looking for a creative agency as it begins its PepsiCo era. [Ad Age]

OpenAI intends to collect a cut of any sales made through the e-commerce checkout it’s building into ChatGPT. [FT] 

How to tell if your favorite band is an AI creation like the Spotify hit Velvet Sundown. I got half right on the quiz. [Vulture]