A brief overview of what is currently trending on X in news, culture, and/or trending hashtags and formats.
#Mpox: The World Health Organization has declared the increasing spread of mpox a public health emergency of international concern.
Gena Rowlands: The Oscar-nominated actress, known for her roles in “The Notebook” and “A Woman Under the Influence,” has died at 94.
Grok 2.0: Elon Musk’s xAI has launched Grok-2 and Grok-2 mini, two new models of its Grok chatbot that offer updated performance and image generation capabilities.
A deeper dive into a subject that is impacting culture on a macro level, beyond just the social space.
How Blake Lively’s It Ends With Us Press Tour Missed the Mark
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What It Is: It Ends With Us is making waves on social media as people are expressing disappointment with lead actress Blake Lively for controversial choices made throughout her press tour for the film. For those who have not read the book or are unaware, the film’s plot centers around themes of domestic violence. Lively’s sharing of promotional content featuring Ryan Reynolds performing a comedic skit, and her marketing the movie as if it were a lighthearted romantic comedy and encouraging the audience to wear florals and rush to the theaters with their girlfriends, has shifted the focus of the marketing tour with some saying Lively has acted tone-deaf and is glossing over the seriousness of the film’s subject matter.
Brand Takeaway: Brands can learn a few things from the press tour’s missteps: be intentional with collaborations, understand the audience, and ensure your messages align with your brand objectives and themes.
Fans of the source material expected Lively to approach its heavy subject with sensitivity, and instead felt she missed the mark by leaning into her highly publicized relationship with Ryan Reynolds and the coinciding release of Deadpool and Wolverine — seemingly attempting to recreate the sense of “girlhood” evoked by the Barbie movie’s viral marketing campaign and “Barbenheimer.” While It Ends With Us does speak to the experiences of many women, Lively’s conveyed messages were misaligned to the core themes of the source material and displayed a lack of sensitivity to a core community’s experiences. At a time when consumers increasingly value self-awareness and consciousness from marketing, it’s crucial for brands and creators to ensure their messages feel authentic, aligned, and responsible to the audiences to which they’re speaking. Brands should be wary of trying to recreate or adopt previously successful marketing approaches if they do not align with the overall message for their target audience.
Four must-click links that crossed our feeds today.
The Progress 89 cargo craft has successfully launched, heading towards the International Space Station with nearly three tons of food, fuel, and supplies.
A 5.7 earthquake struck near northeast Taiwan on Thursday morning.
TIME has introduced its Kid of the Year, celebrating Heman Bekele, a 15-year-old scientist.
Olivia Rodrigo’s four-night, sold-out run at the Kia Forum has officially started.
Alien: Romulus - Theaters, 8/16
The Union - Netflix, 8/16
Quantum Baby - Tinashe
Unaired EP - Hozier
Paradise State of Mind - Foster the People
Into the Unknown - NERO
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