A brief overview of what is currently trending on X in news, culture, and/or trending hashtags and formats.
#IStandWithAngelaCarini: Angela Carini forfeited her boxing match against athlete, Imane Khelif, after the first round and receiving a hard punch. X users are using the incident to discuss the ethics of trans athletes in sports and bring up political arguments.
New Month: It's the first of August! X users are manifesting a great, fresh start to the month.
Even Putin: X users are saying that "even Putin knows Trump is toast" and citing evidence that Putin turning on the Republican Nominee.
A deeper dive into a subject that is impacting culture on a macro level, beyond just the social space.
PPG Back On Top
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What it is: Love Island USA 2024 took the country by storm as its season has recently ended. The people who came out of the show received a lot more attention than the cast from previous seasons. Not one couple, but a throuple has garnered the most fan attention, but it's not what you think. While couples tend to become the most famous, three girls named Leah, Serena, and JaNa are the fan favorites for their authentic connection as friends. PPG famously stands for Power Puff Girls, but the Love Island USA fan base appointed this new title to the three girls. They have shown this country what it means to be a 'girls’ girl' and what true friendship support looks like.
What brands can learn: Audiences tend to lean more towards authenticity rather than the intended purpose of the campaign. The Love Island USA editing did not show the full extent of these girls’ friendship because the show is about dating, but their authentic connection did not go unnoticed. The friendship is now the biggest thing to happen in the show’s history. This shows that brands should listen to their audience and if their brand blows up for an unintended reason, play around with it. You can also learn to find ways to incorporate other aspects of 'love' into their campaigns because love comes in all forms, romantic and platonic. It could be a way to expand a product into consumers’ everyday lives.
Examples: 1, 2, 3
Four must-click links that crossed our feeds today.
TikTok Adds Custom Thumbnail Option for Clips.
How fast is Katie Ledecky? This graphic shows how far ahead she was of her competition.
Maya Rudolph is booked and busy. The comedian is set to return on SNL Season 50 as Kamala Harris.
Claim to Fame S3: Who is everyone related to...?
Trap - Theatres, 8.2
Kneecap - Theatres, 8.2
Rebel Moon Directors Cut - Netflix, 8.2
Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes - HBO, 8.3
Stampede - Orville Peck
Aghori Mhori Mei - The Smashing Pumpkins
The Well I Fell Into - Why?
Smoke and Fiction - X
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