Hello Curious People,
Here are this week’s headlines:
How the smartest brands are evolving their pleasure codes, keeping what people love, and finding new ways to let it live today.
From weatherproof androids to DNA reboots, it’s like the future’s popped round early - soaking wet, wired up, and way ahead of schedule.
Here’s a reminder to slow down, tune in, and see the world with fresh eyes, from a mushroom playing synths to the many upsides of boredom.
Blending wit, heritage and honesty, these moves show how imagination grounded in meaning always leaves a lasting impression.
Social media use is down nearly 10% since 2022, so is it really dying, evolving, or just growing up?
Onwards.
Angelique
Evolve By Keeping the Pleasure Alive
The other night I was in a pub near Borough Market, one of those old-school places that’s quietly evolved. Same name above the door, same hum of conversation, but now the wine’s actually good, the coffee’s even better, and the non-alc options go well beyond “tap water or Coke.”
Next to me, a man in his sixties sighed into his pint, “It wasn’t like this back in my day.” He meant it as a complaint. But it made me smile.
Because that’s what a good pub does. It grows with the times without losing the point of itself, it’s still familiar, still comforting, just a little more expansive in what pleasure in a pub looks, tastes and feels like.
And that’s the work of brands too.
Pleasure Codes
Every brand has its own pleasure code, a kind of DNA that brings people joy, makes them care, and keeps them coming back. It might be indulgence, freedom, connection, rebellion, or calm. Whatever is uniquely you.
These codes stay constant over time, but as the world evolves, it asks to be expressed in new ways.
Take wellness, for instance. It’s reshaping the pub menu with better coffee and beautiful Zero Proof options, but it’s also transforming multiple categories, as brands learn to express their pleasure in ways that align with how people want to feel today, be that lighter, healthier, or more in control.
You can see this in the brands below, each one evolving how it delivers pleasure, without losing the soul of what made it loved in the first place.
Carnival
Zero-Proof Cruisin’
Carnival’s pleasure code has always been about joyful indulgence, the freedom to let go and live large. Now, it’s translating that spirit into inclusivity, serving Zero-Proof cocktails and alcohol-free beers so everyone can join the fun. The excess is still there, just poured differently.
The Guardian
Mindful Menu
Heston Blumenthal’s pleasure code has always been about sensory theatre and unapologetic delight. Now, he’s expressing that same pleasure through precision, crafting smaller, balanced menus for diners on GLP-1 drugs. The decadence remains, but it’s been reimagined as mindful mastery.
Magnum
Glow Pops
Magnum’s pleasure code has always been sensual indulgence, rich, hedonistic, unapologetically adult. Now it’s expressing that with glow-in-the-dark, vitamin-infused ice pops made for the sober-curious nightlife. Pleasure on a stick, remixed for a new kind of night out.
Globe Trender
Air Verified
Octola’s pleasure code is purity and restoration, the luxury of feeling completely at peace. Now it’s making that invisible promise visible, installing research-grade air sensors so guests can see the purity they breathe. Serenity, verified by science.
Insidefmcg
Morning Fuel
Kellogg’s pleasure code has always been comfort and familiarity, the simple joy of a morning ritual. Now it’s expressing that warmth with the addition of reassurance through performance, turning nostalgic cereal flavours into high-protein shakes for life on the move. Nostalgia, reblended for now.
noom
A New Noom
Noom’s pleasure code is all about self-mastery, the quiet satisfaction of feeling in control. Now it’s expressing that through science, evolving its habit-first philosophy into a clinically grounded approach to everyday wellbeing. The control stays, it’s just that the method gets smarter.
Staying relevant starts with your pleasure code, knowing what people are drawn to in you, and finding new ways to keep that spark alive.
Carnival made indulgence inclusive. Octola made luxury pure. Heston made decadence mindful. Each evolved their pleasure code not by changing who they are, but by deepening the kind of joy they create.
Because that’s the real magic, whether you’re a brand or a pub, the ability to grow with people while keeping the pleasure that connects, uplifts, and makes life a little brighter. And who doesn’t want more of that?!
The signals you’re seeing?
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Wait, What?!: Sci-fi Tech Hitting the Real World
Scientists have pioneered a gene therapy that repairs the faulty OTOF gene responsible for congenital deafness, and within weeks, tests on children showed them hearing for the very first time. They say silence is golden, but the sound of connection? That’s pure joy.
China’s Deep Robotics has built the DR02, the first humanoid tough enough to handle dust storms, downpours, and 55°C heat. It sprints, climbs, and swaps limbs like LEGO while mapping the world through digital eyes. Machines don’t just survive now - they thrive.
Researchers from Australia and China have turned stripped-down balsa wood into a sponge-like cube that draws moisture from thin air and turns it into drinking water, no power, no plumbing, just sun and smart design. Even in the driest places on Earth, the world still finds a way to refresh itself.
Japanese scientists have used CRISPR to remove the extra chromosome linked to Down syndrome, a breakthrough once thought impossible. The edit reversed the imbalance in lab-grown cells, a quiet rewrite of what it means to heal. Humanity didn’t just fix a flaw; it found a finer harmony.
The Cata-Lyst:
3 Mind-Expanding Finds We’re Tuning Into
These three finds showcase that the world gets more interesting when you really pay attention.
Bionic & The Wires
Mesmerising Mushroom Music
In a mossy patch of Manchester woodland, a mushroom hooked up to sensors plays a synthesiser via robotic arms. Measuring bio-electrical signals, this setup turns fungal fluctuations into music. I’ve watched it at least 10 times now and I hope you do too.
The Cultural Tutor
The Joy of Noticing
This passionate film from The Cultural Tutor makes a simple but powerful point: boring design is making life feel flat. From bins to bus stops, we deserve more joy, more meaning, more imagination. Because when the world around us is interesting, we start to notice much more.
Harvard Business Review
Bored? Good For You
According to Harvard professor Arthur C. Brooks, boredom is not to be avoided. It kickstarts creativity, protects your mood, and activates a part of the brain linked to big ideas. So let your mind wander, you might be surprised where it takes you.
3 Great Marketing Moves
From playful puffers to London love letters, these campaigns turn comfort and craft into something worth talking about.
The Periodic Fable
The Ordinary launched a new campaign that flips the beauty industry’s “magic” jargon on its head, using a reimagined periodic table that replaces chemical elements with the kind of buzzwords often used to sell beauty products. With 51% of consumers more likely to trust a product labelled “luxury,” it’s a smart, surreal reminder that not all beauty claims are backed by science.
The Comfort Drop
Aldi launched a limited-edition “Jacket Potato Puffer” just as the cold weather hits, turning Britain’s go-to winter comfort food into a tongue-in-cheek fashion statement. Equal parts silly and seasonal, the stunt wraps everyday warmth in humour, proving that even the simplest idea can stick when it’s perfectly timed.
London Calling
Burberry launched “It’s Always Burberry Weather: Postcards from London”, casting Olivia Colman as a cast of Londoners, from chip-shop server to cricket fan, guiding wide-eyed tourists through the city’s quirks and its famed outerwear collection. By blending heritage silhouettes with cinematic storytelling and immersive pop-ups, it transforms rain-ready gear into cultural commentary, proving that sometimes a trench coat isn’t just about the weather, it’s about identity.
People Keep Asking, Is Social Media Dying?
@financialtimes Time spent on social media peaked in 2022 and has since gone into steady decline since. Digital audience insights company GWI carried out ... See more
The Financial Times’ TikTok is really nailing it right now, showing how social media can do smart, snackable, dare I say, ‘grown-up’ videos that make you think instead of scroll. But as their piece says, the numbers show that the platforms are in decline.
Time on social peaked in 2022 and has dropped nearly 10% since. The biggest decline? Teens and twenty-somethings, the ones who’ve grown-up online.
As Marina Hyde and Richard Osman put it on the equally great, The Rest is Entertainment Podcast, the platforms are losing money, the feeds feel flat, and people are quietly checking out.
I wouldn’t go as far as saying that social is dying, although AI slop is definitely one of the potential killers. I would say that right now, social is rewriting its own pleasure code, trading the insatiable chase of the cheap dopamine hit for something more human, and more pleasurable.
Because at the end of the day, it’s always got to be something people want to watch, engage with and share. Otherwise, what’s the point?
See you next week 🔮 👽 🎩 🪄