March 30 2023 - Another Day, Another Heinz Ad

📰Top Stories

Electronic Arts is cutting 6% of its workforce, approximately 780 jobs, as it reevaluates investment strategy, reduces office space, and discontinues projects that don't align with its strategic focus. While Wilson doesn’t mention the specific departments that the layoffs are affecting, he says that it will provide “opportunities for our colleagues to transition onto other projects” where possible

Warner Music Group plans to lay off 4% of its global workforce, approximately 270 jobs, as new CEO Robert Kyncl shifts the company's focus towards technology, reallocating resources for artist and songwriter development in areas such as social media, gaming, the metaverse, and artificial intelligence.

Disney has laid off Marvel Entertainment chair Isaac "Ike" Perlmutter, a controversial figure who has been criticized for hindering diversity in Marvel films, as part of a larger layoff affecting 7,000 workers. Perlmutter's departure comes as Disney folds Marvel Entertainment into Marvel Studios, eliminating his position and restructuring other units within the company

ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, has been inviting US creators to join its new app, Lemon8, which is set to launch globally in May. The app, which is a blend of Pinterest and Instagram, focuses on pictures and text with more of a shopping focus, and has been quietly introduced on app stores, featuring topics such as fashion, healthy food, and wellness. ByteDance is hoping that its success with TikTok can be replicated with Lemon8, although regulators may have similar concerns about Lemon8 as they do with TikTok, which has become a central battleground between the US and China over technological and economic might.

💡Spotlight

Heinz is back for a second day in a row! Heinz has partnered with Brazilian creative agency SOKO and Brazilian tattoo ink manufacturer Electric Ink to develop and launch a red tattoo pigment made with non-harmful ingredients. The "Heinz Tattoo Ink" project is a response to growing restrictions and bans on tattoo ink pigments, particularly red, due to their harmful ingredients. The new pigment is being developed with the same care for ingredients as Heinz ketchup and is based on Heinz's official pantone color. In addition to the ink, Heinz has worked with five notable Brazilian tattoo artists to create 57 original Heinz tattoo stencils. The brand plans to make the tattoo stencils and ink available to tattoo parlors throughout Brazil.

Credit: Soko

⏬Need to Know

• Spotify is testing a new user profile design that includes a social identity and access to unique features like personalized recommendations, Blend playlists, and co-listening experiences. The new design has a card-style layout that emphasizes discovery and is more akin to social network profiles. The profiles include new details about the user's Spotify plan, membership, location, and a "vibe" feature that adds a bit of personality. The new profiles also make it easier to create playlists, follow artists, and explore more of Spotify's offerings directly from someone else's profile.
• Apple is reportedly developing a "multiview" feature for Apple TV that would allow viewers to watch up to four streams of sports content simultaneously. The feature appears to be targeted at sports content, given Apple's recent investments in streaming sports, including its deal with Major League Baseball to stream games exclusively on Apple TV+.
• Microsoft is testing selling advertising in Bing chat search engine's responses. The feature builds on traditional internet search experiences with chatbots that answer questions and sells sponsorships embedded in chat responses. Microsoft can use the new revenue stream to support its AI tool that has attracted over 100 million average daily users, but the company has not commented further on the matter. Digital ad spending is expected to grow by over 10% this year to $627bn.
• Netflix may be testing games for TV as developer Steve Moser found hidden code referencing games played on television in the Netflix app. Moser also found code indicating the possibility of using phones as controllers to play these TV games. Currently, Netflix's gaming experience is available on mobile devices, requiring users to download games from the App Store or Google Play. However, the company is reportedly exploring a cloud gaming offering and looking to launch more than just casual games for television. The streaming giant has about 55 game titles available on its app, and it plans to roll out 40 more throughout 2023.
• S4 Capital has seen growth slow in 2023 after losing a “whopper” contract with Mondelez in 2022. Billings for 2022 were up 46% to £1.9bn, compared with £1.3bn in 2021, while revenues rose from £686.6m in 2021 to £1.07bn in 2022, largely on the back of 10 “whopper” relationships, defined as those with revenues of more than $20m a year. Operating profits rose 23% to £124.2m, but S4 Capital still posted an operating loss of £135.3m. Sir Martin Sorrell, the executive chairman of S4 Capital, said the Mondelez contract loss had a £17m impact.
• Ink-Mgmt, a talent agency founded by three Black creatives, launched to help Black creatives find jobs and tackle the diversity problem in the industry by offering cultural consulting, providing networking opportunities and donating 6% of its fees to initiatives dedicated to helping Black creatives.
• Mirrorscape is set to release a new augmented reality (AR) powered Dungeons & Dragons experience called ARcana, which allows users to craft authentic maps and play official 5e campaigns with others in real-time. The experience can be projected onto a flat surface using an iOS or Android device, or played in virtual 3D environments, and offers intuitive touch controls for every interaction. Mirrorscape has partnered with a number of D&D companies and plans to implement support for future AR glasses and VR headsets.
• Estúdio Capim, a Brazilian design agency created a unique and bold visual identity for Jeph, a leading augmented reality developer in Brazil, to position the company as an innovative and attractive partner for brands that prioritize cutting-edge technology, rejecting conventional design rules and experimenting with maximalism and anti-design trends
• I wanted a beautiful computer and couldn't find one, so I made my own
• The most Italian thing I've ever seen

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