Cool Sh*t - Aphex Twin, Capri Sun, Heinz Ketchup, Psychedelics, Coca-Cola and more...
Vol. 40
Welcome to the 0 cool as sh*t people (even no-shows get a shout-out) who joined us since last time! If you haven’t subscribed, be cool and join 206 subscribers here:
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#1 – Aphex Twin's new EP launches with a cool AR experience
Aphex Twin hadn’t popped up on my radar since my uni days in Newcastle when my mates and I were blown away by his unique music videos even more than his alternative music. He’s always been known for breaking the mould. A great example of this is his CIRKLON3 [ Колхозная mix ] video, which was directed entirely by a 12-year-old autistic kid. So what’s he up to in 2023? Launching his latest EP, with a name as curious as he is, Blackbox Life Recorder 21F / In A Room7 F760. This time he’s created an immersive AR experience using the EP packaging as his canvas to curate it. Check out the video below. It's one of the cooler sh*ts (nope, doesn’t sound right, won’t use it again…) that I’ve seen in a while…
#2 - Capri Sun launches kid noise-cancelling juice drink
A creative bit of fun, featuring some cheeky content, a smart/ simple partnership, nice creative assets and a basic landing page. I expect it was all done on a low budget too… Well played! (Credit: Carl Moggridge, Managing Partner at Hopeful Monsters, for putting this on my radar)
#3 - Heinz cracks down on ketchup counterfeiters with colour swatch labels
(Credit: Oz Dean, Creative Director at Blood) Earlier this year, Heinz Ketchup identified the exact shade of Pantone red of Heinz Tomato Ketchup and added it to the labels of its condiment bottles in Turkey.
The red was added to the border of the label to help people detect if they’re being served authentic Heinz Ketchup. Heinz also launched an Instagram filter for verification – if the label doesn’t match the sauce in the bottle, it’s not the original Heinz.
#4 - Psilocybin & MDMA-Assisted Therapy in Australia
(Credit: Ian Dejong, Principal Strategist, Investor, Advisor) People with treatment-resistant depression typically had no (legal) options to turn to, with many considering suicide. In February 2023 the TGA approved Mind Medicine Australia's application to reschedule psilocybin and MDMA from Schedule 9 (prohibited substances) to Schedule 8 (controlled medicines) of the Poisons Standard. With this rescheduling, psychiatrists approved by the TGA are now able to prescribe psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression and MDMA for PTSD. These changes came into effect July 1st, 2023.
#5 - Coca‑Cola Hosts Digital Artists and Tech Enthusiasts for Generative AI Summit
Coca-Cola’s “Real Magic Creative Academy” brought together digital artists, creative technologists and entrepreneurs from around the world to explore the intersection of creativity and generative AI technology. I find it interesting that the likes of A Bathing Ape (BAPE) and Highsnobiety featured in co-creation sessions. I wonder what Coca-Cola is cooking up next in this space…? This followed the launch of “Create Real Magic,” a campaign that invited AI creators, tech enthusiasts, artists and everyday fans to use Coca‑Cola creative assets to create their artworks leveraging GPT-4 and DALL-E.
The simple act of reading about an act of kindness can also give our love hormone (Oxytocin) levels a boost. So feel the love…
Edinburgh florist leaves 'lonely bouquets' across the city for strangers ❤️
Rap royalty, Kendrick Lamar’s ‘DNA.’ makes it into the Cool Sh*t Spotify playlist this week… The music video is one of my faves. “Backbone don’t exist, born outside a jellyfish, I gauge” 🤯
ICYMI - Cool Sh*t Vol. 39 - XREAL, OpenAI, The Met x Roblox, KFC x Street Fighter, Got Milk? and more...
If you need more awesome Substack content in your life then go checkout The Future Of... By Ian Dejong, with a goal to “help organisations (and the individuals within them) prepare for the future and not just survive, but thrive within it” ❤️
Cool Sh*t is typically written from the comfort of my own home, here in Sydney, Australia - Gadigal land. Always was, always will be. I pay my respects to their Elders past and present. I extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The views expressed are my own and don’t reflect the views of my employer…