oh my DOT | Connecting the Dots #100

Still

Here we have newsletter number 100. After all the issues, I have to say that it is still one of my favorite leisure activities where I sort out my main sources of information and inspiration. In this issue we’re going to do it a little differently. I’ve outsourced one section this time from my agency colleagues. You’ll also find more links here than usual. Thank you for still reading – we’re continuing.

#1

#1 It’s been 25 years since the Blair Witch Mystery changed the game.
In 1999, The Blair Witch Project blurred the line between fact and fiction so much that audiences left the theaters wondering if what they had seen was real. This indie pop culture film is also a look at how to advertise a movie.

#2 One in five Americans have mental health problems.
Clinics are clustered in wealthy regions and millions are left in a vicious cycle of unemployment, stigma and untreated problems.

#3 Slow Travel is back.
According to Hilton’s latest Annual Trends report, slow travel will be the hit of 2025 as vacationers trade busy schedules for relaxation. Travelers are focusing on leisure activities like chilling in bed, adventuring in nature and disconnecting from social media.

#4 Roblox is the world’s biggest game, but it doesn’t make money.
Roblox has 380 million annual users and more than 6 billion hours of gameplay, making it one of the largest platforms in the world. Despite its huge popularity and growing income, Roblox struggles to make a profit but loses 38% of its revenue due to high operating costs.

#5 Ozempic seems to slow aging.
Experts claim that the “ozempic way” of treating type 2 diabetes and especially obesity can also slow down the aging process. In addition to improving cardiovascular health, it has been linked to benefits in treating heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, even cancer. Sky’s the limit for Ozempic.

#6 Idea: Sleepfluencers.
IKEA, in collaboration with agency Åkestam Holst NoA, has launched the “Sleepfluencers” campaign, which uses blackout blinds as an advertising space for its bedroom products. This clever idea takes advantage of the long summer days in Sweden to offer customers free blinds for a better night’s sleep while subtly promoting the IKEA range.

#7 Hidden environmental costs associated with chatGPT.

#8 Burberry x Norman. I love this trend of the return of “normal” food.
I love this trend of the return of ‘normal’ food. Burberry took an unconventional strategy when it took over London’s Norman’s Cafe for a week as part of its “Burberry Streets” initiative.

#9 Creative solutions for videos on TikTok. Great inspo.

#10 How to organize your life.
The article offers 100 small tips on how to improve your daily life, focusing on areas such as organization, time management and mental well-being. The tips are designed to reduce stress and increase productivity. It emphasizes that while perfection is unachievable, adopting simple habits, such as scheduling while waiting for coffee, can lead to a more balanced and organized life.

#11 How to succeed at MrBeast production.
This leak is being tracked by the internet. Presentation shows key strategies for success in content creation, specifically MrBeast style. It describes how a raging production team creates viral content and more effective video production that meets virality expectations.

#12 List of common mistakes.
The part of wikipedia that explains situations in life that we get wrong. Great resource for insights.

#13 Tesla has its own Giga train.
Tesla has unveiled the world’s first all-electric train, which now carries passengers and employees for free in Germany. The train can carry 500 people and is an eco-friendly alternative to cars and diesel trains – reducing carbon emissions by 50 tons.

#14 Nokia 3210 is back.

#15 MILF cinema.
Films featuring older women in relationships with younger men have become a prominent trend. From Anne Hathaway in The Idea of You to Nicole Kidman in A Family Affair and more. The stories are moving away from older MILFs being portrayed as comedic or tragic figures, instead the modern MILF is strong, sexually vibrant and often involved with younger lovers. However, this genre raises questions about whether these films actually disrupt or reinforce societal norms about age, femininity, and relationships.

#2 (outsourced)

#1 Rihanna is the new face J’Adore Dior.
Rihanna has officially replaced Charlize Theron as the face of Dior’s J’Adore fragrance, walking like a golden goddess through Versailles in the first glowing ad spot. It seems that even a luxury fragrance needs the occasional refresh.

#2 Heinz is launching vending machine.
Heinz has introduced a “Pickle Switch” vending machine in Rotterdam, where people can swap unwanted pickles for a bottle of Heinz Pickle Ketchup. The vending machine is designed for people who like the taste of pickles, but not their texture, and offers them a new way to enjoy their flavor.

#3 Oslo and its (anti)campaign.

#4 TEXT FX.
“It offers several tools for playing with words, from a POV module where you write an idea for a scene and it writes a picture for the script, to modules for subtle brainstorming (fuse, unexpect) or modules where you write seemingly unrelated words (e.g. wafer bars, universe) and it finds connections that can help you brainstorm.”

#5 Gen Z and their changing drinking habits.

With love
P.