The internet’s sick fascination with glittering their enemies, Millennials’ thoughts on their favorite brands, and more. Kick off your long weekend with the Friday Don’t Miss List!
1. Our Sick Fascination With Glitter
It has been an epic week for an unusual startup. Don’t miss the phenomena of Ship Your Enemies Glitter, which launched on Monday, and promised to, yes, ship an envelope of glitter along with a note to your enemy for $9.99AU. Within days they had so many requests that the man behind the site promptly stopped taking orders and put it all up for sale. A statement on the site tells visitors, “You guys have a sick fascination with shipping people glitter” and they are currently listed on Flippa for $20K. In the meantime, copycats like Operation Glitter Bomb have popped up to pick up the slack. Apparently sending glitter that will be impossible to clean up is an incredibly appealing prospect.
2. The Future of the Vinyl Boom
We told you about the new businesses of the vinyl boom, and how the format’s renewed popularity has some startups finding innovative ways to sell an old product to a new generation of listeners, including subscription services like VYNL. Don’t miss that the same day we covered it, Billboard wrote that these subscriptions could be the “future of analog listening.” Their rundown of the trend includes Vinyl Loop, a site that gives users a monthly deal on new vinyls, along with “additional stuff…like posters, digital downloads, stickers, autographs and more.”
3. The Disposable Camera App
We’ve written plenty in the past about mobile phones cannibalizing the camera market, and the point-and-shoot battle to win young consumers back. But don’t miss the app that makes your phone replicate something no one thought would be missed: the disposable camera. WhiteAlbum is an iOS app that won’t show you pictures after they are taken, and instead for $20 delivers the imperfect prints to your door.
4. Tap For a Beer
This week, our newsfeed let you know that Anheuser Busch is “going very hard after Millennials” with a digital-heavy approach. Don’t miss one of their innovative mobile efforts that makes beer an on-demand experience: the Bud Light Button. Users simple press the button on their phones, and have beer delivered to them—if they are in the Washington D.C. area. Orders can accommodate between one and one hundred cases of beer, and users could get some surprises delivered to them as well.
5. The Why Behind Their Favorite Brands
Yesterday, we dove into Millennials’ favorite brands, examining their quantitative responses and a top 20 list that reflects the generation’s tastes, values, and needs. Don’t miss some of the whys behind their top picks Apple, Nike, and TOMS, in their own words:
Apple:
“I love their products, I think they are innovative, and they are all about keeping life simple, something that I appreciate very much.” –Male, 28
“Because they have impacted people’s lives in a good way by coming up with electronic products to make lives easier than it was.” –Female, 30
Nike:
“They really push the active market and make me feel motivated.” –Female, 25
“They’re genuine. Both trendy yet classic. Have stylish, yet comfortable clothing. Support athletes.” –Male, 24
Toms:
“Because they make their mission of helping kids in Africa clear.” –Female, 27
“The buy one give one model that makes me feel good about my purchase because I’m helping someone while also helping myself.” –Female, 24
