Google’s new app feature is flooding social media feeds with art (and selfies), two Millennial mothers are making headlines after taking on H&M’s marketing, Hard Candy’s attempt to join in on the #MeToo uprising backfires, and other stories gaining traction on the web…
How Google Made Their Art App Cool
Google’s year-old Arts & Culture app went viral this week thanks to a new feature that’s flooding everybody’s social media feeds with art. The app, which shot up to the most-downloaded free app on both iOS and Android this week, now houses a feature that asks: “Is your portrait in a museum?” From there users can take a selfie and get matched with artwork that closely resembles their face. On Wednesday, Google reported that more than 30 million selfies were uploaded onto the app, and celebrities like Kumail Nanjiani of Silicon Valley and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey are among the many who have shared their results.
Two Millennial Moms Tell H&M to Go Gender Neutral
Two Norwegian mothers are making headlines for taking H&M’s marketing into their own hands. Torny Hesle and Ingrid Lea, who work as creatives at The Oslo Company, were frustrated with H&M’s portrayal of girls in shiny, glittery clothes and boys in aspirational, action-themed clothes. They set up their own professional photoshoot with the brand’s clothing, mixing and matching pieces that helped expressed the child’s personality, and not their gender. The resulting campaign, “Just Kids,” was even offered up to the retailer with downloadable assets that are free to use. Despite the rise of the Genreless Generation, most major retailers continue to separate kids clothing by gender, but don’t miss how Abercrombie & Fitch is helping change the game: their first gender-neutral kids clothing line “Everybody Collection” will be out this month.
Hard Candy Tries to Trademark #MeToo & It Doesn’t Go Well
Hard Candy’s recent attempt to join in on the #MeToo movement has sparked so much public scrutiny, the brand has since retracted and apologized for the strategy. TMZ was the first to report that the makeup brand had put in a trademark application on the hashtag #MeToo for fragrance and makeup, with the plan to use the trademark “to give back to women worldwide.” Despite their reasoning, backlash ensued, and the brand has since rescinded their filing. In a recent statement, Hard Candy explained, “When the trademark application for #metoo was filed, one of our objectives was to bring greater awareness…We planned to donate 100% of all profits arising from this trademark to #metoo. Based on several public responses, we have abandoned the application.”
YouTube’s Viral Sassy Recipe Critic Gets on The Ellen Show
An amateur food critic who found viral fame on YouTube has struck a deal with Ellen DeGeneres. Kalen Allen’s specialty is inciting laughter with his over-the-top candid reactions to short recipe videos—many of which come from the massively popular food channel, BuzzFeed Tasty. One video, in which Allen exclaims “Jesus, take the wheel!” while watching Cool Whip being combined with mayonnaise for a 7-Up salad, was spotlighted on The Ellen Show late last year—driving his views into the millions. The heightened excitement led him to be a guest on the show, where DeGeneres shook Allen’s hand in a promise to give him the production assistance he needs to continue making videos.
Links We’re Passing
Will Smith joined Instagram and users can’t get enough of his videos, L’Oréal featured the first model to wear a hijab in a hair commercial, a drinking game where players give PowerPoint presentations is sweeping the country, and restaurants are gaining buzz off of the Tide Pod challenge.
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