From IRL To Viral

PRESENTED BY CONSUMER GIFT GUIDE

Happy Thursday, Future Party. Ryan Reynolds has once again transformed an of-the-moment viral conversation into savvy marketing. In his latest Mint Mobile ad, Reynolds co-stars not with AI “actress” Tilly Norwood, but with an allegedly real customer named Natalie “Tilly” Norwood. If you’re on the inside track (thanks to this newsletter), it’ll probably make you chuckle.

Creator-focused representation firm Night is acquiring immersive-experience marketing agency Experiential Supply Co. for an undisclosed amount.

The Big Picture: The two biggest growth narratives in media right now are the creator economy and IRL branded experiences. While these worlds have been blending for the past few years, Night’s acquisition of Experiential Supply Co. could not only supercharge the fusion but also scale each stunt exponentially.

Behind The Stunts: Digital creators want a little more IRL impact.

Final Plan: IRL experiences from creators are definitely having a moment, with IShowSpeed, the Sidemen, and Dude Perfect all cashing in on the demand. WME Group executive chairman and TKO CEO Ari Emanuel is even putting $2 billion of fresh capital to work in the space with the launch of holding company MARI. 

Soon, every viral piece of content might just originate as an event.

Next Idea: MrBeast can’t be the face of every marketing campaign, but expect brands to start seeking out MrBeast-like creators who can stage IRL stunts around product launches.

This collection of must-have gadgets packs clever, functional tech that actually does something — no fluff, no gimmicks.

Because the best gadgets aren’t just cool — they solve real, everyday problems.

Want tech that truly works? Check out the list before it’s gone.

Learn More

Investors can’t get enough of MANGO. And no, not the fruit — the handful of companies soaking up all the attention, investment, and consumer interest in today’s AI-driven economy.

Why It Hits: Wall Street loves a buzzy nickname for the giants competing for consumer attention. Before the pandemic, it was FAANG. A couple of years ago, all eyes were on the Magnificent 7. Now, the rise of MANGO marks the first time in the modern market that all the top companies are united by a single pursuit — AI dominance.

Behind The Stocks: So, what does MANGO mean?

The Future: Unsurprisingly, the MANGO cohort includes the companies most coveted by new computer science and engineering grads. The problem? Hiring across Silicon Valley — especially at the top players — has plummeted. VC firm SignalFire found that the 15 largest tech companies are hiring 50% fewer new grads than in 2019.

Why? Because of AI, of course. The better the tech gets, the less need there is for new coders — certainly a novel narrative for company growth.

Prediction: In the near future, MANGO may represent the top companies that have the fewest employees.

This weekend, experience The Cortège — a first-of-its-kind outdoor theatrical production transforming the Los Angeles Equestrian Center into a living dreamscape. Think choreography, mythic costumes, massive puppetry, and drone apparitions — all set to an original score featuring TOKiMONSTA, Boreta, Air, and more.

For the closing chapter, acclaimed composer Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith performs a one-night-only set meditating on grief and love through electronic composition.

Due to popular demand, performances now run through October 19th. Use code FUTUREPARTY for 20% off tickets — and step into something beyond imagination.

GET 20% OFF TICKETS →

70.4% of you voted No in yesterday’s poll: Do you watch any podcasts in video form?

“I listen to my podcasts while driving or exercising. Not enough time in my day to watch!”

“I don’t understand the appeal of podcasts — they feel so old-timey, like sitting in a rocking chair by candlelight listening to a radio program.”

“I typically catch clips on social platforms, but I’ve learned that some podcasts you watch don’t always translate to audio-only formats. For example, I love catching clips of The Basement Yard, but when I tried listening on Spotify, I realized you miss a lot of context without their facial reactions. Without the visuals, the podcast wasn’t as funny or fun to listen to.”

Let’s keep the conversation going. Join our Poll Of The Day newsletter, so your opinions can shine. Discover how your views line up with your peers’, check out cool insights, and have some fun. It’s data with personality.

🍿 KPop Demon Hunters is returning to theaters with a sing-along version — Netflix may not love theaters, but it definitely loves that theater money.

🎥 Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat is collabing with Luma AI on a competition where comedians and creators try to generate short films in real time.

📺 New startup Gaggl will pay streamers for hosting watch parties of hit game shows like The Price is Right and Family Feud.

🚗 The US, UK, Canada, the EU, and even China have all hit the brakes on EV demand.

₿ OpenSea has pivoted from selling NFTs to hawking memecoins… and the transformation is working.

🤑 Anthropic is readying its startup-acquisition era.

💰 Influencers are flocking back to Facebook after Meta debuted some rich monetization features.

👀 X is introducing a new feature that gives users more information about accounts — making it easier to tell if they’re bots or frauds.

📱 Threads really wants your global group chat.