Mickey Mouse And Bobby Hundreds

PRESENTED BY KISWE

Happy Thursday, Future Party. In a true “the-times-they-are-a-changin’” moment, Delaware is fighting to keep its status as the corporation capital of the world. It’s always been a curious fact that Delaware (of all places) is so crucial to the corporate scene (two-thirds of Fortune 500 companies are incorporated there), but now, an aggrieved Elon Musk is urging companies to shift their incorporation to Texas. In response, Delaware’s government is fast-tracking a bill to protect its reputation. A bigger spotlight has never been on such a tiny state.

Bobby Hundreds (real name Bobby Kim), the influential designer behind The Hundreds streetwear brand, has been hired as Disney’s new VP of creative for the Americas at Disney Consumer Products. In other words, Kim is getting his biggest platform yet.

The Big Picture: Luxury designers have increasingly transitioned to the world of entertainment. But Kim’s hiring seems to be the first from the world of streetwear… and you don’t get a splashier gig than taking a C-suite post at the biggest entertainment conglomerate in the world. It may be proof that legacy brands are looking for a creative refresh when it comes to their product footprint.

Behind the Curtain: Is the Mouse House evolving into a fashion house?

Last Looks: The fashion world was abuzz with curiosity when Kim stepped down as the creative director of the brand he co-founded (and closed its flagship store in LA). We’re guessing that trading Adam Bomb (the mascot of The Hundreds) for Mickey Mouse wasn’t on anyone’s bingo card. But since Kim’s collaborations successfully got more young men into Disney fashion, the Mouse House must be betting that he has the secret sauce to make the Magic Kingdom’s products even more accessible… and cooler.

When YouTube creator Daniel Howell realized traditional touring couldn’t reach his entire audience, he partnered with direct-to-consumer streaming platform Kiswe to take his sold-out We’re All Doomed! tour worldwide.

With Kiswe, Howell was able to:

The event shattered records — fans from 100+ countries tuned in, with 60% joining the group chat or fan-selfie feature, making it feel like one big party. And with 25% of revenue coming from merch sales, fans got more than just a ticket — they brought home a piece of the experience.

Best of all, Howell retained full control over his audience, data, and revenue — a game-changer for any digital creator who wants to level up.

Interested in the full story? Read the case study now!

Brands big and small are jousting with one another through billboards, commercials, and social media, using the barbs to break through the noise and find new customers.

Why It Hits: Attack ads have been around forever, but the overall aggressive culture taking over the advertising world is novel. Ironically, studies have found that the mudslinging typically hurts all the brands involved. But with analysts now saying that Gen Z, in particular, is all for the confrontation (it’s authentic, apparently), picking a fight may actually prove to be a good marketing strategy.

Behind the Billboards: Brands are taking it to the billboards.

Final Round: Pinar Yildirim, professor of marketing and economics at the University of Pennsylvania, told WSJ that “attack ads can help newcomers establish a presence by associating themselves with a better-known name — even if it’s in a negative way.” But she stressed that “it comes with reputational, financial and, in some cases, legal risks.” Considering how hard it is to stand out in today’s ad ecosystem, brands may embrace it anyway… and just set aside some of the marketing budget for legal fees.

Go Deeper: Some of the best marketing rivalries include Coca-Cola vs. Pepsi, Apple vs. PC, and for you Hollywood heads, WME vs. CAA.

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54% of you voted In-store in yesterday’s poll: Do you prefer in-store or online shopping?

“Gotta try stuff on. Holding something you’re going to buy in your hands, looking it over, and feeling the sturdiness or quality of construction is an integral part of the purchasing process.”

“Actually, both. I like shopping in-store because I can feel the fabric, try things on, etc. But if I already know the brand’s sizing, it’s wonderful to shop online without having to go to multiple stores to find my size.”

“In-store for clothing. Online for pretty much everything else.”

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.

🍿 Upstart distributor Ketchup Entertainment is in talks to acquire the Warner Bros. movie Coyote Vs. Acme for a reported $50 million — saving the movie from notoriously being canned as a tax write-off.

📺 Roku is testing ads that automatically play before the home screen fully loads.

👂 Coachella has tapped Loop as its first official partner for earplugs.

🔋 US-based Energy Capital Partners and UAE-based ADQ are forming a joint venture to invest $25 billion in power data centers.

🤑 Ripple’s cryptocurrency XRP is surging after the SEC said it would drop its lawsuit against the company.

🛞 Tesla got the green light to operate a taxi service in California… but the cars won’t be able to operate autonomously.

🙌 YouTube is testing a new feature allowing users to hide “End Screens” that crowd the end of your video with those pesky pop-ups.

💸 X raised nearly $1 billion, bringing its valuation back up to $32 billion.

👕 Bluesky made more money in one day selling shirts that troll Mark Zuckerberg than it did in two years of selling custom domains. Hilarious.