The Wall Street Journal
BMW is bringing its “ultimate driving machine” to the electric scooter market. The BMW City Scooter will be available for about $890 starting in September. It was once popular with young professional urban men, but the current younger generation doesn't have an interest in vehicle ownership, instead preferring Ubers and ZipCars. So a scooter might be a viable way for car companies to begin to engage with this cohort.
The Hill
Gucci is advocating for a women’s rights to abortion in its latest runway collection, Cruise 2020, which includes a jacket with the phrase “My Body My Choice” written across the back. The designs reflect the “continuing vision of freedom, equality and self-expression,” according to Gucci. The designer’s nonprofit organization, Chime for Change, advocates for gender equality and women's reproductive rights globally.
Eater
IHOP “changed” its name to the International House of Burgers last summer to promote its burger menu, and the stunt worked: IHOP sold four times the amount of burgers than it did before the name change. Now the restaurant chain is teasing that, while it's sticking with the same IHOP acronym, the P will stand for something other than pancakes for a short while. Pork? Pozole? P...avocado toast waffles? Propaganda? We’ll find out next week.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A Delta Airlines passenger was in a window seat when a dog sitting in the lap of the passenger next to him suddenly attacked his face and pinned him against the window of the plane, the lawsuit alleges. “The June 2017 attack during boarding of a flight from Atlanta to San Diego gained national attention and was followed by a series of changes to
airline policies for emotional support and service animals,” per
The Atlanta Journal Constitution. Delta, the suit alleges, “took no action to verify or document the behavioral training of the large animal.”
Wall Street Journal
Iconic D2C beauty brand Avon is being bought by Natura Cosmeticos SA in "an all-stock deal valued at about $2 billion," reports the Wall Street Journal. The "acquisition is expected to close to close in early 2020."
Fast Company
Skincare line Mother Dirt introduced a body oil and wash "uniquely formulated to protect even more of your skin’s microbiome," according to Fast Company. "Mother Dirt stands out in the market with its live bacteria, which it ensures by mailing with ice packs and recommending products be refrigerated and used within six months."
USA Today
To honor soldiers who died while serving in the Armed Forces, Chick-fil-A set up "Missing Man Tables” to honor dead, missing or imprisoned service members. According to the National League of POW/MIA Families, the table is round, to show everlasting concern, and the cloth is white, symbolizing the purity of solders' motives when answering the call to serve. A yellow ribbon symbolizes our continued uncertainty, hope for their return and determination to account for them. Other symbolic items are included, including a rose, a lemon slice and a pinch of salt.
GM Authority
Former General Motors designer Franz Von Holzhausen, is responsible for designing all current Tesla vehicles. The most well-known examples of his work at GM were the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky roadsters. “The designer penned both models under Bob Lutz, who spearheaded the project in an effort to reinvigorate the Pontiac and Saturn brands,” according to GM Authority. “The Solstice became an instant hit, tallying 7,000 orders in the first 10 days of availability.”
New York Post
Wrangler came under fire this week after launching a denim collaboration with rapper Lil Nas X, which is inspired by his hit song, “Old Town Road.” Fans have started boycotting the clothing manufacturer, claiming “true cowboys” would never wear the new duds — or listen to Lil Nas X. “Those who support the collab have called the outrage 'racist' — with some social media users saying it’s only coming from ‘white people’ and ‘rednecks,’” according to the New York Post.
GM Authority
During General Motors' first quarter earnings call, an analyst asked GM CEO Mary Barra whether the automaker’s products lack the desirability of key rivals, particularly when it comes to vehicle design and effective marketing tactics that attract buyers. Barra’s answer in part: “We could have the right package and efficiency and affordability for the customer and winning in the marketplace and then having advertising that breaks through. But sometimes the advertising that breaks through and is most effective with the customers isn’t the one that wins all the awards.”