Harper’s Bazaar
Serena Williams, who announced her pending retirement from pro tennis, is going out with a bang, as evidenced by her bedazzled attire during the opening round match of the U.S. Open on Monday. The flashy yet classy outfit, designed by Nike and Williams, was not without meaning. "The dress Williams wore, which features a crystal-encrusted bodice with a V-shaped cut where it meets the six-layer skirt, was inspired by figure skating apparel,” per Harper’s Bazaar. “The six layers are a reference to Williams's six Flushing titles. The jewels on the bodice, meanwhile, are meant to represent the night sky …
The Washington Post
The death of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has prompted the resurfacing of a minute-long, tongue-in-cheek 25-year-old Pizza Hut ad created by BBDO. “By tapping into the debate about Gorbachev’s legacy — a man seen as a hero abroad and a villain in Russia — the commercial sought to show that ‘pizza is one of those foods that brings people together and bridges their differences,’” Tom Darbyshire, who wrote the commercial for the advertising agency BBDO, told The Washington Post.
CNN Business
The founder of AriZona Iced Tea was looking for a name that connoted a warm and healthy environment. “That meant getting far away from Brooklyn” where he grew up, says CNN. “But not too far away: His friends called his New York home the Santa Fe house, because of its adobe-style design, filled with pink, yellow and turquoise colors. So he settled on ‘Santa Fe’ for the name of the drink.” Clearly, it didn't stick.
The Drive
A group of Tesla owners angry over quality issues who said they were going on a hunger strike probably didn't get the reaction from CEO and founder Elon Musk that they anticipated. After news of the hunger strike began circulating on social media, Musk tweeted: On advice of a good friend, I’ve been fasting periodically & feel healthier.” While some involved in the strike believe that it was meant to be a “cruel subtweet,” others think it was an SEO countermeasure against the news of a hunger strike, per The Drive.
Fortune
China’s Gen Z has made its preferences for local brands well known, but Marriott isn’t giving up on them. “Last year, Marriott International tasked Arnold Ma with creating a marketing campaign for the Shanghai opening of Moxy, a hip, modern offshoot of the U.S. hotel giant geared toward younger guests,” Fortune reports. “China’s young consumers … are known for being skeptical of foreign influence and for ‘lying flat’ to escape the rat race of China’s economy by doing as little as possible.”
NBC News
There is a little-known new New York state law that bans sales of canned whipped cream to those under age 21. The age requirement was enacted nine months ago to curb teens from possibly abusing nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, in the whipped cream canister. The New York Association of Convenience Stores is not a fan of the law and the burden it places on its members.
Fast Company
Tesla Model S’s steering trapezoid is the “perfect example of everything that is wrong” at the automaker, per Fast Company. “Now an influx of social posts highlighting the poor quality of the half wheel are coming in fast. … It all started with the owner of a Tesla Model S Long Range (priced at $115,000 and up), who saw his yoke starting to disintegrate at the 24,000-mile mark.”
The State News
A Chipotle location in Lansing, Michigan is the first in the country to unionize. "The affirmative vote to join Teamsters Local 243 comes amid a wave of unionization efforts in chain establishments in Lansing and across the country," per The State News. "In June, three Lansing-area Starbucks locations voted to unionize." The National Labor Relations Board has documented 13 other Chipotle locations in the midst of unionization efforts, all in New York and Maine.
Market Watch
Kellogg Co. has revealed who will head its North America cereal business after the food giant splits its plant-based-foods business, snacks business and portfolio of cereal brands into three different companies. Gary Pilnick, vice chairman, corporate development and chief legal officer, will serve as chief executive officer of the cereal company following the split, which is on track to be completed by the end of 2023.
Supermarket News
DoorDash is calling it quits with Walmart, giving the major retailer a 30-day notice. The two companies first partnered on grocery delivery in 2018. “DoorDash has a 94% cross-country U.S. household reach,” per Supermarket News. “In a recent SEC filing, the company said its monthly active users ordering from a non-restaurant merchant (including grocery and convenience) had grown to 14% in December of last year.”