Rush Hour #23: Cannesmaxxing

Heading to Cannes and talking Creators? Jump on board.

This morning my Spotify shuffle put on an anthem for my mid 2010s life - the cancelled (and then un-cancelled again) Growlers 2014 hit Good Advice.

“There’s nothing as depressing as good advice.

Nobody wants to hear how to live their life”.

Words of wisdom from a man whose bad choices saw him off the touring circuit for a decade. Music gossip aside, the sentiment stands. No one wants to hear it. But, as Rush Hour has been on hiatus for a little bit, I thought maybe I could impart some anyway. Because, I hear quite a lot of you are checking in to easyJet flights and checking your corporate card spend limits about now.

Am I? No. Don’t worry about it. I, am not jealous, at all!!!!!! Truly. Hate rose, what’s the point in a yacht, don’t have an opinion on the ever evolving opportunity and transformation of the beautiful world of creators. But, it’s not all bad. London in 30 degrees, a pub garden, and hometown glory will get me through. If I squint hard enough, the burst water main on West Norwood High Street could be the sea.

So back to the advice you didn’t ask for. Rush Hour aims to give you the skinny on the fat of the industry - creators I’m loving, big biz moves, the big stories across my desktop. So if you’re heading out with some doubt about how you’re going to parlez in the palais, maybe you can keep this in your pocket. Like an Alka Seltzer for your ability to chat shit. Good luck, god speed, and in the words of Baz Luhrman, wear sunscreen.

Rub in the factor 50 and pack your bikini. This Rush Hour’s on a yacht.

🌆 SUNSET STRIP 🌆

Shining a light on a Creator moment I’ve loved this week

I’ve been gone to long to spotlight just ONE moment I’ve been loving. After all, unfathomably my kitchen has 22 spotlights. Horrendous. Here’s my faves…

Laura Jackson x Casamigos - Quarterita

The kind of thing I’m annoyed I didn’t think of first. A perfect collaboration with buzzy tequila brand Casamigos, whose marketing budget and thirst to do cool shit knows no bounds. Hot off the heels of last years Margarita festival which took over Soho with quite some gusto, they’re back with a match made in heaven. Laura Jackson’s homeware store Glassette is a cult classic, and her entire schtick is having a nice time and looking very cool whilst doing it. So - why not collaborate with her to create a nice piece of glassware that you can put her favourite drink in and serve it out of pubs in a quarter-pint glass? You can enjoy it in gorgeously fun hot spots - The Blue Post, Ellie’s, the Copeland Social to name a few, and you can get your own on pre-order. This, my friends, is what we mean when we say handing over the keys to co-creation. It’s not a lazy excuse for brands to siphon of creativity to a creator. It’s a partnership of prime strategic insight, clever casting, and the GUMPTION to actually DO SOMETHING. Take notes.

My New Favourite: Rachel Ojuromi

Give Rachel A Shot! The handle says it all, but I couldn’t agree more. If Rachel hasn’t come across your desk, may I please recommend you stop everything you’re doing and check her out?

Rachel is truly hypnotic, stalking the streets of Lagos with the style and grace of the most seasoned catwalk stars. She is quite frankly addicted to serving. Her TikTok’s gained her a dedicated following, but she’s since been picked up by the eyes of Vogue to I-D to Interview as everyone wants a slice of her inherent charisma and style. She’s being dubbed the Lagos It Girl, and with good reason. Give her a follow.

Some other things that got me going recently

1. Moyo at the World Cup for Airbnb
   Okay, maybe we’re a little biased because this came out of our camp (Josie hi well done again babe), but I have never ever enjoyed content out of a brand trip MORE than the energy Moyo was serving us. Plus, a story he did saying thanks for the opportunity made me CRY. Wish everyone could be more Moyo <3
   

2. Dua’s Holiday List x Google Maps
   Another ‘wish we got there first’ idea - we’ve been long percolating at Born HQ about capitalising on Dua’s holiday obsession, curated lists, and the general joy of Service95. Happy for the Google team to have got it across the line by teaming up with Service95 officially and sharing 12 lists in Maps that are packed with her favourite spots around the world, including pics from her camera roll and personalised recommendations. I may or may not have saved a bunch of her Mexico City recs and ended up 3 margs down buying some more cowboy boots at her fave Mexican leather store. Whoops!
   

3. Kaia Gerber snapped up as Creative Partner in Residence for Uni
   More! Brand! Equity! Partnerships! Kaia Gerber has just joined the LA based beauty brand Uni as their Creative Partner in residence, where she will collaborate with the team across campaigns, partnerships and product development - right at the top of them expanding into 1600 stores in America. Patiently waiting for the first major equity spin in the UK .

4. Back of the Neck - Boots x Dan Burns
   Sometimes it’s just all about the simple smart executions. Boots partnered with England player Dan Burns right ahead of him heading out for the World Cup, rebranding him ‘Dan Won’t Burn’ (lol). The campaign, entitled “Back of the Neck” is all about raising awareness of proper suncream application, calling out that often missed spot.

5. Eli Rallo x NYT
   NYC to Houston Influencer Eli Rallo tied the not with her ‘Scorpio Boy’ Avery Tia last week, a relationship fans have followed from first date to walk down the aisle. As part of their relationship rituals, they play Wordle together every morning. NYT took the opportunity to congratulate the happy couple and reward that morning rite properly with a custom bag of goodies, including hats emblazoned with two great 5 letter words: BRIDE AND GROOM.

6. Jools Lebron’s Profile in the Guardian
   Whilst we may have all moved on from a very mindful, very demure summer, the scars left by hit and run virality run deep for those at the heart of it. Jools Lebron, coiner of the iconic phrase, is proof of that. In a searingly honest and pretty upsetting profile for The Guardian, they talk to the star a year on and hear about how drug addiction, bad brand deals, and not coping with new fame led to a pretty brutal downward spiral. They’re up and at ‘em again, but I would encourage the read.

7. SuBo x Cornetto

   You’ve probably seen this one - but Susan Boyle of X Factor fame came out of the limelight with a very little c***ty bob teasing new music. It caught the internets attention, as we prepped for a SuboSummer (see ya brat!). It turned out, she’d dropped an absolute banger for Cornetto. Subo’s gorgeous voice remixed Just One Cornetto for the dance floors of 2026. Pretty fun, tbf.

📈THE STOCK EXCHANGE📉 AND 🔥🏡 HOT PROPERTY🏡🔥

Big biz moves that effect the culture AND Who or what is the current Main Character of my internet

Don’t we love a double whammy? This weeks main character and big biz news came out of the same camp, because in case you didn’t know already…

KNICKS IN 5!!!!

It’s been pretty fun watching the fever pitch climb and climb, as brands across New York started to see their dreams come true. In the lead up to Game 4, the excitement really built, with New York brands taking over shop fronts and social sites in Orange and Blue. Steve Madden, the MTA, Glossier, Snapple and Malin and Goetz are just a few who’ve gone orange for the foreseeable.

But besides my excitement as a Knicks Fan By Association (my sister in law is a born and bred New Yorker and Knicks fan, and took me to the Bridge at Madison Square Garden for Thanksgiving!!!), I have looooooooveeeeeeeeeed some of the brand activations we’ve seen.

So in the spirt if Knicks in 5, here’s my 5 top ones

1. OBVIOUSLY SLEEP WELL, NY BY NIKE - IT’S SO GORGEOUS
   What a beautiful ad! The star of it really has no tooth, and was found via the Safdie brothers. You can watch him interviewed all about it in Breaking and Entering.

2. CONVENE’S LOGO CHANGE

   SIMPLE BUT EFFECTIVE - a Nicks accidentally pulled down the N on their store during the parade, instead of mad, they got bad. They changed their logo on socials to a wonky N in tribute.
   

   

3. Glossier release I Heart NY balm dotcom

   Who doesn’t love a reactive NPD???? I’m impressed with the speed at which they did this. If they could speedily bring back the original Glossier You formulation I’d be really glad.

   

4. Spotify’s Reactive OOH

   Okay it’s not like they’re not going to capitalise on a smart OOH placement. But it still gets me giddy after all this time! Billboards in the streets of New York saw public playlists like “Songs for Transcending Down 7th Avenue” and “Waiting Since ‘99”

   

5. Frida shouting out Brunson and Hart’s baby Momma’s

   “When the garden chants Bing Bong, they hear Mom Mom Mom” should be hung in the LOUVRE!!! Parent product brand Frida has named Knicks Wags Ali Brunson and Shannon Hart the seasons MVP’s (Most Valuable Parents).

   

🎛️ NOTES FROM THE CONTROLLER ROOM 🎛️

Things that I’ve been thinking about this week

1. Ann Patchett’s Whistler

   Please trust me that this book is cosy and beautiful and warm and will really, really make your week.
   

   

2. HorseGiirL’s New Album
   In other Horse Adjacent news, I am absolutely obsessed with Nature is Healing
   

3. Reformation x Umbro
   I wish I had the body-ody-ody to pull off this dress

   

4. Keke Palmer and Sean Evans
   OMG JUST KISS ALREADY
   

5. These Chocolate Covered Bananas
   You won’t regret giving this one a go even tho they look kinda questionable out of the packet

   

Okay that was fun! It’s nice to be back! See you all soon! Love you! Bye! xxxxxx

SIM CITY: Tales from the Algorithm is a Substack all about the internet, social media, and the cultural anthropology of the digital world. Subscribe for more 😇