Here is what we have been into recently;
Poolsuite FM extending its NFT offering - Poolsuite FM is probably the coolest music platform out there. It plays great music, has retro design, gives off cool summer vibes all around. They are also transforming themselves into a fully fledged new generation consumer business & platform. Music is the gateway. The next step from the team was to create their online shop selling their own brand ‘Vacation’. Really well executed brand extension strategy. They didn’t stop there though. Next was the Poolsuite exclusive membership which was accessed through the Poolsuite NFT. This was a great example of leveraging NFTs in managing exclusive access. The membership grants access to VIP app/web design, exclusive playlists and now events. They are organising 2 parties (London and NewYork) featuring Irfane and Breakbot (great music - check it out). NFT holders get exclusive access. The membership is sold out and can now be accessed in the secondary market over OpenSea and is currently going at around 6K USD. Here is the magic card that gives access to what the Internet Leisure Company has to offer.
A new type of movie production company; A24 - is making waves but quietly. You may have seen some of their films (Uncut Gems, Midsommar) or tv shows (Euphoria) but odds are you have never heard of A24, one of the most successful film production and distribution companies out there at the moment. Eschewing traditional film company logic and tactics for a more relaxed and guerrilla approach, they are behind some of the coolest - and most creative - indie films of recent years. They don’t promote themselves, stay behind the scenes, take risks with their projects, collaborate effectively with their directors, invest their marketing budget online. Simply put, they bring a silicon valley type entrepreneurial approach (minus the self promotion part..) to movie making. Their latest film Everything Everywhere All at Once is being hailed as one of the best movies of recent years and will probably put an end to their ability to stay behind the scene. You can read more about their business and their ethos here. Below is the trailer of their last release:
YouTube ambient rooms - if you have been on to YouTube recently you probably came across channels that only play lo-fi music (think unobtrusive, uninteresting, electronic background music). These are great for zoning out when you are doing work, writing etc. They normally come with some relaxing background imagery - the most famous one of these is the lo-fi girl, studying in a cosy room, listening to this music with her headphones. As a continuation of this trend there are now Ambient Room channels. These are designed to provide an audio / visual backdrop. Even less intrusive than the lo-fi music option, these are great when you need some focus.
Fashion in the Metaverse - visual arts have been positively transformed by NFTs. We are now observing other visual driven mediums being impacted by the metaverse and NFTs. Fashion is among these. New, revolutionary designs are being enacted completely virtually. Young designers can create freely and showcase themselves in an industry famously hard to gain access to. Items of clothing are being duplicated and converted into NFTs and there are already overnight success stories. All of these ideas recently came together in the Metaverse Fashion Week hosted on Decentraland - a popular metaverse. It hosted the likes of Dolce & Gabana, Etro which made their web3 debuts with the show. However the more interesting idea is those brands that only exist in the metaverse, there is no physical footprint. The Dematerialised is an online boutique selling these types of items. These can be purchased as NFTs and come with their own AR filters etc. Basically you can dress your avatar up. Ideas abound and there is a long way to go but the real benefit of the metaverse to the industry may be in the progress it offers in sustainability. This is the perfect intersection of design, sustainability, metaverse, AR/VR. All we want for Christmas is a virtual robe..
Book of the Week - Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch. This is one if you need a break from all the serious stuff. It’s the first book in the Rivers of London series about a young cop who partners up with a under cover detective/magician to solve mysterious crimes. It’s Doctor Who (unsurprising given the author actually was a Doctor Who writer in the 80s) meets Sherlock Holmes in modern London. It’s great and there are many books in the series. Easy and fun.
Hope you enjoy it and if you do, please share! If you don’t enjoy share with people you don’t like very much, also fine!