Good morning. Kraft Heinz just became Disney’s food and beverage company of choice, inking a multi-year partnership that will blanket Disney parks, cruise line, studios and streaming platforms. Ten Kraft Heinz brands are getting new menu items and experiences, including Heinz condiment stations popping up parkwide and a Heinz Flavor Ferry sailing into next month’s D23 fan event in Anaheim. The deal also opens the door to media integrations, meaning Kraft Heinz could turn up in Disney films, TV shows or even next year’s Super Bowl broadcast on ESPN. If this pans out, expect more legacy CPG brands to chase this kind of all-in-one entertainment tie-up as their next big media play.

In today’s edition: the “surveillance selfie” trend has people posing for doorbell and traffic cams, and why MiLB is playing ball with brands and retailers.

Campaigns

Earned-friendly campaigns & clever moments

5 Lessons From the World Cup’s Best Marketing Plays—and Those That Missed the Mark

Lessons from the co-founder of The Actionists include build for the long-tail, not just the peak; audit your talent, and make the brand central to the story.

By Pio Schunker | Adweek

Why brands are begging to get the ‘Mexican mom’ treatment

Popeyes, DoorDash, and Red Lobster are asking a creator to “re-design” their logos after she jokingly shared renditions based on brands her mom mispronounces.

By Jude Cramer | Fast Company

Also, Fireball’s Stash Flask sneakers, O.M. Scott & Sons’ H2HOSE canned water, Goodwipes’ “Official Cheek Assistance Hotline” parasite freebie and Blue Moon x Frank’s RedHot’s Spicy Orange Challenge.

Culture

Snackable bites of consumer culture

A bar of their own: Why women’s sports bars are popping up everywhere

Sports bars dedicated to airing women’s sports are estimated to have quadrupled, driven by the category’s surging popularity.

By Danny Jensen | The Hustle

New data proves Gen Z isn’t ditching alcohol after all. They’re just late to the party.

New data shows Gen Z is no longer moderating or going sober - they’re drinking alcohol as much as millennials and older generations.

By Emily Stewart | Business Insider

‘The Odyssey’ has made IMAX 70mm a status symbol

Snagging IMAX 70mm tickets has gotten as competitive as scoring hot concert tickets, but only 41 theaters worldwide can screen the format.

By Belen Edwards | Mashable

The Comforting Resurgence of ‘Grandma Hobbies’

Hands-on activities continue to grow in popularity, with crafting and analog pastimes offering traditional skills and a new sense of community.

By Kate Brennan | The New York Times

Corporate

News impacting business & the workplace

Is Your Business Suffering From a Workplace ‘Situationship’?

Employer-employee relationships are growing noncommittal, with most workers no longer seeing long-term potential in their jobs and many quietly eyeing the exit.

By Bruce Crumley | Inc.

These AI-Native Companies Have Tiny Staffs and Fewer Bosses

AI-native startups are proving companies can run with far leaner workforces, hinting at a broader shift in corporate structure.

By Lindsay Ellis | The Wall Street Journal

When Employees Are Held Accountable for AI-Generated Decisions

Employees often must explain AI decisions they don’t fully understand, coping in ways that range from hiding confusion to building real interpretive skill.

By Anne-Sophie Mayer, Elmira van den Broek, Tomislav Karačić | Harvard Business Review

Commerce

Shopper society snapshot

World Cup helped drive strongest consumer spending growth in four years during June, Bank of America says

Credit and debit card spending rose 6.3% in June, with restaurants and bars in host cities seeing the biggest gains.

By Eric Revell | Fox Business

Why brands and big-box retailers are playing ball with Minor League Baseball

MiLB has been taking big swings to partner with brands and get its teams’ merch into big-box stores.

By Andrew Adam Newman | Retail Brew

Sephora Announces Global ‘Quiet Hours’ to Create a More Inclusive Shopping Experience

The beauty retailer joins companies like Walmart and Target in offering sensory-friendly experiences.

By Angelique Brenes | People

Connections

Feed intelligence & AI tips

Since the camera is always watching, why not snap a surveillance selfie?

Creators are turning doorbell camera footage into a trendy social media format for selfies and fit checks.

By T.M. Brown | CNN

Substack is adding an AI detection feature

It’s also adding a new statement space for creators to explicitly share if and how they used AI for their content.

By Anna Washenko | Engadget

The Rise of Anti-Flock Influencers Who Make Things Up for Clout

Instagram influencers are fabricating fake cease-and-desist letters to go viral, muddying real concerns about mass surveillance.

By Jason Koebler | 404 Media

6 Digital PR Strategies to Boost AI Visibility

Strategies include data-led PR, AI citation outreach, reactive PR, and ego bait.

By Sean Begg Flint | Backlinko

Media Moves & Intel:

Ann Gehan, formerly reporter at The Information, is now earnings specialist at Bloomberg News covering breaking news and corporate earnings with a focus on consumer and retail companies.
Sam Larreal, formerly reporter at NOTUS covering technology and politics, is now reporter at Politico on the transportation team.
Brett Forrest, formerly anchor and reporter at KOAA in Colorado Springs, is now reporter at Denver Business Journal covering economic development.
Kate Taylor, formerly senior correspondent at Business Insider, is now senior writer at WIRED covering the future of work and how AI is shaping industries.
Anna Sackel, formerly producer at CBS Evening News Plus, is now senior producer at Bloomberg Businessweek Daily.
Cassia Sari, formerly news producer at Telemundo Charlotte, is now associate editorial producer at CBS News.
Camila Quimper, formerly e-commerce editor at E! News, is now commerce writer at Penske Media Corporation across Billboard, Rolling Stone, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, WWD and Footwear News.
Gabriel Hunter-Chang, producer at What’s Your Problem? podcast, is seeking CEO guests who can speak to how AI is helping various industries solve major problems.
Randall Lane, formerly chief content officer at Forbes, has left the outlet and has not yet announced his next role.

Also... learn how to make a stop-motion video, courtesy of Animation Break on YouTube.

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The Zeitgeist: Surveillance Selfies and Minor League Baseball