I’m just landing in New York after a stellar start to the PTTOW! Summit. PTTOW! is a community of bright marketing minds and business leaders coming together “to build the beautiful world of tomorrow”.The summit took place at a winery outside of Atlanta and featured a mix of programming focused on main stage inspiration, breakouts where smaller groups tackle issues across business and culture, and a mix of activities focused on taking you outside of your comfort zone and building connections. (Set and setting make a difference. I ziplined through the forest!). Every attendee gets a curated itinerary based on what’s of most interest to them and their business.Three icons were honored: André 3000, Halle Berry, and Ludacris (who I had the privilege of inviting and the pleasure of interviewing). To kick off the opening reception, Jermaine Durpri gave us a proper welcome-to-ATL DJ set. The opening keynote featured an interview with Dr. Bernice A. King, who was beyond inspiring and shared exciting plans for the 100th birthday commemoration of her mother, Coretta Scott, and her father, MLK. The King Center they are building will honor them mightily.On day 2, Stacey Abrams gave a powerful speech on diversity and inclusion that will help define the new era. I was blown away by the depth and reach of this amazing array of inspirational speakers. There were fascinating breakout sessions featuring topics ranging from dealing with tariffs/organizational uncertainty, to trauma response and recovery, to utilizing nostalgia in marketing.The crux of the experience, though, was the shared stories and anecdotes, the friendships, and the safe space to discuss real challenges with trusted partners. There is nowhere else you’ll find creatives like Jeezy, Coodie & Chike, and Michael Sugar; thought leaders like Jon Halvorson (Mondelez), Brie Olson (PACSUN), Andrew Steinthal (The Infatuation), and Avery Akkineni (CMO of Vayner); and the top marketers running plays for trailblazing darlings like Elf, Liquid Death, and American Eagle all in the same room. The dialogue was open, honest, and authentic. These folks and these brands are the pulse of what’s happening in culture and the conversations were reflective.It takes a village to plan something like this and the PTTOW! team has really become dear friends and family. Massive thank you and shout out to Roman Tsunder, Jim Sullos, Sammy Rabstein, Ryan Boughan, Ryan Brenner, Nicole Rosofsky and the entire PTTOW! team for organizing and creating the right environment. If you’re a CMO or business leader looking to learn more about membership, Nicole is the way in the front door. If you want to discuss membership, I can make an intro.As someone who’s been obsessed with meaningful cultural impact & marketing since childhood, studied it in college, and built a business around it over the past couple decades, I can’t think of a better way to spend my time than at PTTOW!
BEATS
On an Off Day, Doechii Is Likely Scrolling Through BookTokDoechii has grown up with an alligator named Coconut, or Coco to friends. The two have been through a lot together: music videos, mixtape covers, and now, a new campaign with Samsung for their Galaxy S25 Edge. “I love Coco,” Doechii, the newest member of team Galaxy, tells ELLE. “We’ve developed a relationship. She’s used to me,” (Elle).
Vancouver's Nardwuar Steps It Up With His Own Nike Sneakernews of a “Nardwuar x Nike SB Dunk Low” skateboard sneaker has leaked out on internet sites, such as sneakernews.com, which said the Nardwuar sneakers should be out for the “Holiday 2025 season” and may retail for US$135. Nardwuar confirms he has a deal with Nike. But a design hasn’t been finalized — the sneaker is still in the development stage (Vancouver Sun).
Tyler, The Creator & Dario Argento are Bottega boys nowThe legendary musician and director join a stellar cast of creatives including Neneh Cherry, Jack Antonoff, and more in Bottega Veneta’s new ‘Craft is Our Language’ campaign (Dazed).
Original Broadway Cast of ‘Hamilton’ to Reunite for 10th Anniversary Performance on 2025 Tony AwardsIn addition to participating in the performance, Renée Elise Goldsberry will cohost The Tony Awards: Act One (Billboard).
Fans on Stationhead Can Buy Merch — and Show Off Their PurchasesAfter launching an e-commerce function in March, the platform rolled out a new feature, Collections, so users can display what they buy (Billboard).
Babies Don’t Need Mozart Recordings, Just a Parent Who SingsThe study, led by Eun Cho and Lidya Yurdum of the Yale Child Studies Center, looked at how often parents normally sing to their baby and whether that frequency could be juiced by a little music education and some electronic nudges (WSJ).
Cher & Future’s Super-Awkward 2017 Gap Commercial Is Going Viral Via TikTok ReenactmentsIn the ad, Cher sings a Broadway-style version of that song, while Future adds disinterested little ad-libs. Cher is an Oscar-winning actor, but you wouldn’t know it from the sheer, overwhelming awkwardness of her interaction with Future. It’s truly strange (Sterogum).
An Indian Entrepreneur Is Luring Ed Sheeran, Travis Scott to MumbaiHemrajani is the founder and chief executive officer of BookMyShow, the largest ticketing platform and concert promoter in India. Over the past few years, the company has helped turn India into one of the world’s buzziest new markets for music performances (Bloomberg).
Sauna Raves Are Coming to LondonIt is a truth universally acknowledged that the fewer clothes worn at a party, the more fun the party will be. In New York City, this is common lore. Since the pandemic, Big Apple parties have been nakeder than ever, with a growing number of steamy soirées taking place in bathhouses, saunas, and spas (I-D).
Radio City: NYC's Independent Airwaves Take Center StageHey, check out NYC Music Month celebrating the power of indie radio—these stations are essential to artist development, local music scenes, and the independent music ecosystem, and they need our support now more than ever.
STAT OF THE WEEK
How the ‘Lilo & Stitch’ Live-Action Film Quietly Reaffirmed Its Biggest Star: The SoundtrackThis Memorial Day weekend, Disney's live-action adaptation of Lilo & Stitch propelled the box office to one of its strongest Memorial Day weekends ever, earning an impressive $183 million domestically and $341.7 million globally. Compared to the original 2002 animated film—which debuted with a domestic box office of $35.3 million and ultimately earned $273 million worldwide—the new adaptation is certainly securing its place among Disney’s live-action remakes, including Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, and Mulan.
BYTES
In this episode a16z co-founders Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz sit down with legendary music producer and bestselling author Rick Rubin to explore the origin of his unexpected new creation: "The Way of Code."
Tyler Talk returns. Live from London, Tyler, The Creator is joined by his team of collaborators to dive into the story behind his 1908 collection—from digging through the Converse archives and reworking classic silhouettes to trusting his vision, staying true to the process, and creating for the love of it.
A throwback soda brand is broadcasting its relaunch with the help of its very own radio station powered by an AI time machine (AdAge).
The soundtrack you’ll be blasting at festivals, barbecues, and alone in an air-conditioned bedroom.
This week's newsletter was carefully curated by the Nue Agency staff and our editor Rachel Meisner. If you think we missed something this week or have any suggestions/comments for next week's newsletter, let us know!