Culture, Media & Opportunity in NYC
The media upfronts are this week in New York, colliding with NYC’s Art Week. Tack on the Met Gala and the Knicks game 1 upset of Boston in the conference semis, and the Big Apple has a lot going on, even for a city that never sleeps.The intersection of brands, culture, and technology is truly our jam and I'm glad to be back in NYC to see them all meet. They are independent yet interdependent. They need each other; they thrive off each other; and they seem to provide unlimited blue sky opportunities.Smart Spend, Cultural Return, and the Art of Opportunity
Brand spends are down this year as tariffs and economic uncertainty have created a climate of caution when it comes to budgets. I’ll always be bullish on a good marketing spend, but as we head into the second half of the year, smart marketers know every dollar has to count and cultural impact has to have exponential returns.The art world in particular is opening up its doors to more brand collaborations. Frieze Art Fair, which always features cool, emerging artists and was once owned by WME, is now owned personally by Ari Emanuel. Emanuel is a capitalist to the core and he’ll most certainly want to bring more brand dollars through the doors of his fair.In my view, the art world is a great place for brand dollars to go and Art Basel in Miami is still the place to start (a much better Miami investment at this point than F1, although it was impressive to see the city turn out in just the third year of hosting a grand prix). All in all, this is a week where you can see clearly what’s happening in media, new media, and art. It’s a great moment to forecast where the opportunities will be for the remainder of 2025 going into 2026.
BEATS
The Headline Act at Live Nation’s Las Vegas Pop-Punk Festival? 7-ElevenBrands frustrated by the rising cost of trying to reach consumers through the clutter of digital advertising are turning to real-life events. Concert promoter Live Nation is touting a new, top-tier sponsorship option for advertisers in response (Wall Street Journal).
Travis Scott Drops ‘Jackboys 2’ Trailer & Launches Merchandise CollectionThe countdown to Jackboys 2 is on. Travis Scott released a trailer for the Cactus Jack label compilation’s film on Wednesday night (April 30), featuring unreleased music from La Flame (Billboard).
When 60 Million Bedroom Producers Meet AI: How to Create Scarcity in an Over-Supplied Music MarketIn today's edition Matthias will cover how to stay unique as an artist or label in a world of generative Artificial Intelligence and the best tools, reports and stats for creativity tech of the week (Matthias Roder).
Doja Cat Teases New Music In Marc Jacobs' Latest Campaign Featuring The Dual BagMarc Jacobs has tapped multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning artist Doja Cat to front Staycation, the brand's new Pre-Fall 2025 campaign, marking the debut of its latest Dual bag collection and featuring an exclusive first preview of Doja Cat's yet to be released song, "Jealous Type," (PR Newswire).
Brad Paisley & Fender Unveil Signature ‘Lost Paisley’ TelecasterBrad Paisley and the Fender Custom Shop are collaborating on a new Limited Edition Brad Paisley 1967 “Lost Paisley” Telecaster, a vintage-inspired reimagining of the original ’60s Blue Paisley Finish (Music Row).
BYTES
From China to Denmark, and from Skrillex to AG Cook, today’s youth are turning away from straight-faced techno and towards wackier and more chaotic sonics. But why?
Forget the vinyl revolution: For old-school music fans, cassettes are making a comeback. Superstars are offering some of their latest songs on the fragile, finicky devices, and there's a surprising surge in cassette sales. Here's why some fans are looking to the past to see the future of music.
For years, the “Lose My Mind” rapper’s fans have been begging for “Crack,” a track that she previewed during an Instagram Live while recording 2023’s Scarlet.
As the name suggests, it’s a seven-song collection that centers around piano, with the individual tracks prefaced by himself, Emmy Paalman, or Fatima Robinson reading off the song titles. Vocal effects and occasional samples, like a laugh track on “Off Rhythm Laughter,” also intermittently appear. Give it a listen below.
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!