I scream, you scream 🍦

I scream, you scream.

The swamp like weather that’s taken over DFW the past week has everyone begging for some relief. And in my experience, only one thing can truly beat the heat. Nope, it’s not a swimming pool. Not AC. And not even that crushed ice from Sonic everyone goes gaga over.

It’s ice cream. And marketers are onto us. Brands are teaming up with ice cream right and left this summer. Sure, it’s an obvious play- but for good reason. It works. We’re on vacation mode, and it’s a million degrees outside. Not only are we looking for something to bring down the temps, we’re ready to spend a little extra on the fun stuff. The summer brings a more relaxed attitude to the average consumer. And most often, this translates to a more relaxed budget. We’re willing to go for two scoops.

The ice cream play works. It’s timely, it’s nostalgic and in June in Texas, it’s downright practical. Check out a few noteworthy ice cream collabs and rollouts that are looking rather delicious as of late.

🍪 Insomnia adds ice cream to the menu
The national cookie maker is offering their warm baked treats a la mode this summer. Because what’s better than a warm cookie delivered to your front door? A warm cookie with ice cream.

🍄 Nekter Juice Bar partners with the Mario Bros
Nekter Juice Bar teamed up with Nintendo to create special ice cream flavors promoting the newest Super Mario Bros film. Options include Mario Kart Cookie Cluster, Splatlands Birthday, and Kirby’s Berry Dream. Yep. Yoshi was excluded from the movie and the ice cream. Cold.

🍦Jeni’s throws Pop-Tarts into the mix
Our girl Jeni created a batch of her world famous ice cream featuring the iconic Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon flavored Pop-Tart. Which is the superior Pop-Tart. There is no room for discussion here.

🥤Blue Bell rolls out a new flavor
The ice cream of the south rolled out its Dr. Pepper Float ice cream just before the summer season. Dr. Pepper is like water down here, and Blue Bell is considered holy. So, even if the actual taste is a total bust, it doesn’t really matter.

The common theme? Nostalgia. Warm cookies, childhood video games, iconic dessert brands and a breakfast treat you can still taste. Throw in nostalgic timing (hey summer), and you’ve got yourself a pretty sweet collaboration.

Top Stories

AI and apple

The latest and greatest from Apple is Vision Pro, their new VR/AR device. The contraption has all of the AI capabilities you could possibly dream of- and more. The device includes eye tracking and hand tracking, and seamlessly blends technology in with the real world around you. TBH, the video is pretty captivating. While the product is available to all, it’s not actually attainable for all. It’s listed at a whopping $3,500. As with most sophisticated AI technology, we’re left wondering when it will actually be affordable. And who will actually use it.

Vision Pro is a huge boost for Apple’s AI portfolio, since the iPhone maker hasn’t fully jumped on the AI bandwagon like most other tech companies. Open AI’s Chat GPT service kicked off a sort of AI arms race in the tech industry. Google responded quickly with its AI-infused version of search, and Meta quickly released their own ChatGPT model. But Apple?

“We’re in the heart of the generative AI hype cycle, and there are major new developments weekly. Apple can afford to be deliberate in how it applies new technologies to fit its ecosystem.”

Translation. This technology is really new. And we’re rich enough to wait and see.

Inflation and food prices

Sort of good news. Inflation is slowing down. The CPI grew at annual rate of 4% on Tuesday, the smallest increase since March 2021. Gas prices have fallen nearly 20% over the past year, while overall energy costs are down 11%. You can now fill up your car and cool your home without having a full on panic attack.

The downside? The smaller CPI rise only reflects gas and energy costs. Rent, used car prices, and grocery bills continue to rise. Why is everything a billion dollars again? Supply chain issues, the war in Ukraine, the banking crisis, etc. Minor hiccups.

Biden says things are looking up. Meanwhile, we all keep looking up, and things are still freaking expensive.

Best of the Week

Follow the trends

• Another nifty trick from AI. A LinkedIn user shows how the technology can be useful for developing Storyboards. A major time saver for designers. And really fun to play with.
• One of the latest web design trends is to make interactive elements that respond to cursor movements. One of the most entertaining examples can be found on Cotton Design’s homepage.
• The SmartLess trio took their podcast on the road and now it’s a Max special. Dare I say, it’s better than the podcast. But serious question, what do you call a podcast when you watch it on TV?
• Corny jokes. Practical sneakers. A peculiar affinity for painfully long roadtrips and useless trivia. Gotta love dads. This mix is for you guys. Happy Father’s Day!