Whisper it, but have we hit the AI hype threshold? Interest and concern around the groundbreaking tech surged after ChatGPT’s launch in late 2022 but since then things have cooled off, with only around a quarter of Americans engaged either way. AI keeps advancing, but the buzz may have hit its peak - unless OpenAI’s recent Super Bowl ad shakes things up.
Scroll down to read about The Sims, the Brontë sisters, and the Myth of Sisyphus.
Stats to power your week
🌈 The Sims just hit the big 2-5 and it’s still going strong. For a quarter century, this iconic “virtual doll house” game series has been shaping digital lives and opening doors for a more diverse gaming community along the way. In fact, 8% of its players identify as LGBTQ+ - the highest proportion of any franchise we track (along with Animal Crossing). GWI Core
🥑 If you know anything about the Super Bowl, you probably know the ritual of stocking up on guacamole (a surprisingly recent tradition, made possible by free trade agreements with Mexico in the 1990s). Once again, food was front and center during the big game this year. Super Bowl watchers were more likely to grab game-day snacks (65%) than Christmas celebrators were to stock up on holiday food (58%). GWI Moments
😂 Is humor underrated in advertising? A really interesting insight from our latest research shows that consumers are more likely to engage with an out-of-home ad if it features humor or engaging content (39%) than if it promises discounts or giveaways (36%). Sometimes a good laugh beats a good deal. GWI Zeitgeist
💉 Weight-loss injectables like Ozempic could be revolutionary. Why? They may be responsible for America’s first decline in obesity rate for decades. What began as an anti-diabetic medication quickly became known for an unexpected perk - weight loss. Maybe that’s why now more people are interested in using them for aesthetic goals (11%) than to manage diabetes (7%). GWI Zeitgeist
✨ With more and more AI features rolling out across products, it’s worth asking…does anyone actually use them? Snapchat’s My AI chatbot is holding its own with 1 in 5 Snappers using it in the past month - putting it up there with Bitmoji and Snap Map in terms of usage. GWI Core
What’s on our radar
If AI art is ever going to be taken seriously, it’s all about whether or not cultural institutions get on board and how they engage with it. So, the fact that the art house Christie’s is hosting its first-ever auction dedicated to AI-generated art feels like a big deal - though in hindsight, a similar auction for NFTs in 2021 didn’t move the dial then. Let’s see how it plays out this time.
Likewise, the use of AI in music-making will be a theme at this summer’s Sónar festival in Barcelona, but it’s not all rainbows. OpenAI has found plugging its video-generating tool Sora to be a little tough in Hollywood, and the Oscars are considering making disclosure of AI tech mandatory.
Robotaxi firm Waymo is testing its vehicles in Tokyo, while new research has shown that self-driving AI can learn by practicing against itself, with no human data needed (the same approach that helped AI become very good at games like Go and Chess).
The UK is now home to what’s being called the world’s first dog treat made from lab-grown meat. Meanwhile, a study in the Netherlands highlights how shelf placement matters for meat substitutes – putting them in the regular meat section can boost sales among flexitarians, but vegetarians and vegans benefit from having a dedicated area.
The Trump administration has expanded press access to include influencers, content creators, and podcasters alongside traditional journalists, reflecting the growing role of digital media in political coverage.
As more countries and school boards consider banning smartphones during school hours, a UK study has found that bans don’t really change how much time students spend on their phones each day.
Chart of the week
Throughout history, many female writers have chosen pseudonyms (George Eliot, George Sand, the Brontë sisters) or gender-neutral initials (J.K. Rowling, P.D. James) to disguise their identity. And with good reason – even today, in the world of consumerism, men are less inclined to buy brands named after women (while the reverse doesn’t seem to be true).
There are some exceptions. The type of product matters. Anti-female bias seems to disappear when brands are named after mothers or appeal to men in a different way. The chocolate brand Godiva has a more male audience, which may or may not have something to do with the eponymous Lady’s famously unbridled horseback ride.
It’s a double-edged insight. On the one hand, it presents an opportunity to tap into an audience by challenging these traditional gender cues. On the other hand, it’s a reminder of how deeply embedded many of these norms still are.
Local lowdown
One must imagine Sisyphus happy
Each week in our Local Lowdown, we dig into our data to uncover insights that help explain the culture of one of our 50+ markets, doing our best to steer clear of unhelpful stereotypes. But sometimes stereotypes hold a kernel of truth. Take French consumers, who are – by some distance – the most likely worldwide to say being successful isn’t important to them.
Yes, the country of intellectuals, artists, flâneurs, and leisurely café lunches has a somewhat skeptical attitude to hustle culture and overachievement. It’s an attitude well captured by the French philosopher Albert Camus’ work “The Myth of Sisyphus,” which uses the ancient tale as a metaphor for the grind of modern work.
Instead, the French embrace art de vivre or the art of living well. Savoring good food, relationships, and leisure over relentless ambition. And they might be onto something – French consumers are also among the least likely to experience high blood pressure.
