Confetti cannons or caterpillar cakes? With nearly 3 in 5 millennials now throwing gender reveal parties, UK supermarket Aldi put a new twist on its iconic Cuthbert cake by weaving in either pink or blue icing. It just goes to show, you don’t need fireworks when a humble sponge can spill the secret just as sweetly.
Scroll down to read about Netflix’s K-pop smash hit, financial fears for high earners, and Florida scrapping school vaccine mandates.
Stats to power your week
👩🎤 K-pop Demon Hunters is Netflix’s most-watched movie ever. What’s its secret? While only 13% of consumers say musicals are their preferred type of film, a fair few enjoy fantasy (25%), anime (20%), and K-pop music (16%). With its anime-style visuals and a K-pop aesthetic, this genre mashup hits multiple fandoms at once. GWI Core
⚖️ Speculation around celebs using weight loss drugs has been rife, but Serena Williams is among the first to step forward and promote them in her new ad. Back in February, only 4% of people who’d tried these jabs put it down to seeing influencers or celebrities using them. That number could rise when or if more stars go public. GWI Zeitgeist
💉 Florida is set to become the first US state to scrap vaccine mandates in schools. The move has attracted a lot of criticism among medical experts and Democrats, but where do parents stand? While 85% of US parents with young kids agree vaccines are crucial for public health, less (50%) believe they should be compulsory. GWI Zeitgeist
🧵 Engagement with Threads is growing especially fast among professionals like content writers (+134% year-on-year) and fitness trainers (+85%), who are likely using it for networking. With Substack starting to feel crowded, Threads has been floated as a top platform for side hustlers, especially now you can attach 10,000 character blogs to your posts. GWI Core
💰 Is mo’ money, mo’ problems more than just a rap lyric? Turns out, high earners in the US are more likely to be worried about saving for retirement (+44%), tax increases (+20%), and the quality or cost of healthcare (+8%) than low earners. GWI USA
What’s on our radar
The price of gold, viewed as a safer asset for investors during times of economic uncertainty, has hit a record high. Meanwhile, the World Gold Council plans to launch a digital version of the precious metal.
We’ve seen a drop in consumers from markets like Canada planning to visit the US, and monthly data from America’s International Trade Administration confirms that foreign arrivals are down by 3.8% compared to 2024, or 1.3 million fewer people.
Jet2holidays has revived its “Bid for a Break” campaign, letting travelers bid pennies for dream getaways. On a similar note, Frontier Airlines has launched a GoWild travel pass for $299, which offers 20 months of unlimited flights for one penny.
Data from Herbalife reveals that while supplements are gaining popularity in Asia Pacific, there are still lots of knowledge gaps among consumers. Clinical nutrition expert David Seres warns us to take the supplement industry’s claims with a healthy dose of skepticism.
Asia’s cracking down on screen time: South Korea has banned phones in classrooms, while a Japanese town wants to cap daily phone use at two hours. At the same time, new age restrictions on products and sites continue to crop up around the globe, with energy drinks set to be banned for under-16s in England.
Chart of the week
Last week’s US Tennis Open had the world watching, though some markets were more hooked than others. Jannik Sinner’s 2024 US Open final against Taylor Fritz drew 3.3 million viewers in Italy - double that of the USA’s audience. Not only that, but the share of Italians who say they follow or watch the US Open (27%) is higher than in any other country. Italy’s tennis and padel federation channel streams tournaments for free 24/7, and it’s now the nation’s most watched non-soccer sports network.
It’s a similar story with other leagues as well. The Tour de France has the highest reach in Spain, and the NBA is most popular in the Philippines. It’s a good reminder that tournaments shouldn’t just market and chase partnership opportunities locally - global audiences are waiting.
🔥 Hot take
Punchy perspectives, with data that nudges the narrative
“Good looks are often a greater career asset than a degree”
Over the years, research has proved an ugly suspicion: “pretty privilege” is real. From friendships to marriage to work, looks matter; and more recently, society has started to build a quantifiable picture of just how much.
Degree-less workers who are very happy with the way they look are 16% more likely to be in management roles than degree-educated consumers who are very unhappy with their appearance. What’s more, career experts StandOut CV recently revealed that conventionally attractive employees earn an average of $19,945 more than their average-looking peers, which is nearly the same financial boost as gaining a degree.
While this kind of discrimination is often subconscious and arguably unavoidable, LSE Professor Tim Leunig argues that “any company wanting to get ahead - as well as do the right thing - should always hire the underappreciated”.
