Why are brands getting so weird?

In this episode, Shannon traces the rise of unhinged marketing through the lens of postmodernism and surrealism—two art movements born from periods of cultural instability.

Discover how marketers use chaos, irony, cynicism, and disruption to resonate in a fragmented, meme-driven media landscape.

Shannon discusses two recent studies that illuminate surprising realities in the industry and the culture at large:

• Collage Group's “Beyond Pride” suggests that, despite media narratives and brand hesitancy, the risk of consumer backlash to Pride Month campaigns has been over-exaggerated. Consumers want Pride Month communications and advocacy from brands, and they take note when corporations backtrack.

• “Unlocking Neurodiversity: A Creative Advantage," by Understood.org in collaboration with the 4As and Havas, reveals that nearly half of creatives in marketing, advertising, PR, and media are neurodivergent—and they're masking in the workplace, and suffering from discrimination and lack of accommodation. Shannon shares her personal experiences, tips for leadership, and more.

Shannon breaks down The Daily Carnage's top 8 picks from the 2025 Cannes Lions Titanium category shortlist, including:

• “Minefield Honey: Harvesting Hope” by Saatchi & Saatchi Ukraine

• EDF “The Flame that Wasn’t a Flame” by BETC
• E.l.f Beauty “So Many Dicks” by Oberland
• AXA “Three Words” by Publicis Conseil
• Finch “36 Months”
• Powerade “The Athletes Code” by Ogilvy
• Mastercard “Life Donor Card” by MRM Germany
• Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, Rakish, Chicago Hearing Society “Caption With Intention” by FCB Chicago

In the first installment of Brand vs. Planet, Shannon tells the tale of the so-called Chilean Sea Bass, a story about how a fishy rebrand created explosive demand and nearly collapsed supply.

The Brand vs. Planet series explores stories of marketing and advertising's powerful effects on Earth's environment and cultures—for the worse and, sometimes, for the better.

In this episode:

• Duolingo's "AI-first" announcement backfires, so the social team goes rogue.

• Google's AI Overviews turn 1, and not everyone is celebrating.
• Jaguar reportedly looks for a new agency after the worst rebrand of the 2020s.
• HBO maxes out its allowable rebrands.
• The Onion's new creative agency is a haven for human writers.
• Oscar Mayer gets the Wienermobiles back together for Wiener 500 race.

Shannon recaps Katy Perry's controversial trip to space and how Wendy's threw rocket fuel on the fire, plus Google's ad monopoly and cookie policy reversal, corporate sponsorships at the White House, Fiverr's weird AI commercial, Welch's lunch box note generator, and more.

Shannon recaps marketing and advertising news from the week, including Linda McMahon's "AI" mixup, A.1. Steak Sauce's response, the AI Action Figure trend, BritBox's stop-motion project, vibe coding, Chili's fast food financing pop-up, Jet-Puffed's marshmallow dye kits, and more.

Shannon recaps this year's best and worst April Fools brand campaigns and stunts, from Molly Baz's breast milk areoli and Olipop's ranch flavors to Blackweek's powerful political statement and Duolingo's five-year cruise. Plus, Google's 2016 April Fools disaster.

Shannon chats about The Ordinary selling eggs, Signal and the security breach, Sesame Street's financial woes, Madwell's descent into madness, Saratoga Spring Water's viral splash, Quaker Oats' ugly campaign, and more.

Shannon covers a March Madness challenge from X, Vogue's controversial tribute to Hairspray, PepsiCo's acquisition of Poppi, Google's Wiz acquisition, the book that Zuckerberg doesn't want you to read, and Heinz chip dip.