Culture Talk(s):Your Weekly Hit of What’s Shaping Brands, Creators, and Cultur
Miley is back, and she is back in the best way possible. As Hannah Montana. The Hannah Montana Reunion shook us to our very core. Alongside this monumental cultural moment, Alix Earle has finally revealed the brand behind the puzzle - it wasn’t the most cryptic - a (nother) skincare brand! Gymshark has outdone everyone by using jacket potatoes in their most recent Hyrox Pop Up. Also KFC made a pickle jacket and I need it.
KFC
KFC turned a bizarre internet idea into a full-blown marketing moment. By transforming a viral AI concept into a real pickle-filled jacket, the brand leaned into chaos instead of playing safe. A perfect example of how modern marketing uses culture, creators, and shock value to drive attention. Now all that KFC needs to do is actually release the pickle jacket as a product. ( asking for a friend )
HANNAH MONTANA
Maybelline, Olipop, Benefit, NYC Ferry, Wingstop. The only thing these similarly disparate brands have in common is Hannah Montana. Brands are getting the best of both worlds by tapping into the nostalgia of two generations through Hannah Montana. Even if Miley lost you during her Wrecking Ball arc there is no doubt that you are firmly back on her side following the Hannah Montana Reunion. This is a perfect example of nostalgic marketing, take something everyone loves and make it about you.
GYMSHARK
In what might genuinely be one of the greatest marketing plays we’ve seen in a while, Gymshark handed out free jacket potatoes at a London popup targeting Hyrox athletes. They transformed a retro sandwich shop right across from the Hyrox London venue into “The Jacket Patch,” running from 27–29 March at Frank’s in West London. Any athlete who crossed the finish line could walk in and grab a free jacket potato, served up by viral internet icons Grime Gran and Spud Man. It’s a perfect extension of Gymshark’s broader strategy: showing up where their community actually is and tapping directly into their real-life experiences. Plus everyone loves a jacket potato.
ALIX EARLE
Alix Earle absolutely dominated the internet with the launch of Reale Actives, her debut skincare brand. Built specifically for acne-prone skin, it’s something she’s been developing over the past two years with Imaginary Ventures. But the real brilliance was in the rollout. Instead of a standard launch, she played it mysterious—starting a cryptic Instagram account and dropping hints that had fans piecing everything together themselves. It wasn’t random; it was a masterclass in curiosity-driven marketing. Her audience didn’t just watch the launch—they became part of it. By the time she revealed the brand, she already had massive anticipation, built-in hype, and organic traction across TikTok and Instagram. Genius.
Olivia’s Opinion
Sometimes I think about the fact that Alix Earle is 25 and I'm 23.
Spring is here:
Spring is springing. And shoutout to Rhys for perfectly capturing the discombobulation of the clocks changing.
Founder’s Thoughts
"Human-made" is becoming a luxury label.
👉 The HEINEKEN Company ran billboards that mock AI friendship tech.
👉 Polaroid placed bus stop ads outside Apple and Google HQ reading "AI can't generate sand between your toes."
👉 Aerie by AEO, Inc. pledged no AI imagery and it became one of their most engaged posts ever
👉 Apple put "Made by Humans" in the credits of its new series Pluribus.
👉 And in New York, commuters spray-painted over subway ads for the AI wearable Friend with messages like "AI is not your friend."
👉 McDonald's pulled its AI Christmas ad after audiences rejected it.
👉 The Coca-Cola Company AI Super Bowl spot was torn apart.
"Human-made" is becoming what "organic" was to food. A trust mark. A premium. A reason to pay more.
Here's what this means for brands:
📌 The brands most exposed aren't the ones using AI. Everyone's using AI. The exposed ones are the brands whose entire identity is built on the technology with no cultural story underneath it.
📌 When "AI-made" triggers the same consumer reflex as "processed" or "synthetic," your brand positioning becomes your biggest liability.
📌 The brands winning the anti-AI wave pull it off because their identity was always rooted in something human.
They had cultural equity before the backlash. AI-first brands don't have that safety net.
📌 The fix isn't hiding the AI. It's building a cultural layer that gives people a reason to care beyond the technology. A story. A community. A point of view that exists independently of the product roadmap.
JOIN THE RIDE
hello@mythosmkrs.com