Tuesday time, party people. Today, we may bear witness to the reunion of one of the world’s biggest bands from the turn of the century — Oasis. Fronted by the brilliant but constantly warring brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher, Oasis was once seen as the second coming of The Beatles, thanks to hit albums like Definitely Maybe and What’s the Story (Morning Glory)?. That was until a physical fight between the brothers before a 2009 Paris show led to the band’s breakup. After they cryptically signaled that something was in the works a couple of days ago, Spotify streams have been exploding with anticipation of the band’s return.

In other news… Neal Stephenson and Wētā are building worlds together, Pizza Hut will pay for your TikToks, and Fubo may keep Venu from ever launching.

Want to discover even more newsletters? Here are some of our favorites

• YouTube – Emilia Pérez

• X (Twitter) – Terrifier 3

• Google – Christopher Reeve

• Reddit – Channing Tatum

• TikTok – “Symphony” - Zara Larsson 

• Spotify – “Still Strangers Sometimes” - Dawes

.WEB3.

Author Neal Stephenson and Wētā Workshop create a worldbuilding project

Neal Stephenson’s Lamina1 metaverse platform is teaming up with Oscar-winning VFX house Wētā Workshop on the “participatory worldbuilding” project called Artefacts.

The Big Picture: Social gaming is more popular than ever, thanks to platforms like Fortnite, Roblox, and Minecraft. While those are more kid-centered for the time being, a similar project aimed at adults could be a game-changer.

Between The Lines: Artefacts is the first project from the Lamina1 and Wētā partnership, offering users the first multimedia experience on Lamina1’s blockchain.

• The project builds on the “themes and lore” from Stephenson’s work, urging users to find the meaning behind “a mysterious set of Artefacts.”

• Users will then use those “discoveries” to build a world set in the project’s universe — likely utilizing a lot of very cool assets designed by Wētā.

• The first set of creators will be invited to join the project this fall.

Closing Thoughts: The hype around the metaverse and the blockchain has cooled over the past couple of years, mostly thanks to projects that over-promised and under-delivered. But Stephenson (who coined the term “metaverse” in his novel Snow Crash) and Wētā (the brilliant minds behind Peter Jackson’s Middle Earth) have the influence and vision to get people excited about an open, social, digital world again.

Go Deeper: Artefacts isn’t the first user-participating metaverse project. Also, check out Runner and The Fringe.

64.7% of you voted No in yesterday’s poll: Do you think the US economy will experience a recession this year?

“Basic economic factors are sound... plus, the party in power will go to great lengths to avoid a recession before an election.”

“The definition of a ‘recession’ is a point of debate. If our elected representatives choose to say our economy is in one, it will be; if not, not.”

“And so what if there is a recession. People’s priorities are all messed up.”

Let’s keep the conversation going. Join our Poll Of The Day newsletter so your opinions can shine. Discover how your views line up with your peers’, check out cool insights, and have some fun. It’s data with personality.

.A WORD FROM OUR FRIENDS AT BRIGHTFIN.

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Media, Music, & Entertainment

• Inside Out 2’s reign continues as it becomes the first animated film to earn $1 billion just from the international box office. [Read More]

• Fubo’s lawsuit against Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. over the creation of the sports-centric streamer Venu will go to trial in February. [Read More]

• A federal judge has ruled that disgraced pharma bro Martin Shkreli must forfeit any illegal copies of the 1/1 Wu-Tang Clan album Once Upon a Time in Shaolin that he still has. [Read More]

Fashion & E-Commerce

• Tom Ford has tapped Angelina Jolie as its first celebrity beauty ambassador, fronting a new line of lipstick from the LVMH-owned designer. [Read More]

• Ikea is testing secondhand marketplaces in Madrid, Spain, and Oslo, Norway. [Read More]

• MSCHF is releasing its own version of a Hot Wheels diecast car… but featuring a missing wheel, mismatched doors, and a broken taillight. [Read More]

Tech, Web3, & AI

• Shift4 founder Jared Isaacman is taking a second private space mission with SpaceX… which will feature the first-ever spacewalk by private astronauts. [Read More]

• Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was arrested by French authorities for allegedly failing to prevent criminal activity on the platform. [Read More]

• IBM is the latest tech company to scale down its Chinese operations, closing its R&D division in the country. [Read More]

Creator Economy

• Alex Cooper’s blockbuster $125 million deal with SiriusXM has several benchmarks for the podcaster to earn that total payout. [Read More]

• Creator-product partnerships are hitting a new level with a Hot Ones-Panda Express tie-up and a Blippi-Reebok collab. [Read More]

• Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo launched a YouTube channel… and hit a million followers in a record 90 minutes. It’s now at nearly 48 million followers. [Read More]

.SOCIAL MEDIA.

Pizza Hut now takes cash, credit, and TikToks

Pizza Hut is piloting a program in the United Arab Emirates that trades social engagement for free pizza. Yep, you read that right.

The Big Picture: Going viral is still the best marketing any company can get, so manufacturing virality is the north star for maximum online exposure.

Between The Lines: Pizza Hut wants to make every customer in the UAE a micro-influencer for its brand with a freshly baked promotion around its new My Box meal (a customizable combo with options like personal pizzas, wings, fries, and more).

• Customers, who post a video doing any TikTok trend featuring a My Box, tag and follow Pizza Hut’s UAE account, and add the hashtag #YourTermsYourConditions, will receive a DM from Pizza Hut for a free My Box meal.

• Ahmed Sabri, Pizza Hut’s marketing head in the Middle East and Pakistan, launched the promotion because social media buzz is “a currency in today’s world.” There’s nothing quite like “organic” marketing.

Closing Thoughts: Digital marketing dollars can sometimes feel like they’re going into a black hole — people ignore a lot of advertising. So, Pizza Hut is betting on spending money on the customers instead of the clicks, hoping they can get the word out in a way that takes on a life of its own. If the pilot goes well in the UAE, expect it to expand to other markets.

.A WORD FROM OUR FRIENDS AT VINOVEST.

Whiskey: a hedge against market volatility

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• Explore: WSJ explores how moviegoing habits and demographics have changed over the years with the help of some cool charts.

• Read: Fast Company details how a new utopian city in California that had already raised $800 million from Silicon Valley giants was stopped by activists in affected communities.

• Watch: WSJ dives into how the two Boeing astronauts stuck on the ISS will now have to be brought back to Earth by SpaceX… next year.

It really does pay to practice your gorilla impressions.

LATEST PODCAST EPISODE

Today, on an extra special bonus episode of Future Forecast, our hosts Boye and Chris sit down with Andrew Kenward, the President and COO of Almost Friday Media. Andrew was an agent at WME in the digital media department at WME before being brought into the Almost Friday universe in 2021. We chat with him about his career, his goals for the brand moving forward, and what it's like working in media today.