THE BOLT: From Monster Collectables to a Laundromat Craze — these are May's Top Hits ⚡️

Aligned and Extra Zen 🧘‍♀️

Celebrating 10 years of everyone's favorite leggings — if Lululemon Align™ is what came to mind, you're aligned with the masses. To mark the milestone, the brand hosted its largest yoga event ever, drawing over 5,000 yogis to Beijing Workers’ Stadium for a day full of appearances from ambassadors and influencers.

What caught our eye? The scale and the storytelling. Call us inspired, this mega-sized activation caught our attention. Tens of thousands of stadium seats were transformed into a living artwork, and an interactive installation spelling out “Align” from above brought the visual wow factor. Major kudos to the design team behind this vision—this wasn’t is a brand world we'd love to be living in.

Living that Labubu Life!

Labubu? If you're asking what that is, just wait—it’s only a matter of days before this toothy little creature takes over your feed. Labubu dolls are the latest blind box craze capturing the hearts (& feeds) of Gen Z. Equal parts cute and creepy, these monster-like plush collectibles have gone viral on social media, making them nearly impossible to get your hands on. Once niche, they’ve become a trendy status symbol— sometimes seen styled alongside luxury handbags, they contrast high fashion as an equally coveted, collectible. Labubus have not only been spotted on celebs like Rihanna and Dua Lipa, but were even spotted at Paris Fashion Week Earlier this year.

Beyond the Labubu, this phenomenon offers a look into where culture and marketing may be headed. As digital fatigue rises, consumers are turning to tangible joy, nostalgia, and community-driven experiences. For brands, Labubu is showing us that the future belongs to those who embrace whimsy and create moments worth sharing.

Labubu bag charms at Paris Fashion Week — Edward Berthelot / Getty Images

The Clean Experiential Scene 🫧

Dry cleaning and laundering are having their moment — from the coffee shop brand world craze, it looks like laundry is the new emerging frontier for experiential marketing. Back in May, Gym Shark hosted a pop-up activation at the London Hyrox Event, called the "Lon-drette." This month, we've seen dry-cleaner-themed activations from both Merit Beauty and Ouai. Brands are continuing to elevate and reinvent everyday settings to create experiential space to play. Coffee shops have always been a vibe, but who knew laundry could be just as fun?

Real Talk + Shoe Dupes 👠

This month, Steve Madden provided a valuable lesson in brand authenticity when he appeared on The Cutting Room Floor podcast. In a moment that has since gone viral, Madden admitted that yes, some of his footwear designs are inspired by high-end brands. Instead of avoiding the "dupe" conversations, he leans into them, likening his process to the way musicians are inspired by the legends before them.

The takeaway? Honesty hits different. Consumers crave transparency. His candid interview was refreshing, doubling down on the importance of brand authenticity and that being genuine is one of the most valuable brand qualities.

Meet your new Favorite Yoga Mat

This month, we've been helping our friends over at MOREMAT launch a new innovative yoga mat unlike anything you've seen before. Introducing MOREMAT– the beyond ordinary yoga mat with integrated padding, elevated design, and ability to minimize joint strain, making every workout feel better than the last.

Woman-owned and Texas-made, we know you'll love MOREMAT as much as we do! And come experience the mat for yourself at their upcoming launch event on July 5th from 1-4pm at Canopy in Austin, Texas.

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