An adorable drama is unfolding as toy company Jazwares sues Build-A-Bear Workshop, alleging that its new Skoosherz toys are rip-offs of its extremely popular Squishmallows and their “kawaii faces.” Jazwares was acquired by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway in 2022, proving that nothing is too cute for capitalism.
In today’s email:
Space farming: It ain’t easy growing greens in the cosmos.
Bridesmaid for hire: You’re going to need a bigger wedding fund.
Not necessary: Who needs a $50k minimalist pop-a-shot?
Around the web: Rank some things, dig into the Sriracha shortage, and more.
👇 Listen: How brands are teaming up to win Valentine’s Day.
The Big Idea
One small step for your salad, one giant leap for farming in space
Robotic farms could keep astronauts nourished and happy on a long-haul mission to Mars.
2024-02-14T00:00:00Z
Sara Friedman
When we dreamed of becoming astronauts one day, we have to admit that the fantasy didn’t include eating our veggies.
But growing greens in space is actually a top priority for scientists, with ambitious missions planned for as early as the 2030s, like NASA’s Mars exploration.
Since that little jaunt would take three years round-trip, astronauts will need more robust options than freeze-dried pouches to stay healthy, perThe Guardian.
Now, the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plants for Space (yes, that’s the name) is taking $35m in funding over seven years to grow a new solution.
At the University of Melbourne, researchers are experimenting with:
Farmbots — robotic farming machines — that can plant and irrigate seeds, harvest crops, spray pesticides, and monitor plant growth and temperature with soil sensors.
Organic materials that can be used to 3D-print food, and microencapsulation techniques to incrementally release flavors to control the taste and smell of food.
And it doesn’t stop at leafy greens — astronauts deserve a little fun, too, so scientists are even looking into brewing beer.
Taste test
Though NASA has already managed to grow flowers and greens on the space station with its Vegetable Production System (AKA Veggie), all this tech faces a host of challenges — the obvious one being the whole no gravity thing.
But there are other obstacles for scientists trying to solve the food problem, like spacecraft weight limits which give each astronaut ~1.87k pounds, including all gear and food.
Not to mention the most important part of eating: enjoying it. That’s why the university’s team is employing AI and facial analysis to measure blood pressure, heart rate, and facial expressions via a biosensor app.
That data can then be fed to algorithms to better predict how astronauts might react to food in space.
Ultimately, though, we’re not sure what all the fuss is about. Why would you need anything else when we already have Dippin’ Dots?
Free Resource
Need a few superstar hires?
Posting for a job should be the easiest part of the process. That’s why we assembled a fill-in-the-blank doc with sections for essentials and tons of sensible buzzwords.
Use these job description templates as frameworks for hiring the perfect people for your business. Just insert details specific to the role so that applicants know what to expect.
Congratulations to Jaxson Remmick and Gavin Hamann, students at Colorado’s ThunderRidge High School and the first Division I 5-star cornhole recruits in the US. The pair will play the sport for Winthrop University in South Carolina.
SNIPPETS
Inflation: The Consumer Price Index was up 3.1% YoY in January, lower than December (3.4% YoY) but higher than analysts’ expectations (2.9%). Shelter and food prices remain high, though fuel costs are falling.
The EU will not make Apple integrate iMessage with competitors nor place restrictions on Microsoft’s Bing or advertising service, determining they don’t qualify as “core platform services” under the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
Paramount Global is laying off ~800 US-based employees, or ~3% of its global workforce. The news comes after the network scored a record-setting 123.4m Super Bowl LVIII viewers.
Threads is rolling out a transformational feature — showing trending topics — which should help Meta’s new social platform catch up with decade-ago Twitter.
Tiger Woods, free from his 27-year partnership with Nike, is launching an apparel brand with Taylormade called Sun Day Red, launching May 1.
Hasbro has made ~$90m off Larian Studios’ “Baldur’s Gate 3” since it debuted in August. The hit video game is part of the Dungeons & Dragons universe, which Hasbro acquired with Wizards of the Coast in 1999.
Speaking of, GLAAD released its first report on inclusion in games, finding 17% of gamers are LGBTQ+. Of those gamers, 72% said characters who match their gender identity or sexual orientation make them feel better about themselves.
GoFundMe’s annual report shows the crowdfunding platform has generated $30B in total donations since 2010. Fun fact: the most common donation amount is $50.
Uh… where are your buyers? Figure it out for yourself. Watch this seven-minute video on reaching your target audience.
Don't miss this...
Clean up, cash in: four ideas to help you mop up profits in the $400B cleaning service industry, from our Trends team.
ICYMI
Weddings are pricey — even before adding the ring-bearing bird and for-hire bridesmaid
Ask a married couple how they enjoyed planning their wedding and the looks you’ll get back will make it seem like they’ve been to war or something.
It’s hard to blame them
The average cost of a wedding in the US last year was $30k — and that was actually down from prior years.
It’s unclear if that figure factors in the latest trend: hiring birds of prey as ring bearers, which starts at $1.2k.
But before you feel too bad for the bride and groom, they aren’t the only ones feeling the crush of matrimonial costs: the average American bridesmaid will pay ~$1.5k-$2.3k this year for the honor of standing up for their gal pal.
Of course, this is avoidable
There are many ways brides can cut down their bridesmaids’ bills — e.g., skipping the elaborate international bachelorette parties, finding reasonably priced dresses — but here’s another: having them stay home entirely.
Why lean on amateur fringe friends to support you on your Big Day when, for $2.5k+, you can employ the services of a pro bridesmaid instead?
… Yeah, that’s a thing.
Get comfy; you’re going to want to hear how Jen Glantz has built a six-figure business as the country’s most prolific professional bridesmaid.
There are thousands of companies valued at $1B+. How many clues do you need to identify today’s billion-dollar brand?
Clue 1: One of this company’s vices is spending tens of millions annually on lobbyists. With $254.9m+ in DC-greasing investments since 1998, it ranks 20th among US companies in total lobbying dollars spent.
Clue 2: A 2003 rebrand tried to distance it from the 19th-century Englishman whose shop inspired the company. The shopkeeper — who had no direct connection to this company — had his name dragged through the mud for generations, subject to more lawsuits than you could ever imagine.
Clue 3: This company’s leading subsidiary has notably lost at least four of its famous rugged spokesmen to smoking-related illnesses. Back in 2015, John Oliver suggested a new mascot on his HBO show: “Jeff the Diseased Lung in a cowboy hat.”
👇 Scroll to the bottom for the answer 👇
Not Necessary
Reigning Champ
A wild thing we saw for sale: Looking for the adrenaline of a Dave & Buster’s trip without having to leave your megamansion? You’re in luck. Canadian brand Reigning Champ collaborated with industrial designer Calen Knauf on a minimalist pop-a-shot that lets you shoot hoops at home without throwing a wrench into your flawless interior design. Made with Douglas fir wood and embossed leather, this little made-to-order gadget would set you back $50k. (If you don’t like it, too bad! It’s final sale.)
AROUND THE WEB
💘 On this day: In 270, Valentine, a Roman priest who continued to perform marriages in defiance of Emperor Claudius II’s ban, was executed. Well, according to legend.
🐓 That’s interesting: Digging into the drama that led to the Sriracha shortage.
🎧 Marketing Against the Grain:Kipp and Kieran on how you can rely more on AI copilots, monetize those copilots, and how you can have your own personalization engine.
Today’s Fit the Bill answer is Altria Group, Inc. (Market cap: $70.73B)
Today's email was brought to you by Juliet Bennett Rylah and Sara Friedman. Editing by: Ben “Has been doing the whole groomsman thing entirely wrong” Berkley.
