The Final Boss of Popcorn Buckets
For the first time ever, Pinterest Presents was IRL
And Future Commerce was in the room where it happened.
The annual event spotlights new products and solutions for advertisers, but executives at the anti-social network used this year’s installment to get, well, social; and to show its dominant position in an industry making sweeping investments in AI.
Pinterest’s latest campaign tagline, “the best thing you can find online is a reason to go offline,” is a launchpad for this year’s Presents, meeting millions of Gen Z consumers who visit the platform monthly to do just that: pick up a new hobby, plan a vacation, and learn to live more intentionally.
The end result may be time offline and touching grass, but still, all roads lead to commerce.
And that’s why brands should pay close attention.
In the Interest of Commerce.
The Fed raised its benchmark interest rate by a quarter point, to a target range of 3.75%-4.00%. This is the first rate hike since 2023, and the first big hike for the newly-appointed Fed Chair Kevin Warsh, who was appointed by President Trump in May 2026.
August CPI showed a strong rebound after a less-than-stellar July, and the US Census Bureau’s retail sales report reported a 1.2% increase month over month.
Women accounted for 158,000 job gains in the August BLS report, or roughly 98% of jobs added in August, a data point that almost certainly points to seasonality in education and healthcare rather than signaling the end of the patriarchy.
AI Disclosure Comes for Bed Sheets.
Premium DTC bedding brand Boll & Branch has built an internal framework for when and where marketing teams can use AI. These “playbook pillars” show the brand’s taking a moderate approach, positioning itself between Coca-Cola (heavy AI usage) and REI (complete elimination of gen AI due to misalignment).
Chief Commercial Officer Katia Unlu joined us on the Future Commerce Podcast recently to talk about how AI and human expertise work in tandem to support not just marketing but customer service. Listen to the conversation here.
New disclosure laws entered the market last month, and teams are scrambling to establish how to communicate their AI strategies effectively, especially since consumers are pushing back so harshly on businesses. Consumers’ frustrations are warranted: merchants (especially restaurants) have haphazardly used AI for their menus, putting some gruesome slop on display.
I Do…Need a Treat.
Mindy Weiss, celebrity party planner and mastermind behind some of Hollywood’s biggest weddings, has launched a new brand…of Ring Pops. Weiss serves as creative director for The Wedding Collection, which includes flavors like “First Kiss” watermelon, “Main Squeeze” citrus, and “Berry in Love” strawberry. Each Ring Pop is wrapped like a wedding favor, showing how the nostalgic candy is reaching brides- and grooms-to-be. The product feels like a spin-off of Dunkin’s partnership with Vera Wang for National Proposal Day, which makes us wonder whether the wedding market is the next to double down on kitsch and novelty.
I’m Sippin on Sunshine. Whoaa.
“Shrink it and pink it,” and “just make it bigger,” still work in product innovation, it might seem.
Some new CPG product releases show that consumers are starting to sip their feelings. Celsius is dropping a new winter spritz with Shirley Temple energy, giving exhausted adults a hint of the childhood they miss daily. Kraft Heinz is also capitalizing on nostalgia (and super thirsty kids) with giant-sized Capri Sun pouches. The company said 80% of recent consumer requests, especially on social media and Reddit, called for the move.
The Bucketwars’ Finishing Move
The popcorn bucketwars began with orifices, but(t) we couldn’t look away in horror. Then, when they launched a 1:5 scale Trojan Horse for The Odyssey, we couldn’t look away because of its sheer size; it literally stays in your periphery for the whole 70mm IMAX presentation.
Now, we’ve reached a terrifying intersection of the twain: the Street Fighter popcorn bucket turns Guile’s iconic hair into a delicious obstruction atop your head for moviegoers on your six. Your opps can take a bite from your open hole while you charge up your sonic boom in the very first popcorn bucket where you, the customer and purchaser of said corn, is the only one who cannot see or potentially reach the popcorn.
But utility has never stopped the bucket innovators before. Neither has price, which is, as-yet, unannounced.
Expect real street fights over this collectible, and for it to end up in last-minute Halloween costumes.
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