Taylor & Travis, Putin’s Double, and Gen Z’s Cold Beer Crimes

Beer, Rings, and Body Doubles: The Internet’s Attention Economy

Gen Z is putting ice in their beer. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s engagement feels more like a dynasty merger than a romance, with brands racing to crash the party. And online, people are debating whether Trump really met Putin in Alaska or a body double.

In this week’s Branded, Ben Kaplan unpacks how these viral stories spiral, why brands jump on them, and what they reveal about culture, politics, and the attention economy in 2025.

From Trump firing Fed Governor Lisa Cook for mortgage fraud the same offense he was convicted of to Swift’s engagement fueling memes and marketing campaigns, we explore why irony, controversy, and cultural collisions keep driving attention.

Plus, a few hot takes from TikTok: is ice in beer actually a hack… or still a crime against hops?