Front and Center

This week we welcome Forrest Huu Ta, a member of the Center Stu Crew! Kevin represses his football feelings as they talk about the Empire State Building repping another cities colors, Maya Rudolf’s debut as the M&M’s spokesperson, A&W makes a statement about their pantsless mascot, Tiffany and CO and Nikes release an expensive toothbrush and some Air Force Ones, Lil Yatchy uses AI to create the album art for his new album “Let’s Start Here,” PIZZA HUT SETS GUINNESS RECORD FOR WORLD'S LARGEST PIZZA, Mr. Beast cures 1000 people’s blindness and puts it on Youtube, Natural Light goes retro in a new can design, Martha Stewart teams up with Oreo to launch Most Stuffed and go into the metaverse, and more!~Empire State Building Goes Greenhttps://www.wsj.com/articles/the-empire-state-building-turned-green-for-the-eagles-then-the-backlash-ensued-11675105238 M&MMA&YA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpkqS4vyKjs&t=11sFACE PRINT:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfzfLm_tx6AA&W makes a statementhttps://twitter.com/awrestaurants/status/1617975902004019231?s=46&t=2773Sii7SmjXF1LDxtbb3Q Tiffany & Co x Nikehttps://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/fashion/article/nike-and-tiffany-trainer-collaboration-2023Lil Yatchy Let’s Start Herehttps://www.vibe.com/music/music-news/lil-yachty-lets-start-here-album-cover-ai-1234728233/ World’s Biggest Pizzahttps://www.cnn.com/travel/article/world-biggest-pizza-guinness-record/index.html Mr. Beasthttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ2ifmkGGusNatural Light New Packaginghttps://thedieline.com/blog/2023/1/23/natural-light-goes-retro-with-1979-throwback-packagingMost Oreohttps://www.oreo.com/most-oreo-oreo 

This week on the podcast: We are delighted to welcome Pete Freeman back on for his third pod! Kevin details being punched at a football game, The M&M’s pause on spokescandies, The Bolt Brand System by Koto, Kim Kardashian speaks at Harvard Business School, Skims Taps ‘White Lotus’ Stars Simona Tabasco and Beatrice Grannò for Valentine’s Day Campaign, the Fat Tire rebrand by Land, Philadelphia's Schmere Socks, and more!~M&M’s Press Releasehttps://twitter.com/mmschocolate/status/1617518785686274052M&M Outragehttps://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/23/mms-pulls-spokescandies-in-the-wake-of-right-wing-outrage.html Bolthttps://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/new_logo_and_identity_for_bolt_by_koto.php Kim Kardashian at Harvard Business Schoolhttps://www.instagram.com/p/CnsJx9QSjf5/?hl=en Skimshttps://variety.com/shop/kim-kardashian-skims-white-lotus-stars-campaign-simona-tabasco-beatrice-granno-1235499864/ Fat Tirehttps://thedieline.com/blog/2023/1/19/philadelphia-cream-cheese-announces-schmear-socks-inspired-by-nikes-montreal-bagel-dunksSchmere Socks https://thedieline.com/blog/2023/1/19/philadelphia-cream-cheese-announces-schmear-socks-inspired-by-nikes-montreal-bagel-dunks

Kevin lost his voice this weekend, you’ll never guess how it happened, but he digs deep and puts up a masterful performance. Alex and Kevin discuss this weekend in football (only for 5 minutes), Love Island, Dennis Collin NIL deal with Popeyes, Paris Olympics, Sleepy Cereal, Plastic Free, The Big New Yorker, and more!~One of the greatest plays of all time..https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDnn0xylHKA Another GOATED NIL dealhttps://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/35426847/terio-popeyes-kid-dieunerst-collin-cfb-nil Og vid: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/N3XQFKIYO9Y Parishttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apuN7YhUWjg Sleepy Cereal https://www.postconsumerbrands.com/sweet-dreams/Plastic Freehttps://thedieline.com/blog/2023/1/17/our-incredible-future-the-creative-renaissanceThe Big New Yorkerhttps://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/pizza-hut-big-new-yorker-pizza-returning 

2023 BABY! WE BACK, and we’re going to be better than we were last year. In the first pod of the year the fellas recap their breaks and talk about chili and cinnamon rolls, leaving groovy fonts in 2022, Equinox’s January campaign, Prime Energy Drink, YSL take out bag, M&Ms new campaign, and more~CHILI AND CINNAMON ROLLShttps://twitter.com/CaucasianJames/status/1610337544054390784ALEX’S TWEEThttps://twitter.com/THEALEXCENTER/status/1610345642680848392 EQUINOX WE DON’T SPEAK JANUARYhttps://hypebeast.com/2023/1/equinox-we-dont-speak-january-banning-new-years-resolution-members-info LOGAN PAUL X KSI PRIME LAUNCHEShttps://thedieline.com/blog/2023/1/5/logan-paul-and-ksi-launch-prime-energyYSL TAKEOUT BAG https://thedieline.com/blog/2023/1/5/you-probably-dont-want-to-put-your-leftovers-in-this-saint-laurent-takeout-box-bagM&M SUPPORTS WOMEN https://thedieline.com/blog/2023/1/10/mms-announces-limited-edition-packaging-flipping-the-status-quo-that-celebrates-women

THE only award show (podcast) that matters. You know what it is!! The best and the worst of 2022! The music around 55 mins is an interlude, not an ending, so be sure to listen through or skip to the other side so you can hear the Backies!

This week the fellas go in on The Morning Consult Fastest Growing Brands 2022 report, Liquid Death holiday wrapping paper, branded ugly Christmas sweaters, the Bored Ape Yacht Club lawsuit, the launch of Cove, Philadelphia plant based cream cheese, and more!FASTEST GROWING BRANDS 2022https://go.morningconsult.com/rs/850-TAA-511/images/Fastest-Growing-Brands-2022.pdf

I’d like to start by saluting Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute, for her yearly clinic of strategic writing that comes with the Color of the Year. She is truly the GOAT and I look forward to reading her 2024 press release. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming… Alex’s World Cup fever has broken and he is on the mend. Kevin keeps losing his soccer bets but will not give up, nothing has really changed. The fellas discuss AI Portraits, The Pantone Color of the Year, Pink Sauce, the Newman’s Own rebrand, MSCHF’s Art Basel ATM Leaderboard, The Cheto Duster, Coca-Cola x Parade, MTN Dew Fruitquake, and more!

Alex and Kevin are back in the studio to kick off  Holiday SZN, and they are definitely not distracted by the USA World Cup victory that happened while recording. The fellas talk about Budweiser's World Cup pivot, Steve Job's Birkenstocks, the repercussion of the KIA logo, Miller Lite’s Christmas Tree Keg Stand, Hidden Valley’s Ranch on the Branch, Mike Tyson x Evander Holyfield Holy Ears, and more!

GOBBLE GOBBLE BITCH! IT’S TURKEY TIME! Open up wide because here comes the airplane aka: Alex and Karen, I mean Kevin are spoon feeding you a full spread of Thanksgiving’s hottest brand moments. We talk about Campbell’s Soup’s State of Sides Report, Southern Comfort’s Drinking Pants, Frank’s Turkey Injector Kit, Jenny-O’s Turkey Hotline, White Castle’s Stuffin’ Muffins, Aura Bora’s Green Bean Casserole Sparkling Water, Brown Friday, and more!STATE OF SIDES: https://www.paperturn-view.com/?pid=Mjg283443 

Alex and Kevin are live (previously recorded) from Greenpoint, Brooklyn! The two rad dudes learn about Castoreum, google it, and talk about Twitter going to shit, the First Creative Director of the New York Knicks, The FTX situation, a Philadelphia Man eating 40 rotisserie chickens, the Canada Dry refresh, Mom’s Spaghetti, Molly Baz’s wine, and more!