The Most Self-Destructive Super Bowl Ad Ever?

The pitch: an app where you can anonymously tell your friends what you really think of their music taste. A way to fuel your latest obsession. Or a rabbit hole for discovering the most obscure subgenre you didn't know you loved. If any of that sounds appealing, Music League might be your new winter survival tactic. My league is wrapping its third season — I'm the defending champ (not to brag) — and the final category is brutal: "Songs that sound like the artist is trying to be somebody else." Do you go Olivia Rodrigo's "Good 4 U" (Paramore)? Soul Asylum's "Runaway Train"? Is there a more obvious one I'm missing? Let me know. And because we're fully on theme now: Both the Jackson 5 and NSYNC's first singles share what four-word title?

trending

One Big Thing

So the big game was a big dud.

But did we witness the most instantly self-destructive Super Bowl ad ever?

If you missed it, Ring ran a spot showing how its AI-powered object recognition could help reunite a lost dog with its family. On the surface, it's pure Super Bowl bait: adorable yellow lab, anxious family, joyful reunion.

Critics quickly pointed out that the same network of AI-enabled cameras used to find Milo could be used for something else entirely. Civil liberties groups called it a "Trojan Horse" for expanded human surveillance. Within days, Ring announced it had cut ties with Flock Safety, the software provider tied to the controversy, while Ring's founder launched a media tour to reframe the story.

It's not often a brand spends roughly $8 million to champion its features — and then spends the following week distancing itself from it.

mark your calendars

SXSW

March 12-18 | Austin, TX

The 40th edition of South by Southwest is here. Four decades of music, tech, film, and internet culture colliding in one city. This year: lower badge prices and simplified access.

Attend

Forrester B2B Summit North America

April 26-29 | Phoenix, AZ

At Forrester B2B Summit North America, the theme is clear: AI-driven buyer autonomy is rewriting GTM. If buyers control the journey, what's left for marketers to control?

Possible

April 27-29 | Miami Beach, FL

Possible brings the industry to the beach for three days of sessions, curated meetups, and brand activations.

what caught our eye

What Caught Our Eye

Every two years the world hits Olympic fever — but notice how few event clips actually circulate on social? That's thanks to the International Olympic Committee's famously strict copyright enforcement.

The workaround? The National Hockey League account created "highlight" videos… in Microsoft Paint.
"These are students who aren't athletes athletes, like NCAA athletes … but they're like finance athletes." That's how Excel coach Dwayne Safer describes competitive spreadsheet modeling. Yes — Excel. As in Microsoft Excel. There are brackets. There are champions. There is drama.
We're still thinking about how a current DJ made the shocking decision to do what nobody in the NBA would do in the '90s: Play basketball with Magic Johnson.

And the answer is... I Want You Back

If you think someone else you know may like this newsletter, share this link with them to join.