Edition 89.

Pushing the envelope with AI, the brand that turned $3 into $10K (on accident), and a new report says almost no brand can control *this*.

Five brand bytes to inform and inspire you this week:

1. The accidental luxe of a $3 tote.

Trader Joe’s $3 canvas tote bags have become an unlikely global status symbol (and reseller’s dream).

Limited-edition mini versions are up on resale platforms for prices reaching up to $10,000.

(I even saw one listing asking for $50K — for kicks and giggles at this point, I’m sure).

TikTokers have gained tens of thousands of views for sharing and customizing their totes with detail paint, buttons, and embroidery designs, reports Inc.

And this viral-because-of-Tik-Tok demand reminds me of the Stanley cup and Starbucks’ Bearista cup frenzies, too.

“Geographic scarcity creates status,” says Design Rush.

Because Trader Joe’s operates only in the United States, the tote bags have become markers of access, travel, and cultural fluency abroad.

Cities without Trader Joe’s stores, like London, Seoul, and Tokyo, have embraced the totes as symbols of American retail culture.

The global demand for the $3 total highlights how scarcity, social buzz, and brand identity can elevate everyday items into high-value cultural currency.

(Adds TJ’s tote bags to my shopping list.)

2. When sweets have a sound (the craziest thing from this tech conference).

Lollipop Star is a candy-meets-tech novelty that debuted this past week at CES, the world’s largest consumer technology trade show.

Brands debut new, tech-forward products and ideas every year at CES, and this sweet treat might have had one of the most interesting conference product debuts.

Their lollipop uses…

(wait for it)

…bone conduction technology to deliver music through your jaw and teeth when you bite down. 💀🍭

“Put it in your mouth and close your ears, then you can actually hear music,” said one person who demo’d the lollipop tech.

Each lollipop offers a private, one-time listening experience with no external sound.

And every flavor is paired with a specific artist and track.

Artists like Ice Spice and Akon are among the inaugural lollipop stars.

At $9 each, Lollipop Star is positioned as a playful, single-use product that blends taste, sound, and culture.

3. Question your feed, but not this.

AI is everywhere.

And brands are choosing sides.

Some embrace it.

Others push back to make a point about where they stand.

Exhibit A: Equinox.

During peak gym-resolution season, the brand just launched its 2026 New Year’s campaign, “Question Everything But Yourself.”

I saw babies holding snakes, horses on rollerskates, and raw steak with rainbow cake insides.

And that was the least of the controversial of the obviously faked footage.

Equinox paired the absurdity of AI imagery and video with portraits of real, fit humans.

The contrast confused some and irritated others.

Rage bait? Maybe.

(It’s still fresh off being named the word of the year, as covered in Edition 85.)

But all intentional, and on-brand.

A manifesto followed:

“It’s 2026. Truth is a moving target… But in a world where almost everything can be faked, one thing still can’t be. You.”

Question the feed, not yourself is the campaign positioning.

Provocative. Polarizing. And very Equinox.

4. Clear space, clear signal.

My creative corner is coming together.

A few brand assets styled as art (printed by Nations Photo Lab, by the way), paired with intentional spacing and better lighting, have noticeably improved not just client calls, but how clearly I think.

That’s not just an aesthetic bias.

Research from Princeton’s Neuroscience Institute shows visual clutter competes for attention and reduces our ability to focus.

As a brand designer and founder, I see this play out daily.

The environments we build shape the clarity of the work we produce.

So, this is your sign to curate your work corner.

Clear space supports clear thinking, especially if you’re making hundreds of brand-decisions a week.

5. 99% of brands can’t control *this*

They say when your ears ring, someone’s talking about you.

So brands everywhere must have a collective headache.

A hot-off-the-press report on The State of Social (2026) found that 99% of brand conversations happen...

(Alexa, cue that David Guetta and Usher song)

...without you.

“99% of brand conversations happen without brands present,” the report explains, even breaking it down by industry.

But let’s round it to 100%.

*Everyone* is talking about your brand (personal, product, or service) without you.

So, what can we do?

Every brand action, response, activation, and post can shape perception, and help.

But the conversation ultimately lives with algorithms and customers.

That’s why brand experience matters just as much as messaging.

Customer-led signals tell the story.

In fact:

• De-influencing, where consumers *actively* discourage others from disappointing products (and those videos can go viral), is up 79%. 👀

When promises don’t match reality, the Internet fills the gap.

But unfiltered honesty *can* win.

Transparent pricing, realistic marketing, and showing the real story behind your work turns even happy *and* unhappy customers into advocates and content fuel.

Here are a few examples:

• One beverage brand turned a call with its most loyal customer into its most profitable ad, and
• A fast food chain turned a mac-and-cheese mishap (they forgot the cheese!) into a viral apology, millions of views, and a sales-driving moment.

Brand candor can be a growth channel, and a content pillar.

Okay, more brand bytes next Sunday at 5!