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My new favorite creator on TikTok is Apple. Yes, that Apple. On March 4, Apple launched its newest product, the head-turningly affordable $599 MacBook Neo. That same day, the company also deleted all of the content that once populated its TikTok page and started over. Its new videoson view there are now 15run the gamut from a clip inspired by Steve Jobss original introduction of the 1984 Macintosh to a cutesy animation of the Mac finder icon giggling and blushing. The videos have consistently debuted in batches of three, each corresponding to one of the brand colors associated with the Neo. This TikTok refresh is a clear play to cater to the audience that Apple knows is most interested in the Neo: Gen Z. The new laptop model, powered by the same architecture inside your iPhone, is targeting a younger user base with its unprecedentedly low price point and aesthetic color options, which tap into Gen Zs long-demonstrated obsession with retro-tech. So far, the new TikTok strategy seems to be working. Based on a Wayback Machine capture from February 28, Apple was sitting at 7 million followers and 21.9 million likes before the change; figures that have now jumped to 7.8 million and 31.6 million, respectively. Apple also recently debuted a secondary Instagram account called @helloapple, which will be dedicated to news, product marketing, and customer stories. This account has a decidedly more corporate feel than the brand’s TikTok, but demonstrates the company’s broader desire to expand its presence on socials. Apples new TikTok page works because it takes an amalgamation of trending aesthetics and blends them with Apples high design point of view, turning every silly video into a loopable work of art. Why Apple’s new TikTok is genius Plenty of brands have experimented with how to best capture Gen Z on TikTok, and Apples team has evidently taken notes out of multiple playbooks. The company is experimenting with everything from brain rot content to y2k nostalgia, ASMR, goofy branded songs, and creepy edits. Ordinarily, such a wide range of aesthetics might make a brand seem cringeworthy and pandering. For Apple, though, the meticulous creative execution of the launch ties everything together. Take, for example, one 14-second clip of a woman opening and swatching a pink blush, referencing the Blush-hued Neo. The concept is simple, but every detail of the video has been optimized to tap into Gen Zs love for y2k aestheticsfrom the models striped top and the pink shag rug to the custom blush container, featuring Apples logo, that appears to be an allusion to the colorful plastic shell of the 90s iMac G3 computer. This mash-up of nostalgiacore with a direct reference to a recognizable Apple product of the era makes the video feel authentic, not forced. The posts engagement reflects that: as of this writing, its notched more than 64 million views and nearly 35,000 comments, most of which are begging for Apple to bring back some of its beloved colorful hardware. In a similar vein, other clips cleverly pair Apples signature sonic design with eye-catching visuals, like a 3-second video of the sun rising to the Mac startup chime, or a juicy mash-up of citrus fruits choreographed to an edit of various notification sounds. The account is also testing some videos that brush into brain-rot territory, a social trend we’ve described as a form of digital marketing that embraces head-turning, often nonsensical choices, like fried visuals, abrasive design, and unsettling storylines. These include clips like a slightly unnerving compilation of people with their hands dyed blue (presumably as a reference to the Indigo Neo), a custom brand song dedicated to Apples fingerprint recognition software, and a silly clip of a lemon facetiming a lime (mimicking the colors of the Neos default background screen). While other brands like Duolingo, Nutter Butter, and Brita have taken similar brain-rot strategies to the extreme on their accounts, Apples twist on brain-rot demonstrates that it understands what makes this content resonatea combination of irreverence and unexpectednessyet also knows to keep its approach restrained and aesthetically pleasing, giving it a distinctly Apple feel. Its Steve Jobs-meets-brain-rot, in the best way possible.
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E-Commerce
I was walking down the street with my partner in Londons Camden neighborhood on Wednesday night when we saw an ad that said, This app was designed to keep you hooked. A finger could be seen tapping Instagrams app icon above a claim reading, 45% of teens say they spend too much time on social media. In theory, this was all straightforward messaging, but the ads final note in the corner threw us: From Meta, logo and all. We turned to each other in confusion, trying to make sense of it. The ad looked so professionally designed that we wondered, could Meta Platforms, a company that has repeatedly denied responsibility for its users mental health, be advertising it? [Photos: Mad Youth Organise] No. In short, Instagram and Facebooks parent company has done nothing of the sort. Instead, the ad is from Just Treatment, a U.K.-based health justice group started in 2017. The organizations latest campaign is Mad Youth Organise, a push to improve accessible, quality mental health care for young people. The ad we saw was one of eight that activists have plastered guerrilla-style across London, Just Treatment told Fast Company. A similar design to the one we saw features a photo of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg smiling. If you feel worse, its working, it says. Other ads are plastered with statements such as Our anxiety is exploited by Meta and Were more lonely with Meta. Each includes a statistic to back up these claims. The campaign launched Wednesday and included a group of young people blocking Metas London office with another ad that bluntly stated: The youth mental health crisis, sponsored by Meta. The individuals involved in the protest believe social media has pushed them into mental health crisis, according to Mad Youth Organise. Young activists whove lived with adverse mental health have run and designed the entire campaign, Just Treatment says. Alongside Meta, Mad Youth Organise has also targeted TikTok. One sign reads, Eating disorders start on TikTok, while another says, Misery starts on TikTok. Both also cite a statistic claiming 46% of teens feel social media makes them have a worse body image. Fast Company has reached out to Meta and TikTok for comment. We will update this post if we hear back. What does the Mad Youth Organise campaign want? Mad Youth Organise is pushing for a Big Tech Tax, a 4% tax on tech companies earning over 500 million ($663 million) globally. The money raised would be put toward funding youth mental health services. Its also insisting that Big Techs social media monopoly be severed, among other demands. How bad is social media for young people? Its no secret that social media has been shown to cause adverse effects. A high-profile social media trial in the U.S. held closing arguments on Thursday: TikTok, Meta, YouTube, and Snap have been accused of knowingly designing products that are both addictive and harmful to young peoples mental health. These social media companies have all taken the same approach to these accusations: Deny. Deny. Deny. TikTok and Snap previously settled with the plaintiff, identified only by her initials KGM. She claims that early social media use made her addicted to technology and exacerbated her depression and suicidal thoughts. However, this is the first of a consolidated group of cases for over 1,600 plaintiffs, including families and school districts. Research has consistently found evidence of social medias harm to young peoples mental health. A 2025 survey from Pew Research found that 48% of U.S. teens aged 13 to 17 believe social media sites have a mostly negative effect on their age group. This figure is a significant jump from the 32% who felt the same in a 2022 survey. Participants also listed social media as the most negative influence on teen mental health (22%), higher than bullying (17%), pressure and expectations (16%) and school (5%). Young Minds, a U.K.-based charity for young peoples mental health, reports that 34% of young people feel trapped on social media sites. Meanwhile, 22% report receiving distressing content on social media at least weekly.
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E-Commerce
Shares in the preeminent graphics software company Adobe Inc. (Nasdaq: ADBE) are dropping significantly in premarket trading this morning following the companys Q1 2026 earnings results. Yet it’s not the earnings themselves that are driving ADBE stock lower. It’s an announcement from the companys CEO, Shantanu Narayen, who said he plans to exit the role he has held for over 18 years. Heres what you need to know: Whats happened? On Thursday, Adobe announced the results of its first quarter for fiscal 2026. And for all intents and purposes, the results were of the caliber that would normally make investors happy: Total revenue of $6.4 billion (up 12% year-over-year) Diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $6.06 adjusted Total annualized recurring revenue (ARR) of $26.06 billion As noted by CNBC, for the quarter, Adobes total revenue and EPS figures exceeded investor expectations. The LSEG analyst consensus was that Adobe would bring in total revenue of $6.28 billion and achieve an EPS of $5.87. But if Adobe beat expectations, why is the stock down significantly this morning? Longtime boss is saying goodbye The main reason Adobes shares are in the red this morning is that in addition to the companys earnings results yesterday, the Photoshop maker also announced that its long-running CEO, Shantanu Narayen, will be stepping down from the role. Without a doubt, the departure of Narayen is a loss for the company. As the departing CEO said in his resignation letter, Narayen has worked for Adobe for 28 years and led the company in the chief executive role for over 18 years. Narayen, who is 62, first became CEO in 2007. Adobe shares have grown more than 542% over that period, although they are down considerably since 2024. During Narayen’s 28-year tenure at Adobe, the companys workforce has grown tenfold, going from 3,000 to 30,000 employees. Its revenue has grown from less than a billion dollars annually to more than $25 billion. Perhaps most critically, under Narayens chief executive tenure, Adobe transitioned from a company that primarily sold one-time software licenses to one that is now primarily subscription-based. While that move was not always popular with Adobes customer base, it has built a foundation for the recurring annual revenue the company now relies on. Narayen has long been a respected figure at Adobe, and within the broader tech industry, so it’s no surprise that his announced departure is having a negative effect on Adobes stock price. Narayen says he will stay on as CEO until Adobes board appoints a new one, at which point he will remain as Chair of the Board at Adobe. Adobe investors cant shake AI anxieties Another element to Narayen’s departure that is likely causing investor jitters is that he is stepping down at a time when Adobe has never been more vulnerable. Narayen successfully navigated Adobe through the largely iPhone-driving death of its core Flash technology in the early years of his tenure as CEO. But now the company arguably faces an even more critical flashpoint. As AI tools become more advanced, investors are increasingly worried that they threaten the very foundations of Adobes business models. If an AI chatbot can generate a photo on demand, investors worry that customers will find less value in its stock photo service. And if AI can make edits and enhancements to photos and graphics simply by using natural language prompts, will fewer future creatives find less value in the companys Creative Cloud software? To be fair, the AI threat isnt a problem unique to Adobe. In the first part of this year, software companies of all stripes have been hit hard by investor worries that AI chatbots and their increasing capabilities will negatively impact enterprise and commercial software solutions. And while Adobe itself is of course embracing AI tools in its own products, the planned departure of the companys beloved CEO at this critical time in the industry is making a lot of investors nervous today, as is evident by the companys plunging stock price. Adobe shares crash on CEOs planned departure As of this writing, in premarket trading, ADBE shares are down over 7.5% to $249.31 after yesterdays announcement of Narayens upcoming exit. The companys shares ended yesterday down 1.43% to $269.78. But even before todays steep drop, Adobes shares have had a bad year. As of yesterdays close, ADBE shares had lost nearly 23% of their value since the year began. Looking back over Narayens tenure as CEO, Adobes share price has had a stellar run. In December 2007, when Narayen became chief executive, ADBE shares were trading around the $42 range. By 2021, the companys shares had peaked at nearly $700. But, particularly since 2024, the companys shares have declined significantly, as fears over AIs impact on legacy software companies have grown. Those fears are now something that Adobes next CEO, whoever that may be, will have to effectively manage.
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E-Commerce
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