Iterate Weekly - Issue 141
This week we're talking about digital bands, AI Jimmy Stewart will read to you, re-usable cups at arenas, adult Happy Meals are back, and "Leave the World Behind"!
Welcome to issue 141 of Iterate Weekly!
Hope you’re all doing well. This is just a friendly reminder that you can always reply directly to these messages or leave a comment on the Substack post. Feedback is highly encouraged and I’m happy to answer any and all questions that come up.
Let’s jump into this week’s stories.
🤖 Tech
Digital bands may be the future
Don’t worry if you’re a big fan of the band KISS. They may be aging rockstars coming to the end of their touring days. But thanks to modern technology, they plan on living forever as a digital touring band.
Yep, you heard that right. These guys have given the green light for digital avatars of themselves to be created. Then these clones can continue to put on shows for years to come long after the physical band is no longer together or even alive.
These aren’t cheesy knock-offs either. These avatars were created by the team at Industrial Light & Magic who know a thing or two about special effects. The replicas will serve as a more “Superhero Version” of the original band but should still check off all the boxes for faithful fans.
What’s more interesting is the idea of simultaneous KISS shows happening around the world. Or if one sells out, you could presumably just boot up a second performance at another local venue or tack on an extra day without much hassle. Going to see the band KISS could be more like seeing a performance of your favorite play or sports team. The pageantry and experience could transcend the modern players.
Is this a slippery slope? Yeah, it might be. I’m not sure how many other aging rock bands would be on-board for letting digital versions of themselves play for eternity. KISS strikes me as the perfect band for something like this. They have loyal fans, they maybe don’t take themselves as seriously as other bands, and the spectacle is part of the allure. It’s a spectacle that can’t really be maintained by physical men in their 70s.
Will this become a common part of a farewell tour? “Thanks everyone, this is our last show ever…no wait, you can watch digital versions of us perform for all eternity, have a nice night!”
🎓 Education/Productivity/Work
Jimmy Stewart will read you stories from the grave
Is your productivity lacking this holiday season? Are you having trouble getting that valuable sleep that powers your cookie baking and holiday shopping skills?
Well look no further, the Calm app has got you covered! They are now offering up a special “It’s a Wonderful” Sleep Story narrated by the one and only Jimmy Stewart!
Oh, what’s that you say? Jimmy Stewart has been dead for over twenty years? No problem at all, they have an AI version of his voice to help you get some sleep. That’s not creepy is it?
So the estate of the Stewart family has given its sign-off on this project, so that’s a good thing. We’ll have to assume that Jimmy would have been on board to do such a thing if he were around today. His voice is incredibly recognizable, especially around the holidays when “It’s a Wonderful Life” seems to be playing everywhere.
Here’s a quote from Stewart’s daughter Kelly Stewart Harcourt regarding the new gig for her dad:
“We are excited for our dad to be the voice of Calm’s latest Sleep Story. It’s amazing what technology can do and wonderful to see Dad’s legacy live on this holiday season in new ways, like helping people find restful sleep and sweet dreams.”
There is no questioning that Calm has really built an empire out of their humble Sleep Stories segment. What was once a small footnote in their meditation app has become a very valuable asset with stories read by the likes of Nick Offerman, Harry Styles, Matthew McConaughey, LeBron James, and Kate Winslet amongst others.
Anyone out there a Sleep Stories fan? I’ll admit that I’ve had a lifetime subscription to Calm for years but don’t listen much before bed. Maybe Jimmy Stewart can give me an excuse to listen in over the coming weeks.
♻️ Health/Environment/Electric Vehicles
Finally, reusable cups at live events
A few months back, I wrote about reusable cups being rolled out at my local Starbucks. A quick update on this story as I was able to test things out for myself.
Yes, the cups were reusable and seemed to get the job done. I did return several of them to their special recycling bin. It took me a second to figure out how the system worked. And sadly, I did see several of the cups discarded in the area surrounding the coffee shop. And maybe even more sadly, it seems that Starbucks has stopped using the cups and reverted back to their traditional red holiday cups that cannot be reused. Hmm, so mixed results at best?
So I was excited to read that a similar program of reusable cups is being rolled out to sports and music arenas throughout the United States.
The company r.World is unrolling their plan at the Crypto.com arena in Los Angeles with other cities soon to follow. At the moment, the home of the L.A. Lakers goes through about 15,000 disposable cups per event. Switching to reusable vessels would be a solid step in the right direction.
Similar to the Starbucks effort, patrons will return these cups to special bins and the cups will be taken off-site for washing and sanitizing. They’d then return to the area for use at future events.
While it would be great to just return to the days of using standard glassware that could be washed and reused on-site, it’s just not feasible for large scale venues like this. Let’s hope that these programs can last longer than that initial pilot program at Starbucks.
🛍 Grab Bag
McDonald’s is bringing back adult Happy Meals!
I find adult Happy Meals to be an intriguing product.
McDonald’s has tested the concept once before and it generated a ton of excitement. Adult Happy Meal boxes even became a resale phenomenon on eBay.
So naturally, they are bringing them back this holiday season.
The product is a partnership with designer Kerwin Frost and offers up pretty standard McDonald’s fare with a special twist. Yes, you can get a Big Mac or Chicken McNuggets with fries and a drink. But this meal also includes a special McNugget buddy toy with collectible accessories that are sure to fetch top dollar on the resale market. And we can’t forget the special large Happy Meal box that protects all the goods. That serves as a value in itself rather than just packaging.
I’m fascinated by this but it also brings up plenty of questions. I mean no disrespect here, but is this really for adults? I suppose there is a segment of the adult population that would love a McNugget buddy, but truly grown up toys would be like sensible socks or maybe dental floss?
All jokes aside, I wonder if the continued success will make this a permanent fixture on the McDonald’s menu. Perhaps the appeal is that these promotions are so rare and hard to find. Would they be less fun if you could just walk into any McDonald’s and order some rare collectibles with huge resale value?
Anyone out there looking to hunt down one of these meals for themselves?
💬 Quote of the Week
"When you're curious, you find lots of interesting things to do."
-Walt Disney
🎥 Content Review
Leave the World Behind
This week I’m taking a break from the holiday recommendations to call out a film with some potential Oscar buzz.
I recently checked out the new Netflix film “Leave the World Behind” and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The star-studded cast is spearheaded by Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke and it follows two families’ journey through a mysterious disaster. If you’re a fan of disaster or post-apocalyptic stories, you’ll definitely love this one.
I don’t want to give too much away but the movie had me engrossed from start to finish. It felt extremely relatable in this world of reliance on technology. It’s scary to think about how disruptive our daily lives would be during a blackout, internet outage, or transportation disruption.
This was probably the best film I’ve seen in the past few months, be sure to add it to your list if you need a break from Christmas movies.
Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!
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Every time I hear Jimmy Stewart I can't help but think of Dana Carvey's impression of him.