50: Notes To Self

Fall Vibe, Ridiculous Fact, Google Maps Economy, Falling Fruit Map, Marketers That Changed Culture

Luke Clancy
November 08, 2024

Yo, it’s Luke!

My roommates and I turned my apartment into a coffee shop last weekend! You really can just do things.

That said, here is your weekly dose of 5 noteworthy ideas & things I learned about last week. Click on each link to dive further on that topic.

1. The Ultimate Fall Vibe

Need it.

2. A Message From Humans Long Ago?

Latitude of the Great Pyramid of Giza: 29.9792458°N

Speed of light: 299,792,458 m/s

Re-read those numbers. Then do it again.

Make it make sense!! Because I can’t.

Basically, if Google Maps doesn’t cover a certain area, people can film that area themselves and put it on maps.

Some hustlers put ads on the bottom of the car, so viewers see it if they look down. All types of people do it:

Would’ve never thought!

I love little internet gems like this.

It’s a live map of fruit trees, nut trees, and edible vegetables grown in urban spaces.

TL;DR your whole life has been a lie. Many cultural norms were made by a marketer to get more sales (hah!).

De Beers’ “diamonds are forever” campaign in the 1940s made diamonds a thing.
“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day” — invented by Kellogg.
Casual running was weird until Nike and Steve Prefontaine.
The whole idea of “business casual / casual Fridays” — mainstreamed by Levi’s.
Baby showers? Thank Johnson & Johnson.
Oh, and brushing teeth? Claude Hopkins’ campaign jumped daily usage from 5% to over 65% of Americans in 1915!

Here’s the short of how they did it:

Make it about the customer - focus on benefits, not the product.
Make it an event - nothing attracts a crowd like a crowd.
Powerful demonstration - USE PHYSICS!
Show unquestionable proof - use experts like doctors or influencers.
Change a daily behavior - like adding MCT oil to your coffee (bulletproof coffee).
Sell the dream - Nike makes you believe you can jump like Michael Jordan and toothpaste gives you a “movie star smile”.
Help them feel superior or rebel - they’re not like everyone else.

Also, this just goes to show how much influence you can have. And how much you should question the truths you believe simply because they were there.

Thanks for wanting to know more today than you did yesterday! If you liked this edition, send it over to a friend who would like it too 🤝

Cheers,

PS: you can find more rabbit holes here & my writing here.