As 2025 comes to an end, we’re looking back at the top #LongStoryShort newsletters of the year. Thanks for reading, and happy holidays from the Braithwaite team!
Color(s) of the Year
Picks for 2026 color of the year reveal as much about the brands promoting them as the color trends and design landscape.
Spotify Wrapped Dials Up Coverage
There’s one new data point in the annual Spotify Wrapped feature that’s getting more attention in coverage and on social media – listening age.
The Marketing Origins of Friendsgiving
Where did Friendsgiving come from? Not surprisingly, it was a brand campaign that pushed Friendsgiving into the mainstream.
Pre-flight Safety Stories
Pre-flight safety messages have become a defining brand feature for many airlines, reflecting an opportunity to infuse storytelling into otherwise mundane moments.
Social Listening Done Right
When social listening meets fast execution, even small brands can steal the spotlight.
Taylor Swift and the Life of an Announcement
For the announcement of her 12th studio album, Taylor Swift did what no fan thought she would – she went on a podcast. For marketers, the strategy is a reminder that there are other mediums and platforms to share news beyond a traditional press release.
Marketing Scarcity – Middle Child and the Perfect BLT
For roughly a month every summer, the Philadelphia sandwich shop turns a simple summer sandwich (bacon, lettuce, tomato) into a marketing movement.
E-book: Writing Your Brand Story
Elevating voice, visibility and value through storytelling
Higher Education Executive Thought Leadership
Higher education is a unique space for executive thought leadership. College presidents and deans are reaching a wide audience – they’re showing up for students, alumni, staff, faculty, and entire communities. And they’re doing it in a world where the future of education and work is shifting fast, new technologies are rewriting how we learn, […]
Marketing the Beach Boys
Brian Wilson, leader of the Beach Boys, died recently, leaving a legacy of a creative genius who reshaped the world of pop music. The Beach Boys didn’t just sell music, they sold a way of life through their California sound.
Lights. Camera. Macy’s.
The TV series is part of a wider content strategy that builds upon the showstopping spectacles and fully launches Macy’s into the world of storytelling.
Happy Birthday, Spam
This week marks the anniversary of the first spam email ever sent in 1978. Ultimately, if your audience thinks your email is spam, you’re not sending the right messages.
Golden Marketing Opportunities
When looking for news hooks to bring timeliness to your initiatives or announcements, don’t be afraid to go out-of-the-box with lesser known holidays or even by making up your own milestone. It allows you to lead the narrative around your offerings.
The Revival of April Fools’
April Fools’ is back and crazier than ever. Brands went all out, and not on their own. The most talked about pranks this year were partnerships between brands that you wouldn’t normally put together.
Catching Customer Engagement on Baseball’s Opening Weekend
As Major League Baseball’s season kicked off, Coors Light saw an opportunity to get in the game by launching its “Obstructed Brews” campaign.
Better Brainstorming with Oblique Strategies
Oblique Strategies delivers a personalized approach to brainstorming by pushing you to think about what you’ve done in the past and your own creative process.
Uber Targets Teens (And Parents)
The ride-hailing company offered free rides to teens who failed their driver’s test. It’s a clever tactic aimed less at teens, and more at the parents stuck driving their kids around.