More companies are betting on digital personalities to push products. At first glance, it sounds futuristic—animated faces, synthetic voices, and storylines made to order. But the real question isn’t how new this idea is, but how well it actually works. Researchers tested three big levers that migh
Big breweries are hiring famous older actors and influencers to win over young drinkers. Miller Lite’s newest ad shows 82‑year‑old Christopher Walken advising a young man to meet people in real life instead of just liking them on an app. The commercial ends with the line “Legendary moments start
Quinn is a young app that lets people pay for audio stories about romance and sex. In late 2025 it added two actors from a hit TV show to create a new series called Ember & Ice. The actors talk about love, fight and secret meetings while the listeners imagine themselves in the scene. Quinn’
True Religion’s comeback began when its new CEO, Michael Buckley, took the helm in 2019 after the company was emerging from bankruptcy. He saw that the old ways—selling pricey jeans in luxury department stores and targeting high‑income shoppers—were no longer working. The brand’s sales had stalled,
In New York, many people are paying extra for everyday services. Banks add convenience fees, overdraft charges and other hidden costs that seem to disappear into the ether. These fees are especially tough on people who do not have a lot of money, and they keep state workers from getting what they
Axis Bank has decided to add 15 billion rupees, about $162 million, into its consumer lending business, Axis Finance. The move came after the bank’s board approved the funding plan on March 18. Earlier in January, the bank paused plans to sell a share of Axis Finance. This pause followed a
In a bold move, Burger King turned the Oscars into its own stage for self‑reflection. Instead of a flashy commercial, it aired a 90‑second apology that highlighted past service hiccups and the “squished” burgers many customers complained about. The ad, titled “There’s a New King, and It’s You, ” als
When a war threatens to shut down the Strait of Hormuz, 20 % of world oil can vanish and prices shoot past $100 a barrel. Yet the S&P 500 has only slipped about 2 % in the last month, a fact that surprises many. The reason is that today’s biggest companies are tech‑heavy and rely less on crude than
The first month of 2026 saw a modest rise in consumer prices, according to the Federal Reserve’s favored measure. Prices went up by 0. 3 percent from December, and when compared to last year the jump was 2. 8 percent. Even after removing food and energy, core inflation hit 0. 4 percent monthly and 3
I recently dug into a grocery receipt that cost $144. 30 and found out more about myself than I expected. The list shows how much I spend on a weekly basis, which foods I choose, and where my money goes. It also reveals some hidden anxieties about health and savings. First, I’m pretty frugal overal
