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Tag: Campaigns

  • It’s Been a Year Since Trump Was Elected. Democrats Still Don’t Get the Internet

    After losing big in 2024, Democrats promised a digital reckoning.

    But 12 months out from that devastating slate of losses, Democratic digital programs are still plagued by the same issues that doomed them last year. Despite millions of dollars in influencer investments and “lessons learned” memos, party insiders say Democrats are still stuck running social media programs that strive for authenticity, but often clash with the party’s unrelenting desire to maintain control.

    “I can’t, for the life of me, figure out why we are still so rigid and moderating everything when we have nothing to lose for the first time,” says one Democratic digital strategist, who requested anonymity to speak candidly. “All of the threats of fascism and right wing takeover. It’s all here.”

    This aversion to risk has made it difficult for Democrats to innovate. In June, the Democratic National Committee launched a new YouTube show called the Daily Blueprint. In a statement, DNC chair Ken Martin said that the show—which runs news headlines and interviews with party officials in an attempt to be MSNBC-lite—“cements our commitment to meet this moment and innovate the ways we get our message across a new media landscape.”

    The show, hosted by DNC deputy communications director Hannah Muldavin, has brought in only around 16,000 views total across more than 100 episodes since its launch.

    The DNC did not respond to a request for comment.

    To some Democratic strategists, the Daily Blueprint is emblematic of how the party continues promoting its least effective digital communicators. Since the government shut down earlier this month, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer has hosted a string of highly-produced videos that have barely registered outside of the Washington, DC ecosystem. “If you are not willing to take swings or throw shit against the wall in this moment, then when are you going to do that?” says Ravi Mangla, the national press secretary for the Working Families Party, a small progressive party already critical of the Democratic National Committee. (Schumer’s Senate office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.)

    Younger Democratic operatives say the issue stems from a broader culture of gatekeeping not just who is allowed to speak on behalf of the party, but what the content coming out of official channels looks like. The people approving content are “not young people and they’re not posters,” says Organizermemes, a creator and digital strategist. “They can’t explain why things [online] went well. Their ‘theory of mind’ is often fundamentally wrong because they don’t engage with the actual doing of it.”

    Makena Kelly

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  • Canvassers for Elon Musk’s America PAC Were Fired and Stranded in Michigan After Speaking Out

    Canvassers for Elon Musk’s America PAC Were Fired and Stranded in Michigan After Speaking Out

    “Our subcontractors never should have driven their canvassers in a U-Haul van and those involved were immediately reprimanded,” Tim Pollard of Blitz Canvassing tells WIRED.

    On Wednesday, October 30, Muldrow and her fellow door knockers were fired hours after the publication of the WIRED story.

    At first, some people had trouble logging into Campaign Sidekick, the glitchy app used by America PAC for canvassing. There was confusion before they were finally told it was over: “Everyone is fired,” said Jones, who served as the door knockers’ manager, in a GroupMe chat, according to screenshots obtained by WIRED.

    Jones did not reply to a request for comment.

    Muldrow thought Jones might be joking about everyone getting fired, but some of the door knockers noticed they had been locked out of Campaign Sidekick, according to the group chat.

    “I called my mom immediately,” Muldrow says. “My mom told me I was overreacting because, it’s [my] cousin, so she was like, ‘Oh, maybe she’s playing a joke on you guys. Don’t take it literal.’ And my mom was like, ‘She sent you up there in the first place. You went with her. If anything, you would have your flight home through her. She’s not going to let you be stranded.’”

    Then, Muldrow says, Jones began asking the door knockers which one of them spoke to the press.

    As arguments ensued, Muldrow started to fear for her safety. Muldrow packed up her belongings and called Connor Berdy, a 29-year-old political consultant based in Warren, Michigan and the founder of Vote For Change LLC, a consulting group in Southeast Michigan for his community organizing work.

    Muldrow had met Berdy—who runs canvassing operations for school board, county commission, and judicial candidates—when, by chance, one of his employees struck up a chat with her while she was canvassing near their home on October 23. Berdy and Muldrow got lunch soon after, and Muldrow told him about how the door knockers in her group had been tricked, threatened, and driven around in U-Hauls to their door knocking locations.

    Management had “clearly not prioritized the safety of the workers or the integrity of the operation,” says Berdy.

    Berdy then arrived, and pretended to be an Uber driver to get Muldrow out of the situation. He had already bought Muldrow a flight back home to Florida, paying out of his own pocket.

    Jake Lahut

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  • Here’s Just How Massive Elon Musk’s $75 Million Trump Donation Is

    Here’s Just How Massive Elon Musk’s $75 Million Trump Donation Is

    According to filings released by the US Federal Election Commission on Tuesday night, Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX and owner of X, is now one of the biggest donors to Donald Trump’s campaign. Since publicly endorsing Trump on the heels of the July assassination attempt against him in Butler, Pennsylvania, Musk has donated close to $75 million to the his own political action committee, America PAC, which is aggressively campaigning on the ground in swing states for the Trump campaign.

    Musk has been one of many Silicon Valley elites who have expressed their support for Trump. Peter Thiel, billionaire and cofounder of Palantir, has been a longtime Trump supporter (though he said he would not be donating to candidates in 2024), and venture capitalist David Sacks, who is also a friend of Musk’s, has also thrown his support to the Republicans. Trump has also received support from PACs and individuals in the crypto space.

    But Musk has put more money into the Trump campaign than nearly any other individual from the tech industry. In addition to his support for the America PAC, he also donated more than $289,000 to the National Republican Congressional Committee. While some companies and institutions in Silicon Valley, like venture firm Andreessen Horowitz, have backed Trump, individual donors from those same companies may not. For instance, Marc Andreessen and his business partner Ben Horowitz each donated $2.5 million to the pro-Trump Right for America PAC last quarter. Andreessen has also donated to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee; Horowitz has backed Democratic campaigns as well, and in early October said he would support Harris rather than Trump going forward.

    The graphic below focuses specifically on donations that help Trump directly, rather than GOP giving more broadly. You can see a breakdown of how much each person gave—and where the money went—by scrolling over or tapping each name.

    Sacks donated only $6,600 to Trump’s campaign directly, but $114,500 to the Republican National Committee and $250,000 to the Trump 47 PAC. Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, who run the crypto exchange Gemini, each donated more than $350,000 to the Make America Great Again PAC, which supports the Trump campaign. The twins also donated $250,000 each to the America PAC. Shaun Maguire, a partner at the venture firm Sequoia Capital, has donated $500,000 to the America PAC, $300,000 to the Trump 47 PAC, and $6,600 to the Trump campaign directly. Billionaire and early Tesla backer Antonio Gracias donated $1 million to the America PAC, as did Palantir cofounder and venture capitalist Joe Lonsdale. Kenneth Howery, a PayPal Mafia member and former ambassador to Sweden under Trump, put $1 million into America PAC in addition to smaller direct contributions to the Trump campaign.

    Musk has contributed more to the Trump campaign than all of them combined, several times over. That puts him in a league with Trump’s most lavish donors, including Miriam Adelson, the widow of Sheldon Adelson, who donated $95 million to the pro-Trump Preserve America PAC over the past three months—including $45 million in September alone. Billionaire Timothy Mellon, heir to the Mellon railroad fortune, remains the campaign’s largest donor, having put at least $115 million in the Make America Great Again PAC just this year.

    Musk’s largesse, combined with his vocal support of Trump on the platform he controls, has been a windfall for Trump in an increasingly close presidential race. He’ll continue trying to get out the vote in person this weekend with a series of appearances in Pennsylvania.

    Vittoria Elliott

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  • Montana’s hot housing market heats up critical Senate race

    Montana’s hot housing market heats up critical Senate race

    MISSOULA, Mont. — In a subdivision near the northern edge of town, a number of condos and duplexes have popped up in the past three years.

    It’s part of a larger effort, including new zoning laws, to help provide affordable housing to Montanans who have found themselves priced out of the market, said DJ Smith, president of the Montana Association of Realtors.

    “For Montanans, it’s been harder and harder to find a home that meets their needs and is affordable,” he said.

    An influx of out-of-state residents relocating to the Big Sky state has sent demand soaring, while a shortage of labor keeps housing supply limited. The result is not only more condos and duplexes, but a hot-button issue in a Senate race that could ultimately decide who controls the chamber.

    While some Democrats are sweating it out in close races across the country, no incumbent has a harder re-election than Democratic Sen. Jon Tester, who will need to win a state that Trump won by 16 percentage points in 2020.

    Political forecaster Cook Political Report recently moved the race from a toss-up to leaning Republican, and the most recent poll from the AARP found Sheehy had an 8-point lead, just within the margin of error.

    Tester has made housing a cornerstone of his campaign — specifically how to help Montanans who have been priced out as more people have moved to the state, driving up housing prices.

    “We’re seeing a lot of folks come into the state, rich folks, who want to try to buy our state, to change it into something it’s not,” Tester said at a June 9 debate hosted by the Montana Broadcasters Association.

    Tim Sheehy, the Republican nominee, is a former Navy SEAL who founded an aerial firefighting company in Montana. He blames high housing costs on inflation, and blames inflation on laws backed by President Joe Biden and voted on by Tester.

    “Our biggest challenge growing our company was convincing folks to come to Montana and absorb these crazy housing costs,” Sheehy said during the debate. “They’re a direct result of the policies coming out of the Biden administration.”

    A new home for sale in Missoula, Montana, where housing prices have jumped in recent years on Sept. 4, 2024.

    CNBC

    Inflation and housing costs are a top concern across the country, but few places are worse than Montana when it comes to affordability. The National Association of Realtors rated Montana the least affordable state for home buyers. Housing prices in the state have increased 66% in the past four years, according to the U.S. Federal Housing Industry Price Index – faster than the 50% increase nationally.  

    Smith said some Montanans are no longer able to afford the communities they grew up in as those moving to the state have sold their homes in more expensive parts of the country and are able to buy in cash.

    The median income for a household in Montana is $67,631, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That means the median home price in Missoula, $568,377, according to the Missoula Organization of Realtors, is high for the average Montanan, but it’s inviting for those looking to leave higher-cost states for Montana’s mountains, national parks and ample space.

    “People in Colorado, California, they would sell their homes for over a million dollars and have a lot of equity to purchase here in Montana,” Smith said. “That’s led to a record number of 30% of our homes last year being bought with cash.”

    Missoula builder Andrew Weigand, owner of Butler Creek Development, said prices are also affected by a labor shortage in the state. Subcontractors, such as plumbers and electricians, are in short supply and costs are higher as a result, he said.

    “If you have a pool of three or four subcontractors to use, and not 30 or 40, you’re going to have not as competitive a market as you do in other areas of the nation,” he said.

    Read more CNBC politics coverage

    Weigand said he is worried the issue will only get worse because many subcontractors are getting older and there are fewer people to replace them.

    “A lot of our trades are aging. They’ve been doing it for 20 [or] 30 years, and they’re looking at retirement,” he said. “There’s not a whole lot of … young professionals or young people that are interested in performing those jobs to fulfill that need.”

    Tester has several proposals targeted at helping Montanans who are struggling to afford a home. Those include grants to expand housing and help with home repairs. He has also proposed a tax credit to incentivize the owners of mobile home parks to sell their property to coalitions of Montana residents rather than to developers who could use the land to build more expensive homes.

    While Sheehy has blamed high housing prices on inflation, during the June 9 debate he called for expanding trade programs in the state to help with the shortage of contractors needed to build homes.

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  • Silicon Valley Is Coconuts for Kamala Harris

    Silicon Valley Is Coconuts for Kamala Harris

    Leah Feiger: I hate all of these terms, just so you guys know. I hate them so much.

    Lauren Goode: We don’t ever have to say it again, Leah, but yes, welcome to Silicon Valley, and I think they see what’s happening right now, scrutiny on Big Tech (and little tech to an extent), some of the regulatory proposals and actual regulatory actions that have come down on new and emerging technologies, they see that as all counterproductive to their end goals. And so if they can get in there and get into the ear of the most influential politician, the leader of the free world—who by the way, Trump has said that he would dismantle a lot of the government and regulatory bodies that we’re all used to at this point, that would benefit them in some way. Honestly, it’s a lot of self-interest.

    Makena Kelly: Yeah, and a lot of … It’s not even just the candidates, right? It’s also who they will appoint in really important positions that these companies will interface with, whether that’s the DHS and immigration policy with H-1B visas, or of course the biggest villain in the government right now is Lina Kahn for these folks too.

    Leah Feiger: Sure.

    Lauren Goode: Except for JD Vance apparently, who in the past has made statements of support for Lina Kahn, but he changes his mind, we think.

    Leah Feiger: Like every five minutes, basically. We have so much more to get into, and I have no doubt that we’re going to hopefully have you guys on again to keep talking about Silicon Valley and its influence on this race. But Lauren and Makena, thank you so, so much for joining us for now. We’ll talk to you later for Conspiracy of the Week.

    Makena Kelly: Thanks.

    Lauren Goode: Sounds great. I can’t wait.

    Leah Feiger: After the break, David Gilbert on how Republicans are calling Biden’s exit from the race a “coup.”

    [break]

    Leah Feiger: Welcome back to WIRED Politics Lab. So Biden announced his withdrawal from the 2024 election at around 2 o’clock on Sunday. Immediately the far right and mainstream Republican lawmakers jumped on the news to call it a “coup.” Joining me from Cork, Ireland, to talk about the right-wing reactions he’s been watching online is WIRED reporter David Gilbert. David, hi. How’s it going?

    David Gilbert: It’s going good. Good to be here.

    Leah Feiger: David, you started seeing this coup language far before Biden actually dropped out. When did you first pick up on it?

    David Gilbert: I suppose it was probably maybe a week, two weeks before the announcement on Sunday. It had been building for a while, this idea that Trump was kind of set up to campaign against Biden and wanted to campaign against him because of how successful he had been in the debate or how poor Biden had been, I guess. So in the weeks between the debate and when Biden dropped out, we’d seen this idea from the right that the efforts being made on the Democratic side to effectively push Biden out were part of a so-called coup. I think it was last week in The Babylon Bee, this satirical right-wing online website, had a headline saying, “Democratic Party leaders vote to save democracy by overruling voters staging coup.” Dan Bongino, the right-wing commentator, he was talking about a coup on Twitter last week. So it was definitely building in the days and weeks leading up to Biden’s departure.

    Leah Feiger

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  • President Biden will speak at Philly church on Sunday after canceling teachers union speech

    President Biden will speak at Philly church on Sunday after canceling teachers union speech

    President Joe Biden has new plans to speak at a predominantly Black church in Philadelphia on Sunday after his reelection campaign canceled initial plans elsewhere.

    The campaign said that Biden will give remarks after Sunday services in the morning, though it did not specify which church or what time the speech will take place. In the afternoon, Biden will then travel to the Harrisburg area for an ice cream social at a Biden-Harris campaign office.

    MORE: Wharton State Forest wildfire in South Jersey is 60% contained, says fire service

    Biden was originally going to speak at the National Education Association’s annual conference, pulling out because the union representing NEA’s staffers declared a strike. NEASO, the staff union, is picketing outside the Pennsylvania Convention Center and the NEA has halted its remaining programming.

    Sunday’s campaign stop comes at a crucial time for Biden, who is facing calls from within his own party to drop out from the presidential race after a highly criticized debate performance on June 27. 

    On Friday, Biden appeared in Madison, Wisconsin, telling the crowd at a campaign speech that he would not step down. Also that night, ABC News aired an interview with Biden, with George Stephanopoulos asking the president questions about his age, cognitive ability and polling against former President Donald Trump.

    Speaking to Stephanopoulos, Biden characterized the debate as a “bad night” and had a “really bad cold,” and that his poor performance was “nobody’s fault” but his own. As to what would convince him to stand aside from the race, Biden said only “the Lord Almighty” could do so.

    As of Saturday morning, five Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives have called for Biden to exit the race.

    Biden has campaigned in Philadelphia several times for the 2024 presidential race, most recently at Girard College in May with Vice President Kamala Harris in an effort to court Black voters. Recently, Trump made a speech at Temple University on June 22.

    Chris Compendio

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  • The Biden Campaign Fills Out Its Digital Team Ahead of Super Tuesday

    The Biden Campaign Fills Out Its Digital Team Ahead of Super Tuesday

    President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign is staffing up on digital, with four key hires ahead of the Super Tuesday primary elections.

    On Sunday, the campaign named Ryan Thompson as chief mobilization officer and Kate Conway as creative director. Cat Stern was named director of digital persuasion and Clarke Humphrey is being brought on as a senior adviser for digital persuasion. A Biden spokesperson told WIRED that Stern, formerly vice president of paid media at the Democratic marketing firm Authentic, will be leading a digital ads program along with Humphrey, who will also work with its network of influencers. Humphrey previously served as White House digital director for the Biden administration’s Covid-19 response team. The pair’s program will be “focused on creative testing and being in more places than ever.”

    “I’m thrilled to bring on four experienced digital operatives as we turn to the general election,” Rob Flaherty, Biden’s deputy campaign manager, said in a statement to WIRED. “This is a team that doesn’t just understand how to reach voters in a climate that is more personalized and more online than ever before—they are some of the leading architects of the cutting-edge tactics needed to win this election.”

    The announcement comes as the Biden campaign is shifting its focus toward how it can reach more voters online throughout the general election cycle. During the Super Bowl in January, the Biden team launched a TikTok account despite lawmaker fears that the app could be used by the Chinese government to spy on US citizens. Earlier this year, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew said that the app reaches more than 170 million Americans, including many young voters who supported Biden in 2020.

    “We’re in a new phase of the campaign where people are tuning in, and we want to make sure we’re reaching people in as many places as possible,” Flaherty told WIRED of the decision to join TikTok in February.

    Flaherty, who previously served as digital director for the White House, was named deputy campaign manager in August. Thompson was previously the chief digital officer at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, where in 2018 he managed a $15 million email-list-building budget that ultimately raised more than $106 million. Conway also worked at the DCCC, where as creative director she built up their in-house creative team.

    Over the past four years, the Biden campaign has made significant investments in digital. Since Biden’s inauguration, his team has built relationships with dozens of social media influencers across platforms like Instagram and TikTok to spread the president’s message online. The administration has gone as far as holding briefings with creators over pressing topics like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In December, the White House held its first-ever holiday party for political content creators.

    While young voters overwhelmingly supported Biden in the last presidential election, their support has been waning, according to recent polls. The campaign’s continued investment in its digital work will be critical for reengaging these voters with whom Biden is falling out of favor.

    Makena Kelly

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  • The Awards Season Awards: Which Oscars Campaigns Worked (and Didn’t)

    The Awards Season Awards: Which Oscars Campaigns Worked (and Didn’t)

    Matt is joined by The New Yorker’s Michael Schulman to parse through the endless campaigns from the 2024 Oscar season and give out their own awards for the best, worst, and everything in between. Some of the awards include Best Campaign Narrative, Biggest Campaign Misfire, Best Stunt, Best Overall Campaign, and Who Won Awards Season.

    For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, What I’m Hearing …, click here.‌

    Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com

    Host: Matt Belloni
    Guest: Michael Schulman
    ‌Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez
    ‌Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

    Subscribe: Spotify

    Matthew Belloni

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  • 'Good one, Donald': Biden flaunts stock market record highs, mocks Trump for predicting 'collapse'

    'Good one, Donald': Biden flaunts stock market record highs, mocks Trump for predicting 'collapse'

    U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during an event about lowering health care costs in the East Room of the White House on July 7, 2023 in Washington, DC.

    Drew Angerer | Getty Images News | Getty Images

    President Joe Biden paraded this week’s stock market record highs Friday in a new campaign video that trolled his predecessor, Donald Trump, for predicting a market collapse if Biden were elected.

    “Good one, Donald,” Biden wrote in the post on X.

    During the 2020 presidential campaign, then-President Trump claimed, “If Biden wins, you’re gonna have a stock market collapse the likes of which you’ve never had.”

    The video replayed that clip, followed by soundbites of news anchors touting the stock market’s recent gains. One memorable snippet showed Larry Kudlow, Trump’s former top economic aide, marveling at the market’s performance on his Fox Business show.

    “Uh, let’s just talk for a moment about the stock market. Boom,” Kudlow says.

    Facing the prospect of a rematch with Trump in 2024, Biden is seizing on the stock market gains to try to get through to voters.

    The video reflects a growing willingness by the Biden campaign to take direct aim at Trump, who leads the Republican primary field by more than 40 points.

    It also reflects a shifting tone from the Biden campaign, which has spent the past year focused on a positive message and touting Biden’s economic gains and job creation.

    But this strategy has so far failed to resonate with voters, polls show. A pivot to more negative campaign messages, and reminding voters of how Trump governed in office, could help to energize disaffected Democrats.

    A poll last month from The New York Times and Siena College found voters trusted Trump — who inherited a stronger economy than Biden did and left office in the middle of the pandemic — over Biden, on the economy.

    Read more CNBC politics coverage

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  • Rita Ora Wears See-Through Lace Pants and a High-Slit Naked Dress in New Shoot

    Rita Ora Wears See-Through Lace Pants and a High-Slit Naked Dress in New Shoot

    Rita Ora has officially announced the second phase of her Primark Collection, dropping on Nov. 7, right in time for the holidays. The accompanying campaign shows the 32-year-old musician in looks tailored to the season, all of which put a sultry spin on festive dressing. Ora, who’s known for iconic fashion moments that include sheer, body-baring elements, plunging necklines, and cutouts galore, has successfully incorporated her personal aesthetic into the accessible line, which was a goal so that fans could easily achieve her look.

    In one shot, Ora poses on the floor in a pair of sheer tights, her legs perched up to show off a pair of patent platform Mary-Janes and a rose anklet. The 3D floral trend also pops up on a tuxedo at the collar — another instance where Ora forgoes pants to show off her lace-embroidered stockings. One more standout item? The long-sleeved naked dress with a scalloped trim and hip-high leg slit that she teams with patent leather stiletto knee-high boots and an abundance of silver jewelry. Her long hair is swept back and teased at the crown to evoke glamour and drama, and she sports a sweeping cat-eye with shimmering liner, plus a glossy lip.

    “Big Announcement, the next phase of my partnership with @primark hits stores globally on Nov 7! 💖🙌 I have loved seeing everyone rock the first collection, and I’m so excited to share the next stage of our journey just in time for the holidays 😍😍,” Ora captioned her Instagram announcement, which also includes a video of the star visiting a store location to see how the clothing is displayed in person.

    As a longtime Primark shopper, Ora wanted to stay equally involved in the design process as well as the shopping experience. “I’m not just looking at it as, ‘Would I wear it?’ I’m thinking about the average woman and becoming her in my mind,” she told POPSUGAR in September when she unveiled the partnership during Fashion Week. “It’s almost like an art project.”

    Ahead, see Ora’s upcoming Primark drop in the steamy new campaign photos the brand shared.

    Sarah Wasilak

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  • Adeola Patronne and Mariam Musa Get Undressed: “You Feel Confident When You Wear Something Sexy” – POPSUGAR Australia

    Adeola Patronne and Mariam Musa Get Undressed: “You Feel Confident When You Wear Something Sexy” – POPSUGAR Australia

    When you need a golden-nugget of unfiltered, empowering advice, Adeola Patronne and Mariam Musa are the ultimate hype girls. The best-friend-duo, and hosts of BBC 1XTRA’s “Pressed” podcast, are known for their hilarious, honest, and fearless take on every group chat dilemma. With their unwavering confidence, it makes total sense that they’ve now stepped out of the recording booth and straight into the new Ann Summers’ Glow Time campaign – and their mission is to make us all feel body confident this party season.

    “The campaign is all about empowering women, and Adeola and I have our podcast where we are very open and talk about things like sex and relationships, so it’s just really on brand for us. It feels so nice to be a part of it,” Mariam tells POPSUGAR. Wearing an array of ultra glam lingerie sets in black lace and jewel-toned green in the campaign, the pair ooze a confidence that’s not always easy to come by. Yet they have a belief that these major opportunities are meant to be.

    “I’m not sure if this is main character syndrome to be like ‘I inspire myself’, but I do think it’s important to believe in yourself and know what you’re capable of doing.”

    “It’s several-pinch-me moments. When I was growing up, Ann Summers was one of the first places that I would save up my money and buy for special occasions,” Mariam adds. “My younger self would be screaming – she’d also be like, ‘yes I knew it, I knew you were meant to do this, and this is just the beginning, don’t forget it and just keep going’.”

    They both found success on Youtube and now boast a combined following of over two million across all social platforms, Adeola, 29, and Mariam, 28, are proof that if you back yourself, anything can happen. “I love a lot of people’s work like Maya Jama and Amelia Dimoldenberg. I’m not sure if this is main character syndrome to be like ‘I inspire myself’, but I do think it’s important to believe in yourself and know what you’re capable of doing,” says Mariam.

    Their positivity is undoubtedly infectious, but that’s not to say they don’t have the odd wobble, too. “There’s been times when I’ve wanted to give up. But at the same time, you can’t let that demotivate you. Don’t let that take away your confidence to try something else,” Adeola says.

    With their natural banter and magnetic bond, you’d be forgiven for thinking their friendship goes way back, but really their closeness grew more recently. “We’ve known each other for a while, but the past three years is when we started getting really close and actively started to learn about each other and open up,” Mariam says. “If I’m stressed out I know Adeola will understand and vice versa. We have periods where we will talk every single day for hours and then we have times where we don’t talk for a couple of days and we’ll have a good catch up.”

    While an innate sense of confidence is key, surrounding yourself with those who build you up is essential, too. And that’s what the pair have found in each other. “Having someone you can talk to, that understands what you are going through, and makes you feel like ‘ok, I’m not crazy’, makes a difference and it’s why I appreciate Maz [Mariam] a lot,” Adeola tells us.

    With social media at the centre of their careers, it’s inevitable they’ve faced negativity on the platforms, but have both found coping mechanisms to help manage it. “I deactivated Twitter [now X] before I went on holiday. Sometimes it’s a lot and I think it’s important to have breaks. Your mental health and what you consume is important, so I’ll block certain words, mute things, and just switch off,” says Mariam. “I’ll put my phone on ‘do not disturb’,” says Adeola.

    “[W]hen I do wear a sexy set, I just feel like I can perform. It’s an ego boost and you just feel so sexy.”

    While their outlook on life is in sync, so is their style. “We’ll often see each other and we are wearing the exact same thing or something really similar,” Adeola says, who even inspired Mariam with her underwear, too. “Adeola is someone that always matches, as it makes you feel confident every day when you wear something that’s sexy – and you never know what’s going to happen either!” Mariam teases. “I’m usually a thong girl, but when I do wear a sexy set, I just feel like I can perform. It’s an ego boost and you just feel so sexy.”

    As they both plan to head home to Nigeria for Christmas and New Year, they’ll be taking their favourite party season lingerie with them. “My favourite is the emerald two-piece corset, I love anything with a suspender belt,” Mariam says. For Adeola, “the Euphoria body with the chain is one of my favourites. It just gives dominance.” Suddenly, we feel the need to up our underwear game . . .

    The Ann Summers Glow Time collection is available to shop online and in store with prices ranging from £6 to £60.

    Siobhan oconnor

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  • Billie Eilish Nails the Visible-Underwear Trend in a Plunging Tank and Low-Rise Pants

    Billie Eilish Nails the Visible-Underwear Trend in a Plunging Tank and Low-Rise Pants

    As POPSUGAR editors, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you’ll like too. If you buy a product we have recommended, we may receive affiliate commission, which in turn supports our work.

    Billie Eilish has partnered with Gucci to advocate for animals by starring in a campaign that launches the brand’s Horsebit 1955 bag in a new material and asymmetric shape. Demetra, which is animal-free and combines quality, softness, and durability, is made from 75-percent plant-derived sources, according to an Oct. 30 press release. While Gucci has been working on crafting the fabric in Italy since 2021, it was perfect timing to collaborate with Eilish and feature her song “What Was I Made For?” in a Marcell Rév-directed cinematic film that accompanies the images, which were all lensed by Tyrell Hampton.

    Eilish showcases both her genuine personality and authentic sense of style by wearing Gucci pieces exactly as she always has — baggy and oversize, with a ’90s vibe that feels relaxed, yet tough. In one shot, she sports a plunging white ribbed tank with boxers pulled out from the waistband of wide-leg khaki pants, successfully achieving the underwear as outerwear trend in her own way. In another, she shouts into the abyss in a logo-splashed button-down shirt, patterned bucket hat, high socks, and cargo shorts. The red highlights at the crown of her head and base of her bangs are put on display through her many poses, and Eilish piles on plenty of chunky silver rings and chainlink necklaces for all of the shots. Her makeup is natural and effortless, with a pink glossy lip and crystal rhinestones glued to her teeth.

    Gucci’s commitment to doing better for the planet comes with a donation to Support+Feed, which is a charity that fights the climate crisis by striving towards an equitable plant based food system. We hope to see other brands following in Gucci’s footsteps, and there are a whole slew of labels making sustainability a priority already, including Hanifa, Collina Strada, and Hope For Flowers. Eilish, 21, is never one to stay quiet about her strong beliefs on the topic of being eco-friendly. She famously wore an Oscar de la Renta dress to the 2021 Met Gala dependent upon the fashion house’s promise to stop using fur in production. Other luxury brands that have banned fur include Chanel and Prada, which Eilish has also worn proudly on the red carpet.

    PETA commented on Eilish’s post celebrating her Gucci campaign, recognizing her work and the project at large: “Celebrating Gucci creating its first ever #vegan bag in style 👜🔥 You are fab and leaving such an impact by inspiring brands to help animals and our planet 🌎.”

    Ahead, see Eilish’s Gucci campaign and find links to the new bags, which retail from $3,200-$3,500.

    Sarah Wasilak

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  • Anitta Shows Off Her Butt Tattoo in a Savage X Fenty Mesh Thong

    Anitta Shows Off Her Butt Tattoo in a Savage X Fenty Mesh Thong

    As POPSUGAR editors, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you’ll like too. If you buy a product we have recommended, we may receive affiliate commission, which in turn supports our work.

    Anitta is one of the many stars who have fronted Savage X Fenty by Rihanna campaigns for the inclusive lingerie brand. The 30-year-old musician’s latest photo series showcases the Midnight Sweat collection, which comes in flashy blue metallic colorways and features appliqué details with high-shine florals. While the full range also includes athletic wear, such as sports bras and leggings, and even some athleisure pieces cut from liquid-effect cloth and replete with cutouts and ruching, it’s the lingerie that feels most masterful.

    Posing on a porch with a tropical setting as her backdrop, Anitta leans over the banister to reveal must-see details, from the strappy triangle insert on her mesh thong to the numerous gold body chains she clasped around her waist to highlight her curves and butt tattoo. Her red hair is parted at the sides and curled at the ends, making for a very glamorous moment.

    On Instagram, the Savage X Fenty team demonstrated how to get her look, which involves slicing and tying the Knight Shift mesh tee at the front, then pulling the sleeves off the shoulders. While Anitta’s own ensemble is stylized to a T, with a diamond-encrusted shapely cuff, a single neck-grazing starburst earring, chunky rings, and blue gemstone hoops, the shirt covering her co-ords is meant to be casual — and it’s clearly a fan-favorite given all the positive comments left on the how-to video.

    Most recently, the “Mil Veces” singer wore skin-revealing outfits in her music video, which also stars Måneskin’s Damiano David as her love interest.

    Ahead, catch a few more angles of Anitta’s Savage X Fenty campaign, and shop her exact designs, along with similar bras, panties, and babydolls that would help you achieve the same look.

    Sarah Wasilak

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  • Maggie Smith’s New Fashion Campaign Is Absolute Magic

    Maggie Smith’s New Fashion Campaign Is Absolute Magic

    Maggie Smith can now add “internet-breaking handbag model” to her expansive résumé. The seasoned actor stars in Loewe’s new spring 2024 pre-collection campaign, and though it’s a rather unexpected collaboration, the slayage is impossible to ignore. As Wendy Williams’s heavily meme’d saying goes, “She’s an icon, she’s a legend, and she is the moment.”

    Smith, 88, ditches her pointy Professor McGonagall hat and wears three distinct outfits in her spread, which was captured by photographer Juergen Teller and conceptualized by Loewe Creative Director Jonathan Anderson. The most standout look is the definitely her brown shearling coat — she cozies up in the Hagrid-adjacent outerwear and shows off Loewe’s popular puzzle bag while posing in front of a brick wall like a pro. Smith’s signature smirk is on display, giving a look that says, “Don’t you wish you looked as fabulous as me?” The answer is yes, yes we do.

    To be fair, several other notable celebrities also appear in the Loewe campaign, including Greta Lee, Dakota Fanning, Taeyong, and Josh O’Connor. But no one’s quite stirred up as much hoopla as Smith. The numbers say it all: when Anderson teased the campaign on his Instagram on Oct. 24, Smith’s photos garnered the most engagement by far. Many fans couldn’t resist making Harry Potter references, with one commenting, “One thousand points to Gryffindor!” Tons of celebrities have also shared their support, with Dan Levy writing, “Are you kidding me,” and SZA chiming in, “She’s SO cute.” Now that, folks, is called making an impression.

    Smith isn’t the first senior actor to model for Loewe. Anthony Hopkins, 85, memorably appeared in the brand’s fall 2022 campaign, playfully posing with various tote bags. In an industry that prioritizes young up-and-comers and fresh faces, seeing the fashion house spotlight older celebrities is refreshing and worth celebrating. Might we suggest Jane Fonda as Loewe’s next muse? We can totally picture her rocking those wild deflated-balloon heels like nobody’s business.

    Victoria Messina

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  • J Lo Wows in a Boob-Cutout Halter Top With an Embellished Chain

    J Lo Wows in a Boob-Cutout Halter Top With an Embellished Chain

    In addition to being an in-demand actress, singer, performer, and designer, Jennifer Lopez is enjoying her role as Intimissmi‘s global ambassador. Announcing the role in a press release in March 2023, the Italian intimates company said they chose to work with Lopez because she embodies women empowerment and “modern sexiness.”

    In the accompanying photo shoot, for the Spring 2023 campaign, Lopez modeled the Pretty Flowers Sofia balconette bra in flame scarlet, digital turquoise, and valentine pink. It comes embroidered with ivory blooms across the lightly-padded mesh cups and along the elegant trim. The coordinates include a matching see-through lace panty, though Lopez mixed and matched various other satin-silk pajama pieces in the Chris Colls-lensed photos. The shoot inspiration? A dreamy Italian summer evoked through bold colors that represent Positano.

    Lopez also commented on her partnership with Intimissimi in the release, stating: “I love Italy – the people, the fashion, the culture, the food and the storied history. When I discovered Intimissimi, I was immediately drawn to their precious silks, romantic lace, beautiful cuts, flattering fits and intricate designs. I’m proud to be an Intimissimi woman and honored that they view me as someone who emulates their own qualities of confident, lively and strong.”

    She wears the brand for personal photo shoots as well — both to tease her upcoming projects and to show off tributes to husband Affleck, such as her “Mrs” nameplate necklace that she styled with a black set back in November of 2022.

    Most recently, she debuted a co-designed capsule with the brand titled “This Is Me…Now” as a nod to her upcoming album of the same name. The collection, which includes a black halter cutout bra, lace teddies embellished with chains, and silk camisole sets, represents Lopez’s “evolution,” according to a press release.

    Ahead, see every time Jennifer Lopez posed in Intimissimi lingerie.

    Sarah Wasilak

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  • Marc Jacobs Model Tumbles Down Stairs For New Ad, Deserves a Raise

    Marc Jacobs Model Tumbles Down Stairs For New Ad, Deserves a Raise

    The Marc Jacobs marketing team is wild for this one. To advertise its new XL Sack Bag, the fashion label captured a model inexplicably tumbling down stairs while carrying the roomy tote — because posing for regular ol’ photo shoots is so last year, it appears.

    In a now-viral video shared on Oct. 10, a brunette woman dressed in silver separates and Marc Jacobs’s towering seven-inch platform boots elegantly rolls down a flight of concrete steps, the white purse never leaving her shoulder. Upon reaching the bottom, she jumps to her feet, fixes her hair, and walks off frame without batting an eyelash. It’s chaos. It’s art. It’s a serve, your honor.

    Now, before you get your panties in a bunch over Marc Jacobs treating its models like rag dolls, it’s worth noting that the woman in the video is a professional stunt performer named Tereza Kubová. Judging by her Instagram, she has lots of experience safely flinging herself around for various projects. Still, this doesn’t answer the question on everyone’s mind: why? Why use a model hurtling down a flight of steps to promote a new bag? To prove its durability and injury-thwarting properties?

    Marc Jacobs provided no context or explanation while posting the video on Instagram, simply captioning it, “The XL Sack Bag,” and crediting art director Yulya Shadrinsky for shooting the clip. Upon further analysis, the “why” is actually quite clear. As Will Ferrell’s character famously says in “Blades of Glory,” “No one knows what it means, but it’s provocative . . . It gets the people going.” It’s meant to be wacky and catch you off guard.

    Shadrinsky specializes in creating this type of unconventional, conversation-sparking content for fashion brands, previously making a model roll down a giant dirt pile for Jean Paul Gaultier and another karate kick a glass bottle for Alexander Wang. It’s genius marketing for an era when people live online and communicate via similarly meme-worthy clips. It got you reading to the end of this think piece on a designer handbag, after all.

    Victoria Messina

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  • Kendall Jenner and Bad Bunny Dress in Matching Outfits For Some Airport PDA

    Kendall Jenner and Bad Bunny Dress in Matching Outfits For Some Airport PDA

    Fall is here, and with the highly anticipated season comes a host of new fashion trends to keep up with, as well as high-end campaigns from your favorite brands for the best sartorial inspiration. Fashion brand campaigns run the gamut from featuring your favorite model to recruiting the most influential stars as their muses — and sometimes a bit of both. From Rihanna‘s iconic photos in Louis Vuitton’s men’s spring 2024 campaign to Yara Shahidi as the new face of Jean Paul Gaultier, campaigns feature not only models, but some of our favorite actors and pop stars as well.

    Kendall Jenner and Bad Bunny certainly made a splash as the stars of the Gucci Valigeria campaign. Photographed by Anthony Seklaoui, the couple are captured traveling together at an airport, with items from the Gucci Savoy collection in hand, including the GG Supreme duffel bags and suitcases. With styling by Alastair McKimm, Jenner and Bad Bunny wear coordinated outfits, just like they do in real life, in matching navy separates and logo-ready skirts and tops.

    Of all the stars ushering in the new season, Kylie Jenner was one of the first to take the fashion world by storm with her jaw-dropping Acne Studios fall 2023 campaign. On Aug. 31, Jenner debuted as the brand’s new spokesperson in a series of grunge-inspired looks. Photographed by Carlijn Jacobs and styled by Léopold Duchemin, she wears an oversize denim jacket, the brand’s distressed 2023 jeans, and beige leather lace-up mules. Covered in body paint, she also sports dewy makeup by Ariel Tejada, wet black strands styled by Jesus Guerrero, and soft pink nails by Zola Ganzorigt. In one shot, she wears jeans, clear sunglasses, and a relaxed-fit dress as she drags her doppelgänger on the floor.

    Another noteworthy campaign is, of course, Sofia Richie Grainge‘s photo shoot for David Yurman. As a proud purveyor of the quiet-luxury trend, it was no surprise the 25-year-old Richie Grainge wore a white maxi dress with a rope-twisted strap and plunging back detailing, while accessorizing with the gold, silver, and rose-gold pieces from the brand’s legacy collection Sculpted Cable. “This campaign is about paving your own way: really being confident, taking direction, and being the leader of your own pack,” Richie Grainge shared at the time. She wore minimal makeup and a slicked-back bun in line with her sophisticated ensemble.

    As we anticipate more stunning ads, look ahead for the latest fashion campaigns to inspire your fall wardrobe, from Coach to Skims and more.

    Naomi Parris

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  • Rita Ora Gave Me Her Best Advice on Wearing a Naked Dress

    Rita Ora Gave Me Her Best Advice on Wearing a Naked Dress

    On the day Rita Ora reveals her Primark collection to the world, she’s wearing the gray acid-wash denim set, consisting of a boxy moto jacket and matching miniskirt with an asymmetrical zipper down the front. She styles the co-ords with leather thigh-high boots, several chunky rings, and a fluffy shopper, one of the signature accessories in the 169-piece collection. It’s clear she’s familiar with them all as she singles out members of her design team at the NYC launch party who are also decked head to toe in Rita Ora x Primark, beckoning them to pose for the crowd. One such look is a tan three-piece pantsuit, my favorite that I’ve seen so far. But the rest of the lineup is easily accessible to me, displayed on racks for guests to sift through and even try on.

    The 32-year-old musician has spent two years dreaming up the versatile, season-less, affordable range that emits ’90s grunge and her own brand of sex appeal. “It was a combination of the friendship that I created with the CEOs and spontaneously being at the same restaurant,” Ora tells me after the intimate preview, when I ask how the collab came to be in the first place. As it turns out, her genuine love for the brand began with early shopping trips to her local Primark in Hammersmith, West London, when she considered herself an everyday fashion fan who didn’t want to break the bank. “It was such a great opportunity to reconnect to my roots, respect the journey that I’ve been on, and understand the customers, because I was one of them,” she says.

    Codesigned by Primark and Ora, alongside emerging London-based designer Jawara Alleyne — and styled by Rita’s personal stylist, Pippa Atkinson — the wardrobe staples allow the singer’s fans to re-create her famous aesthetic on any budget. It’s no surprise that as soon as the first drop was manufactured, Ora began weaving items into her outfits, slowly building suspense and teasing her followers about what was to come. All the while, the accompanying campaign was being shot in Trellick Tower and around Golborne Road in West London, where Ora grew up. “Keeping it really real was all I cared about. That’s the reason I joined with Primark in the first place, so it only made sense to go back to where it all began,” she explains.

    Available on Sept. 19 in all 430-plus of Primark’s stores, the international collaboration — starting at $5 for clothing and accessories, $28 for outerwear, and $20 for footwear — will be available to browse on primark.com, with the option to use a stock checker before heading out to shop. It also prioritizes circularity and sustainability, with two-thirds of the pieces crafted from recycled materials. Ahead, Ora joins POPSUGAR for an exclusive interview about launching the fashion line.

    Sarah Wasilak

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  • 2024 election ad spending expected to top $10 billion, smashing Biden-Trump 2020 record

    2024 election ad spending expected to top $10 billion, smashing Biden-Trump 2020 record

    President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden are seen during the final debate of the 2020 presidential election, Oct. 23, 2020.

    Pavlo Conchar | LightRocket | Getty Images

    The 2024 election cycle is expected to be the most expensive of all time for political ad spending, totaling $10.2 billion across all media, according to new projections from AdImpact released Tuesday.

    That figure would exceed by more than $1 billion the current record, which was set during the 2020 election cycle when then-President Donald Trump lost his reelection bid to Joe Biden.

    The previous presidential election cycle, in 2016, totaled $2.6 billion in political ad spending.

    AdImpact projected that the 2024 cycle will show a 13% increase from four years earlier. The projected figure includes political expenditures across broadcast, cable, radio, satellite, digital and internet-connected TV.

    The group anticipates at least $7 billion of the 2024 total will go toward TV ad spending.

    More than a quarter of that $10.2 billion total, $2.7 billion, will come from presidential ad spending alone, according to AdImpact. Most of that chunk, $2.1 billion, is expected to be spent during the general election.

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    But Congress is hardly expected to scrimp. The Senate is projected to shell out $2.1 billion in ad spending this cycle, while the House is predicted to spend $1.7 billion.

    Gubernatorial ad spending, however, is expected to decline compared with expenditures in the 2022 cycle, since fewer than half as many seats are up for reelection. About $400 million will be spent on those 14 races in 2024, AdImpact projected.

    This is developing news. Please check back for updates.

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  • What It’s Like to Photograph Naomi Campbell and Teyana Taylor For the Pirelli Calendar

    What It’s Like to Photograph Naomi Campbell and Teyana Taylor For the Pirelli Calendar

    The 2024 Pirelli calendar focuses on the idea of timelessness and stars iconic figures such as Naomi Campbell, Angela Bassett, Idris Elba, Teyana Taylor, Amanda Gorman, and, most significantly, King Otumfuo Osei Tutu II. The year marks the 25th anniversary of the Ashanti Kingdom, and the King’s image reflects the celebration of his reign. With all photos taken by artist Prince Gyasi in London and Ghana, Gyasi’s hometown, each shoot grew increasingly exciting for him — especially since he looks up to so many of the celebrities he worked with on set, some of whom are old friends. As a self-taught visual artist who shot his first photographs on an old iPhone at 16, Gyasi’s signature work is personal, powerful, and revolves around the idea of community. His unique aesthetic is described as a “journey into color,” and he’s worked with impactful brands and publications like Balmain, Converse, GQ, and Vanity Fair.

    When Gyasi talked to POPSUGAR about the Pirelli experience, he explained that he settled on a theme for the renowned calendar by looking within himself. “I used to look up to these people. I can never deny the fact that they helped me take out the roof above me and escape any limitations,” he said, continuing, “When I approached this, I was thinking about people who defy time, like basically those who don’t exist in time, because they are timeless. They have this God-given gift that they’re able to maneuver through this earth at a different speed. You would think that they’re not normal human beings, but they are because of the consistency, hard work, determination, and passion they have for what they do. That’s why they are where they are.”

    Ahead, Gyasi dives into specific instances of camaraderie he experienced on set and discusses his own bucket list for his career. Enjoy behind-the-scenes photos from the 2024 Pirelli shoot as you read about Gyasi’s perspective on the project and wait patiently for the official imagery to launch ahead of the new calendar year.

    Sarah Wasilak

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