On Episode 22 of The Owlgorithm, we’re breaking down the Miami Heat’s Vice City activation through a branding and creative lens—from the uniforms and court to the merch and the bigger idea tying it together. Then we’re zooming out: McLaren’s new identity, another Intuit refresh, sports experiences that go beyond the screen, and where AI fits into the creative process. More options are one thing. Knowing which ones are good is another.

On the rundown: Miami Heat × Vice City: branding, merch, and creative execution McLaren: bringing automotive and racing under one identity Intuit: another refresh—and the brand problem behind it Perplexity’s design process: AI speed meets human taste San Jose Sharks: projection mapping as a fan experience AI use cases: Weavy and Muse / Grok Bot Lessons of the day + open-floor Q&A For Your Vice Only. A little Miami, a little algorithm, and plenty to unpack.

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Is AI actually going to end the world, or are tech executives just playing a high-stakes PR game?

JC Perez and David Verjano are back for Episode 21 of The Owlgorithm to break down the latest strategy moves across fashion, fast-casual CPG, out-of-home advertising, and AI safety panic.

On this week's agenda:

• Hanes Drops the "Safe" Image: Why Hanes moved away from basic underwear marketing to tackle modern social anxiety.
• Fast-Casual Redesign Audit: Modernizing 1,500 locations for Tropical Smoothie Cafe and Carrot Express's play to upscale its brand footprint.
• Beyond Meat vs. Real Good Foods: How product bloat causes identity crises in CPG.
• Tactical Out-of-Home: How a single word on a banner can beat million-dollar ad campaigns in dense cities.
• The AI Safety Debate: Unpacking the viral "10% extinction" claims, open-source models, and closed-network regulatory capture.
• The U Returns to Nike: What $200M means for the Hurricanes brand equity.

Enjoying the show? Leave us a 5-star rating on Spotify and let us know: Did Hanes nail their strategic pivot, or was it too aggressive?

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Has corporate minimalism officially run out of ideas?

In Episode 20 of The Owlgorithm, David Verjano takes the mic solo (with a brief pop-in from team member Adrian Lorenzo) to review the biggest visual identity updates, expensive CPG lawsuits, and algorithmic shifts hitting your feeds.

On this week's agenda:

• Instagram’s Wordmark Facelift: Evaluating Studio Cotto’s subtle, tech-forward refinement of Instagram's signature script.
• The $24M Copycat Cautionary Tale: What the Van Leeuwen vs. Rebel Ice Cream lawsuit teaches us about trade dress, retail confusion, and squint tests.
• Calendly’s Visual Evolution: How Smith & Diction built a flexible brand system around a rippling "C".
• The War on AI Slop: LinkedIn introduces a report button for generic AI posts, while Spotify starts deprioritizing unverified AI personas from recommendation feeds.
• Liquid Death Strikes Again: Jason Kelce joins forces with Liquid Death and Garage Beer to launch an absurd campaign targeting AI data center water consumption.

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