Good morning, creatives!
Last month was wild. Finance posters went viral, Billboard is getting loopholed, and Coca Cola released a glitched AI commercial.
Here’s everything to catch you up to speed,
— Grayson
Quartr: The Finance Company That Broke Design
Quartr’s bio says they “increase efficiency and precision in qualitative public market research.” In plain English, it’s an app to stream earnings calls from big corporations, which isn’t something I usually cover in this creative newsletter…
But they’ve been doing something rather unique for a finance company. Quartr has been breaking the design industry with their social promos for upcoming livestreams. Instead of boring charts or PDFs, they look like this.
Why they stand out:
These posters stand out for a few reasons:
They’re introducing familiar brands with completely new aesthetics
The posters consist of bold, cinematic photography mixed with graphics and textures
They have a nostalgic, movie-poster energy that feels emotional and cinematic
The design shows what a company does instead of explaining it
Co-founder Oliver Hamrin has said they use a mix of stock photos, vectors, overlays, and AI generated imagery, including Midjourney, all composed in tools like Figma.
The internet’s response:
The internet response has been wild. People are making full dupes of the style with Midjourney just to see if they can copy it. Across the board, people love it. Here are some of my favorite reactions:
“Whoever is designing these earnings call posters at @Quartr_App isn’t being paid nearly enough.” @buccocapital
“If you’re looking for the best marketing designer atm they work at Quartr.” @0nasis
The big picture:
Quartr themselves admitted: “What we do isn’t technically complex or groundbreaking at all. I think it stands out simply because finance design/branding… is usually dull… we’re just two self-taught designers creating basically everything you see in our socials.”
What do you think? Is Quartr is doing to investor relations what Spotify did to music, or is everyone overreacting? Hit reply and tell me your thoughts.
The Pyramid Scheme Album That’s Fighting For #1 on Billboard
This might be the strangest and smartest thing happening on the internet right now.
Anthpo, known for his anonymous creative stunts on YouTube and Instagram, is trying to take the number one spot on Billboard. His plan is called “Everybody’s Album” and it is absolutely chaotic and incredibly fun.
How it works
It feels like a pyramid scheme but in the most wholesome way possible.
You record one second of audio for the album.
Anthpo pays you $7.99 for your contribution.
You immediately preorder the album using the same $7.99.
You pay nothing. Anthpo gets verified sales. The album becomes the most diverse musical project ever made. And yes, your one second gets included.
Even if you do not want to participate, you should still visit everybodysalbum.com. It is one of the most entertaining websites online right now. It has a nostalgic 2000s aesthetic and features the Nano mascot guiding you through the experience.
Just one problem…
Billboard is not thrilled. They already contacted Anthpo saying the sales do not qualify. Anthpo responded by saying they expected this and built the system to follow Billboard’s rules exactly.
The fate of the album is unclear, but you can still upload audio and be part of it. No matter what Billboard decides, this will be one of the most unique albums ever produced.
Coca Cola vs Apple: Automation vs Craft
Coca Cola’s 2025 AI generated Christmas commercial (left) vs the creation of the new Apple TV intro (right)
Two brands. Two opposite paths.
For the second year in a row, Coca Cola released an AI generated Christmas commercial. They even boasted about using fewer people this time. Their quote: “The genie is out of the bottle. You are not going to put it back in.”
The problem: even Coca Cola’s ad has AI errors if you look closely.
Meanwhile, Apple went in the opposite direction. Their new Apple TV intro animation was made completely by hand using pieces of colored glass. No AI. No shortcuts. Pure craftsmanship. (Side note, the music for the piece was created by Finneas.)
People online argued that AI could have replicated Apple’s animation in seconds.
So here is the question.
If You Had to Choose?
Quick hits from around the creative world:
Adobe acquires Semrush for 1.9 billion to expand their AI marketing stack.
Apple’s latest beta has a reference to something called Apple Creator Studio. Details unknown.
Pantone will reveal the 2026 Color of the Year on December 4. Last year was brown.
Apple partners with Issey Miyake to release an iPhone Sock accessory starting at $149.95.
Artists are posting their most popular work in this trend.
I am hiring a YouTube editor for long form content. If you’re someone who understands pacing, graphics, and sound design, apply!
My Latest Video
In my latest video, I tested what happens if you import 1000 images into Affinity. It did not go as planned, in the best way.
On top of that, I have been experimenting with Google’s Nano Banana Pro for AI image generation, and I used it to make the thumbnail for the video (despite my eyes looking a little wonky):
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