Destreza / Thinking

Ideas worth noticing

The relationship between creative quality, brand recognition and easier production.

Newest first. Monthly analysis is ordered by its editorial “as of” date.

9 pieces

Apple’s official iPhone Duo image shows two hands holding the phone, folded on the left and open on the right, against a pale background. — Apple’s launch image shows iPhone Duo folded and open. The phone was announced on 9 September, with availability from 23 October. Source: Apple.

The Weekly Cut 019

Better models, Apple’s first foldable & AI’s public consequences

The Weekly Cut 01911 September 20268 min read

New evaluations show where AI is improving, Samsung finds its moment at Apple’s launch, and an agent investigation puts private testing under public scrutiny.

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Two people and a dog sit on a sofa in a room with a Sonos soundbar and rear speakers; one listener wears headphones. — Inside The Weekly Cut 018: Sonos’s September 1 launch photography shows Beam Ultra, headphones and rear speakers in one home system. The products were announced alongside Sonos 27, the software update discussed inside this edition. Source: Sonos.

The Weekly Cut 018

ChatGPT ads expand. New models raise the bar.

The Weekly Cut 0184 September 202610 min read

A wider advertising channel, more capable models and a staged rollout of image creation inside Google Workspace change the next marketing brief.

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A hand holds a smiling Goldfish cracker close to the camera, with a young person’s face softly out of focus behind it. — A product close-up from the 30-second version of Goldfish’s “Photoshoot”, published in July. It shows the campaign’s central idea: the snack itself smiles back. System1’s 27 August review evaluates a shorter execution from the same campaign. Source: Goldfish / Mischief / Blinkink; film supplied by Marcus Lim SO.

Analysis 004

More executions. How many ideas?

Analysis 004As of 31 August 20265 min read

August brings more control over AI image editing. The creative test is whether that freedom produces a better idea, or simply more versions of the first one.

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A smiling Goldfish snack wearing sunglasses poses before a camera against a backdrop made to look like a slice of cheese. — Inside The Weekly Cut 017: Goldfish’s “Photoshoot”, from the campaign discussed in System1’s 27 August review. This is campaign context; the review’s 5.1-Star score relates to the execution it tests, rather than proof about this particular frame. Source: Goldfish / Mischief / Blinkink; still supplied by Marcus Lim SO.

The Weekly Cut 017

Campaign agents, holiday shoppers and creative control

The Weekly Cut 01728 August 20268 min read

Media-buying assistance, preparation for returns and a customer-search experiment make AI’s commercial use more concrete.

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Two people at a pub bar in a scene from This is our BBC. — Inside The Weekly Cut 016: A scene from the BBC’s July campaign “This Is Our BBC”, the subject of System1’s 20 August review. The image belongs to that campaign, rather than a new August launch. Source: BBC / Blink.

The Weekly Cut 016

AI advertising, synthetic people and creative trust

The Weekly Cut 01621 August 20268 min read

Consumer comfort and new creative tools meet a concrete example of where released marketing capacity can go.

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A can of Madrí Limón beside a glass of beer and cut lemons. — Inside The Weekly Cut 014: Madrí Limón, pictured in System1’s 6 August fruit-beer research. The study tests the appeal of product concepts; its 4.4-Star result for Madrí describes predicted potential, rather than observed sales. Source: System1 / Madrí Excepcional.

The Weekly Cut 014

AI moves closer to buying and making

The Weekly Cut 0147 August 20268 min read

Snap opens its advertising data, ChatGPT adds product carousels and Adobe brings creative tools into the conversation.

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Cameron Adams and Bob Safian seated on a brightly lit Canva stage at Cannes 2026. — Canva co-founder Cameron Adams talks with Bob Safian at the Canva Cabana on 24 June 2026, during the Cannes week in which Canva announced Grow 2.0. Source: Canva.

The Weekly Cut 008

Canva connects creation to performance

The Weekly Cut 00826 June 20268 min read

Creative tools move closer to the media buy, while new retail and conversational formats offer places to test the work.

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Two YouTube mobile upload screens show the controls for identifying realistic AI-generated or altered video. — YouTube’s 27 May announcement shows the creator’s AI-use controls during upload. The same update changes the labels viewers see and begins a phased rollout of automatic detection. Source: YouTube / Google.

The Weekly Cut 004

AI shopping, consumer control and clearer labels

The Weekly Cut 00429 May 20269 min read

Consumer research challenges autonomous shopping while YouTube and Google change how generated work and trusted sources appear.

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Arba Kokalari speaks at a microphone, with Michael McNamara beside her, at the 7 May AI Omnibus press conference. — Inside The Weekly Cut 001: Arba Kokalari and Michael McNamara brief journalists in Brussels on 7 May after the AI Omnibus negotiations. Their provisional agreement would change the high-risk timetable while leaving deepfake disclosure on its August date. Source: Alexis Haulot / © European Union 2026 – European Parliament.

The Weekly Cut 001

ChatGPT ads, AI labels and Apple’s proposed Siri settlement

The Weekly Cut 0018 May 20269 min read

ChatGPT Ads goes self-serve and names five new markets. Also this week, which AI Act deadlines moved and which did not, and Apple's proposed $250m Siri settlement.

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