Welcome to Silence, Brand!, a tri-weekly potluck of internet absurdity at the intersection of brand marketing and internet culture written by a collective of award-winning digital marketing professionals. If you like what we do, please consider becoming a paid subscriber.
Good morning afternoon, say it back 🎤🦀
So far this week the internet is resurrecting the dead, streamers went to prom, and Target is finalizing its divorce with Ulta.
On the wholesome end of the timeline, Olivia Rodrigo quietly slipped a fan $5,000 to finish college (proof the best celebrity flex is just being decent human)
Legacy IP is running the multiplex: Breaking Bad is hitting theaters for one day only via Alamo Drafthouse, Doctor Who is bringing back fan-favorites Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill (okay, its just a podcast), and the Bluey movie finally dropped its teaser trailer for the parents pretending it’s for the kids.
Nostalgia is the whole strategy right now: BuzzBallz is turning two Pop-Tarts flavors into cocktails, Pokémon is teaming with Polaroid to make Pokémon Snap dreams real, and Urban Outfitters' Monchhichi bag-charm collab mercifully skips the blind box. Also both J Crew and IKEA are leaning into resale (you know its bad when even IKEA is on a budget) and Buffalo Wild Wings announced a throwback menu just days after Taco Bell did the same thing.
We’ve trawled the depths so you can scuttle into your next standup sounding chronically online, but professionally employed. Let's get into it :)
Robin Williams’ Kids Revive Instagram Account to Combat AI Slop: ‘As Technology Evolves, We Want This to be a Safe, Trusted Place’ (Variety)
Nearly a month after what would have been the late Robin Williams’ 75th birthday, his children Zak, Zelda and Cody revived his Instagram to honor his legacy and to combat what they called “rampant AI abuse” of his likeness, saying they want a safe, trusted place where stories, photos and videos reflect his legacy with authenticity, warmth and care.
Zelda warned the account’s reactivation could be triggering for some fans and reiterated her prior criticism of unauthorized AI recreations—calling them “personally disturbing” and, at their best, “a poor facsimile” of the real person.
Olivia Rodrigo Reportedly Gives Fan Thousands of Dollars to Help Pay Off Her College Tuition! (Just Jared)
Olivia Rodrigo reportedly helped a University of Alabama student finish college by sending her $5,000 toward her final semester’s tuition. The singer reached out after seeing the fan’s TikTok about struggling to afford school, and the gesture stayed private for more than a year. Now that the fan has graduated, she’s sharing the story.
Here’s Everything You Missed At Streamer Prom 2026 (Cassius Life)
FunnyMike’s Streamer Prom returned for its second year on August 13th, bringing more than 100 internet personalities together in Houston for a night that was part prom, part red carpet, part reality show, and extremely online. The concept became a massive streaming event in 2025, and its format lets individual creators livestream their own experiences, meaning fans can watch the same night unfold from dozens of different perspectives.
This year’s viral moments included DDG getting protective over his date Seven, Pudgie and DreamDoll arriving as Biggie and Faith before winning Prom King and Queen, and Ezee showing up dressed like a character from White Chicks. Other storylines included RaKai and Yonna’s increasingly dramatic prom date, Johnny Dang gifting FunnyMike a diamond chain, and Tylil briefly believing he’d won a new car.
The inaugural 2025 event drew roughly 4.5 million hours watched and about a 560,000 peak on Twitch, so after two years of huge audiences and endless social clips, Streamer Prom is starting to establish itself as an annual cultural event built specifically for the creator economy.
Big Brother reveals striking first look at new eye ahead of 2026 season (Digital Spy)
Big Brother UK returns later this year for its fourth season, launching next month with AJ Odudu and Will Best back as hosts for an extended eight-week run promising “unexpected twists and game‑changing moments” and a reimagined house featuring a simpler, human‑like purple-iris eye logo. It has been reported (not confirmed) that spin-off Big Brother: Late & Live may be scaled back to eviction nights only and there are unverified rumors of former Celebrity Big Brother housemates joining, while former host Davina McCall reflected that the show has changed since the Channel 4 era.
Avatar Lorde@Chripotle
I have no choice but to tune in this cast is crazy…
NedaBase @raesidol
celebrity big brother cast coming this fall to CBS! #BB28
8:56 PM · Aug 18, 2026 · 912K Views
36 Replies · 361 Reposts · 12.5K Likes
Good Reads: New Study Finds Children With More Screen Time Didn’t Score Worse on Cognitive Tests. They Scored Better. (Inc.)
Good Reads: “Somewhere between a MiraLax ‘POOPMAXXING’ carousel and a 19-year-old selling ChatGPT prompts for passive income, I realise I haven’t yet seen a single post from an actual friend let alone someone I follow.” — Late stage content creation is depressing as hell. // Millie Hughes via Beyond Boba
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