1. White House Creates Terrifying Ads
The White House has just released a series of anti-opioid ads based on true opioid addiction stories. Every day, more than 115 people in the United States die after overdosing on opioids and last year, the Trump administration declared a public health emergency. In March, President Trump began the movement, saying he wanted to “scare [kids] from ending up like the people in the commercials. And we’ll make them very, very bad commercials. We’ll make them pretty unsavory situations.” The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy partnered with the Truth initiative. Four ads were created, depicting shocking true stories of the lengths opioid addicts have gone to get their fix, such as a man smashing his hand with a hammer in order to get more painkillers. Curious to see if the government can cure nightmares too in the coming weeks.
2. Insta’s & Snap’s Platform Changes
Instagram is currently debating a switch from their 60-second videos to 60-minute videos. Eliminating the video constraints could allow for a more open creative opportunity, as well as bring Instagram in line with YouTube and parent company, Facebook. Even with their copycat tendencies, Instagram is still #killing the social game. Snapchat, on the other hand, had a 30M revenue drop despite the fact that their ideas are succeeding on Instagram. They’ve decided to fight fire with fire by borrowing one of Instagram’s features. Snapchat has teamed up with SeatGeek, an event ticket marketplace, to allow users to purchase concert and event tickets through the platform. Fans will be able to buy tickets from teams and artists by swiping up on their stories. Swiper, start swiping.
3. Japan House Blocks Airbnb
Airbnb has faced a lot of regulatory issues in different countries, with many countries eliminating the number of nights a home can rent out. This time, Japan changed its local laws, requiring hosts to have specific licenses. Guests who booked reservations before June 15th to unlicensed homes are being forced to cancel their upcoming reservations. It was just last year that Japan legalized home sharing. Now, Airbnb is having to set up a 10M fund to reimburse guests that have been left out in the cold with a 100% refund and a $100 coupon. Those who are unable to find a last-minute alternative will be set up with a Japanese travel agency. Makes us wonder when Japan last took a vay-cay.
(Source: TechCrunch & Airbnb)
