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Whether talking about underwear brands hand-selecting the perfect models to break the internet or the endless wooing of Gen Z and its style sensibilities, there was no shortage of creativity among the fashion brands that set the trends over the past year. Here are the 2025 Brands That Matter honorees in the fashion space that innovated on how style showed up for consumers in the past year. Bogg Bag When the function of a tote bag meets the versatility and kitschy-cute style of Crocs, the possibilities are endless. So proves Bogg Bag, a brand that’s constantly riffing to create collector’s items and limited-time variants of its signature design by switching up the bags’ colors, their patterns, and even the shapes of their cutouts. In late 2024, one of the brand’s most popular variants launched: a Bogg Bag sold only at Target emblazoned with the store’s bull’s-eye logo. The Target bag, which had 82% of its sales come from new Bogg shoppers, was just one of several retailer-exclusive designs launched in the past year. Bogg’s collaborations didn’t stop there: The brand also partnered with Fanatics to launch a line of sports-inspired bags featuring the logos and colors of 33 popular NFL and college teams. Most recently, Bogg released a new version designed to make the tote more upscale. Calvin Klein Few brands have the power to break the internet like Calvin Klein does. The underwear brand’s choice of models certainly has something to do with it—in the past year, celebrities like Jeremy Allen White and Bad Bunny in nothing but tighty-whities had fans flocking to take pictures with their billboards—but it’s the Calvin Klein lens that creates viral moment after viral moment. It all translates to massive media impact value for the brand, which reports that White’s campaign generated more than $12 million in media value in its first 48 hours and drove upwards of 30% growth in Calvin Klein’s underwear sales in the U.S. alone within its first week. That success was surpassed by Bad Bunny, whose underwear campaign earned $15 million in media impact value and drove a 25% increase in sales of the brand’s core styles. Coach Coach is courting Gen Z from every angle. The luxury fashion brand is proving that despite its high price tags, it’s not totally (or even remotely) out of touch. Through ethnographic research and in-person engagements, Coach has placed its finger firmly on the pulse: The brand’s collaboration with the WNBA demonstrates a savvy for what’s hot in sports. Its Coachtopia sub-brand appeals to Gen Z’s environmental concerns with a focus on circularity and upcycled materials, even putting consumers in the driver’s seat with the Coachtopia Beta Community, a network of Gen Zers who provide feedback and their own ideas for Coachtopia products. Next, the brand is also branching out into hospitality with the launch of Coach Coffee Shops, where Coach is less an aesthetic and more an experience. Already popular internationally, the brand has opened four of the coffee shops in the U.S., featuring bags with the coffee shop logo, an anthropomorphic coffee mug named Miss Jo. Gap Read about how Gap is using celeb partnerships to make its denim a go-to for Gen Z—one viral dance at a time. H&M In 2024, Charli xcx was the zeitgeist incarnate—and at her peak of popularity, she was wearing H&M. The fashion retailer understands how to make its target customer pay attention, with artists including Troye Sivan, Caroline Polachek, Arca, Offset, and Kaytranada all performing at H&M events in 2024 alone. Charli, meanwhile, was the campaign star of H&M’s AW2024 collection, which she capped off with a surprise concert in New York City’s Times Square. Her star power translated to her fans’ purchasing power, with a coat Charli wore in one of the campaign images selling out in most markets within days of launch. In 2025, H&M kept its music momentum going with its H&M&LA Festival, a celebration of the brand’s spring/summer 2025 collection featuring performances from still more of-the-moment artists like Doechii and PinkPantheress. Even after its major investments in brand-building initiatives and product offering, H&M achieved an increase in full-year profits in 2024—music to any retailer’s ears. Levi’s Beyoncé. Need we say more? Probably not, but here goes nothing. Levi’s has maintained its place as the world’s leading denim brand, seizing every opportunity to remind the world that when they think jeans, they’re probably thinking Levi’s. That meant jumping at the chance to embrace Beyoncé’s re-spelling of its brand name as “Levii’s” on Cowboy Carter, temporarily using the new spelling for its socials (and, naturally, going mega viral). It also meant developing a full campaign with Beyoncé that lasted into summer 2025 and was so successful that Levi’s dubbed its decade-high 8% holiday growth in 2024 “the Beyoncé effect.” Beyond all things Queen Bey, Levi’s also collaborated with the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, helping to costume the film and highlighting the brand’s place in the legacy of music history. New Balance From celebrity collabs to high fashion, New Balance can do it all. The sneaker brand has successfully positioned itself as a cultural catch-all, able to blend its aesthetic seamlessly with anyone and everyone: athletes like the 2025 Naismith College Player of the Year Cooper Flagg, artists like Jack Harlow, and fashion brands like Ganni, each bringing their own audiences to New Balance’s storefronts. The brand’s extensive collabs with tennis superstar Coco Gauff reached new heights when fashion house Miu Miu also entered the mix, creating a collection for Gauff to wear at several tournaments this summer. New Balance’s chameleon-like collaborations have enabled the brand to keep growing at a remarkable pace: 20% year over year for the past four years. Nike Nike knows women’s sports aren’t the future, they’re the present—and its campaigns over the past year make that crystal clear. Its “So Win” anthem premiered during Super Bowl LIX, celebrating icons of women’s sports who dominate in their field, like Sabrina Ionescu and Jordan Chiles. Its Breaking4 moonshot this summer ensured all eyes were on Faith Kipyegon during her historic attempt to become the first woman to run a sub-four-minute mile. Its A’One collection, a collaboration with A’ja Wilson, encourages young athletes to see themselves in her journey and dream just as big. And beyond products and campaigns, Nike puts its money where its mouth is, supporting access to sports through global initiatives like Play Academy with Naomi Osaka, which aims to increase girls’ participation in sports in Japan, Haiti, and Los Angeles. Savage x Fenty Savage x Fenty not only taps into pop culture, it creates it, unconcerned with what the world has to say. Take the lingerie brand’s Valentine’s Day campaign for 2025, “Love Your Way.” Featuring Love Island winners Serena Page and Kordell Beckham, TikTok stars Hayley and Jules LeBlanc, and the founder and icon herself, Rihanna, the campaign was a must-watch for every internet native. But it also broke from the mold, redefining the kinds of love we ought to celebrate on Valentine’s, highlighting self-love, friendship, and sisterhood alongside romance, and all without any caveats about gender or orientation. The campaign got the world talking, sparking more than 100 editorial features and reaching over a billion unique monthly visitors. Just a month later, Savage x Fenty did it again, announcing Grammy-nominated artist GloRilla as the first-ever exclusive ambassador for all four of Rihanna’s Fenty brands. The announcement and accompanying campaign again set the internet ablaze, this time with more than 2 billion unique monthly visitors and nearly 60 digital stories. Skims It’s impossible to deny the cultural staying power of Skims. Everywhere we’ve looked for the past year, there it was, on Team USA athletes at the Olympics, on Charli xcx at the height of Brat summer. . . Then there was the brand’s heartfelt campaign with Olivia Munn, who in fall 2024 shared her journey with breast cancer and recontextualized the purpose of Skims’s controversial Ultimate Nipple Bra, which—though designed to be a statement in reclamation of women’s bodies—proved an unexpected source of comfort and confidence for women who had undergone mastectomies. In 2025, Skims also released the first collection from NikeSkims, a new stand-alone brand combining Nike’s athletic expertise with Skims’s shapewear sensibilities. Through it all, Skims maintains its commitment to inclusive sizing and shades, a testament to its slogan of providing “solutions for every body.” True Religion Twenty-three years after its founding, True Religion is back with a vengeance (and just in time for the Y2K renaissance). The iconic denim brand of the early aughts is now more profitable than ever—it generated more than $370 million in revenue in 2024, a massive jump from $280 million the year before. The key to its comeback? The right celebrity collaborations at just the right times. That includes a multiplatform campaign starring Anitta, performances from YG and Sexyy Red at Rolling Loud, and a set from Megan Thee Stallion at Coachella 2025, where she and all her dancers wore head-to-toe True Religion. Along the way, the brand launched its “Own Your True” campaign, encouraging consumers to boldly be themselves. Urban Outfitters To corner the market on Gen Z, you have to meet them where they are. In 2024, Urban Outfitters took that advice literally, transforming four of their stores in college towns during move-in to create one-of-a-kind concert experiences for students. These pop-up events, called UO Live On Campus, featured trending artists including Tinashe, Towa Bird, Quavo, and The Marías. The campaign also included the launch of 20 pop-up shops featuring curated college essentials, helping students make the transition from high school to college. Altogether, the campaign generated more than 1.2 billion PR impressions, 2.7 million social impressions, and over a thousand in-person attendees. Urban Outfitters has kept the college-themed campaigns coming: This spring, it launched UO Haul, an experience in New York City where participants competed to find “Gen Z dorm rooms” on glass-walled trucks around the city, with the chance to unlock them and win tickets to an exclusive Katseye concert. And this past summer, the retailer launched UO Haul: Special Delivery, sending surprise care packages to incoming college freshmen across America. This story is part of Fast Company’s 2025 Brands That Matter. Explore the full list of honorees that have demonstrated a commitment to their brand’s purpose and cultural relevance to their audience. Read more about the methodology behind the selection process. View the full article

It’s all fun and games, until there are billions of dollars involved. But these Brands That Matter honorees manage to tap into our love for sports and entertainment in ways that only help boost that passion. BritBox Read about how BritBox’s first major brand campaign showcased the craftsmanship of British TV. NBA Read about how the NBA made its app a destination for fans by building a network of creators it equipped with editing tools and 25,000 hours of game footage. State Farm As crazy as it sounds, this is an insurance company steeped in culture. This past year, State Farm pushed its Super Bowl ad to March Madness, due to sensitivity around the L.A. wildfires, but it still landed a hit. Creator star Kai Cenat broke the news on Jimmy Fallon’s show, and the hilarious spot starred Jason Bateman attempting to save the day rather than America’s favorite Caped Crusader. It led to a total of 358 traditional and earned social media placements, resulting in 2.5B earned media impressions. The brand also continued its popular reality game show called The Gamerhood. These campaigns and others leveraged the pervasive pop culture power of Jake from State Farm, driving more than 1 million new policies in 2024, and raising preference among ages 26 to 39 (millennials) by 4.5 percentage points and ages 18 to 25 (Gen Z) by 6.8 percentage points compared to a 2022 baseline. Togethxr Read about how the media and merch brand’s Nike partnership and growing slate of podcasts and shows is manifesting its motto, Everyone Watches Women’s Sports Uno Read about how the card game used TikTok and pop-up Uno parlors to bring fresh interest to the 52-year-old brand. Netflix It was a massive year for Netflix hits, with highly anticipated seasons for homegrown hits like Squid Game, Wednesday, and Stranger Things. Each of these is a cultural phenomenon in its own right, boosted by Netflix’s strategic brand partnerships strategy, elevating product collabs into fan moments themselves. From Duolingo for a “Learn Korean or Else” campaign, to Cheetos teaming with Wednesday’s Thing, and Stranger Things infiltrating everything from Nike to Williams Sonoma to Eggos, Netflix managed to bring each show to life in unique ways. For the award-winning show Adolescence, Netflix worked with charities in various countries to develop educational materials to help advocate for the growing movement to make schools phone-free zones. This story is part of Fast Company’s 2025 Brands That Matter. Explore the full list of honorees that have demonstrated a commitment to their brand’s purpose and cultural relevance to their audience. Read more about the methodology behind the selection process. View the full article

Consumer products is perhaps one of the broadest, most competitive arenas for marketers, always facing the constant question: “Why should anyone care or pay attention?” These Brands That Matter honorees are answering that question. Brawny To launch its new three-ply paper towels, the brand decided to breathe new life into its lumberjack mascot, to help the Brawny Man stand out on store shelves and in culture. The brand puts its new heartthrob mascot into a partnership with Bachelor Nation‘s Rachael Kirkconnell to tap into a real-life messy moment—her high-profile breakup—and flip it into a story of strength and humor. In a video posted to TikTok and Instagram, Rachael references the chaos of her past relationship as pizza sauce spills across the counter. Enter the Brawny Man, who cleans up the mess—both literal and metaphorical. The wink to pop culture and strong visual tie to product benefit generated 4.3 million-plus organic views and a 5.5% lift in purchase intent. Engagement soared across platforms (14% on TikTok and 5.7% on Instagram, well above industry benchmarks), while earned media drove more than 269 million impressions in The Wall Street Journal and on E!, TMZ, and more. Crayola In 2024, Crayola launched its Campaign for Creativity with the goal of shifting parents’ understanding and behaviors around childhood creativity. Brand research, conducted with the Ad Council Research Institute, found that parents value creativity but don’t fully understand the profound role it plays in their children’s growth and development. Crayola started collecting children’s artwork in the 1980s, and this year it unlocked its time capsule and began reuniting adults across the U.S. with the artwork they had created when they were kids. The brand created a series of short films, titled #StayCreative, featuring the stories of three adults who participated in a Crayola art program as kids and are reunited with their childhood artwork. Now the adults reflect on how creativity impacted their lives and the importance of nurturing creativity in their own children. This year, the campaign delivered 4.7 billion impressions, with more than 85% earned, for an estimated media value of over $100 million. Hot Wheels Hot Wheels is successfully tapping into the adult audience while maintaining its core appeal to children, creating a unique ecosystem where parents and kids share play and collecting experiences together. Under Mattel chief brand officer Lisa McKnight (who departed the company this fall), the brand has expanded its cultural footprint through premium collector lines using authentic details from partners like Formula 1, Ferrari, Mercedez-Benz, and much more. Beyond toys, adults can now engage with Hot Wheels via fashion collaborations like Wrangler and Maje. The brand also helps nurture community through its global Hot Wheels Legends Tour, where car culture fans come together to celebrate their love of cars. Starting in 2018, the annual events saw record-number attendees at each stop worldwide—more than 700,000 across 16 countries—including more than 18,000 attendees at the final stop in El Segundo, California. JLab Read more about how JLab is turning to college athletes—with followings of all sizes—to gain ground on TikTok and among Gen Z. Squishmallows In the past year, Squishmallows collaborated with a range of best-in-class brands for product collaborations, including McDonald’s, Kellogg’s, Puma, Baked by Melissa, Crocs, H&M, See’s Candies, and others. Squishmallows was also tapped as a must-have partner by the world’s biggest IPs, bringing fans lovable Squishmallows plush based on some of their favorite properties, from Harry Potter and Disney to Stranger Things and The Lord of the Rings. Through Jazwares Cares, Jazwares’s philanthropic arm, Squishmallows partnered with Make-A-Wish to help fulfill 11-year-old Olive’s dream of designing a Squishmallows. She spent a day at Jazwares in 2024, designing a character inspired by her beloved dog Liberty, and earlier this year, the final product was revealed, with hundreds of the Liberty plush donated to children who are receiving treatment at local children’s hospitals. Timex For a watch brand, Timex has become nearly timeless, but it isn’t resting on its laurels. It continues to expand its “Analog Life: Make Time Yours” campaign, which aims to celebrate the power of simplicity, urging people to take control of their time to focus on what truly matters. The brand turned its organic inclusion in the HBO hit The White Lotus into social moments that helped see a direct increase in the Q Timex watch—and that was just a piece of the more than 50 billion earned media impressions it had in 2024. That was alongside a push on TikTok that helped more than double its followers on the platform and ongoing promotion of its Timex ReWound takeback/resale platform that has processed more than 16,000 watches in 18 months. Owala Late last year, a new coffee shop appeared up on Los Angeles’s Sunset Boulevard, but it was only temporary. Owala opened a pop-up called The Drip Stop to celebrate the launch of the Owala SmoothSip Slider coffee cup. The shop had more than 3,500 visitors over two days and featured giveaways, games, and a 1.5-mile-long line lasting up to five hours. This is what brand fandom looks like. Outside its pop-ups, Owala keeps its fans on the hook with limited-edition colors and retailer-exclusive designs—and is seemingly omnipresent on social media. Over the past year, the brand’s social following increased 250%, with more than 384 million Instagram impression and about 70 million video views on TikTok. This story is part of Fast Company’s 2025 Brands That Matter. Explore the full list of honorees that have demonstrated a commitment to their brand’s purpose and cultural relevance to their audience. Read more about the methodology behind the selection process. View the full article

Marketing leaders have always been vital to the long-term success of beloved brands. But never before has the CMO position been more complex—and more essential to driving business results. This year’s honorees come from a wide variety of product categories—from toys and games to media, beauty, and food—but all demonstrate remarkable skill in navigating a diverse media landscape with platforms and campaigns that deepen their brands’ cultural impact, strengthen audience relationships, and achieve meaningful business outcomes. These leaders were selected based on the ambition, sophistication, innovation, and performance of their brand initiatives throughout the year. Here are Fast Company’s 2025 Brands That Matter CMOs of the year. Kristyn Cook, State Farm One of State Farm’s best brand insights is that nobody cares about insurance until they need it. So CMO Kristyn Cook and her team help people care by creating advertising that is as entertaining as possible. Cook is strategic and ambitious. That means creating a hilarious tie-in with Apple’s hit show Severance, enlisting Jason Bateman to be his own, less-than-ideal version of Batman for March Madness, and pitting gaming creators like Kai Cenat, Ludwig, Mark Phillips, and Berleezy against each other in a combination of gaming and IRL challenges for Gamerhood. The show’s third season from last summer attracted more than 23 million views, and in September, season four landed on Prime Video after getting more than 27 million views on YouTube and Twitch. As she told us back in March, “We like to move at the pace of culture.” George Felix, Chili’s Read about how CMO George Felix has helped make the restaurant chain relevant again through a combination of viral moments and marketing that emphasizes value. Tamera Ferro, Sol de Janeiro Tamera Ferro may have departed her role as chief marketing and growth officer at skincare and fragrance brand Sol de Janeiro in September 2025. But her work during her six-year tenure—in which she helped Sol de Janeiro grow from $38 million in sales to more than $1 billion—earned her a spot as a CMO of the year. Her success at the helm of the brand was due largely to Ferro and her team’s ability to identify the best places to reach its fans. While those places include TikTok and Instagram—where the brand has 6 million collective followers—Ferro also worked to expand the platforms where fans could encounter the brand, from Roblox to Coachella. Her approach to social media turned the brand into one of the internet’s buzziest, driving a 94% increase in social conversation and generating more than $330 million in earned media value. In May, Ferro oversaw the global Sephora launch of Body Badalada, Sol de Janeiro’s vitamin-infused lotion designed to cater to Gen Z by offering scent and hydration. The product campaign included a spot starring model Juliana Nalú; an original “Badalada Anthem” from producer Honey Dijon; and a traveling Brazilian street fair–inspired celebration called the Badalada Bloco. It was a campaign that distilled Ferro’s philosophy for reaching people, as she summed it up to TikTok in June: “Stop chasing trends and just start liking people. Figure out what they want, what you can do for them, and how to talk to them.” Morgan Flatley, McDonald’s Morgan Flatley has revolutionized how the world’s most famous fast-food brand shows up in culture, starting way back in 2020 with Travis Scott’s Famous Order. Over this past year, Flatley has taken her fan-led approach around the world. The Chicken Big Mac campaign featuring Kai Cenat on Twitch was McDonald’s first completely unscripted campaign and saw fans tune in for 3.5 hours of brand content. With 30 million streams and 500 million views, it was Twitch’s most successful QSR campaign ever, generating 35 billion earned impressions. The brand’s Minecraft Movie Meal, featuring both kid and adult happy meals, dropped in March 2025, and its 36 million collectibles sold out in nearly all 100 markets within two weeks. In France, a collab with Hot Ones brought the iconic YouTube show’s spicy sauces to the country, selling more than 6 million sauces and boosting sales by more than 80%. Diana Frost, Kraft Heinz Read about the Kraft Heinz chief growth officer’s work putting the company’s flagship condiment brand at the center of cultural conversations—and courting fans internationally. Jackie Jantos, Hinge Read about how Hinge president and CMO Jackie Jantos is centering real-life success stories to court new users for the dating app. Marian Lee, Netflix Read about how CMO Marian Lee is taking Netflix’s most popular shows into the world to meet fans beyond the binge. Victoria Lozano, Crayola As someone who’s been at Crayola since 2009 in various marketing capacities, CMO Victoria Lozano knows what the core of the 122-year-old brand is and has made it her job to find organic ways to grow its presence in people’s lives. That has meant finding areas for the brand to be more than just about art supplies and about fostering creativity among children—whether digitally through the brand’s top-downloaded Crayola Create and Play app or IRL in the libraries of elementary schools during Crayola Creativity Week. In 2025, Lozano more than doubled the number of children reached by Crayola Creativity Week, reaching students in more than 120 countries. She also grew the brand’s app to more than 3 million monthly active users. Lozano has expanded the company’s activations, generating $100 million in earned media value and 11.4 billion impressions. Her work is proof that established brands can innovate on their central product to meet the times—while still excelling on product. Crayola’s Marker Airbrush, introduced in February 2025, is a 2026 Toy of the Year Awards finalist in the Creative Toy of the Year category. Marcel Marcondes, AB InBev As the global chief marketing officer for AB InBev, Marcel Marcondes oversees more than 500 beer brands around the world, and Corona is arguably the company’s most famous. This past year was the brand’s 100th anniversary, and it was celebrated in style. For the Paris Games, nonalcoholic Corona Cero became the lead brand for AB InBev’s first-ever global beer sponsor of the Olympic Games. Corona also launched the Beach 100, a guide of the top 100 beaches in the world, and a multiyear sponsorship of a renowned concert at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro. This year it was headlined by Lady Gaga and gathered more than 2 million people, becoming among the top five most-attended concerts ever. And in September, Marcondes struck an unprecedented, wide-ranging partnership deal with Netflix, getting Corona and its other brands front and center in Netflix’s push into live sports, as well as early access to placement and integration into other Netflix programming, such as shows and movies. Lisa McKnight, Mattel It’s one thing for a person’s brand work to become standard for a single brand, but Lisa McKnight’s work for Barbie—which doubled its sales between 2016 and 2021, helped along by a hit movie—has become the playbook for every brand at Mattel, where McKnight wrapped her 27-year tenure this fall. In the past year, McKnight and her team put that playbook to work on Uno and Hot Wheels, both of which are 2025 Brands That Matter honorees. With Uno, McKnight and her team positioned the decades-old card game as a social media star, partnering with content creator Legendary Jay for a series of TikToks and opening pop-up Uno Social Clubs throughout the U.S. to underscore the IRL appeal of the game. It even appeared at Pharrell Williams’s post–Met Gala party and got a special-edition makeover from pop star and Uno fan Billie Eilish, showing that even the cool kids are not immune to the joys of a well-played reverse card. Hot Wheels, meanwhile, became a brand canvas for the likes of Gucci, MSCHF, and Daniel Arsham. The brand also showed up in fans’ towns via the Hot Wheels Legends Tour, which broke records in 2024 and sold more than 60,000 of the brand’s die-cast cars. McKnight’s Hot Wheels work put the brand in a position of strength for its forthcoming film adaptation, which brought on Wicked‘s Jon M. Chu as its director over the summer. This story is part of Fast Company’s 2025 Brands That Matter. Explore the full list of honorees that have demonstrated a commitment to their brand’s purpose and cultural relevance to their audience. Read more about the methodology behind the selection process. View the full article

The 2025 Brands That Matter United States honorees aren’t just united by their shared geography—they are all identifying their target audience and meeting them exactly where they need to. Whether solving a uniquely American problem, as GoodRx does in addressing the cost of prescription drugs, or pioneering innovation that can help people globally like Owlet, these companies are showing how American brands can step up in authentic and impactful ways. GoodRx GoodRx has built its brand equity by being present where its customers need it—the pharmacy counter. Over the past year, the prescription savings platform introduced a feature that gets users to engage with it even earlier, offering an e-commerce portal for pharmacies that allows patients to validate their prescription and pay the discounted GoodRx price online before picking up their medication IRL. As it built consumer trust—and users documented their savings with social media posts—GoodRx this fall rolled out a new brand campaign. The ad push, which stars a character called the Savings Wrangler, capitalizes on growing interest in Westerns to highlight the platform’s ability to save people money. Owlet After becoming the first brand to launch an FDA-cleared, over-the-counter pulse oximeter for infants—its Dream Sock baby monitor—in 2024, Owlet took its messaging to parents. The brand garnered 42 million impressions by using a network of parent influencers sharing real-life stories of how the connected sock, which works as a baby monitor with a base station and app, gives them piece of mind. It drove an additional 202 million social impressions with its content on Instagram and TikTok, including 115 million organic video views. Texas A&M University Under CMO R. Ethan Braden, since fall 2024, Texas A&M has emphasized its commitment to serving its community—and the breadth of what it offers. With a constantly growing slate of YouTube videos, the university has become the most watched university online, racking up millions of views on videos about its commitment to veterans’ healthcare access, marine ecosystems research, and Alzheimer’s breakthroughs. It has paired content with community engagement, training first responders, educating Texans about hurricane season, and focusing on disaster preparedness. Understood.org The nonprofit focused on destigmatizing neurodiversity like ADHD, dyslexia, and learning disabilities leaned into being a resource for women with ADHD. Its MissUnderstood podcast network introduced ADHD AHA, which grew its audience via both audio and video. Over the course of the year, Understood.org and its podcasts reached nearly 11 million users through a revamped YouTube strategy. It turned that engagement into a study with Torrens University Australia that identified a positive correlation between people listening to the podcasts and having a better outlook on their ADHD diagnoses and self-esteem. https://open.spotify.com/show/6zHwhg9tavgvhlBKhHaEa3 This story is part of Fast Company’s 2025 Brands That Matter. Explore the full list of honorees that have demonstrated a commitment to their brand’s purpose and cultural relevance to their audience. Read more about the methodology behind the selection process. View the full article

A brand that isn’t thinking globally is limiting its reach. The four 2025 Brands That Matter global honorees know that and have worked hard to make their messaging reach beyond their home countries. All based outside the United States, these brands demonstrated that good messaging and authentic connection have no nationality. 1Password People don’t like to think about their digital security, so Toronto-based 1Password has become an expert at making it fun, and doing so using sports as the backdrop. The brand used its sponsorship of the Presidents Cup golf tournament in fall 2024 to debut its “What Not to Do” campaign. With more than 12 million impressions, the spot drove a 14% increase in account creation during the tournament. Elsewhere, in 2025, the brand has partnered with Oracle Red Bull Racing’s F1 team, designing a custom car wrap for driver Alisha Palmowski, which debuted at the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix in June. Babbel Berlin-based language learning company Babbel has been focused on meeting its users—who now include over 1 million Ukrainian refugees, connected with the brand via more than 70 NGOs—where they are. Babbel used Telegram to connect with 22,000-plus language learners via Welcome Alliance Germany, helping them practice their burgeoning skills. In 2025, the company also partnered with Major League Soccer team Inter Miami CF, which began using its Babbel for Business offering for its players, coaches, and front office. The team became an early adopter of the brand’s AI-powered Babbel Speak tool, which debuted in September. Dreame Suzhou, China-based smart vacuum maker Dreame’s culturally attuned product strategy helped it capture up to 43% of the robotic vacuum market in Germany and Italy, with 2024 sales reaching 3.96 million units—a 60% year-over-year increase. By designing tech like eco-conscious smart lawnmowers for Europe and robotic vacuums with mop-detachment for cleanliness-focused markets, Dreame fused cultural insight with innovation. Campaigns such as “Reclaim Time for Family” and localized Amazon Prime Day activations fueled $9.05 million gross merchandise value in North America and a 540% surge in overseas direct sales. Marina Bay Sands In the past year, Singapore’s five-star resort Marina Bay Sands has undertaken a big transformation. As it fully renovated its lodgings, it also debuted its “Above Beyond” brand transformation. Initial response in fall 2024 included a 2.61% increase in brand equity, and average stay lengths have increased from 1.5 to 4 nights. That’s been helped by initiatives that include a cinematic campaign by filmmaker Celine Song and content featuring global brand ambassador David Beckham, which helped the brand reposition itself from a stopover to a destination. This story is part of Fast Company’s 2025 Brands That Matter. Explore the full list of honorees that have demonstrated a commitment to their brand’s purpose and cultural relevance to their audience. Read more about the methodology behind the selection process. View the full article

Once a brand hits its stride, it can be tempting to coast. As these 2025 Brands That Matter enduring impact honorees demonstrate, longevity (in this case, 15-plus years in business) can inspire innovation. That’s particularly true when it comes to finding fresh ways to engage longtime consumers—and court new ones. From Clinique leaning into its longstanding reputation among dermatologists to Lundberg Family Farms getting its shoppers to care about the cutest aspect of regenerative agriculture, there’s a wide range of ways these brands kept from resting on their laurels. Blumhouse As the horror film production studio marked 15 years, this past year, Blumhouse has worked to bring its horror movies to life via immersive experiences (Halfway to Halloween, NY Comic Con, Overnightmare, Halloween Horror Nights, CCXP Mexico), and capitalized on consumer loyalty by broadening its merch offerings. 2025 has been a year for tentpole sequels, including M3gan 2.0 and Black Phone 2, both of which leaned into superfans to get viewers in theaters. Though M3gan 2.0’s box office kept it in the realm of cult fandom, Black Phone 2 earned more than $123 million worldwide after a $27 million opening weekend. Clinique To reach new customers, 57-year-old Clinique went back to its roots as a brand created with dermatologists in 1968. To reach users on social media, the brand set up a Derm Creator Council that makes content focused on trending skincare topics. Content from the council fueled a 299% increase in video views and added more than 65,000 TikTok followers. To expand its role in growing the dermatology profession, Clinique funded a three-year scholarship with the Skin of Color Society Foundation to support medical students focused on skin health equity. It did so while churning out new products and reformulations, highlighting its ability to deliver “That Clinique Glow” with global pop-ups. Dirt Is Good Unilever’s laundry detergent brand Dirt Is Good collects various global product names—Persil, Skip, OMO, and Surf Excel—under a shared ethos: that stains are the mark of a life lived. In 2024, its Argentinian campaign “Stains of Glory”—in which the brand re-created grass and dirt stains from Argentina’s World Cup championship match and encouraged consumers to scan QR codes on ads for a chance to win one of the stained jerseys—reached 63% of the country in summer 2024. This year, it took up another, more taboo, topic in England—period stains. Using survey data showing 6 in 10 girls don’t play sports out of fear of period stains, Persil partnered with Arsenal women on a print and billboard campaign with athletes talking about how period stains are as much part of playing soccer as mud or grass stains. The campaign reached 34 countries and garnered 240 million earned impressions and 4.2 million social engagements in 10 days. Paired with tips on getting bloodstains out of clothes, the campaign lifted time spent on Persil’s site by 45%. Lundberg Family Farms Regenerative farming is still pretty opaque to the average person. To help customers understand its importance, rice-maker Lundberg Family Farms has launched campaigns to get customers to engage directly with its farming site. Every winter, Lundberg floods part of its fields to replicate the fast-disappearing California wetlands, which provide food for thousands of birds. The company also adopts other measures, like sequestering carbon, to give ducks a hospitable nesting environment. Though customers might find it difficult to engage with metrics around healthy soil, they can easily appreciate the value (and cuteness) of duckling rescue. After creating ads showcasing Lundberg’s duck rescue work, the company saw a 12.3% social media engagement rate. Lundberg also launched a Gold Shovel Ticket, giving one lucky entrant the chance to experience its rescue work firsthand—more than 20,000 customers entered the sweepstakes. Yahoo! Search engine Yahoo! went retro, launching the “Yahoo Yodel Button” in collaboration with film production company A24 to celebrate the movie Y2K. The novelty button made the iconic Yahoo! sound when pressed. The company further tapped into its nostalgic appeal by launching ads featuring Tae Bo creator Billy Blanks, and a Super Bowl ad where comedian Bill Murray encouraged the audience to send messages to his Yahoo! email address. These throwback efforts brought in a younger audience—millennials and Gen Z now make up almost 50% of the site’s visitors in the U.S. This story is part of Fast Company’s 2025 Brands That Matter. Explore the full list of honorees that have demonstrated a commitment to their brand’s purpose and cultural relevance to their audience. Read more about the methodology behind the selection process. View the full article

After the initial sprint of getting a brand to last for five years, there’s always the possibility of hitting a wall. Companies that emerge during cultural moments might be tempted to shift. But the 2025 Brands That Matter honorees for established excellence, which have been in business for 5 to 14 years, have managed to stand out by finding new ways to hew to their original ethos. In doing so, they underscore what set them apart in the first place and position their brands for future growth. Actively Black Founded five years ago, activewear company Actively Black donates more than 10% of its profits to organizations focused on Black mental health, healthier food access, social justice, physical fitness, and HBCU athletics. The brand’s 2024 included designing the Nigerian Olympic team’s apparel and a collaboration with Civil Rights photographer Cecil Williams that benefited the South Carolina Civil Rights museum that bears his name. This year on Juneteenth, in a move that recast an industry historically built on enslaved Black workers, Actively Black released a collection made entirely with cotton from Black-owned farms—with the apparel proudly asserting it was “made from cotton grown by Black farmers.” It also brought its partnership with Mielle Organics to New York Fashion Week with Ruby Bridges, as well as the children of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Fred Hampton. Avaline Five-year-old wine brand Avaline—founded by actor Cameron Diaz and entrepreneur Katherine Power—has appealed to a demographic of women looking for “better for you” wines by meeting them where they are—the Hamptons. The effort started in summer 2024, when the company hosted pop-up experiences with fashion and lifestyle brands at Hamptons hot spots, and evolved this year: In June, the brand launched a wine with Stella McCartney, celebrating the limited-edition rosé with a cocktail party that had Drew Barrymore, Emma Roberts, and Andy Cohen in attendance. Those IRL moments have translated to social media—and especially Instagram, where Avaline is the most followed domestic wine brand on the platform (partially the result of 8% year over year follower growth in 2024). Babylist Digital baby registry Babylist launched an “open to secondhand” feature on its website in December 2024, letting users affected by rising inflation purchase essentials for less. To highlight the problem of the rising cost of living for parents, Babylist launched a campaign to show how the impact of tariffs and the resulting trade volatility spike the price of baby essentials. To do this, CEO Natalie Gordon worked with other CEOs to highlight the issue through ads in the Washington Post and billboards in Times Square. By speaking directly to parents’ concerns, the company gained more than 3 million followers across social channels, with 1.4 million on TikTok alone. BeatBox Beverages The resealable, recyclable Tetra Pak cartons are what make Beatbox instantly recognizable in the ready-to-drink alcoholic beverage space. What’s most striking about the brand, though, may be its stratospheric growth—in 2024, it nearly doubled its $100 million revenue from the previous year, and it’s reportedly on track to surpass $250 million in 2025. This year, it got a boost from Shaquille O’Neal in the form of an investment and a custom flavor for the basketball star/DJ—BeatBox blueberry lemonade. Shaq first encountered the brand via his DJing efforts, and music events have helped BeatBox find more customers. Its Tetra Paks have been at a growing roster of music festivals, including Outside Lands in August, where the brand debuted a Mystic Grape flavor. Danessa Myricks Beauty Founded by makeup artist Danessa Myricks, Danessa Myricks Beauty has gained a cult following by creating and marketing its products to underserved demographics, including women over 40, people of color, and nonbinary individuals. In the past year, the company has held two public model casting calls for everyday people. The initial effort in December 2024 saw more than 1,000 applicants—with 108 ultimately cast in the campaign. On social media, the company has focused on education, with free series like DMB University, a digital masterclass series. As a result, according to Creator IQ, the company generated 1.1 billion global impressions across all social platforms. This story is part of Fast Company’s 2025 Brands That Matter. Explore the full list of honorees that have demonstrated a commitment to their brand’s purpose and cultural relevance to their audience. Read more about the methodology behind the selection process. View the full article

The early stages of building a brand are critical. Beyond identifying their audience, brands also have to connect with them while demonstrating their utility. For the five companies recognized as 2025 Brands That Matter honorees in the on the rise category, in four years or less they have managed to do both those things with aplomb. Whether it’s Unrivaled’s unique NIL and athletic proposition for WNBA athletes, Scarlett Gasque’s ability to tap into underserved shoppers, or Alan-1’s efforts to give the arcade game an upgrade for avid players, these brands have proven their strengths. Alan-1 Alan-1 creates arcade and video game products inspired by the 1980s. In the past year, the company has brought back more modern versions of nostalgic games like Asteroids, Berzerk, and Missile Command through a partnership with Atari. In 2024, the company generated $2.1 million in arcade sales by placing them in Disney World and Dave and Buster’s locations. To promote its products, the company has adopted a YouTube strategy that showcases teaser trailers and gameplay breakdowns—to date, the channel has driven more than 500,000 organic views. It has also continued to meet fans where they are, engaging with them on Discord. Fine’ry Mass fragrance brand Fine’ry has made a name selling dupes for popular fragrances at a fraction of their price at retailers including Target. To tailor its appeal to customers, the company closely tracks the scents consumers want on social media and creates fragrances quickly based on that data. For example, over the summer, amid the rise of pistachio as a color and flavor, the brand released Pistachio Please, a scent with pistachio and vanilla notes. To appeal to digitally native consumers—who often purchase the fragrances without smelling them first—the brand uses generative AI to quickly create bold campaign imagery across physical and digital assets. Fine’ry also hosted two immersive pop-ups for fans to experience their scents and created digital pop-ups to meet their consumers where they spend time: on Roblox. As a result, one unit of Fine’ry fragrances was sold every 10 seconds in 2024. Scarlett Gasque Two-year-old lingerie company Scarlett Gasque creates lingerie and corsets. This year, the company expanded its model roster to include more plus-size and diverse bodies. The move led to a 45% increase in social engagement. The brand’s growing popularity on social media led to custom product requests from the likes of Kim Kardashian and Sabrina Carpenter. The brand’s Dorothy bra also made an appearance in Selena Gomez’s music video for her song “Sunset Blvd.” SirDavis American Whisky SirDavis, a whisky brand from megastar Beyoncé and Moët Hennessy, has marketed itself to women and people of color, demographics that are historically underrepresented in the luxury whisky category. Since its launch, the brand has associated itself with pop culture, retailing at venues like the Houston Rodeo to the Pegasus World Cup and California Crown, and of course, as the Official Spirit of the Cowboy Carter Tour. The brand also engaged and promoted blind tasting tests from experts, to assure customers that beyond being a celebrity brand, the product actually tastes good. Unrivaled Professional three-on-three women’s basketball league Unrivaled gives WNBA players more opportunities to compete during the offseason. Cofounded by players Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, the company has raised $35 million. Last season, women accounted for more than half of Unrivaled’s televised viewership—a significantly higher percentage than every other televised woman’s sports property. Unrivaled also debuted an NIL program, showcasing college basketball stars Paige Bueckers of the University of Connecticut and Flau’jae Johnson of Louisiana State University. To stoke interest in the league, Unrivaled created a content strategy focused on behind-the-scenes storytelling. Unrivaled league and club social media accounts flooded the zone from January through March, together posting 3,804 times and averaging a combined 50 posts per day, which led to 589.1M social media impressions. This story is part of Fast Company’s 2025 Brands That Matter. Explore the full list of honorees that have demonstrated a commitment to their brand’s purpose and cultural relevance to their audience. Read more about the methodology behind the selection process. View the full article

Aging gracefully is a tall order for any company, but the 2025 Brands That Matter heritage brands honorees have stuck around in style for decades—and in one case, even centuries. Along the way, they’ve adapted to the times and grown even stronger in the process, whether that means embracing design overhauls, creating innovative new technologies, or staying on the pulse of Gen Z trends. Here are the brands proving that age doesn’t necessarily make a brand old-fashioned in 2025. Bath & Body Works Bath & Body Works began as a mall staple in 1990, and 35 years later, it could easily have fallen by the wayside like so many of its peers. But instead, it is Gen Z’s number-one fragrance brand (per Piper Sandler’s Spring 2025 Teens survey), hopping on olfactory trends—hello, tomato-scented candles and Netflix collaborations—and rapidly responding to customer desires, like expanding its Everyday Luxuries collection of fragrances to include cleansers and moisturizers in just three months. The brand’s secret weapon isn’t just marketing, though: Its predominantly U.S.-based supply chain enables Bath & Body Works to manufacture new products quickly to be the first to big trends. Canada Goose In 2024, Canada Goose took a fashion-forward step. It named designer Haider Ackermann as its first ever creative director, and he quickly brought the nearly 70-year-old outerwear brand into the high-fashion world. Last fall, Ackermann released his first capsule collection under Canada Goose’s Snow Goose label, a sleek aesthetic combination of the brand’s past and future: extreme-weather outwear blended with bold colors and silhouettes. The collection garnered attention from the fashion world, with outlets including Vogue, GQ, and Elle covering the launch and helping drive a 240% increase in earned media impressions; from Canada Goose’s existing customer base, with two thirds of purchases coming from brand loyalists; and from curious newcomers, with U.S. brand search interest reaching a three-year high by December. Ackermann has since launched two more Snow Goose capsule collections, the latest starring singer-songwriter Willie Nelson, who paired one of his signature headbands with a tee touting Canada Goose’s tenet of environmental preservation. Clover Sonoma Brand impact isn’t dependent on the size of a company. Even small players can make a big difference, and California-based dairy company Clover Sonoma proves it. The beloved brand has been operating out of Sonoma County since 1916, and in 2024, it leveraged its power as a brand like never before to make a concrete impact on its local community. When Sonoma County voters considered Ballot Measure J in 2024—which the brand saw as potentially shutting down family farms—Clover Sonoma stepped in and urged its customers to oppose the measure via some prime advertising real estate: its milk cartons. The packaging educated its consumers on the impact Measure J would have on the local dairy industry, a move that paid off when the measure was struck down on election day. Meanwhile, Clover Sonoma is making sustainability a priority behind the scenes, from making a commitment to reduce its methane emissions by 10% over three years to switching its yogurt packaging from plastic to paper, saving 34,000 pounds of plastic annually. L’Oréal Paris L’Oréal Paris is on the cutting edge of the beauty industry, leveraging new innovations to set itself apart and give consumers a wholly new at-home salon experience. In 2024, the brand introduced Colorsonic, a novel at-home hair color device that had been in development for 10 years. The device’s more than 29 patents were put to good use: In its first six months, Colorsonic made major waves for L’Oréal Paris, earning the brand 25,000 new customers and 7 billion press impressions. The company’s tech-forward thinking continued with the launch of Beauty Genius, an AI-power assistant built on proprietary L’Oréal Paris knowledge, offering customers 24/7 support on everything from skincare to beauty tips to virtual try-ons. Lloyds Bank Even a 260-year-old company can reinvent itself, and over the past year, Lloyds Bank did exactly that. The British brand changed its philosophy from the outside in: First, it got a streamlined new design (one that pays homage to its classic black horse logo while incorporating modern pops of green) and moved to a new operating system. Second, it ensured that its operations matched the new image that Lloyds aimed to project: emotionally connected to its consumers, and wholly committed to helping them move forward through their banking. Customers started seeing Lloyds in a new light, while new members flocked to its redesigned app, which received 512,000 new downloads in Q4 of 2024 alone. Even as its peers dealt with declines, Lloyds saw a massive 450% year-over-year increase in net switching, proving the power of a well-timed rebrand. Sesame Workshop The U.S.’s biggest children’s media brand found a way to get even bigger: As of 2025, Elmo and friends have a new home on Netflix, thanks to a deal between the streamer and the nonprofit behind Sesame Street, Sesame Workshop. Now in its 56th season, Sesame Street has access to its largest-ever audience at more than 300 million worldwide—but rest assured, Elmo won’t live solely behind a paywall. New episodes will continue airing on PBS as well, maintaining the unbroken 57-year relationship the series has with the public broadcaster. Amid the changes, Sesame Street is still delivering the unparalleled entertainment and education for children that has made it an undeniably iconic part of pop culture: In the U.S., Sesame Workshop has achieved a staggering 96% brand awareness, and one in three children age five and under actively engage with Sesame Street. Topo Chico As 2025 marks Topo Chico’s 130th anniversary, the sparkling water brand is celebrating in style. Last year, the company expanded into the flavored sparkling water category with the launch of Topo Chico Sabores, then it supported the new drinks with an original variety show called Sabores TV, which featured taste tests, interviews, live performances, and more. The new products caused sales to soar by 42%, making Topo Chico among the top 15 growing beverage brands in the U.S. Earlier this year, Topo Chico launched a new campaign, “The Source of Legend,” that pulls back the curtain on more than a century of brand lore, secrets, and history, all while emphasizing the brand’s Mexican heritage and connection to fans. William Stout Architectural Books For William Stout Architectural Books, a visual overhaul didn’t mean sacrificing the San Francisco bookshop’s soul. Instead, the independent retailer’s 2025 renovation, a collaboration with design collective LoveFrom, unlocked Stout’s full potential. Its expanded retail offerings, which added items like exclusive editions and out-of-print acquisitions to the store’s existing catalog of books for architects and designers, doubled the store’s average transaction value. Its renewed focus on events, including lectures, workshops, and exhibitions with prominent figures from the design world, saw attendance triple to more than 3,500. And its redesigned digital storefront captured a new audience’s attention, with a 40% increase in engagement even before its full launch. Overall, in-store revenue rose by 18% year over year, demonstrating that even 50 years after first opening its doors, Stout’s legacy is only growing stronger. This story is part of Fast Company’s 2025 Brands That Matter. Explore the full list of honorees that have demonstrated a commitment to their brand’s purpose and cultural relevance to their audience. Read more about the methodology behind the selection process. View the full article

As Fast Company‘s Brands That Matter marks its fifth year, the goal remains to honor globally recognized brands that inspire and resonate with audiences. This year’s honorees demonstrate the same qualities that have defined the program since its inception: a deep dedication to their core mission and meaningful connections with both their customers and the wider cultural landscape. While the recognized brands span diverse industries and achievements, they’re united by these fundamental commitments. METHODOLOGY With more than 1,200 entries, choosing Brands That Matter honorees requires months of researching and vetting applications, until finally landing on the best examples of what all brands should aspire to. Here is a behind-the-scenes peek into our three most important criteria: Cultural Relevance We look at the impact a brand has had on its industry and the culture at large. This is about what each brand has done that has influenced, impacted, or informed culture, which can range from pop culture, entertainment, and tech to how a company’s brand mission connects to larger societal issues. Ingenuity We aim to give credit to projects that exist at every stage of completion. While we do limit our consideration to brand actions in the past 12 months, those projects, strategies, or ideas can range from conceptual to just-launched to fully operational, as long as they’re bold, new, and innovative. Business Impact This is where the inspiration meets impact. We want to see the numbers, data, and performance indicators that demonstrate how a brand’s unique approach has affected its business, industry, and product category. The key is to share not just what a brand is doing to sell more product or connect with the culture but also the metrics and other data that prove how it’s increasing revenue while winning hearts and minds. “Brands That Matter applications are read and judged by a wide variety of writers and editors, each with expertise in each particular category and industry,” says Fast Company senior staff editor Jeff Beer. “After a first round of judging, there’s a period of discussion and debate in creating shortlists for each category and deciding which brands will ultimately make the overall main list. The process doesn’t just produce our honorees. Getting to know all the applicants helps fuel story ideas for the coming year.” MEET THE TEAM Judges: Jeff Beer, Joe Berkowitz, María José Gutiérrez Chávez, Amy Farley, Yasmin Gagne, Zachary Petit, David Salazar, Hunter Schwarz, Elizabeth Segran, Julia Selinger, Liz Stinson, Max Ufberg, Jay Woodruff Contributors: Jeff Beer, Joanne Camas, María José Gutiérrez Chávez, Jude Cramer, Amy Farley, Yasmin Gagne, Charissa Jones, David Salazar, Hunter Schwarz, Elizabeth Segran, Julia Selinger, Max Ufberg Coordinator: Shealon Calkins Design/Photo: Alice Alves, Jeanne Graves, Heda Hokschirr, Haewon Kye, Eric Perry, Sandra Riaño, Maja Saphir, Mike Schnaidt Development: J.J. Guaragno, Cayleigh Parrish, Luis David Gutierrez Velazquez View the full article

Fast Company’s Brands That Matter is designed to honor the brands that plant their flags firmly at the intersection of business and culture in unique ways. But there are also bigger companies that manage to succeed in that task with multiple brands. The five 2025 Brands That Matter family of brands honorees didn’t just excel with a single brand—they’ve created cultural moments and sales momentum for multiple brands across their businesses. While being bespoke for each brand, the efforts are nonetheless able to drive solid results on engagement and overall business performance. Coca-Cola When you make the world’s top-selling soda, it might be easy to let the market share do all the talking, but that has never been the company’s style—and that’s especially true of its portfolio beyond the eponymous brand. One of Coca-Cola‘s biggest coups of the past year has been Sprite surpassing Pepsi as the U.S.’s number three best-selling soda, in part due to the revival of its “Obey Your Thirst” messaging and collaborations with athletes, including the addition of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. It took that momentum global with international Sprite ads focused on refreshment for its summer 2025 global “Turn Up Refreshment” campaign, which included signing on ambassadors from the world of K-pop and Chinese films. Stateside, the Coca-Cola brand partnered with South African pop star Tyla for a campaign encouraging Gen Z to live in the moment—using a cold Coke as a vehicle for them to reengage with the people around them. AB InBev As one of the world’s largest breweries, AB InBev‘s brand portfolio is extensive, and several of its brews notched marketing wins in the past year. Principal among them has been Corona. As the beer celebrated its 100th anniversary, it launched its Beach 100 guide to the world’s top beaches and grew the reach of its nonalcoholic Corona Cero (which will also be front and center at the 2026 Winter Olympics). And 2025 has also been about Michelob Ultra, which unseated fellow AB InBev brand Bud Light in September as the best-selling beer in America, highlighting renewed demand for a low-calorie and low-carb beer option. The brand showed up at the Super Bowl with a spot starring Willem Dafoe and Catherine O’Hara playing pickleball against a younger doubles pair—showing off the beer as a choice for active drinkers. It was one of four ads at the big game from Ab InBev that were among the top seven most-watched from the event. The company also focused on impact through its brands, including a focus on local production globally and water efficiency, the latter of which is paired with support of Water.org through Stella Artois. Haleon Haleon—the spin-off of GlaxoSmithKline’s consumer health brands—may not be a known name, but its sub-brands are in the medicine cabinet of most of the world, each of them with unique and strong branding. For Emergen-C‘s Immune+ Crystals launch, the company built an ASMR pop-up that helped drive half a billion media impressions and double the product’s distribution goals. Sensodyne’s Clinical White launch focused on recyclable packaging, with strong sales that buoyed the brand’s overall 2024 sales and market share. In 2025, the company focused on conversations around wellness and self-care. To highlight Theraflu’s Nasal Mist, the brand focused on family and fitness influencers to underscore the product’s ability to prevent congestion from slowing them down. Hormel Foods By borrowing a phrase uttered by many a reluctant Super Bowl viewer, Hormel Foods combined its portfolio of brands into a single campaign—”Here for the Snacks.” Unlike a lot of Super Bowl fodder that focuses on celebrities and big-ticket spectacle, “Here for the Snacks” went practical, sharing a sports-themed assortment of recipes for many a gameday nosh. Informed by insights from the company’s in-house cultural anthropologist Dr. Tanya Rodriguez, the recipes showcased brands like Hormel pepperoni, Herdez salsa, Wholly guacamole, Planters, and Hormel Chili. The result was increased cross-purchase of Hormel brands and a 4% boost in sales, particularly among younger and more diverse shoppers. J.Crew Group As parent company to brands like J.Crew, Madewell, and J.Crew Factory, J.Crew Group leaders have spent the past year reviving its eponymous retail offering and finding new inspiration from longtime collaborators at Madewell. At J.Crew, the fall 2024 relaunch of the retailer’s physical catalog helped the brand lift its perception among shoppers by 11% and boosted its Google search activity by 30%, while bringing a 20% increase in reactivated shoppers. With buzzy collabs throughout 2025—including a collection with London’s Alex Eagle and a relaunch of a classic rollneck sweater starring up-and-coming actors like Dominic Sessa and Benito Skinner—J.Crew is setting its sights on 2026. In the first year of a three-year partnership with U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the brand’s presence will be a factor in the lead-up to the Winter Olympics. At Madewell, the brand launched its own Substack, Well Said, and its Well Said Collective—a brand ambassador program with content on social media, in stores, and on digital platforms. Since fall 2024, the brand has partnered with longtime collaborator Alexa Chung, launching three collections, most recently in November. Campaigns around the collections with Chung have brought in more than 7 billion social media impressions. This story is part of Fast Company’s 2025 Brands That Matter. Explore the full list of honorees that have demonstrated a commitment to their brand’s purpose and cultural relevance to their audience. Read more about the methodology behind the selection process. View the full article

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Team building exercises play a vital role in enhancing workplace morale. Activities like the Marshmallow Challenge encourage creativity and collaboration, as well as games such as Virtual Bingo that promote friendly competition. Engaging in these exercises not merely strengthens relationships but likewise improves communication among team members. Comprehending the various activities available and their specific benefits can help you choose the right ones for your team. Discovering the most effective strategies for sustaining this positive environment is fundamental for long-term success. Key Takeaways Marshmallow Challenge: Teams build the tallest structure using limited materials, promoting collaboration and creative problem-solving. Desk Safari Photo Challenge: Capture fun poses with office supplies to spark creativity and laughter among team members. Virtual Bingo: Play bingo using work-related terms to foster teamwork and lighthearted competition in a remote setting. Emoji Story Challenge: Use emojis to update projects, enhancing communication and making updates more engaging and fun. Human Knot Exercise: A physical team-building activity that encourages trust, cooperation, and improves team dynamics. The Importance of Team Morale Team morale is a critical component of a thriving workplace, influencing various aspects of employee performance and satisfaction. For nurses, high morale directly correlates with happiness, productivity, and engagement. Engaged employees experience reduced stress levels and demonstrate better performance, vital in high-pressure healthcare environments. Implementing team building exercises for nurses encourages collaboration, improves communication, and strengthens relationships among staff. Organizations that prioritize morale often see a 37% reduction in absenteeism, showcasing the importance of a supportive team culture. Additionally, higher morale leads to increased employee retention, as many workers value well-being investments over financial compensation. Engaging Activities to Boost Morale Engaging activities play a vital role in improving morale within the workplace, especially in healthcare settings where stress can be prevalent. Incorporating fun team-building exercises not just strengthens relationships but also boosts overall job satisfaction. Here are a few effective activities: Activity Description Benefits Inspirational Quotes Share uplifting quotes among team members Reduces stress levels Virtual Bingo Play bingo with work-related terms online Encourages collaboration Board Games Night Organize a night for board games Improves teamwork Pet a Pet Initiative Encourage team members to share pet stories Creates shared experiences These activities can lead to higher engagement and retention rates, creating a positive work environment vital for long-term success. Benefits of Enhanced Team Engagement Though many organizations recognize the importance of employee satisfaction, comprehending the direct benefits of improved team engagement is crucial for driving performance and retention. Improved team engagement can lead to a 14% to 30% increase in productivity, making a significant impact on overall business performance. Engaged employees experience 91% reduced stress levels, which promotes a healthier work environment and lowers absenteeism rates. Companies with high engagement see a 36% higher retention rate, helping to reduce turnover costs and maintain valuable institutional knowledge. Furthermore, improved engagement is linked to increased job satisfaction, with many employees prioritizing morale over pay. Indoor team building activities can strengthen relationships among team members, fundamental for cultivating a collaborative and supportive workplace culture. Creative Team Building Challenges Creative team building challenges serve as effective strategies for nurturing collaboration and enhancing communication skills among colleagues. Activities like the Marshmallow Challenge require teams to build the tallest freestanding structure using limited materials, promoting problem-solving and teamwork. The Desk Safari Photo Challenge promotes creativity by having teams capture imaginative animal poses with office supplies, leading to shared laughter. Engaging in Emoji Story Challenges lets teams convey project updates using only emojis, improving non-verbal communication. Moreover, the Human Knot exercise encourages trust and cooperation as members untangle themselves without releasing each other’s hands. For nursing team building activities, these challenges can reinforce a culture of appreciation, ultimately elevating workplace morale and strengthening team dynamics through fun and interactive experiences. Strategies for Sustaining High Morale Sustaining high morale in the workplace requires consistent effort and a variety of strategies to keep employees engaged and motivated. Implementing trust building exercises for leadership teams can promote transparency and strengthen relationships. Regular team-building activities, like monthly employee rewards and fun office challenges, improve team cohesion and collaboration. Moreover, flexible work perks, such as early finish Fridays, demonstrate your commitment to employee well-being. Companies that prioritize these efforts often see a significant decrease in absenteeism and an increase in retention rates. Strategy Benefits Trust Building Exercises Strengthens leadership and transparency Monthly Employee Rewards Boosts motivation and recognition Flexible Work Perks Increases satisfaction and engagement Frequently Asked Questions What Games at Work Boost Morale? Games that boost morale at work include icebreakers like “Two Truths and a Lie,” which improve communication among colleagues. “Office Trivia” encourages friendly competition and belonging, as well as “Compliment Circles” promote positive reinforcement. Collaborative challenges, such as “Escape Room Challenges,” develop problem-solving skills and teamwork. Incorporating physical activities, like “Paper Airplane Distance Contests,” alleviates stress and encourages laughter, all contributing to a more enjoyable and cohesive workplace atmosphere that improves overall morale. What Are Some Fun Team Building Activities? To encourage teamwork and engagement, consider activities like Trivia Time, which lasts about 30 minutes and promotes knowledge sharing. Virtual Bingo, ideal for remote teams, encourages bonding in a one-hour session. A Board Games Night can improve social interactions for 1 to 3 hours, as Build a Tower focuses on communication skills in 1 to 1.5 hours. Finally, Pet a Pet sessions create personal connections for approximately 45 minutes to an hour. How to Boost Team Morale at Work? To boost team morale at work, you can implement regular team-building activities that promote communication and collaboration. Organize events like trivia games or team lunches, which help nurture connections among employees. You might likewise encourage sharing inspirational quotes or initiating friendly competitions. Incorporating these activities can help create a positive work environment, leading to increased employee engagement and satisfaction. In the end, enhancing morale can improve productivity and reduce absenteeism in your organization. What Is the 30 Second Game for Team Building? The 30 Second Game is a team-building activity where you describe a word or phrase without using specific keywords, aiming for your teammates to guess it within 30 seconds. This game hones your communication skills and encourages creative thinking. It’s versatile, suitable for any group size, and can be played in-person or remotely. Conclusion Incorporating fun team-building exercises can greatly improve workplace morale and nurture a collaborative environment. Activities like the Marshmallow Challenge and Virtual Bingo not just engage employees but likewise enhance communication and teamwork. By regularly implementing creative challenges and initiatives, you’ll sustain high morale, which directly contributes to increased productivity and employee retention. Prioritizing these exercises is crucial for creating a positive workplace culture that benefits both individuals and the organization as a whole. Image via Google Gemini This article, "Fun Team Building Exercises to Boost Workplace Morale" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Team building exercises play a vital role in enhancing workplace morale. Activities like the Marshmallow Challenge encourage creativity and collaboration, as well as games such as Virtual Bingo that promote friendly competition. Engaging in these exercises not merely strengthens relationships but likewise improves communication among team members. Comprehending the various activities available and their specific benefits can help you choose the right ones for your team. Discovering the most effective strategies for sustaining this positive environment is fundamental for long-term success. Key Takeaways Marshmallow Challenge: Teams build the tallest structure using limited materials, promoting collaboration and creative problem-solving. Desk Safari Photo Challenge: Capture fun poses with office supplies to spark creativity and laughter among team members. Virtual Bingo: Play bingo using work-related terms to foster teamwork and lighthearted competition in a remote setting. Emoji Story Challenge: Use emojis to update projects, enhancing communication and making updates more engaging and fun. Human Knot Exercise: A physical team-building activity that encourages trust, cooperation, and improves team dynamics. The Importance of Team Morale Team morale is a critical component of a thriving workplace, influencing various aspects of employee performance and satisfaction. For nurses, high morale directly correlates with happiness, productivity, and engagement. Engaged employees experience reduced stress levels and demonstrate better performance, vital in high-pressure healthcare environments. Implementing team building exercises for nurses encourages collaboration, improves communication, and strengthens relationships among staff. Organizations that prioritize morale often see a 37% reduction in absenteeism, showcasing the importance of a supportive team culture. Additionally, higher morale leads to increased employee retention, as many workers value well-being investments over financial compensation. Engaging Activities to Boost Morale Engaging activities play a vital role in improving morale within the workplace, especially in healthcare settings where stress can be prevalent. Incorporating fun team-building exercises not just strengthens relationships but also boosts overall job satisfaction. Here are a few effective activities: Activity Description Benefits Inspirational Quotes Share uplifting quotes among team members Reduces stress levels Virtual Bingo Play bingo with work-related terms online Encourages collaboration Board Games Night Organize a night for board games Improves teamwork Pet a Pet Initiative Encourage team members to share pet stories Creates shared experiences These activities can lead to higher engagement and retention rates, creating a positive work environment vital for long-term success. Benefits of Enhanced Team Engagement Though many organizations recognize the importance of employee satisfaction, comprehending the direct benefits of improved team engagement is crucial for driving performance and retention. Improved team engagement can lead to a 14% to 30% increase in productivity, making a significant impact on overall business performance. Engaged employees experience 91% reduced stress levels, which promotes a healthier work environment and lowers absenteeism rates. Companies with high engagement see a 36% higher retention rate, helping to reduce turnover costs and maintain valuable institutional knowledge. Furthermore, improved engagement is linked to increased job satisfaction, with many employees prioritizing morale over pay. Indoor team building activities can strengthen relationships among team members, fundamental for cultivating a collaborative and supportive workplace culture. Creative Team Building Challenges Creative team building challenges serve as effective strategies for nurturing collaboration and enhancing communication skills among colleagues. Activities like the Marshmallow Challenge require teams to build the tallest freestanding structure using limited materials, promoting problem-solving and teamwork. The Desk Safari Photo Challenge promotes creativity by having teams capture imaginative animal poses with office supplies, leading to shared laughter. Engaging in Emoji Story Challenges lets teams convey project updates using only emojis, improving non-verbal communication. Moreover, the Human Knot exercise encourages trust and cooperation as members untangle themselves without releasing each other’s hands. For nursing team building activities, these challenges can reinforce a culture of appreciation, ultimately elevating workplace morale and strengthening team dynamics through fun and interactive experiences. Strategies for Sustaining High Morale Sustaining high morale in the workplace requires consistent effort and a variety of strategies to keep employees engaged and motivated. Implementing trust building exercises for leadership teams can promote transparency and strengthen relationships. Regular team-building activities, like monthly employee rewards and fun office challenges, improve team cohesion and collaboration. Moreover, flexible work perks, such as early finish Fridays, demonstrate your commitment to employee well-being. Companies that prioritize these efforts often see a significant decrease in absenteeism and an increase in retention rates. Strategy Benefits Trust Building Exercises Strengthens leadership and transparency Monthly Employee Rewards Boosts motivation and recognition Flexible Work Perks Increases satisfaction and engagement Frequently Asked Questions What Games at Work Boost Morale? Games that boost morale at work include icebreakers like “Two Truths and a Lie,” which improve communication among colleagues. “Office Trivia” encourages friendly competition and belonging, as well as “Compliment Circles” promote positive reinforcement. Collaborative challenges, such as “Escape Room Challenges,” develop problem-solving skills and teamwork. Incorporating physical activities, like “Paper Airplane Distance Contests,” alleviates stress and encourages laughter, all contributing to a more enjoyable and cohesive workplace atmosphere that improves overall morale. What Are Some Fun Team Building Activities? To encourage teamwork and engagement, consider activities like Trivia Time, which lasts about 30 minutes and promotes knowledge sharing. Virtual Bingo, ideal for remote teams, encourages bonding in a one-hour session. A Board Games Night can improve social interactions for 1 to 3 hours, as Build a Tower focuses on communication skills in 1 to 1.5 hours. Finally, Pet a Pet sessions create personal connections for approximately 45 minutes to an hour. How to Boost Team Morale at Work? To boost team morale at work, you can implement regular team-building activities that promote communication and collaboration. Organize events like trivia games or team lunches, which help nurture connections among employees. You might likewise encourage sharing inspirational quotes or initiating friendly competitions. Incorporating these activities can help create a positive work environment, leading to increased employee engagement and satisfaction. In the end, enhancing morale can improve productivity and reduce absenteeism in your organization. What Is the 30 Second Game for Team Building? The 30 Second Game is a team-building activity where you describe a word or phrase without using specific keywords, aiming for your teammates to guess it within 30 seconds. This game hones your communication skills and encourages creative thinking. It’s versatile, suitable for any group size, and can be played in-person or remotely. Conclusion Incorporating fun team-building exercises can greatly improve workplace morale and nurture a collaborative environment. Activities like the Marshmallow Challenge and Virtual Bingo not just engage employees but likewise enhance communication and teamwork. By regularly implementing creative challenges and initiatives, you’ll sustain high morale, which directly contributes to increased productivity and employee retention. Prioritizing these exercises is crucial for creating a positive workplace culture that benefits both individuals and the organization as a whole. Image via Google Gemini This article, "Fun Team Building Exercises to Boost Workplace Morale" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

What developments around rent reporting and new credit standards portend for mortgage companies. Part 2 of a series on government-sponsored enterprise changes. View the full article

In case you haven’t been deluged with enough day-themed holiday shopping sales yet, the travel industry will try to tempt you with some seemingly tantalizing travel offers on December 2, aka Travel Tuesday, traditionally the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving. But whether the travel deals are actually steals may require you to do some research in advance and read the fine print so you don’t face some unexpected fees once you’re on vacation. If you regularly book through a specific travel provider and have a sense of what you normally pay, that will help you to better suss out whether you’re actually saving money. Knowing what a specific trip or ticket would normally cost is important because travel providers may have artificially inflated the price just to offer a discount this week, Sally French, a travel expert at NerdWallet, cautioned to the Associated Press. There’s a sense of urgency with deals like these, she said, but it’s also important to make sure a trip that you’re booking actually works for you and is something you genuinely want. That said, there may be some discounts that are worth taking advantage of. Here are some highlights. BLANKET DISCOUNTS WITH SPECIFIC COMPANIES For seasoned travelers, some of the most attractive offers this week will likely come from companies you already book with regularly. Even then, however, there are some asterisks to each of these deals. Perhaps they can be used only on select dates or for specific locations, for example, which may put a damper on your wanderlust. Amtrak may not seem like the most exciting place to begin, but if you regularly travel by train—or have a trip in mind—you may be able score up to 25% off regularly priced fares if you book a ticket by December 3 for travel anytime from January 5 to March 15, 2026. That said, there are four blackout dates that coincide with holidays in January and February, while some routes aren’t eligible for the discount. If you do have your eye on something a bit more exciting, then “insiders” (aka people who have supplied their information) could score up to 20% off a stay at one of the boutique hotels in the Proper Hotels collection, along with a $175 dining credit. And Marriott is offering discounts ranging from 15% to 25% off stays at participating locations for reservations made through December 2, depending on whether or not you’re a Bonvoy member and book through its app. Many major airlines are also advertising discounted fares for flights booked on Travel Tuesday; however, deals are primarily focused on specific routes. DEALS ON BOOKING SITES Aggregators in the travel world are also getting in on the action with some specials. Discounts range widely in terms of what’s being discounted and the amount, but it’s worth checking the various sites if you have a trip in mind. You may be able to score up to 40% off by booking accommodations through Booking.com, while Hotels.com is promising up to 50% off on reservations for eligible hotels and resorts. Not to be outdone, Priceline is offering up to 60% off select travel packages, and some people may even be able to score up to 75% off at a “curated” list of 24 hotels by booking through Expedia. Some property owners are running their own promotions for bookings on Airbnb and VRBO, though you’ll have to have some dates and locations in mind to find those deals. More broadly, Airbnb is offering up to 50% off a single experience or service in Los Angeles, New York, or Paris if you book through Thursday, December 4. DISCOUNTS FOR CRUISES, RESORTS The most tantalizing, but trickiest, deals to navigate are often at resorts or for cruises. That’s because the discounts offered this week may not tell the full story of how much you’ll pay once you arrive, as fees and on-site activities can be quite expensive. This is the area of Travel Tuesday where you may want to proceed with caution lest you sign up for a trip that turns out to be far more expensive than you realized. It’s also fair to wonder why specific locations are so heavily discounted when others are not. You can score up to 65% off reservations and potentially get some other money-saving perks at select Sandals Resorts locations for travel booked through December 2. And Club Med has extended a sale through December 2, offering up to 50% off at some of its all-inclusive resorts. The major cruise operators are seemingly always running some sort of sale, but the discounts may be bigger this week. Princess is offering up to $800 off fares, while Royal Caribbean is advertising up to $1,000 off its fares. And you can save up to 75% off the booking for a second guest with Celebrity Cruises. But if all these deals feel dizzying, travel experts say don’t book just for the sake of booking. The decline in international visitors to the U.S. has seen many travel companies discount rates to ensure they are booked, and that trend will likely continue. As French told the AP, rest assured: “If you don’t buy on Travel Tuesday, you haven’t missed your moment.” View the full article

For the past decade, quantum computing has struggled to balance promise and practicality. While the world’s most advanced systems remain engineering marvels, they’re bedeviled by the same flaw: the fragility of qubits—the fundamental units of quantum data—and the delicate hardware required to control them. A single fluctuation, for example, can collapse a quantum state, invalidating a computation. Most quantum systems also depend on large-scale refrigeration colder than deep space, with cryogenic racks that often occupy multiple rooms. Scaling quantum systems demands exponential increases in cost, energy, and environmental stability. So while the U.N. has designated 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, for all its scientific significance, quantum’s commercial trajectory remains narrow. But Japanese conglomerate Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. (NTT) is attempting to rewrite that equation. In partnership with Japan-based quantum technology developer OptQC, NTT is attempting to break current orthodoxy through what is known as optical quantum computing, which uses photons instead of electrical currents to perform calculations. Since photons generate less heat compared to electron-based systems and can travel without resistance, these systems consume far less power. NTT argues that optical systems can be faster and more energy-efficient, forming the basis for greener, more sustainable computing. “This combination not only accelerates computational capability but also reduces environmental impact, positioning quantum technology as a foundation for a sustainable digital future,” says Shingo Kinoshita, SVP and head of R&D planning at NTT. Rather than relying on cooling systems, NTT’s design utilizes light sources and error-correction technologies developed under its Innovative Optical and Wireless Network (IOWN) initiative. Japan’s broader industrial strategy sits just beneath the surface of this partnership. With the U.S. and China locked in geopolitical competition over quantum supremacy, Japan’s photonic-first model is being positioned as an alternative: one that favors energy efficiency and manufacturability over extreme-environment engineering. “Today, the energy footprint of AI is emerging as a global challenge. Optical quantum computing processes information with light, enabling dramatically lower power consumption and scalable qubit growth through optical multiplexing,” Kinoshita says. A million-qubit road map The approach builds on a series of rapid scientific breakthroughs across Japan’s quantum ecosystem. Over the past year, NTT—alongside RIKEN, Fixstars Amplify, the University of Tokyo, and the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology—demonstrated the world’s first general-purpose optical quantum computing platform capable of running calculations without any external cooling. The upcoming platform fits inside a single room, a feat that many leading quantum systems developers can’t claim. NTT and OptQC outlined a five-year plan leading to the 2030 milestone. During the first year, the companies will conduct technical studies and begin codesigning while identifying early use cases with external partners. In the second year, they plan to build complete development environments for hardware and software. In year three, they expect to begin verifying enterprise use cases such as drug development, financial optimization, materials science, and climate modeling. The final phase will focus on scaling the system to reach millions of qubits and making it reliable enough to handle real-world use cases, thereby preparing the technology for adoption among companies, governments, and industries. Qubits must scale into the thousands for quantum computing to surpass the current capabilities of AI. Unlike classical bits used in general-purpose computing systems, which exist as 0 or 1, qubits can exist in multiple states simultaneously, enabling exponentially faster processing of complex calculations. “The 2030 vision of 1 million qubits is not just about performance, it’s about redefining how we align advanced computing with planetary limits,” Kinoshita says. “In the near term, as we aim for 10,000 qubits by 2027, the first impact will be within NTT’s own communications infrastructure.” Japan’s photonic bet to power AI As AI models grow in size and complexity, the demand for simulation, optimization, and high-dimensional problem-solving has also increased exponentially. NTT asserts that photonic quantum systems will become essential accelerators for next-generation AI and telecom networks such as 6G. In classical systems, electrical signals travel through semiconductor processors. Photonic systems replace those electrons with light, transmitting information through properties such as photon number, polarization, and amplitude. However, practical commercial quantum computing requires a scale of 1 million logical qubits, along with reliable quantum error correction, a mechanism that detects and corrects the subtle errors qubits constantly make. Today’s machines—even the most advanced systems by IBM, Google, and others—sit orders of magnitude below that mark and remain extremely sensitive to environmental disturbances. NTT claims that photonics changes the math. “Scaling to 1 million qubits by 2030 and then moving into mass deployment will demand a robust supply chain. Achieving high-performance quantum light sources and improving yield in precision fabrication will be critical steps,” Kinoshita explains. In essence, this means NTT must be able to reliably manufacture the key components, such as high-quality light sources, and improve production yields so the hardware can be built at scale. “By 2030, with 1 million qubits, the scope expands beyond telecom,” he adds. “NTT plans to explore these opportunities through partnerships with leaders in chemistry, finance, and industrial sectors.” The global stakes of a photonic strategy This is not the first attempt at room-temperature quantum hardware, as companies like Sydney-based Quantum Brilliance are also pursuing cryogenics-free architectures. Quantum Brilliance is targeting edge and data-center deployments with compact photonic-inspired diamond devices, while Atom Computing, headquartered in Berkeley, Calfornia, is building large-scale, room-temperature systems that use neutral atoms. “We truly believe that optically controllable neutral atom qubits allow a level of flexibility and practicality to the challenge of controlling millions of qubits with high-fidelity, low-crosstalk signals at room temperature,” says Ben Bloom, founder and CEO of Atom Computing. But NTT argues that photons, not electrons or atoms, offer an architecture capable of reaching true commercial scale. Its thesis is simple: Light is inherently more stable, generates less heat, and is ultimately more manufacturable than any matter-based system. “This shift transforms quantum computing from a niche technology into a broadly available resource,” Kinoshita says. Still, experts caution that the light-based computation path comes with its own unresolved challenges. “Photonics faces significant challenges that often get glossed over in the room-temperature narrative,” says Yuval Boger, chief commercial officer at Boston-based QuEra Computing. “You need near-perfect sources and detectors at scale, plus efficient photon-photon interactions, which don’t occur naturally and require complex optical elements. The engineering complexity of building a fault-tolerant photonic quantum computer with thousands of high-fidelity qubits is immense.” If NTT stays on track, the world’s first million-qubit system may come from a room-temperature optical platform in Tokyo, engineered for real-world use cases including molecular simulation for drug discovery and materials science, financial risk modeling, and manufacturing optimization. “Beyond technology, global coordination for specialized materials and resilience against geopolitical risks remains essential,” Kinoshita says. “When these systems can run in standard IT environments with ultra-low power consumption and rack-scale integration, enterprises will see cost-effective performance, governments will recognize strategic advantage, and the public will experience tangible benefits like greener networks and faster innovation. That moment will mark quantum’s shift from experimental to essential.” View the full article

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On November 14, hotel and short-term apartment rental chain Sonder Holdings filed for bankruptcy, just days after suddenly announcing it would be “winding down operations immediately,” abruptly kicking guests to the curb and sending employees scrambling for answers. The company had faced major, unforeseen costs from a deal signed in August 2024 to integrate reservation systems with Marriott International and promote Sonder listings through the hotel giant, according to a statement issued four days earlier. Sonder had long been an outlier in the short-term rental space, which was a big part of its appeal to investors. Most of its competitors—short-term rental companies like Kasa and AvantStay, the big hotel chains, and individual hotels and bed-and-breakfasts—either own and operate their own properties or manage them on behalf of owners for a cut of revenue and profits. Sonder, by contrast, took out long-term leases on apartment units so it could rent them out for short-term stays, a business model similar to that of WeWork, the once high-flying chain of coworking spaces. But that model wound up saddling Sonder with fixed costs from long-term leases, especially rent payments. That held true even when competition or low demand limited how much it could make from guests, or other unexpected costs from factors like post-pandemic inflation or the Marriott integration added up, analysts and others in the industry tell Fast Company. “We call it rental arbitrage, where you take out a long-term lease on an apartment building, and then you try to make more than that in short-term leases,” says Jamie Lane, chief economist at short-term rental analytics firm AirDNA. Lane also raises the comparison to WeWork, which famously filed for bankruptcy protection in 2023, entering a court-approved restructuring plan the following year. (Sonder didn’t reply to an inquiry from Fast Company.) Experts say Sonder’s failure isn’t an indictment of the short-term rental model or the larger hospitality sector writ large, but rather the result of mixing high fixed costs with variable income in a competitive marketplace. Still, other companies applying that approach to hospitality largely failed in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic—and Sonder’s abrupt shutdown suggests investors are unlikely to back such a model again anytime soon. “The broader story here is that the lease-arbitrage model has proven economically destructive across real estate cycles,” says Roman Pedan, founder and CEO of hotel and apartment-rental operator Kasa, which runs more than 70 properties across the country. “It’s sort of a weapon—a toxic weapon of financial destruction.” The rental-arbitrage model In the heyday of coworking-space businesses like WeWork and before the pandemic disrupted the travel industry, the rental-arbitrage approach made sense to investors. Sonder essentially applied the WeWork model to travel lodging, replacing the traditional front desk with a tech-forward approach to check-in and guest services (made popular through Airbnb and Vrbo). Other companies with a similar model, including Stay Alfred, Domio, and Lyric, shuttered in 2020 amid pandemic travel disruptions. Many hospitality chains make money through management agreements in which they share revenue with building owners or other hotel and short-term rental operators that both own and operate their own real estate. Sonder, by contrast, leased the majority of its listings from building owners at a fixed rate, according to the company’s annual report. For a time, that model made Sonder into an investor darling. Just over six years ago, the company achieved unicorn status, raising a $225 million Series D round at a $1.1 billion valuation. In 2022, the company went public through a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) merger that valued the company at $2.2 billion. Sonder closed out 2024 with more than 9,900 hotel rooms and furnished apartments available for rent across 41 cities in nine countries, according to its annual report to investors. And the contract with Marriott brought in an additional $15 million in startup “key money” payments to Sonder since its signing last year. “Sonder had gotten lucky,” Lane says. “They had raised money just before the onset of the pandemic, so they had a good war chest to sort of get them through it.” And the company later got subsequent boosts from the SPAC deal (which included an additional $310 million in investments) and the Marriott arrangement. Though the industry has long faced criticism for converting long-term rentals into vacation lodging, constraining the housing supply and at times introducing disruptive travelers into quiet neighborhoods and apartment buildings, occupancy is up overall from before the pandemic, Lane adds, though numbers haven’t yet recovered in some major cities where Sonder offered rentals. In short, others in the industry say, the problem is with the lease-arbitrage model, not the concept of renting whole homes or apartments to tech-savvy travelers. “Significant capital commitment” Sonder’s business model may have also seemed like a boon to property developers, especially when the company would lease out entire buildings to effectively convert into apartment-style hotels, says Emir Dukic, founder and CEO of Rabbu, a real estate marketplace for short-term rental owners. The practice, though often criticized by housing advocates for taking entire buildings off the traditional rental market, saved landlords the trouble of finding individual long-term tenants. “Something that usually, as a landlord, would take you a year to lease up in a building, Sonder came in and did it overnight, and made a significant capital commitment to get those leases,” Dukic says. “So it was a win-win situation at the time for both parties, and they were able to scale it quickly.” Those apartment-style units, often larger than traditional hotel rooms, were likely appealing to Marriott for effectively expanding the chain’s portfolio, Dukic explains. But they were also commonly clustered in competitive urban markets with other hotel and apartment rental options nearby. Even with self-check-in and other tech features, hospitality remains a labor-intensive business, he adds. Rooms still need to be cleaned, and someone still needs to be on call around the clock to help guests with lockouts, clogged toilets, or flaky Wi-Fi. Most of Sonder’s inventory was subject to “fixed leases, whereby we agree to a fixed periodic fee per unit that may be subject to negotiated rent escalations,” according to the company’s annual report. In other words, unless landlords were willing to renegotiate, those payments would remain due regardless of what room rates the company could demand, rising costs due to inflation, or the apparent failure of the Marriott agreement to significantly boost occupancy. What about the landlords? Lane and others emphasize that the short-term rental industry, which includes a mix of chain businesses and smaller operations renting houses and apartments to travelers, is still generally faring well. But what Sonder’s bankruptcy will mean for building owners, essentially its landlords, remains unclear. The company had already exited some 3,300 units across 85 buildings as of June 30, 2025, according to the company report, and Pedan says Kasa has taken over management of more than a dozen former Sonder properties. Kasa, which announced a $40 million investment round in August, citing more than $100 million in annual booking revenue, typically operates with a more standard hotel management contract. Kasa is responsible for day-to-day operations, including marketing, housekeeping, and pricing, while building owners are responsible for capital improvements, which can include things like HVAC and roofing upgrades. The company’s agreements ensure both parties benefit when properties do well, keeping interests aligned, Pedan says. “When I say ‘aligned,’ I mean we want to win when the owner wins and make less when the owner is making less,” he says. “So we make money as a percentage of their profit and their revenue.” Another short-term rental management company, AvantStay, also issued a statement on November 10 urging landlords affected by the Sonder shutdown to consider adding their buildings to AvantStay’s portfolio of more than 2,500 properties. The company has already connected with a big fraction of affected property owners, says founder and CEO Sean Breuner, who like others remains optimistic about the industry as a whole. “I think the industry is very healthy,” Breuner says. “It’s alive and well, and demand in aggregate is the highest it’s ever been since we started 10 years ago.” Sonder’s shutdown came shortly after Marriott announced the termination of the companies’ deal “due to Sonder’s default.” (Marriott didn’t respond to an inquiry from Fast Company.) But in a filing in the bankruptcy case, the company said it ended the agreement and reached out to guests after concerns that Sonder would abruptly lock paying customers out of their rooms. “Guests who were occupying Sonder-managed properties might be prevented from retrieving their personal belongings, including medication, passports, personal effects, or other essentials,” according to Marriott. Just before the bankruptcy filing, Janice Sears, interim CEO of Sonder, declared in a statement that the company had reached “a point where a liquidation is the only viable path forward,” with guests and employees alike abruptly given notice that operations would shut down. At least two lawsuits have been filed by Sonder employees alleging the company violated federal and state laws requiring warning periods before mass layoffs. Brian Nettle, an attorney who represents a Sonder employee seeking class-action status in one of the cases, says, “It’s just an unfortunate situation for plaintiffs in the class to have just lost a job suddenly.” View the full article

$500bn start-up to refocus efforts to improve ChatGPT as Google and Anthropic narrow its early lead View the full article

Inside a lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology late last year, scientists gave an AI system a new task: designing entirely new molecules for potential antibiotics from scratch. Within a day or two—following a few months of training—the algorithms had generated more than 29 million new molecules, unlike any that existed before. Traditional drug discovery is a slow, painstaking process. But AI is beginning to transform it. At MIT, the research is aimed at the growing challenge of antibiotic-resistant infections, which kill more than a million people globally each year. Existing antibiotics haven’t kept up with the threat. “The number of resistant bacterial pathogens has been growing, decade upon decade,” says James Collins, a professor of medical engineering at MIT. “And the number of new antibiotics being developed has been dropping, decade upon decade.” The research, recently published in the journal Cell, is part of his lab’s Antibiotics-AI Project and offers one example of AI’s potential in medicine. The team tried making a small number of the compounds, and then used one to clear a drug-resistant infection in a mouse. In another part of the study, the researchers used a different approach to generate additional molecules, leading to another successful test in mice—and the possibility that novel, fully AI-designed drugs may eventually be available for the most dangerous infections. The current challenge The standard approach to creating new antibiotics involves screening an existing library of compounds, one by one, or sifting through samples of soil to find promising new candidates. Since the 1980s, the Food and Drug Administration has approved a few dozen new antibiotics, but most of them are minor variations on drugs that already exist. “What’s happened in the last couple decades is, it’s largely been a discovery gap where folks are discovering antibiotics, but they’re more or less very similar—and they are analogs to existing antibiotics,” Collins says. The challenge is compounded by poor economics for drug companies. “It costs effectively just as much to develop an antibiotic as it does a cancer drug or blood pressure drug, for example,” he says. “With an antibiotic, you might only take it once or only over a few days, whereas with a cancer drug or a blood pressure drug, you could take it for many months, years, or even for the rest of your life. With each use, an antibiotic also only makes a fraction of the profit.” All of this means that if you’re infected with bacteria that’s hard to treat—like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which also resists many other drugs—there are fewer options available. In the U.S., MRSA kills an estimated 9,000 people each year. Evolving uses for AI The Collins Lab has been studying antibiotics for around 20 years. Initially, the team used machine learning to better understand how antibiotics work and to look for ways to make existing antibiotics more effective. Around six years ago, they started using artificial intelligence as a platform for antibiotic discovery. They used AI to screen existing libraries of compounds to look for new antibiotics, leading to the discovery of new molecules that worked against infections in new ways. A spin-off nonprofit, Phare Bio, is now working to move promising candidates toward the market. The biotech company hopes to launch a trial of halicin, a drug initially developed for diabetes treatment in 2009 that was discovered to have powerful antibiotic properties by Collins’s research team a decade later. The latest research goes a step further—not just screening through existing compounds, but creating new ones. The scientists used two different approaches. First, they used a library of millions of chemical fragments known to have antimicrobial activity, and used the algorithms to turn those fragments into complete molecules. In the second approach, they used the AI to freely design new molecules, without starting from existing fragments. As the computer churned through new designs, the researchers were free to work on other tasks until the AI was done. After the molecules were generated, “we applied a series of down-selection filters to prioritize which ones to synthesize and test,” says Aarti Krishnan, a senior postdoctoral fellow in the lab. “Those steps took a few days and involved human feedback, where medicinal chemists manually inspected over 5,000 candidate molecules and selected them for synthesizability.” Actually making the molecules was challenging—some of the AI’s ideas were so wild that they would either be impossible or impractical to manufacture. (This will improve as the AI evolves.) But the team was able to make a small number. From the part of the study that worked from fragments of existing molecules, the scientists were able to make two candidates, one of which was very effective at killing drug-resistant gonorrhea bacteria. From the part of the study that let AI freely design new molecules, they synthesized and tested 22 samples, ultimately advancing one candidate in a successful test that treated drug-resistant MRSA in mice. Now, the lab’s nonprofit partner is continuing to work on both molecules so they can undergo more testing. A new use for generative AI While the use of AI in drug development isn’t new, this particular application of generative AI is. “To our knowledge, this is the first generative-AI approach that’s designed completely novel antibiotic candidates whose structures do not exist in any commercial vendor space,” Krishnan says. Drug development is still a slow process, and moving through human trials will continue to take time. But AI can clearly help in the early discovery phase, reducing cost and increasing the chances of success. “AI allowed us to explore much larger chemical spaces than are currently available from screening libraries. And in doing so, it opened up these new molecules for our consideration,” Collins says. The approach could also be useful for other types of medicine. “All of the AI methods that we use could be readily extended to other indications,” he says. View the full article