The Daily Valet. - 8/17/22, Wednesday
✔️ A Serious Milestone
Wednesday, August 17th Edition
My apologies for yesterday’s unfortunate typo. And thanks to those who alerted me. As they say, “shift” happens.
Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf
Today’s edition is presented by
Today’s Big Story
Diet Coke Turns 40
Four decades in, you’ve got to marvel at its perennial popularity ... it’s more than a soda. It’s a lifestyle.
There are two kinds of people: Those who love Diet Coke and those who don’t. It feels like a real “if you know, you know” situation. People don’t just like this no-calorie soda. They need it. If you’ve ever physically recoiled at wait staff when they’ve countered your request for a Diet Coke with “Is Diet Pepsi, okay?”, then you’re in the cult with the rest of us.
And right now, the brand is celebrating 40 years of consistent success. With the milestone anniversary, Coca-Cola believes its future growth will come from creating “meaningful” relationships with loyal customers. As part of this drive, Diet Coke has teamed up with the legendary Kate Moss, its newly-appointed creative director, to release a capsule collection of cans inspired by the supermodel’s looks.
Such an iconic pairing makes sense: There’s always been a touch of glamour to those silver cans. But the idea of of diet soda wasn’t exactly something guaranteed to succeed. Coca-Cola didn’t want the brand name to be “tainted” with a potentially less popular, less tasty drink. So they first debuted Tab, in 1963. It took nearly 20 years for Diet Coke to hit shelves.
BuzzFeed notes that the introduction of this product marked one major difference in the diet soda space: Suddenly the drink was no longer exclusively for women on diets. This soda was for everyone, and the marketing skewed heavily toward getting men on the diet soda train.
Diet Coke ushered in the company’s push into celebrity endorsements. Hoping to appeal to men, they tapped the likes of Judd Hirsch, Phil Esposito and Evander Holyfield to rep the brand. It was the start of a long and storied history of connecting the soda with popular culture—from popping up regularly in movies and TV shows to rap songs.
Sure, people are drinking less soda than ever, but those who love Diet Coke aren’t giving it up any time soon it seems. Is it because it’s truly addictive? Well, yes and no. The American Psychiatric Association, which categorizes all “addictions”, doesn't list Diet Coke or artificial sweeteners and even caffeine under the section “requiring further research.” But interestingly, when lab rats were forced to choose between saccharin (Diet Coke’s sweetener) and cocaine, 94% of them chose the noncaloric sweetener—even if they had showed signs of dependence on the cocaine. Hey, I don’t blame them. The stuff is oddly delicious.
↦ Mystery Solved: Every Diet Coke-head agrees that a McDonald’s fountain is the best. Why? Turns out, there are three factors that make the burger chain’s Diet Coke so perfect.
NBA Does What the Government Should
To encourage fans to vote, the NBA won’t hold games on Election Day
While the full 2022-23 NBA schedule won't be announced until later today, we already know one day that will have no games: November 8—Election Day for the 2022 midterms—in an effort to focus on encouraging fans to vote.
“The scheduling decision came out of the NBA family's focus on promoting nonpartisan civic engagement and encouraging fans to make a plan to vote during midterm elections,” the league said in a statement.
As well, the league will spend the months before Election Day distributing information on each state's voting process and registration deadlines. On Nov. 7, the league will use games played to “amplify the work of each team to promote civic engagement in their respective markets and share important voting resources from our partners” in order to help fans make a plan to vote.
The announcement was first reported by NBC News, who noted that this marks a significant departure from previous election years. In 2018, eight teams played on Election Day, while 12 teams in 2016 and 16 teams competed on the night of the 2014 midterms.
↦ FYI: The nonpartisan think tank the Brookings Institution has suggested Election Day become a national holiday.
Partner
The best part of the no-holds-barred era of menswear we're in right now? Experimenting with jewelry that's fun and funky.
More Water Cuts As River Nears Historic ‘Tipping Point’
The federal government is stepping in after states failed to reach agreement
After several Western states failed to reach agreements to reduce water use from the beleaguered Colorado River, the federal government stepped in on Tuesday, issuing cuts that will currently affect Arizona and Nevada as well as Mexico.
Water supplies have always been an issue in the West. Deciding who taps the finite water supply in the region and how much of that water they can use has historically, as you can imagine, been a source of serious discussion and debate among all who live and work there.
According to CNN, it was just a year ago that the Department of the Interior declared the first shortage on the Colorado River—a Tier 1. But the past 12 months did not bring enough rain and snow. Lake Mead—the immense reservoir behind Hoover Dam at the Arizona-Nevada border—is registering a water level around 1,040 feet this summer, just 27% of its full capacity. New projections show Lake Mead's water level will be below 1,050 feet above sea level come January—the threshold required to declare a Tier 2 shortage starting in 2023.
Tuesday's announcement of cuts was triggered by the fact that Lake Mead is now about 175 feet lower than it was in 2000—when the current Southwestern drought began. And engineers point out that if water levels continue falling, the Glen Canyon Dam at Lake Powell near the Arizona-Utah border will eventually no longer be able to generate hydropower at all.
↦ Meanwhile: More skeletal remains—the fifth so far this year—were found this week in Lake Mead as water levels deteriorate, the National Parks Service said.
Will Shrinking Plane Seats Soon End?
The FAA is seeking comments on passengers’ experiences with tiny seats
I'm a window man when I fly. I like the view and I don't like to be bothered (but I'm okay bothering others when needed). But mainly, I've found that it affords me a little extra room without having to stretch into the aisle.
Over the last 15 years or so, airlines have found a new way to drive up revenue: squeezing more seats into each plane. The result has been frustration and pushback from passengers who now endure narrower airline seats with less legroom (or pay extra for a modicum of civility in “Economy Plus”).
But relief may be in sight. According to the Los Angeles Times, after years of delays, federal regulators have begun taking public comments on a proposal to impose minimum standards on airline seat width and legroom to put a halt to the many years of seat shrinkage.
As of yesterday, the FAA has already received well over 9,000 comments on the debacle—mostly from fliers with gripes about the size of seats and legroom offered on airlines. And it's not just that it's unpleasant. Jalopnik reports that cramped airline seats have been the subject of several studies over the past few years. Smaller seats have been linked to health concerns like deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, along with the legitimate concern that tight seat layouts negatively impact quick emergency exits.
↦ Add Your Own: Learn more about how to submit your own comment, either via mail or online.
In Other News
Other Things We’re Talking About Today
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Statement Pieces
Let your jewelry and watches do the talking
Gold, enamel and diamond bracelet,$1,460 by Yvonne Leon
Jewelry for guys has never been more popular than it is right now. Or more wild and eye-catching for that matter. From pearls and beads to precious stones and glittering metals, it's clear that the way we wear it today is very different from the generations before us. This isn't about a subtle nod to elegance and prestige. This is about making a splash and everyday luxury.
A unique necklace makes the simplest T-shirt look a whole lot more interesting. And a bracelet or ring is something you can wear—even around the house—to elevate your everyday look and give you a shot of confidence. Even high-end timepieces, which have always been more reserved, are wilding out and introducing new materials and flashy dials.
To put it another way, pulling on some fresh jewelry is the easiest way to experiment or elevate your casual looks. So why not try something new? We perused MR PORTER's extensive selection of designer jewelry for men—which includes everything from simple silver cuffs and bohemian beaded necklaces to classic signet rings and Swiss watches—to bring you a few of our current favorites.
BR V2-92 orange limited edition automatic stainless steel watch, $3,500 by Bell & Ross
Sunshine brushed sterling silver signet ring, $1,820 by Jenny Dee Jewelry
Divers Sixty-Five automatic pink dial watch, $2,600 by Oris
Formentera Forte Beads multi-stone necklace, $1,250 by Carolina Bucci
Hamsa multi-stone beaded bracelet, $485 by Sydney Evan
Happy Face gold diamond pendant necklace, $1,960 by Sydney Evan
↦ Explore: MR PORTER’s luxury watch and jewelry collections.
What We’re Buying
There's a difference between a really good, nice fitting polo and the cheaper versions that look, well, cheap. This is a quality shirt that's now marked down, so take advantage.
↦ Get It: $98 / $79 by Todd Snyder
Morning Motto
You’ve got a lot to be proud of.
↦ Follow: @thirdeyekingdom
That’s all for today...
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