The trailer for “Being the Ricardos,” the movie about Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball, starring Academy Award winners Javier Bardem and Nicole Kidman, is here.
“Being the Ricardos” is a biographical film. The Amazon Studios movie centers on a short, critical period of the life of the famous couple who created the legendary family comedy show “I Love Lucy.”
“I Love Lucy” aired on CBS between 1951 and 1957. It ran for six seasons, becoming the most-watched show in the United States for four of them, per Nielsen ratings. In a poll conducted by ABC and “People” magazine in 2012, “I Love Lucy” was voted the “Best TV Show of All Time.”
The two children of Ball and Arnaz, Desi Arnaz Jr. and Lucie Arnaz, are the executive producers of “Being the Ricardos.”
“I get paid a fortune to do exactly what I love doing,” says Kidman’s Ball in voiceover on the movie trailer. “I work side by side with my husband, who is genuinely impressed by me. And all I have to do is kill it for 36 weeks in a row. And then, do it again next year.”
Bardem’s Arnaz is the businessman running the couple’s company, Desilu Productions. Every time the filming of an episode begins, he appears before a live studio audience and says in heavily accented English, “Ladies and gentlemen, enjoy the show!”
Oscar-winner Aaron Sorkin is the director and writer of “Being the Ricardos.”
Seals have the rare ability among mammals to change their vocal tone to imitate human speech, prompting a study that may offer clues about how humans learn to speak.
“By looking at one of the few other mammals who may be capable of learning sounds, we can better understand how we, humans, acquire speech and ultimately why we are such chatty animals,” said Andrea Ravignani, the lead researcher in a study published in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences.
Young harbor seal pups, less than one month old, were studied at the Seal Research and Rehabilitation Center in Pieterburen, The Netherlands, before being released to the nearby sea. (John O’Connor)
By studying eight harbor seal pups, ages 1 to 3 weeks, at the Seal Rehabilitation and Research Centre in Pieterburen in The Netherlands, researchers wanted to learn when seals adapt their voices according to sounds in their environment.
Tested seal pups were housed in quarantine units, where all sound came from recordings. There was no water in the pool, to avoid the water noise.
In the experiment, the seals were exposed to recordings of the nearby Wadden Sea on the Dutch coast over several days, played at three degrees of volume ranging from zero to 65 decibels, but at a tone resembling the seal pups’ natural calls. The research team also recorded the pups’ spontaneous calls.
The team found that the baby seals lowered their tone of voice when they heard louder sea noises and kept a steadier pitch when exposed to the more intense levels of sound. One of the pups exhibited the so-called Lombard effect by making louder calls when the sea noise got louder. The pups did not produce more or longer calls when they heard different levels of sea noise.
Humans and many other animals raise their voices louder to be understood over a high-volume environment, but very few mammals can adjust their pitch.
Harbor seals are among the few mammals capable of mimicking human speech because they can change the tone of their vocalizations. (John O’Connor)
The team determined that baby seals adapt to their aural environment by lowering their tone, as do bats and human beings. In similar experiments, other animals merely raised their volume when confronted with louder noise.
“Seal pups have a more advanced control over their vocalizations than assumed up until now,” Ravignani said. Having this control at such an early age, he said, is “astonishing” given that so few animals are capable of this. Humans have been the only mammals known to have direct neural connections between the outer layer of the brain or cortex and the voice box or larynx, which produces sound.
A man suspected of stealing a van in Fort Myers, Florida, ended up in hot water after he jumped off a bridge to escape police.
Video released by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office shows the van being driven at high speed on the Edison Bridge, which is a set of two one-way bridges. The video was filmed from a police helicopter.
The van is seen suddenly swerving and hitting the barricade on the side of the bridge. The van then veers and hits the barricade on the other side before screeching to a halt in the middle of the bridge.
The suspect, identified later by police as Bryan Gray, 34, exits the van and runs toward the barricade as a police vehicle pulls up. Immediately after a police officer gets out of the car, Gray dives headfirst into the Caloosahatchee River, landing with a huge splash. It’s unclear how far he fell during his dive.
Gray eventually emerges, and a police officer in the helicopter filming the incident can be heard saying that he can see the suspect, whose head is seen bobbing up and down in the water under the bridge. A police boat arrives and detains Gray, who remained close to one of the pillars supporting the bridge.
Divers rescue suspect Bryan Gray from the Caloosahatchee River and pull him onto a police boat. (Lee County Sheriff’s Office/Zenger)
“On Saturday evening [Oct. 30], North District deputies attempted a traffic stop on a stolen van traveling on Bayshore Road. The suspect, later identified as Bryan Gray … sped off westbound toward U.S. 41,” the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said.
“Aviation pilots arrived on scene and observed him from the air,” and captured the footage.
“At the top of the Edison Bridge, the van abruptly swerved and crashed into a retaining barrier. Gray got out of the van, jumped over the safety barrier, and dove into the Caloosahatchee River.
“A perimeter was established, and Fort Myers Police Department’s Marine Unit was deployed. Gray was pulled from the water and detained by deputies before being transported to a local hospital to receive treatment.
“While he may not have earned a gold medal for his high dive, Gray did find himself in hot water when he earned pending charges of grand theft auto and fleeing and eluding,” the sheriff’s office said.
It is unclear who the van belongs to and whether it can be repaired.
There were 755 vehicle thefts, about one per 1,000 residents, in Lee County in 2019, according to the most recent data available from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
So last month’s contentious press conference for his upcoming 168-pound unification clash with Mexican icon Saul “El Canelo” Alvarez was nothing new for the 29-year-old IBF champion.
After Alvarez shoved him with two hands, Plant swung and missed with a punch.
Alvarez landed on Plant, and a brief scuffle ensued before the men were separated. Plant emerged with a cut under his right eye.
“There have been some guys who lost before the bell even rang against Canelo,” Plant said. “I think that’s why he’s so irritated with me.”
Plant (21–0, 12 KOs) will get a shot at redemption on Nov. 6 against Alvarez (56–1–2, 38 KOs), a 31-year-old who has predicted an eighth-round knockout victory during their unification bout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
“This is personal for me, but every fight is personal for me. I’ve sacrificed a lot for this sport and dedicated myself completely,” Plant said. “So anybody who’s getting in the way of my goals makes it personal to me, no matter who it is.”
This will be the fourth fight in 11 months for Alvarez, who is seeking his third straight stoppage and looks to beat an undefeated rival for the eighth time.
In victory, the red-haired four-division title winner would become the first undisputed 168-pound champion from Mexico by adding Plant’s IBF crown to his WBA/WBC/WBO versions.
But Plant is sure he can ruin Alvarez’s plans.
“This is personal for me,” IBF 168-pound titleholder Caleb Plant said of his Nov. 6 clash with WBA/WBC/WBO counterpart Canelo Alvarez for the mantle of undisputed champion. “There are a lot of things that I possess that are going to give him issues in the fight. I’m ready to rock.” (Esther Lin/Showtime)
“Some guys just come in and are there to hand over their belt, get their check and leave. Anyone who knows me, they know I’m only here for those belts. I have a big opportunity ahead of me. I haven’t taken any shortcuts in my training,” said Plant, whose father, Richie Plant, is an assistant to head trainer Justin Gamber.
“I’m prepared physically, mentally and spiritually. I’m just locked in,” Caleb Plant said. “There are a lot of things that I possess that are going to give him issues in the fight. Every fighter says this is their best camp, but I am honestly saying that. I’ve had no injuries, amazing sparring, and I’m ready to rock.”
In January 2019, “Sweethands” Plant scored two knockdowns to dethrone IBF champion Jose Uzcategui by an upset unanimous decision. Afterward, the then-26-year-old proposed to his fiancee, Jordan Hardy, and has since married her.
“Caleb has always stepped up when the time came. He was an underdog in the Jose Uzcategui fight. The lights and size of a fight have never been too big for him. It sounds like Canelo is hoping that’s going to affect him,” Gamber said.
“When you have two alpha dogs in the same room, it’s not going to be calm. There’s always going to be clashing. It doesn’t surprise me. It’s not personal on the teams’ ends, but these are two pit bulls, and they’re ready to go at each other.”
As a 9-year-old, Plant was living in impoverished Ashland City, Tennessee, when he “asked God, ‘Please send me something I can use to change my life and the world.’”
“God answered my prayers,” Plant said. “[He] sent me boxing and saved my life.”
Richie Plant, a former amateur kickboxer, introduced Caleb to the sport in a gym he struggled to fund. Since then, the Plants have found purpose in boxing as father and son, co-trainer and boxer.
“It was sacrifice with very little resources. You got tired every single day. But just like any dad who is involved with their kid – you’re in it with them. It’s just life,” Richie Plant said.
“I’ve always told [Caleb] to be a man of integrity, do what you say you’re gonna do. As soon as you roll out of bed in the morning, you know everything that you have to do that day so just go on and get it knocked out.”
Together, they have endured the passing of Caleb’s 19-month-old daughter, Alia, in January 2015 from a rare medical condition, and that of his mother, Beth, in March 2019 at age 51.
“It’s been a long journey for me and my dad,” said Plant, who has a tattoo of the date Alia passed. “Those tough moments made me the fighter that I am now.”
Plant’s first defense was a four-knockdown, third-round stoppage of previously unbeaten Mike Lee, who entered their bout in July 2019 at 21–0 (11 KOs).
In February 2020, Plant was able to return to Tennessee, thrilling his fans with a 10th-round TKO of Germany’s Vincent Feigenbutz, who entered at 31–2 (28 KOs).
“Representing Nashville means everything to us. We want to put Nashville on the boxing map. To have an undisputed champ from Nashville is so important to us,” Gamber said.
“The physical attributes Caleb has over Canelo will make a difference if we use them the right way. There have been a lot of guys against Canelo who haven’t been able to use their attributes. Luckily we have the skills to use our height and reach the right way, and I expect Caleb to do that on fight night,” Gamber added.
IBF 168-pound champion Caleb Plant donated shoes to 70 third grade students last week at East Cheatham Elementary School in his native Ashland, Tennessee. Plant fights WBA/WBC/WBO counterpart Canelo Alvarez of Mexico on Nov. 6. (Courtesy of Tyre Grannemann)
Plant returned to his elementary school, East Cheatham, in Ashland, Tennessee, last week, having teamed with retailer Shoe Palace to donate new shoes to 70 third graders.
“We are beyond happy to see Caleb’s growth into everything that he has said he was going to be,” said Shoe Palace CEO John Mersho.
“From day one till today, Caleb has always represented exactly what we stand for: hard work, loyalty, and most important, family. We’ve supported Caleb on his journey, and we will continue to do all we can to support everything he represents.”
Plant was on his game yet again in January, winning his third defense by shutout (120–108 on all three cards) unanimous decision over former champion Caleb Truax.
“I have a lot of respect for this sport,” Plant said. “I’ve dedicated myself to this sport and sacrificed every day. I want my name in those history books. Nov. 6 is a big step toward that goal.”
Firefighter crews battled to contain a massive warehouse blaze in eastern Pennsylvania on the night of Nov. 1.
Officials said the warehouse was 80 years old and stored old timber materials.
The incident took place in Marcus Hook, a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, and was characterized as a four-alarm fire. The number of alarms indicates how many firefighters and vehicles are dispatched and the severity of the blaze.
Eighty to 100 firefighters from three counties — Delaware, Chester and New Castle — battled the fire.
Video footage shows large plumes of smoke rising from the buildings as the warehouse burns. Firefighter trucks can be seen spraying the fire with water from extended ladders.
Emergency services asked the public to remain indoors to avoid smoke inhalation.
The images also show the large apparatus deployed to tackle the blaze, with firefighters from different fire stations coming together to respond to the incident.
Smoke drifted through nearby neighborhoods from the fire at the Marcus Hook Warehouse in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, on Nov. 1. (@DelcoDES/Zenger)
The footage was shared on social media by Delaware County Emergency Services in a series of video posts, along with updates notifying the public of its progress.
The Delaware County Emergency Services posted its first piece of footage saying: “Major emergency in Marcus Hook as a multi-alarm fire is underway on 10th Street.”
A few hours later, it posted an update in which it said: “The fire in Marcus Hook continues to rage. Residents are urged to remain inside as the smoke is drifting through the neighborhoods nearby.”
Delaware County Emergency Services also released aerial footage showing the extent of the blaze and said: “DES UAV’s ‘drones’ are providing real time updates on the fire.”
Firefighters put out the Marcus Hook Warehouse fire on Nov. 2. Crews worked throughout the night and will remain to monitor possible flareups. (@DelcoDES/Zenger)
A fourth piece of footage was captioned: “The equivalent of a 4th alarm fire continues in Marcus Hook and crews are expected to be on scene overnight. Fire Departments from Delco, Chester and New Castle County are battling the inferno.”
After a 12-hour silence, it was announced the blaze was successfully brought under control the morning of Nov. 2. Delaware County Emergency Services released a final update, which said: “Marcus Hook Fire, Police & Municipal officials remain on scene today following the 4 Alarm fire last evening. Crews are working on hotspots.”
The footage shows the smouldering wreckage of the warehouse, with the significant part of the fire extinguished. Firefighters will be remaining on site to prevent possible flareups.
In August, a fire in a home in New Castle County resulted in the death of one woman, while a police officer, first on the scene, was treated for smoke inhalation. That was Delaware County’s fifth fire death this year.
The cause of the warehouse fire is being investigated.
NEW ORLEANS — The voice is distinct, the lyrics are diverse, the status of Fiend, legendary.
No matter which alias you use — Fiend, Mr. Whomp Whomp, Sleepy Jones, or International Jones — the foundation that Richard Jones has set for himself puts him in a class all by himself.
Bursting onto the scene in the mid-’90s, Fiend appropriately titled his debut album, “Won’t Be Denied.” The multi-platinum selling artist also showed off his production skills on his 17th Ward bredren, Lil Wayne’s “Tha Carter III” album, which took home a Grammy in 2009.
After joining Master P’s No Limit Records in 1997, Fiend was featured on tracks with Snoop Dogg and the rest of the No Limit family. His verse on Master P’s “Make ‘Em Say Uhh,” is one of the many highlights of his career.
Recently praised by international recording artists including UGK’s Bun B, and DC’s Wale, Fiend continues to provide his fans with hard-hitting lyrics under the Jet Life Recordings umbrella. He has also started a Sleepy Bear clothing company, has a TV show titled “Who Got Dat Fire,” and recently released his newest project, “Thank God It’s Fiend.”
This interview is part of a Louisiana Legends series, featuring talks with individuals from the Pelican State who have carved out their legacy.
Percy Crawford interviewed Richard Jones for Zenger.
Zenger: What part of New Orleans are you from?
Fiend: Uptown… Hollygrove.
Zenger: What is Hollygrove best known for?
Fiend: Some of the dopest lyricists in the game, being Fiend and Lil Wayne.
Zenger: What do you feel has been your biggest contribution to the city of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana?
Percy Crawford interviewed Richard Jones for Zenger. (Heidi Malone/Zenger)
Fiend: So far, just off of what I can see, getting through life with the right soundtrack. That’s what I get from most people, I got them through their middle school years, I got them through high school, I got them through a joce [stay] in prison, I got them through a loss of a family member. So, I’m going to say, being a soundtrack to people’s down parts of their life, knowing that somebody out there went through the same thing or something similar, and it’s going to be alright.
Zenger: When you made the move from Big Boy Records, an independent label, to No Limit Records, a nationwide label, what was that signing like for you?
Fiend: The moment I did that transition, I honestly felt like now this will be whatever that next level is for an artist to be the biggest version of themselves. It’s like you have been saving up for something for years, and you finally get it, and you have been working so hard, you can only think about getting back in there and complete working. One thing I could tell you that I do remember that I enjoyed was that there was much more camaraderie and other artists to be with that was on one page.
The previous labels that I was on, everybody was trying to make it. Unless you do something a little different, a little unique, it makes things complicated. It was a great feeling, but then it took a minute to get there. I couldn’t just enjoy that moment like that. I couldn’t take a moment and feel like, “Yes, I made it.” It all happened so fast. It’s like getting a raise on a job, now it’s on you to get back to work because you’re still looking at the manager position.
Zenger: Do you recall the first time you heard yourself on the radio?
Fiend: That was probably during the Big Boy Records days and getting those projects out. I had promotions running on the local Box TV network. It was huge. I think we all shared that as artists. We wanted to hear ourselves on the radio. It gave us some type of accomplishment. Then again… my bad, my bad — first time I heard myself on the radio is when Wild Wayne (a popular New Orleans DJ) used to let us come up there and rap and freestyle over beats. I did an intro for Wild Wayne and Q93. The intro is what Big Boy Records heard from me that made them wanna sign me.
So, let’s say, Mr. Crawford, before your show comes on, there is a one-to-two-minute intro, you doing interviews, how cool you are, stuff like that. Well, Wild Wayne had one to introduce his show before he came on, and I ended up doing the intro for his show. They heard, and they were like, “Man, this kid is, whoa.”
Zenger: At what moment did you realize you had something special?
Fiend: I don’t know. I have always heard that I have a great voice. I have had people trippin’ out while I’m spittin’ and they tell me I’m dope. They will give you instant reaction. But I would have to say, running my raps for my brother when he was alive. He used to come in from doing his thing in the streets, and he would pay me to make him a bowl of cereal or fix him some scrambled eggs.
It’s 2 in the morning, and we’re sitting at my mom’s kitchen table in our shotgun house. I’m beating on the table, running lyrics out my brain, and I had to be 12 years old. Him saying, “I gotta link you up with some guys. You really like this rap stuff, huh?” I think that gave me all the confidence I needed. He was one of them type of people…
I got to see what it was like to have a big brother. I have had instances like on some TV or movie deal where my brother had to come outside and defend me from older guys. He would make them get their mind right on some man-to-man stuff, no guns. So, I have always had a different level of respect for my brother, and that’s why I wanted or needed that stamp of approval from him that I was doing my thing. I think it had to start with my brother, Kevin Bailey.
Fiend says his music serves as a soundtrack for people’s lives. (Courtesy of Fiend)
Zenger: Do you have any regrets or something you would do over or differently?
Fiend: I genuinely in my heart regret that my stablemates at No Limit, Mac [McKinley Phipps] and Corey Miller [C-Murder], went to jail. [Phipps was recently released; Miller is still behind bars]. I know that doesn’t do anything, but I just think that was something that could have been avoided. As far as regret with my own doings, I think it would be ungrateful for me to say that. I could have been a better businessman. But that’s the only thing I can say I regret.
Zenger: What makes Louisiana such a special place?
Fiend: It has the richest culture in the United States. You can’t run away from that. I think the culture and the upbringing is what separates us from the rest of the world. The food, the people — when there is camaraderie, there is real camaraderie. The brotherhood is real brotherhood. As rough as it was surviving the ‘80s and ’90s, I wouldn’t trade it for the world because it molded and made us the human beings we are today. Tough enough when we need to be tough, and lenient where we could be lenient.
Zenger: How does it feel to be called a legend?
Fiend: I’m still kind of in shock. I don’t know at one point people knew to label me that because in my mind, I wrote-wrote-wrote, been through a lot, but at what point did they decide, this guy is a legend? I knew my upbringing alone, just to survive and still be here, everyone should be considered that. If you’re still here, and you was born and raised around what I was born and raised around in New Orleans, if you still here, everybody should damn near get the purple heart. It wasn’t an easy task.
I can tell you that I did feel big getting on songs with Snoop Dogg, getting on songs with UGK. That made me feel big. To be able to get on songs with people who you got unbelievable respect for, and hold your own, and have them happy to be on a song with you. Snoop Dogg constantly reminds me that I’m a superhero in this game when I see him. Our fan base, Mr. Crawford, wants to see us be huge. That’s a hard pill to swallow, bro. They want you to be huge. They expect it.
When any of my fans read this, peep this, if I signed a nationwide deal after No Limit, just know, that was for y’all. I could have stayed right where the hell I was collecting at least a million dollars a year without nobody knowing I had a thing. I prefer my life like that, anyway. When I first started rapping, I was so naïve, I thought I could just put the music out and never had to perform it. I was young, I didn’t know no better.
Scarface told me a long time ago, once I tap into the emotions of what I’m good at, and give the people that, I would really be on to something. It was noble of him to give me that great advice. I do appreciate being considered a legend, and I’m happy to be in the books with a bunch of other dope-ass people that are legends in this thing, especially being from Louisiana.
Zenger: What is Fiend up to these days?
Fiend: More business, more life. I got a new project out called “Thank God It’s Fiend.” I have another vibe of music that is more jazz, hip-hop and trap under the brand, International Jones. You can tap into that when you can. I also have a clothing brand by the name of Sleepy Bear Apparel. Tap into that one, it is the illest streetwear in the streets. I got a new TV show by the name of “Who Got Dat Fire.” Tap into that, have some laughs, learn some things and travel the world with me continuously, and let’s make some new memories and some new money.
Video shows Queensland, Australia, police arresting a man allegedly involved in child exploitation.
The man is one of three unidentified suspects arrested in Brisbane and the Moreton Bay region and later charged with child sex offenses by detectives from Task Force Argos.
Headquartered in Brisbane, the task force is the branch of the Queensland Police Service responsible for investigating online child exploitation and abuse in the northeastern Australian state.
The charges were the culmination of an investigation “into the indecent treatment of a 5-year-old girl and distribution of child exploitation material,” Queensland Police said.
Queensland Police did not reveal which of the two males seen in the video is the subject of the arrest.
The police service alleges in a report on Nov. 1 that a 37-year-old woman from the suburb of Deception Bay “indecently dealt with” the victim, filmed the alleged abuse and distributed the footage “via encrypted messaging applications.”
She was arrested on Oct. 29 and charged with “one count of the indecent treatment of a child under 12, one count of the possession of child exploitation material, one count of making child exploitation material, three counts of distributing child exploitation material, one count of using a carriage service to access child abuse material and the possession of a dangerous drug.”
She was taken into custody, where she will remain until at least Dec. 3, when she is scheduled to appear before the Caboolture Magistrates Court in the suburb of the same name.
A 33-year-old man from Caboolture was arrested on Oct. 30. He was charged with “one count of the possession of child exploitation material and one count of using a carriage service to access child abuse material.” He is scheduled to appear before the same court on Dec. 6.
The final arrest was made on Oct. 31. The 39-year-old man from Brisbane was charged with “one count of the distribution of child exploitation material.” He appeared at Brisbane Magistrates Court on Nov. 1. The outcome of the hearing was not reported.
“The Queensland Police Service remains committed to targeting offenders involved in the sexual exploitation of children and the possession or distribution of child exploitation material,” said Detective Inspector Glen Donaldson said.
“This is not a victimless crime. These images have been created through the abuse of real children and anyone involved in possessing or distributing these images continues this cycle of victimization.
“Supervision and communication are key to prevention,” the detective said. “We encourage parents and guardians to speak with their children about what to do if they feel uncomfortable about any behavior towards them and how they can report that behavior,
“Children must know that nothing is so serious or embarrassing that they can’t approach a trusted adult for support and to report behavior that makes them feel uncomfortable.”
“OKAY Hyundai,” a new campaign using black slang to target African American consumers, rolled out last week, months after the automaker announced its first partnership with a black-owned marketing agency.
Hyundai Motor America hired Maryland-based Culture Brands in May to reach that market and to “be more strategic, targeted and authentic in how we communicate with African American consumers,” said Erik Thomas, the automaker’s senior group manager for experiential and multicultural marketing.
“… We look to continue to connect with people on their own terms and in relevant ways. As we increase our share of voice with the African American market and communicate successfully, we anticipate sales growth will follow.”
Hyundai Motor America’s Erik Thomas says Culture Brands’ expertise in reaching diverse communities in a culturally relevant way was key to the firm’s selection as the automaker’s first African American marketing agency of record. (Courtesy Hyundai Motor America)
The “OKAY Hyundai” social media, TV and radio ad campaign, which highlights the 2022 Hyundai Tucson and Santa Fe plug-in hybrids, contains references embedded in its messaging that Culture Brands sees as part of its recipe for success.
“In the African American community, placing OKAY before something is the quintessential way things worth noticing are acknowledged,” said Eunique Jones Gibson, chief executive and creative officer at Culture Brands. “Together [with Hyundai], it’s the perfect nod to Hyundai and to our prospective buyers. See someone with a nice outfit on? OKAY outfit. See someone driving a vehicle that elevates the entire market? OKAY Hyundai.”
Reaching out to increase sales of hybrids
While Hyundai does not publicly break out sales data by audience, black consumers make up a miniscule percentage of hybrid or plug-in vehicle buyers, many analysts say. Hyundai is trying to connect to an overall African American market that accounted for $835 billion in consumer spending in 2019, according to McKinsey and Co.
Some industry watchers are applauding the “OKAY Hyundai” campaign and the hiring of a black marketing agency as a precursor to more involvement by minority-owned creative agencies.
“When you look at the top seven brands for African Americans, which include Toyota, Honda, Chevrolet, Nissan, Ford, Kia and Hyundai, all but one currently has an African American agency of record,” said Marc Bland, chief diversity officer at IHS Markit, a London-based business intelligence firm.
“With automotive being a peer-driven industry, I expect to hear an announcement soon that all the top African American brands will align with African American marketing agency partners.”
When Hyundai announced its partnership with Culture Brands in an effort to reach more black buyers, it said it was looking for an agency that was expert in “not only developing creative and marketing solutions for the African American target segment, but an agency that really knew about building culture.”
Culture Brands evolved from a social media campaign initiated by Gibson in 2012, following the death of Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old black youth killed in Florida earlier that year. A year later, during Black History Month, she launched the digital platform, Because of Them We Can.
“It grew beyond a Black History Month campaign to encompass the past, present and future in black excellence, celebrating black culture and achievements 365 days a year,” said Gibson.
She said the digital platform reaches “millions of people monthly.”
Gibson, who began her online advertising career with Microsoft, and produced campaigns for such brands as Warner Bros., American Family Insurance, Nickelodeon and the Green Bay Packers, formed Culture Brands in 2017. She said much of the content created for the “OKAY Hyundai” campaign will be “amplified” using the Because of Them We Can platform.
“Our team takes special care in the placement of branded messaging to ensure credibility,” Gibson said. “With this new opportunity with Hyundai, [we] can house corporate, vehicle and themed content.”
Disinterested Audience
The automotive industry, according to Hyundai’s Thomas, is “in the midst of an evolution” as electric vehicles slowly grab more and more market share. Electric vehicle enthusiasts point to low maintenance costs, enhanced performance over gas-powered vehicles, low cost of charging a vehicle, and quick charging times. It’s Culture Brands’ job to effectively communicate these key benefits to a black audience.
Sales of electric vehicles “are tipped to account for just under one-fourth of the global market by 2025. It is estimated that pure battery electric vehicles will account for about 7.4 percent of worldwide car sales,” according to data from Statista.
“It is expected that the market share of conventional internal combustion engines will shrink to about 20 percent by 2050, while electric vehicles are projected to account for 8 out of 10 vehicle sales.”
(Statista)
“We believe it’s important to educate the total market on the aspects of this evolution and how it will likely impact their car buying and ownership experience,” said Thomas.
“… There needs to be a few considerations put in place, including charging stations in urban areas where many African Americans work, live and play; new solutions like true wireless charging to accommodate African American urban living where a private garage is often not an option; and education campaigns to help the African American consumer understand why EVs are a good … and safe choice for them.”
Studies show, however, that the African American audience is somewhat indifferent to the benefits of electric and/or hybrid vehicles and the perils of climate change.
Citing IHS Markit data on new vehicle registrations, chief diversity officer Bland, said the African American community accounts for just 4 percent of all electric vehicle registrations in the United States.
In California, which accounts for half of all electric vehicles in the country, 3 percent of hybrid vehicle buyers and 2 percent of plug-in electric vehicle buyers were black, according to “New Routes to Equity: The Future of Transportation in the Black Community,” a September 2020 report by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation.
Third Way, a public policy think tank, conducted a month-long series of focus groups in Detroit, Philadelphia and Greensboro, North Carolina, in February 2020, to gain insight into these communities’ views on climate change and clean energy.
“With exception to two or three participants across Detroit and Greensboro, climate change and the environment did not surface as a top issue among focus group participants in the three cities,” said the ensuing report, titled “Black Americans Care about Climate Change (But It’s Complicated),” which was published in July 2020. “Health care, education, racism, school debt and crime were among the top priorities named in the focus groups.”
The same segment of the population is disproportionately affected by climate change, according to the nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund. It reports that African Americans are more likely to live in communities vulnerable to severe weather and floods, experience more climate-induced heat waves, and suffer from severe medical conditions, particularly asthma, exacerbated by pollution.
“Acknowledging environmental issues that are important to various degrees to different new vehicle prospects is a universal concern,” Gibson said. “At Culture Brands, we maintain our pulse on the culture through our media platforms and consumer brands. We use these insights and learnings to create culturally relevant and affirming campaigns and content.
“The various aspects of our business provide ongoing access to African American culture. From this we derive insights, and those insights are shaped to support our clients’ brand strategies.”
Shawn Melamed’s home office is filled with high-tech equipment — computers, microphones, cameras for Zoom. But the most visible keyboard is not connected to his laptop. It’s a full-sized one meant for making music.
Melamed, who co-founded and serves as CEO of Spiral, a startup combining digital banking with doing good, is equally at home in corporate boardrooms and dance clubs, where he creates electronic music as a DJ and producer. He performs under the funky name “Alchemist Spider.”
Shawn Melamed, CEO of Spiral. (Photo courtesy of Spiral)
“I like connecting people from all walks of life. You connect people through music. Spiral is also trying help people feel connected, to make the world a better place by being more socially responsible,” Melamed said.
“I love doing both music and tech. If I did just one all day, I’d get bored!”
Neobanking
Spiral is a “neobank,” an independent financial institution that piggybacks on a more established one.
If you bank with Spiral, you’ll see Spiral’s branding. But your deposits are held by the other completely regulated bank, with FDIC insurance protecting up to $250,000 of your savings.
Neobanks are online only. That’s fine with most customers, Melamed says, who are nowadays used to doing everything on their phones and would rather not spend any more time than they have to in a brick-and-mortar building.
There’s a second trend fueling the rise of the neobanks, Melamed said.
“Historically, you had a relationship with your bank’s branch manager. The bank might support the local 5K run. Then, small banks started consolidating to become these behemoth banks. They lost touch completely with their customers. These two trends created a very fertile ground for disruption.”
As of September 2021, there were 246 neobanks around the world. Among them: Chime, now with 15 million U.S. customers and a valuation of $25 billion; and Revolut, an all-European digital bank, valued at $33 billion. Israel has one too: First Digital, established by Mobileye founder Amnon Shashua.
Clearly, neobanks have become big business.
Seeking a way to differentiate Spiral, Melamed came up with the idea of combining banking with charitable giving.
Donating made easy
The Spiral mobile app looks like other online banking tools — there’s your daily balance and your most recent transactions.
But if you’d like to give to a charity or charities, the app enables you to allocate a certain percentage from what you earn, or send a one-off donation, to a specific organization.
Screenshot of Spiral app. (Courtesy of Spiral)
There are some 1.5 million nonprofit charities in the United States, all searchable from within the Spiral app.
“Who would you like to give to?” Melamed says. If the answer, or example, is the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, he does a quick search and Pardes pops up right away. He picks an amount — $5 — taps send, and Pardes is now a few dollars richer.
Spiral will mail a check to Pardes, along with a colorful note indicating that if Pardes chooses to become an official partner charity, Spiral can make direct deposits into its bank account. Pardes will also be able to post videos and other content on the app so that Spiral customers can see how their money would be used.
Spiral has 100 partner charities, including United Way, American Friends of Hebrew University, Earthday, Rainforest Trust and the United Nations and Eden Reforestation. Any charity with a 501c3 designation in the U.S. is eligible.
Spiral issues a summary report whenever you like. It’s especially helpful at tax time, showing exactly where you donated in the last year and the total amount.
Spiral also has a one-to-one matching program up to $150, so that $5 Melamed just donated to Pardes became $10.
The most generous nation
How does Spiral afford all those goodies? That’s part of the magic of the banking business: Banks take your deposited money and reinvest it in other assets, generating revenue or doling it out as a loan with interest.
That allows Spiral to make and match donations. Charities don’t pay to be a part of the Spiral system.
Spiral was founded by two Israelis — Melamed and his chief marketing officer Dan Blumenfeld — but set up shop in New York to be closer to its main market.
“The U.S. is called ‘the most generous nation,’” Melamed said. “Six out of 10 households donate to charities. It comes out to about $470 billion a year.”
Spiral will focus on the U.S. for the next four to five years, Melamed says. Europe will come next. “In 10 years,” says Melamed, “people will look for a cohesive banking experience regardless of their location.”
In other words, you won’t necessarily pick a bank where you live but the best bank for your needs.
Digital nomads
Melamed is taking the same global approach to staffing Spiral. The company closed a funding round of $14 million just before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down much of the world.
“We had an office for only about two months,” Melamed says. He has no intention of opening a physical office again —just like his neobank.
“More people are becoming global digital nomads,” Melamed said. They can work anywhere. “We have Israelis who moved to the U.S., we have employees in Mexico, Portugal and Costa Rica.”
Melamed was raised in Mevaseret Zion, a suburb of Jerusalem. He started his first company, Correlix, in Israel before moving with it to the U.S. in 2008. Correlix was acquired by TS-Associates in 2012.
Melamed then joined 60,0000-employee Wall Street company Morgan Stanley, which was looking for an entrepreneur to run business development.
“I thought I’d do it for a year or two, but I really liked it. I had a senior role and was working closely with the COO, who is now on the board of Spiral.”
Melamed became the head of Morgan Stanley’s innovation office. “It was a great opportunity to learn how to innovate at scale,” he says.
After five years, the entrepreneurial spirit came calling again, and he decided to create “a bank with a heart – something to guide people to live a better life.”
Long-term journey
Spiral launched to the public just three months ago and is closing in on 5,000 customers. Melamed says customers can earn up to 15 times more on their savings than at the average bank.
Most users donate small amounts to charity, although a few give in the thousands of dollars.
“It’s a long-term journey,” he said. “We’re not building a startup to sell in three years. We’re trying to create a company that will last for 20 years with tens of millions of customers.”
What’s next for Spiral? Credit cards, personal loans and mortgages, Melamed says, all while continuing with matching donations and giving cash bonuses to customers of up to $126 a year.
Paradoxically, perhaps, the COVID-19 crisis didn’t dry up donations. In fact, donations in 2020 grew by 13 percent, Melamed says. “A lot of people and a lot of causes needed help, so people donated more.”
Spiral is not the only Israeli-founded financial services firm that gives back — high-flying insurance company Lemonade pledges that if there is any money left between the premiums you pay and claims that needed to be paid out, Lemonade will donate it to a worthy cause.
Now that “New York is waking up and going back to work,” Melamed says, there could be more money earned, more donations and even more opportunities to engage his other passion: making music while Spiral makes money for its neobank customers.
In North America, you can get a Spiral account here.
