TikTok creator Jake Schroeder tries to post at least two ballads a day.

They’re entirely original songs, usually performed by the singer-songwriter as he plays piano, and they can be about anything from the quadratic formula to political violence. There’s almost no way to predict what subject he will take on in musical form next—unless you’re a brand partner.

Schroeder has been posting on TikTok since he was in high school, but he only began “taking it seriously” this May, he told Marketing Brew. The recent University of Chicago grad wanted to be more creative and had begun using a journaling technique called “morning pages,” a method from author Julia Cameron’s book The Artist’s Way that requires a stream-of-consciousness, 30-minute writing practice every day. This practice led to what he calls his “dumb songs” written as musical comedy, which he posted to TikTok. He now has more than 360,000 followers.

After Schroeder’s songs began going viral, brands started reaching out to commission their own ballads, drawn to his platform-specific humor and his ability to stand out on the app without the typical barriers around copyrighted music trends.

In just three months, he’s completed around 60 wide-ranging brand deals, including work with AI writing assistant Grammarly, deodorant brand Degree, and a Swedish music library brand called Epidemic Sound. And he’s only seeking to do more. The topics Schroeder features in his songs are wide-ranging and often random-seeming, which he sees as an asset in creating funny and feel-good posts about just about anything.

“Things that are as simple as the Caesar salad can be exciting and fun,” Schroeder said. “Working with [so many brands]...sort of represents what I’m trying to say in my other songs too, which is like, life can be enjoyed.”

Continue reading here.—JN

Court is adjourned: The remedy phase of the Google ad-tech antitrust trial has wrapped.

Over the course of about two weeks, lawyers for both Google and the US Department of Justice were in a federal courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia, to discuss potential remedies to address Google’s illegal ad-tech monopoly. The DOJ has asked the court to consider remedies like open-sourcing the logic behind how Google’s publisher ad server decides which advertisements to show and a divestiture of Google’s ad exchange, AdX; Google has proposed behavioral remedies like enabling publishers to use ad servers not affiliated with Google to access AdX demand.

At times, the testimony got incredibly technical, with US District Court Judge Leonie Brinkema listening to witnesses discuss the technical feasibility and economics of a potential divestiture.

“There’s been quite a lot of valuable information surfaced,” Andrew Frank, research VP and distinguished analyst at Gartner, told Marketing Brew after the first few days of the remedy phase. “They’re really getting into the nitty-gritty.”

Two sides to every story: Google’s proposed remedies are a “nonstarter,” Ari Paparo, co-founder and contributor at Marketecture Media, told Marketing Brew. The company’s proposed remedies, he said, don’t address the role of AdWords (now called Google Ads) in the equation.

“If you don’t want to change the dynamic, that’s one way to do it,” Paparo told Marketing Brew.

Read more here.—JS

The men behind the Lids turnaround are putting on their thinking caps—or, more aptly, their thinking claw clips—to revitalize tween trinket store Claire’s.

Investment firm Ames Watson, co-founded by Lawrence Berger and Tom Ripley, announced last month it purchased Claire’s for $140 million after the retailer filed for bankruptcy for the second time in August, citing issues like increased competition and lower foot traffic. The firm has become known for turnarounds, acquiring Lids in 2019, and more than doubling its store count and revenue, now at $1.4 billion, per the Wall Street Journal. The company also owns sportswear brand Champion, and apparel retailer South Moon Under.

While an athletic hats retailer and tween accessories chain might not seem like they have a lot in common, Berger told Retail Brew that he and Ripley are prepared to institute a similar playbook for the millennial mall staple’s comeback. He said it’ll take “a full year” to implement changes—which span improved merchandising and marketing, and some store clean-up—but they’re up for the challenge.

“We’re good at fixing companies,” Berger said.

Continue reading on Retail Brew.—EC

Real jobs shared through real communities. CollabWORK brings opportunities directly to Marketing Brew readers—no mass postings, no clutter, just roles worth seeing. Click here to view the full job board.

• Chief Marketing Officer at BedJet (in person)
• Chief Marketing Officer at PACSUN (in person)
• Digital Marketing Director at Blinds To Go (in person)
• Sr. Manager, Marketing Operations at eos Products (in person)
• Senior Marketing Manager at Cleverpup (in person)

Stories we’re jealous of.

• The New York Times Magazine wrote about the buy now, pay later (BNPL) industry and how it’s been bolstered and normalized via social media.
• The Wall Street Journal wrote about the new crop of “Gen Z translator” agencies promising to help clients tap into the generation.
• The Verge looked into the trademark and likeness issues posed by OpenAI’s new video-generation app, Sora 2, and how the company seems to have not anticipated potential concerns about misuse of the tool.