Podcast Summary: "The Best One Yet" – 🐻‍❄️ “Artificial Santa”

Hosts: Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell
Date: November 5, 2025
Episode Theme:
Exploration of three timely business stories: Coca-Cola’s AI-powered holiday ad, the bipartisan business growth of Axon (maker of Tasers and body cameras), and Beta’s electric airplane IPO. Includes a lighthearted discussion of the paid line-waiting industry and snappy “best fact yet” on Oreo’s mysterious name.

Main Themes and Purpose

Nick and Jack break down what they call the "top three pop business news stories" that listeners "need to know today", always blending humor, insight, and memorable analogies. This episode highlights:

• How major brands are embracing generative AI in advertising—even as public perception appears wary.
• Why Axon's growth in public safety tech has transcended political divides.
• The strategy making Beta Technologies' electric airplane company a Wall Street darling—even before broader market demand.
• Quirky cultural/business nuggets like professional line-waiting and Oreo trivia.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Coca-Cola’s AI Holiday Ad – Are People Actually OK With AI Art?

[06:10–10:56]

• Story: Coca-Cola debuts another AI-generated Christmas commercial, building on a previous year’s ad that provoked media backlash for “AI Santa.”
• Context: While tech media and advertising insiders were vocal in their opposition, Coke’s consumer data showed positive audience reception.
• Evolution: The new ad, featuring classic Christmas critters and a big red Santa (all AI-generated), improves on last year’s sometimes-glitchy visuals (“the wheels on the truck are actually spinning in the same direction this time” – Jack, [08:16]).
• Cost & Efficiency:
  • With AI, only 20 people required and a 1-month turnaround vs the usual 50 people and 1-year timeline ([08:29]–[08:47]).
  • Comparison with Oreo: Mondelez (Oreo’s parent company) announced a $40M investment in AI ad tech, claiming up to 50% reduction in long-term ad costs.
• Takeaway:
  “AI advertising is like French fries. You say you don't want any, but you actually do.” – Jack, [09:44]
  Media negativity toward AI ads is likely rooted in job insecurity, not consumer distaste:
  “The media industry has anti AI bias. AI threatens to replace them and their jobs after all.” – Jack, [10:24]
  Actual survey metrics tell a different story:
  “According to System1, an ad tracker, Coke's AI ads last year scored very highly with the public.” – Nick, [10:34]
  Insight: Headlines suggest AI ads are hated, but consumer research shows most people either like them or simply don’t mind.

2. Axon: How a Taser Company Became Bipartisan Wall Street Gold

[10:56–14:54]

• Story: Axon (inventor of the Taser, maker of police body/dash cameras) has notched 30 consecutive quarters of 30%+ revenue growth—one of the market’s hottest streaks.
• Political Angle:
  • Historically, the stock gets pops when Republicans win—seen as positive for police funding ([12:27]–[12:34]).
  • But: The growth streak transcends every administration (Obama, Trump, Biden):
    “Ten years ago, when President Obama was president, that's when Axon began its rocket ship growth.” – Nick, [13:22]
• Business Model:
  From stun guns to a broad, software-enabled ecosystem for police:
  “They added body cameras. That's right. And they added software to manage body camera footage.” – Jack, [11:43]
  Their “moonshot”: Cut gun-related deaths between police and the public by 50% in 10 years ([14:22]–[14:29]).
• Takeaway:
  “Axon has taken something very polarizing and made it very unifying.” – Jack, [13:56]
  By targeting an outcome everyone wants—fewer deaths and more accountability—Axon grew even as policing divides America.
  “They found the one message that both sides want. Everyone wants tasers—reduce fatal shootings—and the body cameras improve accountability.” – Nick, [14:38]

3. Beta Technologies: The 'Gas Station' Play for Electric Airplanes

[14:54–21:39]

• Story: Beta, an electric airplane maker, IPOs at a $7.5B valuation—despite being “pre-revenue.”
• Founder Backstory:
  • Kyle Clark: Harvard hockey player turned Vermont-based aerospace entrepreneur.
  • Noted for seeking a 100-acre personal airstrip ([17:44]–[17:57]).
• Product & Market:
  • eVTOL and electric fixed-wing aircraft; target buyers include UPS, organ transport companies, Air New Zealand ([19:48]–[20:08]).
  • Beta’s competitive angle: Instead of building a flying taxi fleet (like Joby, Archer), Beta sells the planes and builds out proprietary “Charge Cubes”—the refueling network for electric aircraft ([20:13]–[21:04]).
• Strategic Insight:
  “Sell the car but own the gas station too.” – Jack, [20:32]
  • Like Tesla’s Supercharger network (or Apple’s App Store/OS advantage), Beta profits from all electric aircraft—since its Charge Cubes are the dominant recharging infrastructure at airports ([21:11]).
• Notable Tidbit:
  “Beta said the word cubes twice as often as they said the word airplanes in their IPO paperwork.” – Jack, [21:15]
• Overall Takeaway: Even if rivals win sales, Beta’s in the middle of every charge—making it a foundational player in electric aviation’s future.

Side Segments & Memorable Moments

The Line-Waiting Business Boom

[01:32–03:15]

• Americans’ willingness to pay for “valuable” wait times gave rise to startups like “Line Dudes.”
• Going rates: $20/hr (Broadway shows), $23/hr for weather, $27/hr at the Supreme Court ([02:11]–[02:46]).
• Double-dipping potential for remote workers:
  “You mean you could wait online and do your job at the same time?” – Jack, [03:00]
• Takeaway:
  “Time is money. Get paid for your time.” – Nick, [03:08]

Quick Takes / News Updates

[22:17–23:39]

• Bitcoin dipped below $100K, ending its historic “Uptober” streak ([22:21]).
• Yum Brands attempting to sell Pizza Hut, Denny's going private, Starbucks selling its large China business ([22:44]–[23:10]).
• Martha Stewart is republishing her original cookbook after discovering resale demand ([23:10]–[23:34]).

“Best Fact Yet”: The Mystery of OREO’s Name

[23:52–24:22]

• Fact: No one knows where “Oreo” comes from; not confirmed by Nabisco.
• Theories: Greek (“oreo” = mountain, for early cookie shape), French (“or” = gold, matching original packaging).
• “If someone tells you they do, they're lying to you. Nobody knows.” – Nick, [23:54]

Notable Quotes by Segment & Timestamp

• On AI advertising sentiment:
  “According to the data...the press suggests we're disgusted by AI generated advertising. The research shows we aren't.”
  – Jack, [10:47]
• On Axon's bipartisan success:
  “Axon found political common ground on a divisive cultural and political topic.”
  – Nick, [22:01]
• On Beta’s charging network:
  “Beta is the first to build the supercharging network of the skies.”
  – Nick, [22:11]
• On modern brand adaptation:
  “The modern depiction of Santa Claus...was invented by Coca Cola’s advertising department.”
  – Jack, [06:47]

Useful Timestamps for Navigation

• [01:32] — Rise of the line-waiting industry (“Line Dudes”)
• [06:10] — Coca-Cola’s AI Santa commercial and public reaction
• [08:29] — Cost and speed advantages of AI-generated ads
• [09:44] — Takeaway: People secretly love AI ads
• [10:56] — Axon’s “bipartisan” business growth
• [13:56] — Takeaway: Axon’s unifying strategy
• [14:54] — Beta electric airplane IPO story
• [20:32] — Takeaway: Owning the gas station, not just the car
• [22:17] — News bulletins: Bitcoin, Pizza Hut, Denny’s, Starbucks
• [23:52] — Best Fact Yet: The mystery of the Oreo name

Tone and Style

Cheerful, quick-witted, full of analogies (“electric maple syrup”, “supercharging network for the skies”), and conversational banter between Nick and Jack. They keep things light but informative—perfect for a fast-moving, business-curious listen.

For more, check the official podcast feed or episode transcript.