The Best One Yet - 💋 “The Duchess of Dupes” — Elf Beauty’s dupe dominance. Airlines domestic discount. Robo-taxi’s baseball play.

Episode Date: August 7, 2023

Elf Beauty is a top 10 stock of the past 5 years — Because Elf has legitimized the Dupe. There’s 1 part of travel that’s actually cheaper right now: Domestic Flights — Thanks to a surge in travel to Europe, JetBlue and Southwest have put US travel on the sale rack. And Cruise is the 1st self-driving car to sponsor a professional sports team (the SF Giants) — Because emerging innovations need mainstream moments.$ELF $LUV $JBLU $BKNG Want merch, a shoutout, or got TheBestFactYet? Go to: www.tboypod.com Follow The Best One Yet on Instagram, Twitter, and Tiktok: @tboypod And now watch us on Youtube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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That's rocketmoney.com slash t-bo. Why. Rocketmoney.com slash T-boy. This is Nick. This is Jack. Welcome back. It is Monday, August 7th, and today's pod is the best one yet. It is a team boy, Jack.

How did you celebrate the wins this weekend, my friend? The greatest ice cream cone you've ever seen. Talk to me. What kind of flavors we're talking about here? One giant scoop of cookies and cream. All right. One giant scoop of peanut butter with gabs of chocolate. I'm following it. I like what you're doing. And one more giant

scoop of chocolate chip cookie dough. That's not a Sunday. That's an all weekday, man. I'm ODING on dairy right now. I'm still high. That is so much dairy. It's basically a steak. First story, what do we got for the show, Jack? A top 10 stock of the past five years? It's actually elf beauty. Elf beauty. Elf beauty's surge has legitimized the dupe economy. For our second story, remember we told you that every one of your buddies is flying to

Europe for an expensive trip this summer? How is our buddy Timmy also at Lake Como right now, Jack? Well, that is why JetBlue is offering discounts for you to travel close to home. He was Justin Capri. This doesn't even make sense. And our third and final story, the San Francisco Giants are adding a logo to their jerseys. The logo of cruise robo-taxies. Cruise robotaxies, because emerging innovations need mainstream moments. But before we hit that wonderful mix, Yeties.

A perfect mix of stories to kick off the week. I'm flipping over. to Horace Almanac, week 177. Things were running out in this economy. Jack and I have been keeping track for you. This week, we are running out of Linda. We're referring to the name, Linda. As in the name of the women named Linda, that Linda.

Yet he's Nick and I jumped in T-boy style to the Social Security Administration website. 1947 is a year when Linda made history. Because up to that year, Mary was the number one top name for girls in all of recorded history. We repeat, from the start of United States to 1947, Mary was the top name for women. Until Linda, 1947. And then for six straight years, Linda was the number one name in the United States. Back then, one out of 18 girls in America was named Linda. But Yeties, today, America has lost its love for Linda. Yet this, the name Linda has fallen from number one in America to number 807 in America.

In the 60s, 5,000 Lindas were born every single year. But last year, there were only 346 Linders born at all. Now, Yeties, are you familiar with the Linders involved in Network Development Association? The L-I-N-A-J-A-J-A-J-A-J. Is that Linda, like the Linda Club? Yeah, that's the National Linda Club. It's a real thing. And for 35 years, the Linda Club has held an annual meeting to promote the N-N-A-N-A-J-A-J-A.

Which is why the Lindas are freaking out right now. Because recruitment begins right now. Yeties, if you're a millennial, you know five moms named Linda. And you know three moms named Susan. I got Nant Linda out on Long Island. And she's got Nant Linda as well. She does. She does?

She really does. Because Yeties, we are low on Lindas. The last of the Lenders. And Carol from accounting can't do anything about. No, she can't. Jack. Let's hit our three stories. Help us, Diane. You're our only hope.

Fifteen years before this song, two boys from the Northeast met in the dorm. They had an idea that caused a cultural storm. It's the best one. I don't even think they need to practice. 50%. That's a fat tip. Tea Boy City on your at list. If you know, you know, because we're ready to go.

We can't wait no more, so just start the show. For our first story, Elf Beauty, it is a top 10 stock of the past five years. And get this, it's up a thousand percent. Because Elf Beauty has legitimized the dupe economy. Yeties, if your face isn't dewy right now, you may not be familiar with Elf Beauty. It is an affordable vegan skin care makeup company. It stands for eyes, lips, and face.

They're putting up growth numbers like they're a young Facebook. Sometimes numbers just tell the story. So Jack and I got to talk about the numbers. Elf Beauty sales have grown at least 20% for 18 straight quarters. 18 straight quarters. That's four and a half years. their sales jumped 76% in just the last three months. The growth of the stock price is even more impressive.

Talk to us about that, Jack. Over the last year, Elf Beauty stock has jumped by 300%. Over the last five years, Elf Beauty stock has jumped 1,000%. Elf Beauty is now worth two lifts. And that's not all. Jack, what is the number one selling makeup over at Target? Elf Beauty. And Jack, what company did their first ever Super Bowl ad with Jennifer Coolidge?

Elf Beauty. And what makeup company pulled off a cosmetics collaboration with Chipotle and Dunkin Donuts? Dahlene? Elf beauty. Add it all up. And Jack, what's the key reason why Elf is thriving right now? In this economy, people are looking for an affordable splurge. Elf's $3 lipstick is a treat yourself that you won't feel guilty actually buying.

And that $3 lipstick is elf's sacred cow. Yeah, because even with inflation, Elf's... Wolf won't change the price on that $3 lipstick. But there's another reason for Elf's incredible success. There is, and Jack and I found this fascinating. That reason is the dupe. Dupes.

It's short for duplicate. It's a lower priced version of a well-known product. We talked about it on this pod before. It's not a knockoff. It's not plagiarism. It's not a zucking. A dupe is not a counterfeit. A dupe is 90% similar to the better known product, but for like a tenth of the price. Duke, it makes consumers

feel kind of cool. It makes it feel in know if you know, you know, that kind of a thing. Because you know the secret to getting a great product, but for way cheaper. And that is why TikTok's hashtags are flooded with shopping hacks recommending elf dupes right now. For example, you can get this $40 Charlotte Tilbury blush or the $9 version from Elf Beauty. That's a dupe and that's what people are doing right now. Elf has become the Duke of Dupes and the Beauty Squad loves it.

Is it the Duchess of Dupes? Yeah, I think it probably is. I think it's the Duchess of Dupes. Duchess is the greatest name for royalty there is. Well, either way, they're dupin Glossier's boybrow at half the price, and it's working and driving those sales. Maybe she's born with it. Maybe it's Mabelaine.

Or maybe it's the Elf Beauty for 40% less, Jack. Or maybe it's the Duchess. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over at Elf? Elf Beauty has legitimized the dupe economy. Now, Yeties, there is a fine line. between a dupe and a knockoff. Mark Zuckerberg does knockoffs. For example, threads, it's a knockoff of Twitter.

But Elf Beauty has towed that line. And Elf Beauty is now worth $8 billion because of it. We've seen dupes hashtagged on Instagram, and we've seen dupes hashtagged on TikTok. But Jack and I have never seen a dupe referenced and celebrated on a Wall Street earnings call like we have until Elf's earnings report just last week. Elf Beauty stock has quadruple over the past year. And that has legitimized the dupe a con.

to me. For our second story, prices for flights abroad are more expensive than ever. But prices to Florida, they're on sale. Surge pricing is happening right now in the airline industry. Yeah, it is. If we're going to talk about the travel industry, there's one company Jack and I like to look at. And that company is booking holdings. Why is that, Jack? Because booking holdings owns every company that you can book a trip up. Get this yeties. Booking.com, they own expedient. They own kayak. They own price line. own open table. Honestly, Jack, we've been talking about who should acquire lift. Booking.com should acquire Lyft. Booking just announced that profits jumped by 51% this summer compared to last year. Because you're kicking it in combo right now and booking.com loves that. Yes, this is the summer of

American revenge travel post-pandemic. What was that other wild stat we discovered in their earnings, Jack? People have booked 68% more travel on booking.com this year than 2019. 68% more. Because it is hot yacht summer. We told you last month, people are choosing the Amalfi Coast over the Magic Kingdom this year. But yeties, here's a fascinating observation, Jack and I wanted to share with you. Certain travel companies are not having as much fun right now. Specifically, domestic airlines. Because Americans, you're getting your passport stamp this year. You are not taking that frontier flight from Boston to Boise. So Delta Airlines and United Airlines, who have international flights, their stocks have surged by 40% this year. On the other hand, JetBlue, Southwest, and Spirit

Airlines, which don't have international flights, are all down this year. So these domestic airlines are doing something we've never seen in the airline industry. This is unprecedented, baby. A midsummer blowout. Ding, ding, ding, come on down to Gate 14 and get half off that flight to Florida, baby. All the domestic airlines are cutting prices to try to convince Americans to do the patriotic thing and stay here in the States this summer. Jack and I jumped in T-boy style, get this. Domestic flight prices are actually down 10% from last year. It's the first time in our lifetimes, we've seen airlines on the sale rack. And get this. For the first time ever, Southwest Airlines just did a buy one, get one 50% off deal. We didn't even know that was legally

possible in the airline industry. What are they going to offer a $5 foot long next? Toss it in. We're going to buy it. Yet these jet blue looks more like bedbath and beyond than a Boeing 747. They're discounting flights like their J-Crew. Frontier Airlines is the new Filene's basement. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies in the travel industry? Surge pricing happens with flights, too. Look, yet he's. If Taylor Swift is in town this weekend, Uber prices are going to spike.

But if nothing's in town this weekend, then Uber prices will be super cheap. Well, we're seeing that exact same supply and demand market happening right now, but in airfare. The average U.S. to Europe round-trip flight this year, it's up $300 compared to last year. The average U.S. to Asia roundtrip flight this year is up $700 compared to last year. But the average U.S. to U.S. round trip ticket, it's down $70 this year. Jack, that trip to Japan, we're still paying it off. The surge pricing phenomenon, it doesn't happen as quickly in flights as it does on our Uber apps. But surge pricing in both directions is happening to airfare this summer.

And now a word from our sponsor, Mudwater. So, Yeties, Jack and I went adventurous with our latest mudwheres. water, the iced foamy mudwater latte. Scientific breakthrough over there at Nick's kitchen. I went full barista, Jack. You want to talk about this thing? Here's the recipe. Toss one scoop of mud water, one scoop of creamer, a little honey, and a bunch of water into

a glass, and then froth that baby up. You're going to mix it using the frother that mud water comes with. It's a great frother, but here's the key. You also grab a shaker and then shake that concoction with ice cubes for about 20 seconds. Like a shake weight. Is that an arm workout too, Jack? Then you pour the iced foamy mud latte into a tall glass, garnish that thing as you desire. Mudwater is a coffee alternative made with four adaptogenic mushrooms and Ayurvedic herbs.

It leans into the mushrooms, nature's X-Factor organism to deliver you a full days of energy. So, if you're ready to try out a coffee alternative like we were, give Mudwater a shot. Go to mudwater.com slash T-Boy to support the show and use code T-Boy for 15% off. That's M-U-D-W-T-R.com slash T-B-O-W-W. why and use code T-boy for 15% off. Element. Yeties, you may be listening to us on an airplane right now. Is your skin cracking, by the way?

Do you have airplane throat? You know what we're talking about it. We had no idea how dry airplanes are. Share that stat check. The cabin is kept at 20% humidity on purpose. So here's what you got to do. You got to hydrate, especially after you toss back that third bag of Bisccoff peanuts.

That's why Element is our wingman whenever we fly somewhere. We are drinking element and seek. 23B. Because Element is an electrolyte charged drink mix. It's got sodium, potassium, and magnesium. We all know hydration's key. But hydration isn't just about water. It's also about electrolytes. And that's what Element has. So you can sip Element in a whole bunch of flavors. We are partial to the Mango Chili. Nick and I love drinking Element. Element just came up with a fantastic offer for the besties and our Yeties out there. Go to DrinkLMNT.com slash Tea Boy to get a free sample pack with any purchase. That's drinklmnte.com slash TVOI.

For our third and final story, cruise robotaxies, they are now a jersey sponsor for the San Francisco Giants baseball team, and that is a big deal. Because there's nothing more mainstream than baseball. And there's nothing self-driving needs more than mainstream. Now, Nick, what's the biggest change to baseball in the last few years that my dad hates? Not using performance enhancing drugs? No, my dad's okay with that. He hates that the jerseys have ads now.

Big Ted would not be a fan of that kind of a change. The jerseys, they now have advertisements on the jerseys. The New York Yankees aren't just walking billboards. Now they're striking out billboards, too. For example, Yetis, when the Cincinnati Reds hit a home run, Croger Grocery is on the bicep. Down south in San Diego, Motorola paid $10 million to put a big patch on the Padres. But the latest sponsorship of a major league baseball jersey is one company, you probably have heard of. Cruise Robotaxi. Yeah, because Cruise Robotaxi is a self-driving startup that's raised

a billion dollars mostly from General Motors. And there is not a single human being touching that steering wheel and that chassis. This is big because they're the first Robotaxie to sponsor a professional sports team. The patch is right there on the bicep of every San Francisco giant. But yet he's here is the fascinating part about this story. When you see an Emirates airline logo on a Manchester United shirt, you can't really do anything with that. You're not going to sit watching the game and then book a flight to Dubai because of that jersey. That advertisement is not exactly going to get you on a $5,000 airplane. Cruise, on the other hand, with their Giants jerseys, you might do something after that.

Because you can actually book a cruise robotaxy after a San Francisco Giants game. Because San Francisco is the one major city where cruise robo taxis are operated. So the way Jack and I see, this may be the most effective jersey ad out of all of them because it as an immediate call to action after the game. To get people to take their first self-driving car ride, we think Cruz should offer free rides on game days if they terminate at the stadium. You really want to help the Giants out maybe do a double free ride for the umpires they get to the game on time.

Because the challenge for Cruise isn't just the competition or the technology. No, it is not. It's also the people. Get this, Yeties. According to Pew Research, only 26% of Americans say self-driving cars would be good for society. That's probably because no Americans have driven in a self-driving car before. Like literally 0.1% of America has even tried a self-driving car. I actually did a cruise self-driving car, by the way, Jack.

I know. You've recorded video. You sent it to me. It was so cool. Like, you got in and it was a shocking experience. We didn't get to our destination. But the beginning was really cool. The beginning was cool.

There was a problem. There was one issue. But that's a rare experience that Nick had. Because only San Francisco, Phoenix, and soon, Austin, Texas are places where self-driving rides are available. So Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over at McCoveeuvre? Emerging innovations require mainstream moments. Yeties, when a new technology is launched, it's enthusiastically embraced by the early adopters. Like Nick driving the cruise in San Francisco. But inevitably, the adoption of that new technology, it hits a speed bump.

To get past the early adopters, to get past Nick in San Francisco, new technology needs a mainstream moment. New technology needs a splash of relevant. to accelerate adoption. And what's more relevant than baseball? What's more relevant than a ballpark? A mainstream moment makes an innovation more accessible, more approachable, and more comfortable to the general public. And that is exactly what Robotaxies need right now.

That is what it's getting with the Giants. Jack, can you whip up the takeaways for us to kick off the week? Elf beauty stock has quadrupled in the past year, and it's up 1,000% in the last five years. Elf's success has legitimized the dupe. economy. For our second story, airlines are discounting domestic flights and jacking up the price for international flights. It's surge pricing, but for airlines. And our third and final story is cruise robo taxis. That's the New Jersey sponsor for the San Francisco Giants. Emerging innovations require mainstream moments. And what's more mainstream than baseball?

Then $14 for a hot talk. Oh yes, baseball. But yeties, this pod's not over yet. Here's what else you need to know today. First, Nintendo just hit a record $1.3 billion in profits powered by their film, Super Mario. The Super Mario Brothers movie was the best toy movie of all time until Barbie. And finally, New York City is making those outdoor dining sheds for restaurants permanent. From now until forever, you can enjoy a souffle in the spring on Spring Street with Steve. So lovely. Now, time for the... The best fact yet, this one sent in by Alex Hughes from lovely Memphis, Tennessee. We mentioned last week that Whole Foods kept losing Nick's Chilean sea bass.

Where's the Chilean Sea bass? I'm getting hungry over here, man. It turns out Chilean Sea bass is just a marketing name, Nick. Yeah, it's like a recent name for the fish. The original name for that fish is actually Patagonian Toothfish. I understand why they changed the name. Who wants to bite into a toothfish? Although, honestly, I kind of want to tell people I did bite into a toothfish, Jack. The Patagonian toothfish was an obscure South American fish that got rebranded because it was so plentiful. Since we've overfished so many other fish, they rebranded this fish so you'd actually eat that fish. One fish, two fish, white fish, bluefish.

But I still don't have my Chilean sea bass fish. Yeties, you look fantastic today. And remember, if you see Alinda, if you know Alinda, if you happen to just over here, Alinda, hug that Linda and love that, Linda. Because it turns out we're low on Lindas. And then tell that Linda, H-Y-H-T-B-O-Y. Have you had the best one yet? That's how you grow the show. Jack and I will see you tomorrow.

Before we go, a bon compiliano to Ingrid Kiivachi, celebrated over in Luca with her husband, Marco. Enjoy the trip guys. And happy birthday to Joyce Troy, celebrating right now in Korea. And Jane Oliver has a hot girl's stomach issue right now, but she's also got a birthday, and that stomach ain't going to stop her.

And happy birthday to Luca, the Lama Valenti in New York City. And Ashley is celebrated in her 30th birthday at a Beyonce concert, not too shabby. And congratulations to Nick and Amy Doughty for having a new baby girl Mila in Cincinnati. And congratulations to Yeti's Elizabeth and George Shammoon, who are getting married in Skinny Atle's, New York, and then they're honeymooning in the Adirondacks, lovely. And Johnny Henderson, she's got, get this, a double promotion in the Colorado National Guard and at Lockheed Martin. Hire this man. Alicia Leone and Brandon Ang are celebrating a two-year wedding anniversary just outside Boston.

And congratulations to Eli Vosberg, who just made his first investment. He's 12 years old. This is a long-term hold. Hopefully, it's an elf beauty. Past performance does not guarantee future results, Nick. And to anyone else, celebrating something today making a T-boy. Celebrate the wins. This is Jack, Nick, and I both own stock of Tripoli. An happy birthday to Tia and Awarang, who's giving.

Getting deported to... I don't think it's a birthday. He's just getting deported. So he said to say this. He said I'd really appreciate if you'd say this. It's all cool. He says it's like all cool. But he's already missed?

By whom? Does that mean we miss him? I guess. You know what to say they already missed. And a big shout at to Tia Naua Warrang. He's getting deported. to Canada because his visa expired. We miss you all ready, Tim.

That's great delivery.