Side Salad: Trolling the Great Red One
August 4, 2026
Good morning from Dieline’s editor-in-chief, Bill McCool. Here’s your daily side serving of design news, short musings, brand stuff, and forgotten ephemera.
Good news, y’all. The Phillies traded for Luis Arraez and Caleb Killian. That defense is gonna be lousy, and I really don’t want to know what happens when you put Bryce Harper back in the outfield, but they got the bat they needed and some help in the pen. Incidentally, I have nothing to say about the Brooks Raley because fuck that guy.
If you are going to do something like this, i.e., saying a brand didn’t do much of anything at all with their redesign, you should try to be funny. This isn’t funny or worth the headline.
Do you love Alexander Girard patterns? The new Herman Miller Pendleton blankies are very much inspired by his textiles.
Heavy Slime does not miss.
Shar Biggers of Saleah breaks down the Dot Cake (packaging) craze.
More postage stamp beer, please. Good private label beer brand(s) from Thirst for M&S.
You can no longer use “slop bowl“ to describe food because it now means something entirely different.
Present & Correct, I was not familiar with your stationery game!
Bloomberg says Whole Foods is trying to shed its “whole paycheck” image, and I just don’t believe that’s possible. I get that they expanded the 365 private-label brand and have managed to keep those prices somewhat low compared to competitors, but does that have more to do with Bezos and his supply chain than anything else? This is still, to my mind, a pricey option for cash-strapped folks.
-Bill