New beginnings

• Denim maker Levi Strauss & Co. has filed paperwork for an initial public offering, a move that would return the largest seller of jeans to the public market for the first time in more than three decades.

• Apple Inc.’s video and news subscription announcement will be star-studded, with a source saying several Hollywood entertainers, including Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Garner and director JJ Abrams, will be in attendance for the first major new digital services debut from the company since 2015. 

• Fresh off of Chapter 11 reorganization and partial liquidation, Toys “R” Us Inc. is exploring new partnerships to revitalize the store, with e-commerce playing a key role. Toys “R” Us’ new managers, Tru Kids, who won the toy store’s assets in an auction, said they’re also looking into options that include freestanding stores and shops within existing stores.

• Toymaker LEGO A/S is launching a new streetwear clothing line, which includes sweatshirts, t-shirts and caps in a muted palette of grey, white and black, only available to Snapchat users. When users scan Lego’s Snapcode, they’ll enter an augmented reality boutique to shop, available to people in the United States, United Kingdom, France and Germany.

Amazon cancels New York HQ2

• Amazon.com Inc. has canceled plans to build a second headquarters in New York City, spurring shock and disappointment from its supporters and celebrations among local protesters. The move comes after the e-commerce giant met with state and union officials on Wednesday and reportedly outlined a deal with a local retail union.

Prices hikes

• Everyday household items such as diapers and toilet paper are about to get more expensive, after consumer-good companies Church & Dwight Co., Procter & Gamble Co., Colgate-Palmolive Co. and Clorox Co. have raised or vowed to raise prices in response to higher costs of raw materials and transportation.

• Amazon is raising prices on at least 550 items at Whole Foods, according to internal communications, facing rising costs for packaging, ingredients and transportation. The online giant cut prices at the grocer after acquiring Whole Foods in 2017.

• Higher education digital marketing professionals are converging (forgive me) Feb. 19-21 in Atlanta for Converge 2019 to advance the state of higher education marketing and recruitment.

• Digiday’s three-day media buying summit kicks off Feb. 20 in Nashville, Tenn., with panels on how to smartly spend across programmatic, video, social and advanced TV and implement new technologies such as blockchain and AI.

• Social Media Week is happening in Austin, Texas, Feb. 20-22, and includes panels on LinkedIn, how to leverage influencers and the ABCs of SaaS.

1) Katy Perry ‘saddened’ her shoe collection is embroiled in blackface controversy
Maria Puente, USA Today

2) These Are the Wealthiest Towns in the U.S.
Shelly Hagan and Wei Lu, Bloomberg

3) Amazon Was Holding Talks Wednesday to Make NYC Deal Happen
Josh Eidelson and Dina Bass, Bloomberg

4) Facing opposition, Amazon reconsiders N.Y. headquarters site, two officials say
Robert McCartney et al., The Washington Post

5) Lego launches limited edition clothing line for adults — but you can only buy it on Snapchat
Lucy Handley, CNBC

6) Apple Plans News Event For March 25
John Paczkowski, BuzzFeed News

7) Brand Comparison: Netflix v Amazon Prime Video
Crimson Hexagon

8) How Fancy Water Bottles Became a 21st-Century Status Symbol
Amanda Mull, The Atlantic

9) Levi Strauss Looks Beyond Jeans With IPO
Suzanne Kapner and Maureen Farrell, The Wall Street Journal

10) This Cannabis Company’s First 6-Figure Lead Came Through Instagram
Chris Ariens, Adweek