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Technology & Ideas

Welcome to Your Bland New World

Why do disruptive startups slavishly follow an identikit formula of business model, look and feel, and tone of voice? Because it works, sort of.

Meet the blands... — Meet the blands...
Clockwise from top left: Quip (@quip); Clare (@clarepaints); Tend (@hello_tend); Jot (@jot); Public Goods (@publicgoods); Hims (@hims) via Instagram

By

Ben Schott

September 7, 2020, 12:00 PM UTC

A week or so ago Colgate unveiled Hum — a smart toothbrush that “guides consumers to brush better and to build healthier habits without sacrificing fun for functionality.” Hum doesn’t look or feel like Colgate’s other toothbrushes … but it does rather resemble Quip.

Quip is equally flattered by Goby, Burst, Boka, Brüush, Gleem and Shyn.