Earbuds

There is a phenomenal scene at the beginning of Citizen Kane when Orson Welles’ character John Foster Kane whispers “Rosebud” on his deathbed. The entire plot of the movie revolves around unravelling the meaning of this one word. Many consider Citizen Kane the greatest movie of all time. Welles was only 25 at the time. #Amazing
If I was going to re-make that classic 1941 masterpiece in 2025, I would open the movie in a dystopian futuristic world with a dying man whispering “earbuds” and then dropping his iPhone 37 onto the floor…and the glass breaks. The ending is just the beginning of a long, terrible saga.
The first wireless headphones were invented in the 1960s and used AM/FM frequencies to get the music to your ears. Very few people could afford them. In the 1990s, smaller wireless headphones that used RF frequencies started becoming affordable and popular. Now 30 years later, wireless headphones are now a $27.5 billion industry, with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 16.35% that is projected to grow into a $115 billion dollar industry by 2033. Earbuds are not everywhere….yet.
To be clear, I’m talking about earbuds and not Air Bud, the delightful 1997 sports comedy classic from Walt Disney Pictures.
Remarkably, 45% percent of Americans use earbuds (a number that grows to ⅔ of 20-somethings). They listen to music, podcasts, phone calls and more. (They’re known as Airpods, Galaxy Buds, and 16 other types). Older people like me need hearing aids, not earbuds, but as Generation Z and Millennials get older, auditory health experts predict a much higher rate of hearing loss due to — you guessed it — wireless headphones. 30 years ago 1 in 10 Americans experienced hearing loss. Today it’s 1 in 8. By 2040, it’s projected to be 1 in 4.
And it’s not only hearing loss we’re going to have to worry about with “The Earbud Generation.” People wearing wireless headphones are causing more traffic accidents because it distracts them. And the number of folks killed by cars, trains, buses and other moving objects has spiked. In 2004,16 pedestrians died while wearing headphones in the US. In 2005, the number jumped to 47. In 2024, that number is estimated to be over 1,000 and researchers at the University for Maryland and CDC are reviewing data to see if that number is higher.
Ironically, I found all this research by wearing earbuds on a flight from Europe. When I landed, the shuttle driver (talking on his hands-free phone) almost ran over a young traveller crossing the road at Reagan National Airport. The next day I was relaying the story to my son, but he didn’t hear me. He was jamming St. Paul and the Broken Bones on his new AirPods.
#BoldBrandsWin
MONDAY:
LOUD, CLEAR, AND IMPOSSIBLE TO MISS
Madison+Main continues to shine a spotlight on gun violence prevention across the Commonwealth with our Ceasefire Virginia campaign. Our latest effort? A bold new billboard near our office on Cary Street—designed to grab attention and drive action. This statewide initiative, in partnership with the Office of the Attorney General, tackles violent crime through strategic alliances and community-based solutions, and we’re proud to use our creative voice to help spark real and lasting change.

TUESDAY:
WWJD: WHAT WOULD JACK DO?
The Creative Team gathered on Tuesday to collaborate on a refresh for our friends at Virginia Energy Sense. Led by Creative Director, Carissa Ghaffari, the team discussed diving deeper into the character of VES’s spokesplug, Jack, tangible ways Virginians can save energy and money on their power bills, and honing in on unique pain points for their audiences. Be on the lookout for new Jack content in the wild, and take his advice! You really can save big in more ways than one.
WEDNESDAY:
SAVE THE DATE: PUPS, PLATES & POURS (A PLENTY)
Mark your calendars for a tail-wagging weekend! September 6–7 is your chance to dine and drink at participating pet-friendly restaurants and breweries across RVA—with 10% of all proceeds benefitting the lifesaving work of the Richmond SPCA. But that’s not all, because the Pawty actually kicks off on Friday, September 5, from 5:30–8:30 PM, at Final Gravity with food trucks, live music, and vendors. Bring your pup, your pals, and your appetite—it’s all for a great cause!
THURSDAY:
COPY THAT? JOIN OUR AWARD-WINNING NERD WORD SQUAD
It’s time to apply! If you know a go-getter looking for a creative—and cool—internship, send them our way! Create copy, strategize bold branding campaigns, and get a feel for agency life with Richmond’s most fun marketing team (we’re definitely not biased.) Sound up your alley? Don’t delay! Learn more about this opportunity on our website or check out the details here.

FRIDAY:
DAVE’S ON THE (AIR)WAVES
This morning, I joined Rich Herrera bright and early on Richmond’s Morning News to chat about fun stuff to do in RVA this weekend. ICYMI, here’s the link.
A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE EVENTS
Richmond Jazz & Music Festival
Dates: Friday, August 8, to Sunday, August 10
Time: Doors open Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday/Sunday at 1 p.m.
Tickets: From $50 to $250
Location: 1700 Hampton Street, Richmond, VA
Enjoy a genre-blending, generation-bridging weekend that embraces the full spectrum of contemporary Black music that people actually live with: on playlists, in barbershops, around the dinner table, and in headphones on the ride home.
The Oddities & Curiosities Expo
Date: Saturday, August 9, 2025 – Sunday, Aug 10, 2025
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Tickets: $12 to $344. Kids under 12 are free and don’t require a ticket.
Location: Greater Richmond Convention Center
Immerse yourself in this one-of-a-kind traveling showcase that brings together hundreds of oddity vendors and artists from across the country, creating a playground for the strange, unusual and downright bizarre.
43rd Annual Carytown Watermelon Festival
Date: Sunday, August 10, 2025
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Tickets: Free (but bring cash for $2 watermelon bowls, vendors and more)
Location: Entrance of Carytown to Byrd Theatre
Experience the largest one-day festival in the state of Virginia, featuring 80 musicians, over 100 exhibitors, and tons of mouth-watering watermelon (plus one of the largest kids’ areas of any East Coast festival).
“If the headline is big enough, it makes the news big enough.“ – Citizen Kane, 1941