LSN : Daily Signals : Need to Know 22 : 11 : 17

1. Uber ad campaign focuses on congestion in Asian cities

Boxes by Forsman & Bodenfors for Uber, Asia

Asia – A new advertising campaign by Uber addresses the issue of private car ownership in Asian cities. Created by Swedish agency Forsman & Bodenfors, Boxes is a response to research commissioned by Uber that shows that car owners in nine of Asia’s largest cities are stuck in traffic jams for an average of 52 minutes each day, and that drivers in Manila spend about 24 minutes each day looking for a parking space.

The campaign takes a tongue-in-cheek approach, with drivers outfitted in cardboard boxes attempting to navigate the busy streets of Manila. The city gradually becomes more congested as the drivers fight for space before becoming fully gridlocked as the tagline ‘Let’s create better cities. Let’s ride together’ fades into view. For more shifts in the Ride-share Market, click here.

2. HERE is an online community for LGBTQ teenagers

HERE by Seventeen magazine, US

US – Launched by Seventeen, a magazine aimed at 13–19-year-old female consumers, HERE is an online platform designed to elevate the voice of the LGBTQ youth community. The digital publication, which features articles with titles such as ‘What does being queer really mean?’ and ‘What being female means to girls’, aims to help LGBTQ teenagers navigate what can be a confusing period in their lives as they explore their identity.

‘While there are many amazing resources and platforms for the LGBTQ community, we felt that a place dedicated to young people who are exploring their identities and still coming out in the world was needed,’ Kristin Koch, editor of HERE, told Fashionista. Earlier this month Condé Nast launched Them magazine, which similarly enables members of the LGBTQ community to voice their opinions and discuss important issues in a safe space.

3. Estée Lauder introduces voice-led make-up tutorials

US – Beauty brand Estée Lauder has launched a voice-activated beauty app for Google’s Home Assistant. The Estée Lauder Nighttime Expert app offers personalised advice on the best night-time skincare routine by asking a series of questions. Users will also be asked if they would like to learn skincare application techniques, which the app provides in the form of a voice-led tutorial.

‘Adding voice experiences will unlock the next level of personalisation and help us reach a new generation of consumers,’ says Tricia Nichols, vice-president of global consumer marketing and engagement at Estée Lauder. In our Future of Voice Assistants Market, we examine how brands are using this technology to become closer to the consumer.

Estée Lauder Nighttime Expert app, US

4. Google leads the way on democratising 3D sound

Resonance Audio by Google, US

US – Google aims to revolutionise the worlds of augmented reality, virtual reality, gaming and 360-degree video with the recent launch of platforms Google Poly and now Resonance Audio. The spatial audio software development kit (SDK) uses high-quality digital signal processing algorithms to create hundreds of simultaneous 3D sound sources, which can be used across mobile and desktop devices to replicate ‘how real sound waves interact with human ears and with the environment’.

The platform uses technology taken from Google’s VR Audio SDK, and enables developers to specify the source of sound in a particular scene and move the audio directionally so that a player in a game or a viewer of a virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) experience does not hear the same sound if they move behind a character as they would if they were in front of it. As these mediums evolve, brands will need to consider how they can move into the augmented and virtual spaces.

5. US mothers prefer ads that depict the funny side of family life

As brands such as Yoplait and Babies R Us have demonstrated with their true-to-life advertising campaigns, parents are tired of the traditionally conveyed squeaky clean image of parenting, and instead are looking for a more authentic approach that acknowledges the highs, the lows and the funny moments. For more on how Millennials are driving a change in attitude about what it means to be a parent today, see our Market report.

6. Thought-starter: Will the digital pill transform healthcare?

As the first digital pill to be granted FDA approval is announced, junior journalist Rhiannon McGregor, examines what this means for the future of healthcare in light of the furore around privacy concerns.

Last week the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a version of the anti-psychotic drug aripiprazole that contains an ingestible sensor. While Abilify MyCite is not the first ingestible digital pill – BodyCap launched the e-Celsius Performance pill, which sends athletic performance data in real time to an external monitor, in 2016 – the FDA approval points to a future in which digital pills are an integral part of the healthcare system.

The approval of the pill has sparked privacy concerns because alongside tracking whether a patient has taken their medication, it also tracks patients’ activity levels, sleep patterns, heart rate and steps. Yet is this not exactly what fitness trackers and smartphone health apps are already recording? Is it necessary for a pill to be so invasive, or could it be the first step in fostering a better relationship between doctors and their patients?

Read the full Opinion here.