LSN : News : Need to Know 16 : 02 : 18

1. Diesel creates a satirical fake offshoot

Deisel Go With the Fake, New York

New York – Diesel’s founder, Renzo Rosso, hopes to reinvigorate interest in the brand with a new pop-up that will stock branded ‘fakes’. ‘Diesel is back,’ said Rosso. ‘Diesel is modern. Diesel is a unique brand. Diesel is still alive with the real irony and with the real DNA that it used to have before.’

Known as Deisel, the purposefully misspelt branding will convey the idea that imperfection should be celebrated. Situated on Canal Street, a hotspot for fake designer outlets, the inconspicuous pop-up camouflages into its surroundings giving no exterior signal that the products within are in fact limited edition from Diesel itself.

As explored in our opinion piece, consumers are increasingly interested in the idea of a product beyond the product itself, leading to an acceptance of fakes as prized items in their own right.

2. Tmall launches its China Day to showcase Chinese fashion

Peacebird is one of the Chinese brands showing at China Day

China – Alibaba’s e-commerce platform, Tmall, collaborated with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) at this year’s New York Fashion Week to launch Tmall China Day as a celebration of Chinese fashion designers.

While the idea of presenting Chinese talent to a largely Western audience at fashion week is not a novel one – Alibaba’s biggest rival JD.com brought three designers to Milan Fashion Week in 2015 – the launch of China Day will help to introduce Chinese designers in a more systematic way, explains Jessica Liu, president of Tmall Fashion.

Alongside the introduction of China Day, Tmall also announced its Designer DT Innovative Plan, in which the brand will use its resources to nurture at least five private Chinese labels with revenues that exceed a Rmb100m this year.

In our Chinese Domestic Luxury Market, we look at how the tide is turning as Chinese consumers lose their obsession with Western brands, and at the same time Chinese brands look to highlight domestic products and talent on an international platform.

3. Philips creates LED lights to support the circadian rhythm

Prague – Philips has created a new LED lighting system that fluctuates according to the time of day to increase productivity at key times during the day. The lighting system, which will be installed in the refurbished Czech Republic headquarters of energy company Innogy, could provide the same energy hit as a cup of coffee, according to the designers.

‘We’ve taken our knowledge of how light physiologically benefits people from successful projects in hospitals and schools, and applied it to the offices space,’ said Jiří Tourek, country manager at Philips Lighting.

As explored in Brand 2020, in the near future brands will need to rethink the architecture of the workplace in a way that is conducive to increasing productivity.

Innogy headquarters, Czech Republic

4. Chile bans ads for sugar-laden foods aimed at kids

Estrellitas packaging before the regulations

Estrellitas packaging after the regulations

Chile – In a bid to tackle nationwide obesity levels, the Chilean government is banning all advertising of junk food on television before 10:00pm. The restrictions, which come into effect next year, follow laws introduced two years ago forcing brands to eradicate iconic cartoon characters, such as Tony the Tiger, from sugary cereal boxes.

The government has also banned the sale of ice cream, chocolate and potato crisps in Chilean schools and has banned the sale of chocolate such as Kinder Surprise, which use toys to capture children’s attention. The move, which has provoked outrage from the food and drink sector, has been heralded by nutritionists as the most ambitious move by a government to tackle junk food culture.

Every year the global obesity epidemic contributes to four million premature deaths a year, according to researchers. In our forthcoming macrotrend Morality Recoded, we will examine how brands from across morally dubious sectors are being forced to adapt their business model to ensure longevity. Book here for our annual Trend Briefing, where this and other long-term macrotrends will be unveiled.

5. AT Kearney examines the future of the mall

Compared to other countries, the US is ‘dramatically overstored’. This over-saturation of retail environments calls for fundamental changes to the way that way in which future stores are designed. The authors of the report envisage four approaches to such spaces – destination centres, innovation centres that test new retail concepts, community-led value centres and what AT Kearney dubs Retaildential spaces, which target a specific demographic such as Millennials.

6. Thought-starter: Why do Londoners love Nike?

Wieden + Kennedy London launched one of its most talked-about Nike campaigns to date, Nothing Beats A Londoner. Foresight editor Daniela Walker explores exactly why it resonated so much.

This week Nike released an ad that immediately went viral. In many ways, it was like a typical Nike ad – a lot of quick cuts and shots of athletes performing their various sports. But at the same time Nothing Beats A Londoner is also very different from what we are used to seeing from the sportswear brand. While there were a few celebrity cameos, it was mostly filled with real kids, real Londoners, playing their sport in their city.

The success of the advert can be attributed to Nike’s commitment to its local communities, which it has been honing for years. From the locally run clubs to the week-long activations connected to the Londoner campaign, the global brand is showing how to do local right.

See the full opinion here.