LSN : News : Need to Know 06 : 03 : 18

1. Selfridges believes luxury is greater than possessions

The Greatest Luxury by Kathryn Ferguson for Selfridges, UK

UK – Department store Selfridges has released a new campaign exploring different definitions of luxury. Part of Selfridges’ Radical Luxury series, the four-minute film, entitled The Greatest Luxury, which adopts an over-the-top kitsch aesthetic, features three creatives offering their idea of indulgence beyond the acquisition of material wealth.

Directed by Kathryn Ferguson, the film is a platform for musician and activist, Mykki Blanco, choreographer Holly Blakey and fashion designer Gareth Pugh, to explore luxury as an individual state-of-mind. ’I think having a body that moves is a luxury,’ says Blakey ‘It’s a lot about aligning mind and body in order to find a place of freedom.’

In line with Transcendent Wealth, the film demonstrates the evolving mindset of luxury consumers who are searching for personal development over physical signifiers of wealth.

2. Revere demystifies workout supplements

Revere, New York

New York – Revere is a new range of plant-based pre- and post-workout supplements with a focus on long-term health benefits rather than short-term gains. In line with Upstream Eating, the start-up taps into nutritional expertise to help improve physical performance, incorporating familiar superfoods like green tea, beetroot and sweet potato.

The protein supplement market is expected to show significant growth for the foreseeable future, reaching $21.5 billion by 2025 but as co-founder Jasper Nathaniel explains, many of the products currently on the market offer a hit of energy at the cost of ‘intense jitters and terrible crashes’.

‘We’re certainly not wrong for wanting more energy or better results faster,’ Nathaniel told Business Insider. ‘But it would probably be a lot healthier to avoid the supplements that cause jitters and crashes and have an ingredient list full of things we can’t pronounce.’

3. eBay launches affordable 'under $10' page

Global – The online marketplace is launching a new page that collates thousands of low cost items in one place. The items can be purchased instantly, without the need to bid, and will be eligible for free delivery.

The curated page allows shoppers to browse trending items across hundred of categories, such as men’s and women’s apparel, fitness, home decor, which have been categorised into sub-sections like ‘$5 Candles’ and ‘Under $10 Kitchen Gadgets’.

As examined in our Accessible Premium microtrend, e-commerce brands are re-imagining the dollar store online, increasing accessibility for thrifty consumers.

Under $10 by eBay

4. Dame makes periods more sustainable

D by Dame, UK

UK – Billed as the UK’s first reusable tampon applicator, D. by Dame seeks to reduce the effect tampons are having on the environment. Similar in premise to Thinx's re-usable applicator for the US market, the self-cleaning product has been created in partnership with medical engineers to ensure that it is both hygienic and comfortable. Developed over the course of 14 months, the product is manufactured using Mediprene, a material widely used in the medical and pharmaceutical markets and coated with antimicrobial sanipolymers to help keep it clean.

According to the brand, 100 billion menstrual products are thrown away globally each year, all of which either end up in landfills or polluting the ocean. Dame is part of a raft of brands that are shifting communications around menstruation and feminine hygiene care, working to normalise periods through better-designed products.

5. Number of connected cars soars

For the first time, the number of cars connected to the US wireless network in 2017 outstripped the number of smartphones added. As the Internet of Things gains momentum, automotive brands like Mini and General Motors are increasingly connecting their cars in order to expand their service offering. They, and other car marques are working to reframe cars as devices as opposed to simply vehicles that transport people.

For more on how connectivity is shaping mobility in the future, see our Far Futures series.

6. Thought-starter: Do women change when they become mothers?

As part of our Female Futures series, Beth Bentley, global VP of strategy at Virtue Worldwide, the creative marketing agency of Vice Media examines the dichotomy that occurs between her role as a new mother and a brand strategist.

I find myself caught between two worlds. One day I'm wandering the baby aisle wondering who on earth makes the decisions about how these brands are positioned. And the next I'm in a boardroom staring at a brand’s ‘gatekeeper mum’ segmentation analysis, wondering who on earth these pen portraits are in the real world.

They don’t describe the mothers I know. We don't morph into a new consumer typology when we have a baby, adopt a shared ‘mum’ worldview. Quite the opposite. We become more complex consumers. Not less. Our role in life is broader now, not narrower. Becoming a mother involves both change, but also unchange.

The change? Well, our spending patterns and triggers evolve. We buy things we didn’t before, possibly in differently ways – shopping more often, more online, or in altogether different stores.

But, what about the unchange? Read the full Opinion here.