LSN : News : Xbox’s Rough Guide to exploring virtual worlds

Open Spaces is a DTC brand for mindful tidying

Open Spaces

Open Spaces by Pattern Brands, US

Open Spaces

US – Open Spaces is encouraging people to tidy their homes – using its storage solutions – as a new form of wellbeing.

Post-Marie Kondo, the brand is highlighting how burnout from work and daily demands can be manifest in the home as clutter and untidiness. In response, Open Spaces is positioning tidying as a mindful part of domestic living with a series of home storage units, shelves and storage sets for kitchens and bedrooms.

The direct-to-consumer range is supported by a series of online tidying guides curated to suit a variety of personality types. Tapping into people’s desire for a sense of control in the home, while also giving them time to focus on friends, loved ones, hobbies and rest, Open Spaces wants its storage products to help make the home a haven. ‘When a rising sensation of burnout began to encroach on our wellbeing, home became a counterpoint to our busy world – a sacred space to focus on the most fulfilling aspects of our daily lives,’ reads its website.

As we explore in our Home Cleaning Market, glossy domestic influencers and design-led, eco-friendly start-ups are increasingly positioning tidying up as an act of wellbeing.

Xbox’s Rough Guide to exploring virtual worlds

The Rough Guide to Xbox by Xbox and McCann London in partnership with Rough Guides

UK – Xbox has launched a travel book in partnership with Rough Guides – the first edition by the company to be dedicated to holiday destinations in virtual worlds.

Working with McCann London, the book echoes typical travel guides with tips, suggestions and detailed imagery. Positioned as a travel companion in the same way as other Rough Guides, it has a crucial point of difference: the places featured can only be experienced virtually in Xbox games.

Featuring destinations from Xbox games such as Halo 5: Guardians, Metro Exodus and Forza Horizon 4, the book encourages players to engage with virtual architecture and characters, allowing them to create travel memories without having to leave their home. ‘We have explored the notion of digital tourism through the worlds of our Xbox One X Enhanced Games, showcased expertly through beautifully crafted Rough Guides editorial,’ explains Michael Flatt, Xbox global integrated marketing and EMEA partnerships lead.

As we explore in our E-tourism microtrend, travel and hospitality brands are levelling up their services to embrace the thrills, sights and sounds of competitive gaming.

Ford uses voice technology to deter car thieves

UK – Voice imprints combined with 3D printing are allowing Ford to deter even the most sophisticated car thieves.

In a bid to create its most secure alloy wheels to date, Ford has developed locking nuts on each wheel that require a unique key to undo them – created using the owner’s voice soundwaves.

Developed with 3D printing specialist EOS, the nuts each have a locking mechanism that doubles as biometric identification of the owner, much like a fingerprint or iris scan. To achieve the unique soundwave pattern, engineers record drivers saying a phrase such as: ‘I drive a Ford Mustang’. Software converts their voice waves into a pattern that can be printed in metal, creating the bespoke nuts and corresponding key.

'It’s one of the worst experiences for a driver, to find their car up on blocks with all four wheels gone. Some alloy wheels can cost thousands to replace, but these unique rim nuts will stop thieves in their tracks,’ says Raphael Koch, a research engineer at Ford of Europe.

Ford’s use of voice technology demonstrates a new direction for Sonic Identities, where brands use sound as both an identifier and a way to differentiate their products.

Ford personalised nuts

Stat: Young people splash out to look good at live events

The Beauty of Live report from events organiser Live Nation reveals the increasingly important role that make-up, skincare and grooming play in young people’s lives when it comes to events such as festivals and concerts.

The research reveals that Generation Z and Millennials in the UK and the US are increasingly investing time and money into their appearance for live music – with two in three women buying beauty or fashion specifically for live music events and spending an average of £80 ($104, €94) and £103 ($135, €122), respectively, per festival or concert.

The report suggests this desire to look good when attending events is because young people know they’ll be featured in photos or videos during the event. In fact, some 52% of respondents say posting photos or videos on social media encourages them to put more effort into their grooming and beauty routines.

For more on Generation Z's changing attitudes towards make-up – and the emerging opportunities – explore our Teen Beauty Market.