LSN : News : A smart skin serum that scales personalisation

Postdates is a mock delivery service for bad break-ups

Postdates, US

US – Postdates' tongue-in-cheek service allows newly single people to seamlessly get belongings back from their exes. At first glance, it seems like a useful service to help users avoid uncomfortable confrontations, but the project has an ulterior motive: to raise questions about our reliance on technology.

Launched by the creative team behind the satirical Amazon Dating site, Postdates is now live in New York and Los Angeles for a limited time. Users can either request or send possessions that have been left behind, choosing from packages such as Lived Together – in which items include dog bowls and a cast-iron skillet – or Hooked Up, which ranges from commonly requested hoodies to iPhone chargers. The brand has partnered with delivery services Airpals and Gourmet Runner to connect the broken-hearted with a driver for 24-hour delivery.

Campaigns that parody our incessant start-up culture may be nothing new, but Postdates is taking this a step further by launching as a fully operational service. The concept intends to hold a mirror up to society’s use of convenience services to avoid awkward conversations and human moments that are integral to developing a resilient sense of self.

Strategic opportunity

Convenience has accelerated, but a backlash may be looming. Brands should create services that re-introduce clumsy moments of human connection rather than alleviating these frictions with technology.

Prismaster is a reality show for a supermarket

Prismaster by Prisma, Finland

Finland – Prisma, the Finnish supermarket group, recently created Prismaster, a fake reality tv show to showcase its product assortment in an unexpected yet entertaining way. The chain invited six Finnish celebrities to compete against one another in stores in three cities.

In an attempt to highlight the brand’s promise that ‘We have everything’, the contestants performed a variety of tasks in Prisma hypermarkets. Ranging from customising shopping trolleys to coming up with new sports, each task was intended to highlight Prisma’s product selection. The show was also produced and distributed by the contestants themselves and streamed live on their Instagram channels, where they attracted more than 2m views in total.

Building on themes previously seen in the rise of Media Kitchens, Prismaster is an example of a disruptive way for a retailer to build awareness and engagement by combining elements of reality shows and social media entertainment.

Strategic opportunity

Retailers can subvert influencer marketing and creatively use the live-streaming capabilities of social media platforms to combine entertainment and marketing concepts in novel ways.

A smart skin serum that scales personalisation

UK – Responding to demand for multi-purpose products that streamline rather than complicate routines, skincare brand Dermalogica has developed an advanced formula said to address micro-changes in the skin before they are visible.

The brand’s Smart Response Serum is said to intelligently respond to skin’s needs in real time, therefore helping to prevent future damage. To deliver this personalised response, the formula uses a combination of four active ingredients: Japanese cornelian cherry, mannose-6-phosphate, hydrolysed wheat flour and oligosaccharides.

‘We got to thinking about smart devices that anticipate what we want before we do, and we wanted that same level of intelligence in skincare, which is what we’ve done with this product,’ says Angela Murphy, vice-president of technology and innovation for Dermalogica. ‘It’s true scalable personalisation in a bottle.’

As personalisation in the beauty sector booms, brands are exploring adaptive products that track changes in skin and environment – as demonstrated by the rise of situational skincare solutions.

Dermalogica Smart Response Serum

Strategic opportunity

With true personalisation often proving difficult to scale, there is a gap in the skincare market for products that can adapt to the skin’s changing needs.

Stat: UK travellers recreate culinary tourism at home

Ramen noodles by Immi

Following a travel drought, international cuisine is front and centre in the minds of wanderlust-hit British consumers. A UK study by OnePoll on behalf of speciality cooking oils brand U:ME found that more than four in 10 adults travel abroad just for the food, with Italy, Greece and Thailand considered the top culinary destinations.

With Britons finding themselves missing the authentic food experiences that make up their globe-trotting adventures, as many as 26% are recreating these memorable meals at home, with 24% sourcing a recipe from locals during past trips. The oils brand behind the research is positioning its products as mini-holidays. ‘Simple hacks like experimenting with different oils and using authentic ingredients can bring dishes to life and give a taste of that treasured holiday memory,’ explains Ria Joyce, senior marketing manager for U:ME.

With consumers experimenting with at-home food hacks to recreate global cuisines, food and drink is becoming a key sector for brands to embrace the Imagination Travel market.

Strategic opportunity

Although international travel is resuming, many consumers are still nervous about jetting off. By bringing people authentic global culinary experiences to their homes, brands can help engage with those who may be wary of travelling again.