News 07.10.2021

Need to Know

Emma Lewisham sets new standards in circular beauty, Arctic spirits create drinkable tourism in Japan and Hollywood still lacks Latinx representation.

X11 is a toy shop for China’s Generation Z parents

X11 Global Flagship Store by BloomDesign, Shanghai
X11 global flagship store by BloomDesign, Shanghai
X11 global flagship store by BloomDesign, Shanghai

Shanghai – X11, a retail concept that boasts the largest toy collection in China, aims to attract a new demographic of Generation Z parents. The space, set over two floors, exhibits toys from around the world in a similar vein to artworks, using photogenic backdrops in order to tap into this generation’s passion for documenting retail spaces on social media.

By tapping into the region’s long-standing experiential retail trend and marketing this towards a new generation of parents, X11 is using maximalist design to elevate the traditional toy shop. With the store, BloomDesign, the architects behind the project, aim to promote discovery, playfulness and exploration – values that complement the toy market and appeal to a youthful Chinese demographic who are keen to shop for home-grown brands.

With newly imposed policies allowing parents in China to have three children for the first time in 42 years, X11 is well positioned to capture the burgeoning market of Gen Z parents. With the shop appealing to both children and adult collectors, it represents a shift in China’s Emerging Youth Market, as consumers who were once considered youth become parents themselves.

Strategic opportunity

All eyes are on China as it relaxes its strict family policies. Companies should adopt retail concepts associated with creative Gen Zs to reach this new lucrative market of young Chinese parents

Emma Lewisham raises the sustainable beauty bar

Emma Lewisham, New Zealand Emma Lewisham, New Zealand
Emma Lewisham, New Zealand Emma Lewisham, New Zealand

New Zealand – The natural beauty brand is pushing industry standards with the announcement of its fully circular product range and carbon-positive status. Showcasing a holistic approach to the environment, the brand is introducing refillable packaging and a convenient take-back scheme in partnership with waste management company TerraCycle.

Together with environmental certification agency Toitū Envirocare, Emma Lewisham is also measuring and positively offsetting emissions throughout its entire supply chain – including the harvesting of raw ingredients, transport, product packaging and end-of-life for each product. The brand is recognising the importance of providing open-source sustainability for the wider industry to learn from, by publishing its circularity guidelines. If we are to ensure packaging is recycled, brands must take ownership of their materials and work with customers to take back all packaging globally to be recycled through specialised recycling partners who ensure this happens, explains Lewisham.

Through this fully circular and sustainable approach, the beauty brand is setting a positive example to similar businesses that are contributing to the rise of Bio-positive Beauty.

Strategic opportunity

FMCG brands should take inspiration from Emma Lewisham and design zero-waste solutions into each of their strategies. For a start, launch take-back packaging schemes to boost convenience for customers

This Tokyo pop-up spotlights Arctic-made spirits

Japan – Drinks importer King Barrel is courting Japanese audiences with an Arctic-themed pop-up shop in Tokyo’s Ginza shopping district. Capitalising on Japanese consumers' fascination with the Northern Lights, the pop-up will showcase spirits distilled in the Arctic Circle – including those made by Aurora Spirit, the world’s northernmost distillery.

Open until December 2021, one focus of the retail space will be on aquavit, a spirit that has recently gained traction in the region. This will sit alongside a range of Arctic whiskies, gins and herbal liqueurs. By tapping into local tourism desires in this way, King Barrel joins a growing number of distillers that are transporting drinkers to unexpected territories through elevated spirits.

As travel experiences remain largely restricted in Japan, food and drink brands should explore ways of generating excitement over international flavours. Elsewhere, we’ve previously identified the ways that marketers are selling the sensorial nature of travel to create intrigue among audiences.

Aurora Spirit Distillery, Norway

Strategic opportunity

Food and drink brands should focus on hyper-local nuances to market new products as de facto travel experiences, using these experiences to tap into all five senses

Stat: Hollywood falls behind in Latino representation

Ceremonia Ceremonia

The media and entertainment industries continue to lack representation of people of the global majority, especially when it comes to Latinx and Hispanic communities. The USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative at the University of Southern California recently released a study that found that just 5% of all 51,158 speaking characters identified across a sample of 1,300 Hollywood films were Hispanic or Latino.

The representation of women from these backgrounds was found to be particularly low, accounting for just 1.9% of all leads or co-leads, and 43.6% of the most popular films of the past 13 years didn’t feature even one Hispanic or Latino character. Ariana Case, the study’s lead author, highlights the role of the industry in represents modern America, as well as the highly diverse city of Los Angeles, in which many of these films are set: ‘This community represents nearly 20% of the US population and nearly half of Los Angeles residents and yet remains almost invisible on screen.’

While these communities have long faced a lack of portrayals in mainstream media, Hispanic youth are taking it upon themselves to boost their representation through activism, music and beauty.

Strategic opportunity

Media, entertainment and advertising companies have a responsibility to accurately represent diverse groups. As well as including Latinx folk in front of the camera, work to embed them behind the scenes too

Previous News Articles
Cash App taps Timothée Chalamet for youth-friendly money talk

News

Cash App taps Timothée Chalamet for youth-friendly money talk

Cash App has launched an integrated brand campaign featuring Academy Award-nominated actor Timothée Chalamet which aims to foster intergenerational...
Finance : Gen Z : Youth
Foresight Friday: Rose Coffey, senior foresight analyst

News

Foresight Friday: Rose Coffey, senior foresight analyst

Every Friday, The Future Laboratory team offers an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, ...
Beauty : The Synthocene Era : Virtual Beauty
Stat: Southeast Asia is TikTok’s largest advertising audience

News

Stat: Southeast Asia is TikTok’s largest advertising audience

Southeast Asia now accounts for nearly a quarter of TikTok’s global advertising audience, according to the Digital 2025: July Statshot report.
Statistic : Stat : Southeast Asia
Spktrl’s AI diamond ring aims to cut screen time

News

Spktrl’s AI diamond ring aims to cut screen time

Parisian start-up Spktrl is reimagining wearable technology with the launch of its AI-powered Light Ring, a piece of high jewellery designed to cur...
Wellness : Augmented Human : The Synthocene Era
Represent launches in-person fitness competition 247 Mission Rivington

News

Represent launches in-person fitness competition 247 Mission Rivington

British fashion brand Represent has held its first-ever fitness event, 247 Mission Rivington, with 100 athletes competing in a 12‑hour endurance ch...
Sport : Fashion : Fitness
Stat: Technological innovation is driving the future of beauty

News

Stat: Technological innovation is driving the future of beauty

Wealth divides, digital tools and regional identity are reshaping the international beauty market, according to The State of Fashion: Beauty Volume...
Statistic : Stat : Beauty
AI-generated images of animals in plastic help WWF-Korea raise awareness about pollution

News

AI-generated images of animals in plastic help WWF-Korea raise awareness about pollution

WWF-Korea has launched Animal Trash Fashion, a powerful out-of-home campaign using AI to starkly illustrate the devastating impact of plastic pollu...
Sustainability : Design : Advertising
Rixo launches pre-loved resale platform

News

Rixo launches pre-loved resale platform

British fashion brand Rixo is expanding its circular ambitions with the launch of Rixo Pre-Loved, a resale platform where customers buy and sell it...
Retail : Fashion : Sutainability
Stat: Global business travel spending hits historic high

News

Stat: Global business travel spending hits historic high

Business travel is set to reach a record £1.18 trillion ($1.57 trillion, €1.36 trillion) by the end of 2025, according to ...
Stat : Statistic : Global Travel Market
Axe gamifies fragrance sampling with arcade-inspired bus stop activation

News

Axe gamifies fragrance sampling with arcade-inspired bus stop activation

Axe is making fragrance sampling fun again with a new campaign for its Cherry Fizz body spray.
Advertising : Fragrance : Retail
You have 0 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN