News 16.02.2022

Need to Know

Anytime Fitness takes on toxic gym culture, ski apparel embraces the rental market and Europeans seek healing travel experiences.

Anytime Fitness is championing gym inclusivity

Any Body, Any Time by Anytime Fitness and Performics Mercerbell, Australia

Australia – Responding to the lack of inclusivity in the fitness sector, gym chain Anytime Fitness is challenging typical assumptions about who goes to the gym. Dubbed Any Body, Any Time, the campaign features a diverse range of people with differing needs and reasons why they work out.

The core message of the campaign is that anyone is welcome at Anytime Fitness, no matter what their body type, fitness level, ability or background. To ensure this mission is reflected in its spaces, it's also conducting an accessibility audit of its gyms and training staff in how to accommodate people with sensory needs as well as disabilities.

By taking this holistic approach to improving its accessibility, Anytime Fitness avoids tokenistic efforts on diversity. ‘It is our mission to lead the fitness industry in advocating inclusivity – by transforming our culture, environment and member experience,’ says Caitlin Bancroft, chief marketing officer at Anytime Fitness, highlighting the ongoing need to prioritise Inclusive Fitness and reframe modern fitness culture beyond its privileged roots.

Strategic opportunity

Rather than starting with a marketing campaign, take note from Anytime Fitness by auditing the accessibility of your own spaces, services and internal workplace culture before putting a message out to consumers

The motorbike designed to put an end to poaching

Ösa AP by Cake, Sweden Ösa AP by Cake, Sweden
Ösa AP by Cake, Sweden Ösa AP by Cake, Sweden

Stockholm – Swedish automotive company Cake is joining the anti-poaching movement in South Africa with the launch of an electric motorbike. Combatting this illegal activity, the Electric Bush Bike is a lightweight motorcycle that allows park rangers to approach poachers without being seen or heard.

Cake's engineers created the purpose-built motorbike in partnership with the Southern African Wildlife College, a conservation charity that trains park rangers to tackle poaching. Without a combustion engine, the electric, off-road bike can stalk poachers silently, without being detected. In addition, the solar-charged vehicle does not require fuel deliveries, which can be inconvenient, expensive and unsustainable for rangers working deep in the African wilderness.

The Bush Bike demonstrates how product design can be used to problem-solve – looking beyond sustainability issues and more widely at localised crises like poaching. ‘Supporting multiple challenges in transport, our electric motorcycles have proven to be a winner in areas with sensitive environments and uncertain supply of traditional fuel,’ explains Stefan Ytterborn, founder and CEO of Cake.

Strategic opportunity

Designing for better futures should not only be designing for a better climate. Companies should consider how they can adapt their technology to support social causes such as injustice or more localised issues

GORE-TEX launches outerwear-on-demand

US – Targeting winter sports enthusiasts, GORE-TEX – a durable performance fabric company – has announced an Outerwear on Demand rental programme, bringing an exclusive collection of rentable garments to 15 ski resorts across the US.

The range of mix-and-match ski wear is designed to offer outdoor enthusiasts access to top-of-the-line GORE-TEX performance technology without the hassle of travelling with bulky winter wear, making it ideal for occasional skiers or those prioritising ‘usership’ over ‘ownership’, as seen in our Liberation Luxury trend.

Garments are designed for destination-specific conditions, making them ideal for the rental lifecycle. Boasting adaptable fit, pieces will be cleaned and repackaged locally to avoid the carbon cost of shipping and reduce the labour of upkeep.

This concept of outerwear-on-demand is an evolution of our Voyage Apparel microtrend, in which we saw brands launch services that consider the limitations of travel luggage and offer rentable solutions.

GORE-TEX, US

Strategic opportunity

Fashion brands are well equipped to partner with travel destinations and hotels for location-exclusive collections that allow travellers to pack light

Stat: Europeans travel to improve mental health

Trippin, Global Trippin, Global

As Covid restrictions are relaxed and the tourism industry springs back to life, Europeans are prioritising their mental health when organising trips abroad. According to research in five countries by Accor, two-thirds of Europeans want to travel to improve their mental wellbeing and relieve stress.

The report reveals how consumer priorities are influencing the inter-Covid travel landscape. During this liminal time, people are looking for comfort and tranquility – 31% are seeking a beach holiday, 28% want to take a break from the city, and 27% want to spend time in nature.

‘We expect this trend for betterment, mindfulness and wellbeing to be part of the travel experience for years to come, accelerated by the opportunities lost to Covid,’ explains Karelle Lamouche, chief commercial officer for Accor Northern Europe at Accor. ‘Travel is back, experiences are back, and Europe is starting 2022 with optimism.’

The pandemic has profoundly affected the way that we travel, work and play. As consumers embrace travel to relieve stress and reset their mental health, discover why founder of Design Hotels Claus Sendlinger believes the future of hospitality lies in contemplative spaces.

Strategic opportunity

As travellers place a premium on wellbeing, hospitality venues should equip their bedrooms with soothing oils, relaxing reads, and all the accoutrements necessary to create a chamber for contemplation

Previous News Articles
Iris van Herpen unveils Sympoiesis at Paris Haute Couture Week

News

Iris van Herpen unveils Sympoiesis at Paris Haute Couture Week

At Paris Haute Couture Week, Iris van Herpen unveiled Sympoiesis, a collection steeped in material innovation.
Couture : Fashion : Bioluminescent Algae
Foresight Friday: Dan Hastings, deputy foresight editor

News

Foresight Friday: Dan Hastings, deputy foresight editor

Every Friday, we offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about.
Fashion : Luxury : Pop Culture & Media
Stat: Global spending on leisure travel will triple by 2040

News

Stat: Global spending on leisure travel will triple by 2040

A new report by Boston Consulting Group reveals that the global leisure travel market is set to triple in value, growing from £3.51 trillion ($4.25...
Travel : Hospitality : Tourism
Tripadvisor rebranding elevates travellers’ voices

News

Tripadvisor rebranding elevates travellers’ voices

Tripadvisor has unveiled a major rebranding led by creative studio Koto, marking its evolution from a pioneering travel guide into a global booking...
Travel : Hospitality : Design
Atlanta’s first women’s sports bar Jolene Jolene redefines the game

News

Atlanta’s first women’s sports bar Jolene Jolene redefines the game

Jolene Jolene, Atlanta’s first-ever women’s sports bar, is proof that interest in women’s sports is reshaping the traditionally male-dominated spor...
Hospitality : Sports : Leisure
Stat: Gen Z aren’t quitting alcohol after all

News

Stat: Gen Z aren’t quitting alcohol after all

New research challenges the narrative that Gen Z are the sober generation.
Statistic : Generation Z : Alcohol
Pattern Beauty brings authenticity and curl culture to tv with first-ever commercial

News

Pattern Beauty brings authenticity and curl culture to tv with first-ever commercial

Tracee Ellis Ross has launched Pattern Beauty’s first ever tv commercial, a 60-second spot that blends humour, nostalgia and a celebration of textu...
Haircare : Pattern Beauty : Beauty
The Messenger bot quietly transforming women’s safety in Jordan

News

The Messenger bot quietly transforming women’s safety in Jordan

A discreet digital tool is offering life-saving support to vulnerable women in Jordan.
Artifical Intelligence : Technology : Women's Safety
Stat: Study finds TikTok is reshaping luxury discovery

News

Stat: Study finds TikTok is reshaping luxury discovery

A new study in the US, the UK, France and Italy, commissioned by TikTok, reveals a structural shift in how consumers discover luxury, inc...
Statistic : TikTok : Luxury
BMW rebrands motorcycling as digital detox

News

BMW rebrands motorcycling as digital detox

BMW Motorrad and its UAE dealership AGMC have launched Throttle Therapy, a series of 10-second videos positioning motorcycling as a form of digital...
Health & Wellness : Advertising : Digital Detox
You have 2 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN