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An elastic brand identity you can also listen to

Kulturhuset (Bergen House of Culture). Identity by Reklamekollektivet, Norway

Bergen, Norway – Creative agency Reklamekollektivet is using the medium of sound to capture the spirit of The Kulturhuset, a music and culture centre in Bergen.

The centre’s new brand identity uses kinetic typography to reflect its eclectic musical programming, which spans a wide range of genres. As the typography changes shape, so too does the accompanying music, producing a dynamic sonic identity that introduces a new dimension to the usually motionless medium of graphic design. ‘Getting the right balance between order and chaos was a big focus point throughout the creative process,’ says Thomas Birkeland, creative director at Reklamekollektivet.

Although Sonic Branding is not a new concept – consider examples as far back as musician Brian Eno’s jingle for Windows 95 – this example demonstrates how it’s developing in a contemporary context, blending sound and typography to create dynamic identities for entertainment companies.

Strategic opportunity

Sound, fragrance, touch and taste are all sensory aspects of a brand's identity to consider. How can your company combine these features into a retail environment, for example?

Bulgari’s thinnest watch comes with an NFT

Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra, France

Italy – Measuring just 1.80mm, the Octo Finissimo Ultra is luxury brand Bulgari’s thinnest watch yet. It's the timepiece's digital capabilities, however, that truly set it apart from the competition.

In addition to its record-breaking slimness, the watch has a QR code that provides owners with unprecedented access to its full manufacturing process. By scanning the QR code, customers can enter a dedicated digital universe which includes interviews, making-of segments, and a virtual 3D tour of the movement, cogs and composition. Owners of the watch, which is available as one of a limited edition of 10, will receive their own NFT artwork inspired by the timepiece, which will also function as a blockchain-based proof of authenticity.

By including a QR code on its latest model, Bulgari is providing customers with a storytelling opportunity to learn more about the brand’s craftsmanship and heritage, but also a way to publicly flaunt Crypto-affluence.

Strategic opportunity

Luxury fashion houses should take inspiration from Bulgari and include QR codes that redirect clients to immersive resources and insight into the manufacturing process of each item

A shoppable hotel inspired entirely by Pinterest trends

London – Visual inspiration platform Pinterest is teaming up with UK retailer Argos to create The Mood Hotel, a concept hotel designed according to the latest interior trends that emerged in Pinterest’s annual report.

Located in the Town Hall Hotel in East London, the collaboration will bring to life Pinterest’s popular trends using Argos’s affordable homeware collection. The complimentary rooms will be open to the public from 2 to 4 April, and everything on display will be for sale, providing a unique opportunity for visitors to trial items before making a purchase. Themed rooms include the Luxe Room, which is inspired by the recent resurgence of plush velvets and gold accents, and the Escape Room, which has evolved from consumer desire to transform rooms into sanctuaries using minimalist design.

By taking an algorithmic approach to interior design, Pinterest is staging an analogue version of Feedback Frontiers, something we'll be exploring further in our forthcoming Retail Futures report.

The Mood Hotel by Argos in collaboration with Pinterest, UK

Strategic opportunity

Furniture companies should consider creating lounge spaces in the cities where urbanites can unwind, relax and experience new products instead of relying on static store concepts

Stat: Why thousands of plants are facing extinction

Brightseed, San Francisco

Plant species that do not benefit humans directly through medicine, sustenance or material resources are at the risk of extinction. According to research by academic journal Plants, People, Planet, some 20,290 plant species are heading for extinction simply because they have no apparent use for humans.

Although plant biodiversity is essential to thriving eco-systems and animal diversity, the study found that plants that can’t be exploited for economic purposes or aren’t valued for their aesthetic qualities are struggling to survive in the face of the escalating climate crisis. Among the more than 86,000 global plant species analysed in the study, only 6,749 were considered useful to humans, including rice, corn and wheat.

Since the beginning of the Anthropocene, a geological epoch marked by enormous human impact on the planet, society has been in urgent need of Whole-system Thinking to preserve biodiversity, not just the plants that we use every day.

Strategic opportunity

Consider how your company can get involved with rewilding initiatives or integrate regenerative agriculture into supply chain operations to help protect the natural world