LSN : Daily Signals : Heron Preston crowdsources 3D-printed sneaker ideas

A magazine for redheads moves into suncream

MC1R sunscreen, Germany and France

Hamburg – To coincide with the launch of its latest print issue, MC1R magazine has launched a limited-edition ‘redhead approved’ suncream as a playful nod to its readership. The cruelty-free, SPF50 product is the result of a partnership with German suncare brand Suns Care, with the bottle designed by Yulia Rozova.

Named after the melanocortin 1 hormone receptor, the so-called ginger gene behind red hair, the magazine occupies a specific niche but is well known for its dedicated community and graphic design. The bottle leans into the latter, with a bold all-caps typeface, vivid purple backdrop and contrasting orange sun logo. Perfectly timed for its summer issue, the release is a nod to the fact that redheads are highly susceptible to the sun. Speaking about the ‘redhead approved’ claim shared on the bottle, MC1R’s editor Tristan Rodgers says: ‘This claim is nice to communicate the concept with a bit more fun: with the strong design we are also loud on the flacon [bottle] and packaging.’

As SPF’s skintellectual future comes to fruition, this release puts a fresh and community-based spin on leisure-enhancing suncream, speaking directly to the magazine's audience in a way that feels personal and authentic.

Strategic opportunity

How can products speak to a specific audience? Explore how playful limited-edition product drops can help strengthen a brand’s community

Heron Preston crowdsources 3D-printed sneaker ideas

HERON01 Version 0.81 by Heron Preston and Zellerfeld, US

North America – To produce the latest version of its HERON01 sneaker, the streetwear brand has been tapping into feedback from beta testers who purchased the first iteration of the shoe in late 2021. Using detailed feedback on form and function has allowed it to update the design to create a better fit with improved support.

The sneaker is a collaboration with Zellerfeld, a 3D-printed shoe design company founded by a group of engineering students in 2015. The 3D-printing technology used to create the shoes allows customer feedback to be incorporated into future designs without significantly affecting manufacturing costs. Updates can be input via software and printed out immediately – rather than undergoing the time-consuming trial and error process associated with traditional footwear design. Zellerfeld plans to expand its operations to continue tapping into the potential of 3D-printed sports performance wear, with beta testers set to be a regular part of the process.

With consumers increasingly expecting a say in how the brands they love operate, this collaboration sets a template for how both brands and customers can benefit from Dynamic Democracy in action.

Strategic opportunity

Consider how customer feedback can be incorporated effectively into the design process, and how innovative manufacturing methods can help to eliminate inefficiencies and create better products

Bumble connects local businesses with Singapore daters

Singapore – With daters in Singapore increasingly seeking opportunities to make in-person connections, dating app Bumble has launched a campaign to promote experiences for two. Created in collaboration with 13 small businesses in the country, the Date Do What campaign includes a date generator questionnaire to help daters find an experience tailored to their hobbies and interests.

Users aligning themselves with the Adventurous category, for example, will be recommended experiences with local businesses offering activities such as kayaking or roller skating. Meanwhile, a Foodies category will match users with a variety of local eateries. Through this campaign, Bumble is showing a continued evolution of its efforts to facilitate physical meetings – something we identified through the launch of its New York-based café and wine bar.

Lucille McCart, APAC director for Bumble, says: ‘The brand’s partnership with local small businesses helps create a fun environment for singles to bond with their dates and hopefully develop meaningful and lasting connections.’ Elsewhere, we’ve previously explored the ways in which Generation Z are embracing in-person dating.

Bumble Brew

Strategic opportunity

Leisure and entertainment venues have an opportunity to position themselves as destinations for meeting potential friends and love interests. Consider how you might facilitate safe spaces for such connections to occur

Stat: Love Island moves the dial on pre-loved fashion

Love Island and eBay, UK

While reality tv show Love Island has historically been known for promoting fast fashion, this year’s collaboration with second-hand marketplace eBay is already pointing towards a promising consumer shift.

According to findings from the show’s network ITV, searches for ‘pre-loved fashion’ on eBay have risen 700% since the announcement, while Google has reported 756% more searches for ‘eBay pre-loved clothes’. Since the tie-up between Love Island and eBay was revealed in May, these results already indicate viewers’ willingness to adopt more sustainable habits.

Brett Staniland, a former contestant from Love Island, says: ‘The impact Love Island has socially and culturally in the UK is huge, as well as setting a precedent for other popular tv shows, so I’m still optimistic as to which other shows might change their sponsorship and where this all goes in the next few months.’ These figures demonstrate the powerful impact that media and communications can have on elevating Second-hand Brands.

Strategic opportunity

Popular media campaigns can greatly influence consumer decisions. How might fashion brands collaborate with film and tv brands to promote sustainable behaviours such as upcycling?