LSN : News : The artist bringing culture, wellness and education to the metaverse

Samsung’s shoppable model homes re-imagine social commerce

Model Homes by BBH Singapore for Samsung, Singapore

Singapore – Consumer electronics giant Samsung has partnered with advertising agency BBH Singapore for a campaign allowing customers to shop for its products directly on social media. The social-first shopping format combines Instagram browsing with frictionless in-platform payments.

A series of miniature model homes mimic the feel of a shop window, showcasing the brand’s products in tiny sets inspired by interior styling trends from Dark Academia to Neon Maximalist. Running across Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore, the campaign aims to create an immersive, cosy feel, tapping into the immediacy of social media to show how Samsung products can slot into home designs.

‘This creative seeks to turn scrollers into shoppers, drawing people into the charming worlds of these model homes, filled with craft and interior design flair,’ says Olivier Bockenmeyer, head of corporate marketing for Southeast Asia and Oceania at Samsung Electronics.

Social media continues to reshape shopping, providing a platform that gives brands and retailers new ways to serve up interactive and shoppable content to users online.

Strategic opportunity

Consider how to create intimate-feeling shop windows online. Use in-app payment platforms to create a seamless journey from discovery to purchase.

The artist bringing culture, wellness and education to the metaverse

[0] created by Krista Kim in partnership with Peter Martin, Los Angeles

Los Angeles – Pronounced ‘zero’, [0] is a new innovation lab and creative studio founded by metaverse artist Krista Kim and producer Peter Martin that is designed to bring forward a new vision for the metaverse, developing realistic digital humans and immersive experiences for a more open, interoperable virtual world.

In place of the gaming-centric vision now dominating the emerging image of the metaverse, [0] aims to realise the untapped potential for other types of enriching content to flourish, including wellness and meditation. ‘The metaverse has the power to deliver accessible wellness programmes to millions through powerful immersive experiences at the intersection of art, science and technology,’ says Kim. By 2023, the company hopes to roll out a series of initiatives promoting education and healing in the metaverse.

In partnership with industry leaders including The Third Floor, Blvck Pixel, and Valis Studio, the new studio is looking to create a virtual space that adds meaning and value to our lives, in line with the themes we explored in The Betterverse.

Strategic opportunity

When exploring new metaverse strategies, be sure to put people and ethics first. Foster virtual spaces that allow visitors to interact with your brand on an emotional level

The dating app promoting financial education in the Black community

US – BLK, a dating and lifestyle app for Black singles, has launched its Break the Bank campaign to boost financial literacy and help combat inflation. Created in partnership with networking collective The Gathering Spot, the initiative coincides with Black Business Month and will also include a contest giving away gift cards to fund dates at Black-owned businesses.

In a recent survey, BLK found that 69% of Black singles say the rising cost of living is affecting their dating and social lives, with 66% saying they are taking longer to get to know someone online before embarking on a first date. ‘Our Break the Bank initiative will not only allow us to bring people together to build meaningful connections, but it also gives us an opportunity to support Black-owned businesses in our community. It’s truly a win-win situation,’ says Jonathan Kirkland, head of brand and marketing for BLK.

With the cost of living crisis deepening existing racial inequalities, Affirmative Banking disruptors that cater for the needs of marginalised groups are rallying around their communities and building deep loyalty based on mutual trust and understanding.

Break the Bank initiative by BLK in collaboration with The Gathering Spot, US

Strategic opportunity

Create tailored services to better cater for the specific needs of marginalised groups, working alongside communities and selected partners to understand what’s required

Stat: China’s real estate market is crashing

China

China’s real estate market was down 40% in July compared to the same month one year ago, according to Bloomberg, and hundreds of thousands of home-owners across more than 100 cities are refusing to pay their mortgages on unfinished homes as the nation’s property crisis deepens.

Beijing’s 2020 crackdown on excessive borrowing has led to massively indebted property developers failing to finish projects, which is in turn suppressing consumer buying power, with the entire situation worsened by the economic fallout from continuing pandemic restrictions.

Cities are coming up with unusual methods to encourage sales, including arranging for residents to make purchases as a group, and developers accepting wheat and garlic crops as downpayments on rural properties.

Read more about why the future is impossible to predict in China in our viewpoint with venture capitalist Edith Yeung.