LSN : News : Google Maps’ new vibe check feature targets Gen Z

Dall-E co-creates branding for climate influencer Isodope

Isodope branding by &Walsh, US

Brazil – Pro-nuclear energy virtual influencer Isodope enlisted creative agency &Walsh to come up with an other-worldly visual identity, designed in tandem with Dall-E. Isodope is the online persona of influencer, model and digital fashion designer Isabelle Boemeke, which she uses to amplify her voice and to advocate for the role of nuclear energy in mitigating the climate crisis.

Tasked with designing Isodope’s branding, New York-based agency &Walsh employed AI image-generating programme Dall-E to generate unique imagery, iconography and typography. The use of AI is a way for the Isodope team to be able to dynamically change the brand elements as the conversation about nuclear energy evolves.

Isodope’s universe features a classroom from the future, meant to inspire a sense of urgency and inspiration. ‘Climate communications often get washed out. The other-worldly persona encourages people to pay attention,’ explains &Walsh.

This future-facing project is at the forefront of innovation, putting AI-vertisements to use for the purpose of climate activism through the voice of a virtual influencer.

Strategic opportunity

As employing AI for creative projects becomes more common, explore how you can maximise its potential and make it work with you rather than for you

These Argos billboards will display IRL and in the metaverse

The real-world out-of-house Argos campaign on Holland Park roundabout in London by Ocean Outdoor, UK

Holland Park Roundabout display by Ocean Outdoor and Somnium Space NFT for the Argos campaign, UK

UK – Argos is launching cross-platform advertisements, with billboards showing simultaneously in the metaverse and on roadside screens in the real world. The launch is a partnership with digital media group OceanOutdoor and metaverse specialist LandVault. British catalogue retailer Argos, known for its physical stores, wants to move away from traditional channels and experiment with more cutting-edge technology.

OceanOutdoor will offer support in creating the infrastructure for the cross-platform billboards and LandVault will synchronise the content between physical and virtual billboards. Physical billboards are being placed on roadside screens, including a Holland Park roundabout in London, with a digital copy of the billboard in the metaverse.

The campaign will be one of the first of its kind, immersing audiences in a cross-platform experience. ’This is a truly unique moment for the metaverse since it provides the first-ever ability for audiences to connect with brands and physical items in an immersive, cross-reality way,’ says Artur Sychov, founder of Somnium Space.

Online game Roblox also experimented with in-game advertising, showing how brands are diversifying their channels and using the metaverse to gain maximum exposure.

Strategic opportunity

The metaverse is an emerging platform. Look for ways you can use the momentum centred around virtual reality and experiment with omnichannel marketing in preparation for a cross-platform world

Google Maps’ new vibe check feature targets Gen Z

Global – Google Maps is about to become a lot more immersive with the addition of new features, designed to make the navigation tool feel and look like a closer reflection of the real world.

New updates will help users plan trips and get a feel of a place before visiting – what Gen Z call a ‘vibe check’. To do so, users can check out a neighbourhood’s popular spots in the app, brought to life via the pictures, videos and information that 20m Google Maps contributors upload directly each day.

In addition, Maps has launched over 250 photorealistic aerial views of landmarks, making the tool more immersive and discovery-focused. Thanks to predictive modelling, this feature also gives users information about the location of entrances and car parks and shows how busy sites are at a specific time. These features are likely to resonate with Gen Z, who favour video content and are increasingly turning to TikTok and Instagram to research places.

We recently unpacked how Data-driven Escapes are disrupting the travel landscape, and Google Maps’ latest evolutions indicate how tech-savvy consumers are further pushing disruption in the user experience.

Google Maps

Strategic opportunity

The way people interact with tech differs from one generation to another. Rethink UX through the digital native lens to stay ahead of the curve

Stat: Soaring inflation strikes American singles looking for love

Klarna Culture Calendar by Snask Studio’

US – American singles are going on fewer dates amid soaring prices of food, alcohol and other daily essentials, according to a recent survey of 1,578 consumers in the US by online lending marketplace LendingTree in partnership with American software company Qualtrics.

‘The extra cost of each of these things individually may not be earth-shattering, but added together, they can be a very big deal,’ explains Matt Schulz, chief credit analyst at LendingTree.

But many young people are continuing their quest for romance, despite recession and rising prices, the research shows, with 22% of Millennials and 19% of Gen Z reporting that they have gone into debt for love.

BLK, a dating and lifestyle for Black singles, is one company showing the way in offering extra support for its customers with its recent campaign to raise financial literacy to help beat inflation.

Strategic opportunity

Support your consumers through this difficult time by providing extra advice and support that will encourage them to spend on small luxuries that they would otherwise avoid