LSN : Daily Signals : Assouline publishes travel guide to the metaverse

Puma and Rhuigi is a slice of New York

Puma and Rhuigi, US

US – Puma and designer Rhuigi Villaseñor have just unveiled the second part of their capsule collection inspired by New York and modelled by a diverse cast of everyday New Yorkers.

Family-owned institution Lenny’s Pizza was the perfect shoot location for Puma and Rhuigi’s nostalgic Americana collection. The collaboration includes a varsity jacket, a double-layered hoodie and an updated rendition of the Puma Slipstream. Frank Giordano, the owner of the New York pizza landmark, joined the cast of young models who look straight out of a teen movie.

In Collegiate Nostalgia, we previously identified how collegiate-inspired fashion and entertainment are soothing Gen Zers who feel the pandemic stole their youth. Similarly, Puma and Rhuigi bring a college athletic aesthetic back in fashion.

Strategic opportunity

Consider broadening the range of models in fashion campaigns targeting a young audience. The success of content creators over 60 on TikTok shows a genuine interest in elderly role models from Gen Z and Gen Alpha

Assouline publishes travel guide to the metaverse

Metaverse Dream by Assouline

Metaverse Dream by Assouline. Image by Noor Architects Consultants

US – Luxury publisher Assouline, known for its hand-bound guides to art and culture, has published Metaverse Dream, a travel guide to the metaverse. With previous travel titles taking readers on high-end journeys through Tulum, Monte Carlo and Marrakech, this is the publishing house’s first guide to a virtual place.

Written by gaming expert Paul Dawalibi and venture capitalist Gregory Landegger, Metaverse Dream encourages readers to think of digital worlds as spaces of endless exploration. Scanning the QR code on the book’s cover takes readers to Assouline’s exclusive pop-up boutique in the metaverse, where they will discover additional educational content and artwork.

As the metaverse still feels nebulous to many consumers, Assouline’s future-facing title is an awe-inducing way for readers to immerse themselves in its potential.

Strategic opportunity

The publishing industry should consider new ways to introduce readers to the metaverse, where book-adjacent experiences, such as Hogwarts Legacy, will multiply in the coming years

Bon Appétit magazine launches chef-led travel experiences

Europe – Drawing on the growing popularity of food travel, Bon Appétit magazine is launching Culinary Getaways, a new kind of chef-led tour taking its readers on a culturally appreciative and gourmet travel journey.

Condé Nast-owned Bon Appétit has partnered with educational travel company Academic Travel Abroad to create Culinary Getaways. Starting in November 2023, readers of the food publication will be able to discover tourism hotspots across Europe under a new lens through tours guided by world-renowned chefs. Local culinary connoisseurs will introduce foodie travellers to locavore traditions – providing a unique opportunity to taste authentic products and learn about the terroir from local experts. France’s Champagne region and Piedmont in Italy are the first two destinations, both famous for the richness of their food culture and wine range.

By taking an immersive and educational approach to travel and cuisine, this programme puts a new spin on mainstream destinations, ramping up the culinary experience and putting Bon Appétit’s extensive network and experts to use.

Six Senses, Ibiza, Spain

Strategic opportunity

Savvy travellers seek authentic experiences that go beyond the typical surface-level tourist trails. How can you help audiences curate and augment experiences?

Stat: Young women boost anti-ageing beauty market in China

Ms MIN, China

China – A new report by strategy and marketing specialist Hot Pot China shows that nearly 50% of Chinese women surveyed aged between 25 and 30 use skincare products to deal with the first signs of ageing.

The sample included 30 Chinese citizens aged 18–30 living in Tier 1 to Tier 3 cities who have bought skincare and cosmetics in the past 12 months, and earn over Rmb5,000 (£606, $726, €684) monthly. Some 40% of the young women surveyed report modifying their skincare routine to deal with the existing effects of ageing.

Consumers as young as 18 have a significant interest in the ageing prevention market, which hints at swathes of opportunities for skincare brands eyeing Chinese customers. In an upcoming webinar on 7 March, The Future Laboratory and Hot Pot China will debunk more Chinese beauty consumer myths. LS:N Global members can already access these exclusive insights in our Reports Bank.

Strategic opportunity

Don’t limit marketing and communications to an older audience when promoting anti-ageing products. A younger generation passionate about skincare (162bn views on TikTok) have their ears open