News 15.07.2024

Need to Know

Arc’teryx launches Walk Gently to amplifying Indigenous voices, Sable Yong’s debut book inspires a signature scent, and usage of GLP-1 drugs among young people increases

Arc’teryx partners with Indigenous artists on Walk Gently platform and collection

Walk Gently is a design platform and clothing line amplifying Indigenous voices by Arc’teryx and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) artist Cole Sparrow-Crawford, Canada

Canada – High-performance outerwear brand Arc’teryx has launched Walk Gently, a design platform and clothing line amplifying Indigenous voices, created in collaboration with xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) artist Cole Sparrow-Crawford.

Arc’teryx was founded on the territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) people, known today as Vancouver. An invitation to join Arc’teryx on its journey to consider more deeply what it means to be on Indigenous lands, Walk Gently is part of the company's ongoing commitments to amplify Indigenous voices.

The seven-piece collection of gender-neutral apparel, footwear and packs infuses Arc’teryx’s technical designs with the weaving and ancestral design patterns from the Coast Salish community. The collection is available in selected global stores, with profits donated to organisations such as Indigenous Women Outdoors. 

The Walk Gently platform and clothing collection aligns with our recent Rebranding Nature design direction, in which we analysed how softer aesthetics and messaging that promote a positive future are being used to encourage Gen Z outdoors and engage them in conservation and climate activism.

Strategic opportunity

Brands that help elevate marginalised narratives are the ones which will gain the most cultural traction – take inspiration from Arc’teryx and raise the profile of Indigenous culture without appropriation or entitlement

Campaign calls for outdoor sports enthusiasts to prioritise sun safety

Silhouettes by Melanoma Fund. Creative by Neverland, UK Silhouettes by Melanoma Fund. Creative by Neverland, UK
Silhouettes by Melanoma Fund. Creative by Neverland, UK Silhouettes by Melanoma Fund. Creative by Neverland, UK

UK – Neverland and the Melanoma Fund have introduced the Silhouettes campaign, shedding light on the critical need for sun protection during outdoor sports.

Despite melanoma being almost 100% curable at stage 1, it remains one of the deadliest cancers, causing over 2,300 deaths annually in the UK. The campaign features striking imagery of unprotected moles transformed into melanomas shaped like footballers, swimmers and cyclists. These visuals are strategically placed on parts of the body where melanomas commonly occur, raising awareness about the importance of skin protection during outdoor activities.

With a summer of sport ahead, more people will be inspired to go outdoors,’ commented Andy Clough, joint executive creative director at Neverland, in a press release.Getting them to simply check and protect their skin could potentially save them from skin cancer.’

The Silhouettes campaign exemplifies how companies can leverage the power of design and strategic outdoor placements for effective public health advocacy.

Strategic opportunity

Organisations seeking to engage the public and foster social responsibility can take cues from the Silhouettes campaign, and bake into their communications strategies good design and relatability

Sable Yong’s debut book inspires a signature scent

US – Writer Sable Yong’s latest work combines the literary and olfactory worlds; Die Hot With a Vengeance is a collection of essays on vanity paired with a signature fragrance.

Published on 9 July 2024, the essays delve into break-up transformations, the allure of plastic surgery mishaps and other beauty themes. To complement the book, the writer worked with Joey Roisin from Hoax Parfum to create Die Hot With a Vengeance eau de parfum.

Limited to 250 bottles and containing notes of vanilla, amber, plum and patchouli, the ‘perfect scent for stylish villains undone by their own glamour’ smells like red wine spilled in a Birkin bag, smeared lipstick on suede, the lingering aroma of an apology bouquet, neon signs and stale cigarette ache.

The fragrance transforms the act of reading Yong’s work into an immersive sensory experience. In our Scents and Scent-ability viewpoint with Firmenich, we explored how fragrance houses are investigating how artificially induced synaesthesia can be used to enhance the use and perception of scent.

Die Hot With A Vengeance eau de parfum by Sable Yong, US

Strategic opportunity

The fragrance market is saturated. Cut through the noise by creating scents that elevate cultural experiences such as reading or that have functional benefits such as improving sleep 

Stat: Usage of GLP-1 weight loss medications among young women increases

Photography by Polina Tankilevitch, Russia Photography by Polina Tankilevitch, Russia

US – A shift in obesity treatments, particularly among teenagers, is taking place, with medications such as Wegovy, Zepbound, Ozempic and Mounjaro increasingly used to manage weight and associated conditions.

Data from the Journal of the American Medical Association indicates a dramatic rise in prescriptions for GLP-1 treatments among young people, from 8,722 in 2020 to more than 60,000 in 2023 – an increase of nearly 600%.

Of these prescriptions, more than 60% are going to women, with physiological and social factors at play in this gender disparity. Female patients who take medication for polycystic ovary syndrome benefit from weight-loss treatment due to the hormonal and insulin-related aspects of their conditions. Young women often face societal pressures regarding body image more acutely than boys, contributing to the higher prescription rates among females.

There is growing medical acceptance of GLP-1 drug use in young people in order to address obesity and related conditions early in life. We explore how these weekly injections are re-shaping more than waistlines in our Neozempic Futures analysis.

Strategic opportunity

As GLP-1 drugs become more medically acceptable for young people, what will be the knock-on social effect, specifically for young women? On the one hand, consider the impact on pressure around body image, but also the growing awareness of preventative health measures among younger people.

Previous News Articles
MAD//Fest 2025: Delayed adulthood, algorithmic segregation and Gen Z hippies

News

MAD//Fest 2025: Delayed adulthood, algorithmic segregation and Gen Z hippies

MAD//Fest returned to Shoreditch on 1 July 2025, with this year’s theme Be Less Boring challenging brands to rethink how to engage with new audiences.
Global Events : Advertising & Marketing : Gen Z
Promo - Together Group report and microsite

News

Promo - Together Group report and microsite

xxx
Together Group
Insight - mystery at the grooms': hermès brings interactive installation to NYC (copy)

News

Insight - mystery at the grooms': hermès brings interactive installation to NYC (copy)

xxx
Interactive Installation
Habitat and Pinterest unveil immersive campaign putting emotion into home design

News

Habitat and Pinterest unveil immersive campaign putting emotion into home design

Habitat has teamed up with Pinterest for an immersive storytelling campaign that repositions homeware as a tool for emotional re-invention and shop...
Retail : Design : Technology
Stat: Young adults are redefining romantic relationships on their terms

News

Stat: Young adults are redefining romantic relationships on their terms

As romantic norms fragment, 20% of people are now unknowingly practising ‘relationship anarchy’, according to the latest State of Dating repor...
Statistic : Stat : Dating
AI billboard visualises real-time sun damage in UV awareness campaign

News

AI billboard visualises real-time sun damage in UV awareness campaign

A new study by the British Skin Foundation reveals that 38% of Britons have already been sunburnt in 2025 – with Gen Z (35%) and Millennials (30%) ...
Advertising : Health And Wellness : Beauty
Wimbledon elevates fan engagement with AI-powered digital experiences

News

Wimbledon elevates fan engagement with AI-powered digital experiences

The All England Lawn Tennis Club and IBM have unveiled an AI-powered experience designed to deepen audience engagement and enhance match under...
Wimbledon : Sports : Entertainment
Stat: Gen Alpha lead the charge in back-to-school shopping

News

Stat: Gen Alpha lead the charge in back-to-school shopping

Children and teenagers are now the primary decision-makers in back-to-school shopping, according to a new global study by SuperAwesome.
Retail : Gen Alpha : Statistic
The Fashion Innovation Agency debuts 3D garment volumetric capture service

News

The Fashion Innovation Agency debuts 3D garment volumetric capture service

The Fashion Innovation Agency at London College of Fashion has launched Reskinning Reality, the UK’s first 3D garment volumetric capture service ai...
Fashion : Technology : Virtual Fashion
Elemis brings beauty trackside with new Aston Martin F1 collection

News

Elemis brings beauty trackside with new Aston Martin F1 collection

Premium beauty brand Elemis is stepping further into the world of Formula 1 with the launch of four exclusive skincare collections in partnership w...
Aston Martin : Elemis : Formula 1
You have 2 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN