LSN : News : Taco Bell's Cantinas offers a taste of early retirement

EcoFlow’s solar-powered hat charges devices on the move

Ecoflow, US

US – EcoFlow is transforming summer fashion with its new Power Hat, a cutting-edge accessory that integrates solar panels into a lightweight water- and dust-proof cap. This innovation allows users to charge their devices simply by walking in the sun. Designed with solar panels encircling the hat, the Power Hat offers an on-the-go charging solution, making it ideal for travellers and outdoor enthusiasts.

The hat is built for practicality, featuring a breathable design with airflow around the head and an adjustable strap for a comfortable fit. Despite its advanced technology, the Power Hat remains lightweight, weighing just 370g, and is foldable for easy storage in a backpack or sling bag.

Equipped with USB-A and USB-C ports, the Power Hat can fully charge a smartphone with a 4,000 mAh battery in three to four hours, thanks to its strategically placed solar panels that eliminate the need to constantly adjust the hat towards the sun.

Available for pre-order at £61.65 ($79, €72) the Power Hat comes in two sizes – medium to large and large to extra-large – with shipping set to begin in mid-September 2024. Browse our Sustainability topic to explore similar eco-conscious innovations.

Strategic opportunity

Today’s eco-conscious consumers don’t want to compromise on convenience to be green; create products that solve practical problems – such as out-of-charge devices – with in-built sustainability features

Taco Bell's Cantinas offers a taste of early retirement

The Cantinas by Taco Bell, US

US – Taco Bell is redefining retirement with the launch of The Cantinas, an early retirement community experience set to open in San Diego, California, on 17–18 August.

This exclusive event for Taco Bell Rewards members blends leisure and brand engagement with retiree-inspired recreation activities such as knitting, aerobics and pickleball tournaments, in addition to early dinners featuring the brand’s signature meals.

Attendees, aged 21 and over, can choose between a £117 ($150, €137) full weekend membership, which includes accommodation (with an 8:00pm bedtime) and access to all amenities, or a £39 ($50, €46) day pass. Tickets are currently sold out.

The retired lifestyle of Baby Boomers often seems out of reach for Gen Z, but Taco Bell’s event offers anyone who is ‘tired of turning up’ a chance to indulge their ‘inner eclectic grandparent’ and get a glimpse into the golden years.

For more generational analysis, including how retirement is evolving into worktirement for Gen X and beyond, download our Generations Now and Next: 2024–2025 macrotrend report.

Strategic opportunity

Take inspiration from Taco Bell by hosting authentic and unique community events that resonate with your customer base’s interests, humour and anxieties, rewarding loyalty and strengthening brand affinity

Glossier and Shopify unveil shoppable geo-targeted treasure hunt

US – Glossier sparked excitement with a unique treasure hunt to launch its latest brow product, Boy Brow Arch. Starting on 2 August 2024, exclusive posters in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago offered early access before the product’s wider release on Glossier.com on 6 August.

The interactive campaign, created in collaboration with Shopify’s commerce app Shop, featured shoppable posters equipped with QR codes. Fans who found and scanned these codes were directed to Glossier’s store within the Shop app to purchase the new product, using Shop’s geo-gated technology to limit access to those in the designated cities.

Anna Decilveo, head of merchandising and brand partnerships at Shop, called the initiative a ‘first-of-its-kind’ programme for Shopify. Glossier expects over 100m impressions from this activation. ‘Our goal with this campaign was to be disruptive, find a fresh way to bring a new brow product to the market, and generate engagement within our community,’ said Glossier CMO Kleo Mack.

For more insights on innovative retail activations, head to our analysis of Five Beauty Retailers Deploying EQ-Commerce Strategies.

Glossier, Seattle

Strategic opportunity

Explore geo-fencing and location-based marketing strategies to create exclusive, localised experiences that drive engagement and conversions

Stat: Teen mental health in the US has improved post-pandemic

Girls Just Wanna Grow Plants by Jas Nadoo and Georgette Fischer for The Agency for Nature targets the pressure to be on the grind felt by young women, UK

US – The latest Youth Risk Behavior Survey from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revealed a modest improvement in teen mental health in the US following the pandemic.

Distributed in 2023 to more than 20,000 high school students in the US, the survey found that 53% of teenage girls reported extreme depressive symptoms, down from 57% in 2021.

But the overall picture remains concerning, with a significant portion of teens, especially LGBTQ+ students, still experiencing high levels of distress. Some 65% of LGBTQ+ high school students reported persistent hopelessness, with one in five attempting suicide in the past year.

The survey has been undertaken every two years since 1991 and the latest edition is the first to offer insight into how the pandemic shaped teenagers’ lives.

While some metrics, such as alcohol and drug use, are trending positively, the data underlines the ongoing mental health crisis among US teens, something we previously analysed in our Gen Z Now and Next: From Vision to Contradiction report.

Strategic opportunity

Enhance your brand’s impact by launching social media campaigns that amplify mental health organisations’ work, add resources such as helplines on product packaging, or host community events that connect teens with mental health professionals and provide safe spaces