News 10.02.2025

Need to Know

Skyn reframes condom shopping in Japan in new ad, AI chatbot Eva gives a voice to imprisoned women to grow empathy and why the increasing amount of microplastics in pregnant women is affecting premature births.

Skyn reframes condom shopping in Japan

Soft Competition by Skyn, Japan

Japan – Condom brand Skyn is injecting humour into Valentine’s Day marketing with its latest campaign, Soft Competition, which playfully explores the tension between personal desires and social etiquette in Japan.  

Developed by UltraSuperNew Tokyo, the campaign centres on a man and woman reaching for the last packet of Skyn condoms in a convenience store. Their inner emotions – honne in Japanese (true feelings) – erupt in a comical showdown, before they return to their composed tatemae (public facade or socially acceptable) selves.  

‘This marks a monumental milestone for Skyn,’ Annie Hou, associate director of sales and marketing at MAM LifeStyles, the company behind Skyn, told Little Black Book. ‘After almost a decade in Japan, we are thrilled to announce that our products are now available in the highly competitive Konbini Market – a space traditionally dominated by big-name brands.’

Creative director at UltraSuperNew Yousuke Ozawa added: ‘We decided to take a fresh approach by casting the characters as rivals instead of couples, adding a whole new dynamic to the brand. We also made the protagonist a woman, something only Skyn could pull off since the product is designed for both men and women. Instead of the usual submissive or cutesy portrayal of a Japanese woman, we made her a confident, charismatic go-getter.’ 

Find more insights on what's new and next in the sexual health space in our The Sexuwellness Women’s Market report. 

Strategic opportunity

The honne (true feelings) versus tatemae (public facade) concept could be applied beyond Japan. Consider exploring how customers navigate private versus public identities in product design, advertising and brand engagement

AI chatbot Eva gives a voice to imprisoned women

Paraguay – El Surtidor, an independent media outlet in Paraguay, has launched Eva, an AI-powered chatbot based on a woman imprisoned for alleged drug trafficking and organised crime. Since its debut in September, Eva has logged more than 15,500 interactions, offering users a rare glimpse into the realities of incarcerated women. 

Created through extensive interviews, Eva shares her experiences, from arrest to life in prison, helping humanise a group often marginalised in mainstream media. ‘We wanted to build empathy between the audience and a segment of the population that’s largely invisible,’ said El Surtidor’s Juliana Quintana.

Unlike typical AI chatbots, Eva aims to challenge stigma and inspire public debate around Paraguay’s war on drugs, which disproportionately affects women from impoverished backgrounds. The chatbot cannot generate its own responses, ensuring authenticity while preventing AI distortions. 

Following Eva’s success, El Surtidor is developing a new AI project focused on Paraguay’s history of land seizures under dictatorship. This initiative highlights the potential of AI to amplify untold stories and reshape public discourse. 

Explore our macrotrend report, The Synthocene Era: Merging Human and Machine Intelligence, to learn how AI-driven educational tools can be used ethically and empathetically to enhance understanding of diverse perspectives. 

Eva chatbot by El Surtidor, Paraguay

Strategic opportunity

Leverage AI-driven storytelling and chatbots to amplify marginalised voices, drive social impact and tackle justice, gender equality and digital rights while ensuring authenticity and ethical engagement

Stat: Increasing amount of microplastics in placentas linked to premature births

Photography by Matilda Wormwood Photography by Matilda Wormwood

US – New research presented at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine has found that microplastic contamination in placentas is more than 50% higher in preterm births than in full-term pregnancies, raising fresh concerns over the potential health impacts of plastic pollution.

Researchers analysed 100 placentas from full-term births (37.2 weeks, on average) and 75 from preterm births (34 weeks) from births in Houston, Texas, using highly sensitive mass spectrometry. They detected 203 micrograms of plastic per gram of tissue (µg/g) in premature placentas, compared with 130µg/g in full-term samples. PET (which is used to make plastic bottles), PVC, polyurethane and polycarbonate were among the 12 plastic types identified. While the study establishes only an association rather than causation, microplastics are known to trigger inflammation – a key factor in initiating labour.

‘Our study hints at the possibility that the accumulation of plastics could be contributing to the occurrence of preterm birth,’ Kjersti Aagaard, research professor at Boston Children’s Hospital, told The Guardian. ‘Combined with other recent research, this study adds to the growing body of evidence that demonstrates a real risk from exposure to plastics on human health and disease.’

For more insights on the tangible consequences of pollution, head to our Sustainability topic. 

Strategic opportunity

Explore innovative alternatives to plastics, such those based on seaweed or mushrooms, or other compostable alternatives, for use in products and packaging

Previous News Articles
Big W embraces the beautiful chaos of parenting in new campaign

News

Big W embraces the beautiful chaos of parenting in new campaign

Department store chain Big W is shaking up family advertising with a bold new campaign celebrating the chaos, meltdowns and small wins of everyday ...
Advertising & Branding : Parenting : Retail
George at Asda unveils new adult adaptive clothing range

News

George at Asda unveils new adult adaptive clothing range

George at Asda has launched a 28-piece adult adaptive clothing collection, designed in collaboration with the late breast cancer campaigner Nicky N...
Retail : Fashion : George At Asda
Stat: Girls’ sport participation could unlock leadership potential at work

News

Stat: Girls’ sport participation could unlock leadership potential at work

Girls who play extracurricular sport in the UK are 50% more likely to go on to achieve senior professional roles at work, according to Game Changin...
Sport : Women's Sports : Teenage Girls
Vattenfall and Samuel L Jackson’s seaweed snack is grown on wind farms

News

Vattenfall and Samuel L Jackson’s seaweed snack is grown on wind farms

Swedish energy company, Vattenfall has teamed up with actor Samuel L Jackson to launch Wind Farmed Seaweed Snacks, a limited-edition delicacy grown...
Visual : Sweden : Energy
Happy Head debuts DNA-based system for personalised hair growth

News

Happy Head debuts DNA-based system for personalised hair growth

Happy Head has launched StrandIQ, the world’s first dermatologist-developed hair growth system powered by genetic analysis, giving patients tailore...
Health : Wellness : Happy Head StrandIQ
Stat: Luxury consumers’ optimism is improving amid global slowdown

News

Stat: Luxury consumers’ optimism is improving amid global slowdown

Saks’ latest Luxury Pulse survey shows rising confidence among luxury shoppers, with more than half planning to maintain or increase their spending...
Stat : Statistics : Statistic
Louis Vuitton brings La Beauté to life with immersive Soho pop-up

News

Louis Vuitton brings La Beauté to life with immersive Soho pop-up

Louis Vuitton has marked the launch of its first cosmetics line with a limited-time pop-up in New York’s Soho, transforming 104 Prince Street into ...
Retail : Luxury : Beauty
Foresight Friday: Dan Hastings, deputy foresight editor

News

Foresight Friday: Dan Hastings, deputy foresight editor

Every Friday, The Future Laboratory team offers an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, ...
Foresight Friday
Stat: US adults are losing confidence in capitalism 

News

Stat: US adults are losing confidence in capitalism 

Stat : Statistic : Money
Knight Frank’s research signals the rise of wellness in luxury real estate

News

Knight Frank’s research signals the rise of wellness in luxury real estate

In The Residence Report, released in September 2025, global real estate consultancy Knight Frank explores the future of luxury residential developm...
Luxury : Real Estate : Wellness
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