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Adidas offers personalisation for AI avatars

adidas and Ready Player Me, Germany

Global – Aligning with the growing importance of personalised avatars, the sportswear brand is launching a personality-based artificial intelligence (AI)-generated avatar creation platform. Created for cross-game avatar platform Ready Player Me, the platform accompanies the launch of its Ozworld apparel collection.

To generate users' unique digital avatars, adidas will ask users a series of questions to assess their personal taste, recognising the need to empower users with digital tools that reflect their personal values. A statement from adidas explains: ‘Championing new possibilities to create, collaborate and belong, the Ozworld platform launch is the next bold step in adidas Originals’ ambition to create a truly open and optimistic metaverse for all.’

With this initiatve, adidas facilitates the creation of Affirmative Avatars, an idea that is especially pertinent at a time when consumers are looking to brands to create a Betterverse.

Strategic opportunity

When creating metaverse experiences, brands must tune in to the interests of digital users and empower them with identity-based tools that enable positive self-expression

This clothing line visualises positive global trends

Beautiful Numbers by Stefan Sagmeister, US

New York – Visual artist Stefan Sagmeister is harnessing data to design clothing that inspires radical optimism. Sagmeister123 is a clothing line composed of seven, gender-neutral garments that visualise positive global trends.

The Lightning Jacket, for example, is a water-resistant bomber with a graphic that illustrates the dramatic decrease of Americans killed by lightning from 1915 to 2020. While the Progress Shirt, which features 99 embroidered dots, depicts a decrease in childbirth mortality rates in the US from a century ago to today.

The artist’s long view of history also extends to his approach to craftsmanship, materials and construction. To ensure endurance, the collection is made with Italian Merino wool and Egyptian cotton that has been hand-gathered without chemicals or mechanical processes.

Although the 24-hour news cycle perpetuates and amplifies bad news, Sagmeister is harnessing data to show how things have improved. In a similar vein, we highlight ways in which joyscrolling can promote positivity during difficult circumstances.

Strategic opportunity

As we emerge from the pandemic and face the cost of living crisis, there may not seem to be much reason to be optimistic, but brands can use encouraging infographics to demonstrate how they are striving to remedy these problems

Disney builds civic housing for low-income workers

US – Taking action against Orlando’s rising rent costs, the entertainment company has unveiled plans to introduce 1,300 units of affordable housing. While still pending government approval, the development, which is set on 80 acres of land next to Disney World, will be available to income-qualifying candidates from the general public, as well as the brand's own employees.

Through this project, Disney is directly supporting both its workers and local residents. It also draws on its existing expertise of building theme parks and resort hotels, but reframes this knowledge to benefit local communities. Jeff Vahle, president of Walt Disney World Resort, says: ‘With this initiative, we’re lending a hand to make a real and meaningful impact in our community by tapping into the best of our company’s strengths.’

This announcement draws on the concept of Branded Cities, showing how affordable options offer ways for brands to offer equitable solutions to societal issues.

Villages Nature by Euro Disney SC and Pierre & Vacances Group. Photography by Damien Guillaume, France

Strategic opportunity

From retailers to hospitality venues, companies can make use of their existing infrastructures to benefit local communities. Consider how specific projects could benefit your employees too

Stat: Global air pollution reaches frightening heights

AirBubble by Otrivin, Warsaw

The global air pollution crisis is escalating to new levels. According to research by the World Health Organization (WHO), 99% of the planet’s population breathes poor-quality air that is hazardous to their health.

The research reveals that low- and mid-income countries are subjected to the highest exposure of poor air quality, which contains dangerous levels of fine particulate matter like PM2.5, PM10 and nitrogen dioxide. Agriculture, transport, power plants, garbage burning and industry are all contributors of particulate matter.

Across the globe, poor air quality is causing millions of deaths and contributing to a pollution inequality crisis. ‘After surviving a pandemic, it is unacceptable to still have 7m preventable deaths and countless preventable lost years of good health due to air pollution,’ explains Dr Maria Neira, WHO director.

While the pandemic has demonstrated the efficacy of worldwide collaboration in combating health threats, it has also highlighted how global organisations are failing to address the intersection of sustainability, climate change and air pollution.

Strategic opportunity

Companies must find ways to address the air pollution crisis as part of their sustainability endeavours, particularly when it comes to how these are affecting the Global South