News 26.08.2022

Need to Know

A necklace made of ice, Haeckels’ edible cup, and just 12 companies produce most of the litter on our beaches.

Headspace launches women's wellness content series

Women’s Collection by Headspace, UK

US and UK – The guided meditation and wellness app has partnered with women’s online community Peanut to launch a content series designed specifically for women. The Women’s Collection features a range of experts and covers three main categories: body and health, sex and relationships, and strength in solidarity.

The launch comes in the wake of the overturning of Roe versus Wade in the US, and following research conducted in the UK by the two companies that reveals that 89% of women think that the medical industry doesn’t take women’s sexual desires seriously, and that 78% have experienced low sex drive. It’s a response that aims to normalise conversations about women’s sexual wellness and tackle taboos, providing access to crucial information.

It can be hard for women to access information and advice, combined with the fact that many are too embarrassed to ask, and therefore having it all in one, accessible place is really transformative and important to support women’s wellbeing,’ says relationship therapist Kate Moyle, who features in the series. Explore our Women Futures series to track the female-first shifts reshaping the future.

Strategic opportunity

How can you recentre women in branded content and campaign imagery? Consider launching content that directly addresses the needs of women and other frequently overlooked groups

This ice-cube necklace celebrates water as a luxury

Ice-cube necklace by Golem and Laila El Mehelmy, Paris Ice-cube necklace by Golem and Laila El Mehelmy, Paris
Ice-cube necklace by Golem and Laila El Mehelmy, Paris Ice-cube necklace by Golem and Laila El Mehelmy, Paris

Paris – Inspired by the unprecedented heatwave across Europe this summer, design studio Golems OoOoooOoooOh la l’ice necklace features seven ice cubes on a chain of silver beads that melt in half an hour. It comes with a customised silicon tray that allows owners to refreeze the necklace.

With temperatures rising worldwide, the piece is designed to celebrate water as a precious commodity, with the idea coming about during a party in Berlin where partygoers rubbed each other with ice from the freezer to escape the searing heat, according to Ariel Claudet, Golem’s founder. ‘At a time when water sources are being privatised and water scarcity is striking all countries across the globe, water is turning from an overlooked commodity into one of the most sought-after luxury goods,’ he says.

With water security a growing global concern, companies are finding new ways to spark conversation and expand awareness. For more, read our viewpoint on why the future of beauty requires cleaner water.

Strategic opportunity

Look to the Valuing Water Finance Initiative (VWFI), which lays out practical guidelines for reducing water consumption for brands in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals

Haeckels’ edible cup combats plastic waste at festivals

UK – The Margate-based skincare and fragrance brand is teaming up with Red Bull to launch an edible cup that tackles single-use plastic waste at festivals. Created using a new algae-based biomaterial, if not eaten the cup begins to compost within 48 hours, returning its benefits to the soil.

With an estimated 100m plastic cups used at festivals around the world every year, according to the brand, the partnership with Red Bull was an experiment to see if anything could be done to stop the problem. The cup is made of a gut-friendly material flavoured with ginger, spirulina and blueberry, and will be launched at We Out Here Festival in Cambridgeshire. The launch aligns with Haeckelsethos to prioritise an innovative approach to sustainability and follows the launch of its three-week microbiome-boosting programme, Gut Health.

As eco-anxious partygoers inspire clubs and festivals to adopt more sustainable practices, brands can tap into receptive audiences at these events and inspire early adopters with solutions that push the sustainability narrative forward.

Haeckels Partners With Red Bull for an Edible Cup Haeckels Partners With Red Bull for an Edible Cup

Strategic opportunity

With their open-minded atmospheres, festivals offer an ideal space to trial innovative product and packaging concepts before rolling them out at scale

Stat: The vast majority of beach litter comes from just 12 companies

Plastic, neutral by Humankind Plastic, neutral by Humankind

A dozen companies are responsible for 70% of litter on UK beaches and in natural habitats, according to a 2022 study by charity Surfers Against Sewage. Over the past year, 4,000 citizen scientists have scoured 13,000 miles of coastline, rivers and other green spaces to produce the data for this year’s annual report. Led by Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, McDonald’s, and other major drink and snack brands, just 12 companies were responsible for most of the packaging found.

The charity is calling for an ‘all-in’ deposit return scheme that would levy a charge to customers to be paid back when the packaging is returned for recycling. It says almost half of the waste found would be covered by such a scheme, and that companies should do more to take responsibility for the full lifecycle of their products and packaging.

‘Despite public sustainability commitments, these dirty brands are failing to take meaningful action to stop this harm,’ says Hugo Tagholm, CEO of Surfers Against Sewage. ‘Businesses need to take responsibility for their polluting products and transition to models of reduction and re-use.’ Follow our Sustainability Series for emerging developments in this sector.

Strategic opportunity

Take responsibility for the full lifecycle of your products, including packaging. Consider launching a deposit return scheme that works towards a truly circular business model

Previous News Articles
AI-generated images of animals in plastic help WWF-Korea raise awareness about pollution

News

AI-generated images of animals in plastic help WWF-Korea raise awareness about pollution

WWF-Korea has launched Animal Trash Fashion, a powerful out-of-home campaign using AI to starkly illustrate the devastating impact of plastic pollu...
Sustainability : Design : Advertising
Rixo launches pre-loved resale platform

News

Rixo launches pre-loved resale platform

British fashion brand Rixo is expanding its circular ambitions with the launch of Rixo Pre-Loved, a resale platform where customers buy and sell it...
Retail : Fashion : Sutainability
Stat: Global business travel spending hits historic high

News

Stat: Global business travel spending hits historic high

Business travel is set to reach a record £1.18 trillion ($1.57 trillion, €1.36 trillion) by the end of 2025, according to ...
Stat : Statistic : Global Travel Market
Axe gamifies fragrance sampling with arcade-inspired bus stop activation

News

Axe gamifies fragrance sampling with arcade-inspired bus stop activation

Axe is making fragrance sampling fun again with a new campaign for its Cherry Fizz body spray.
Advertising : Fragrance : Retail
New wearable tracks hydration levels in real time

News

New wearable tracks hydration levels in real time

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have developed a non-invasive wearable that continuously monitors hydration levels in real time.
Wearable Technology : Healthcare : Hydration
Stat: Online resale is booming in Britain

News

Stat: Online resale is booming in Britain

Online resale is booming in Britain, with pre-owned shopping now worth £4.3bn ($5.8bn, €5bn) annually and is set to rise to £4.8bn ($6.4bn, €5.5bn)...
Retail : Fashion : Technology
Prada’s 2025 Qixi campaign turns Shanghai’s bridges into a stage for love

News

Prada’s 2025 Qixi campaign turns Shanghai’s bridges into a stage for love

Prada’s campaign for the 2025 Qixi Festival – often referred to as Chinese Valentine’s Day – reimagines China’s legendary love tale through an...
Luxury : Fashion : Chinese Folklore
M&S tracks plastic’s afterlife with invisible UV packaging tags

News

M&S tracks plastic’s afterlife with invisible UV packaging tags

M&S : Sustainability : Retail
Stat: Britons are increasingly turning to biohacking through wellness supplements

News

Stat: Britons are increasingly turning to biohacking through wellness supplements

According to a July 2025 YouGov poll, one in five Britons (21%) have taken a wellness supplement in 2025 – pointing to the rise of personalise...
Health And Wellness : Supplements : Stat
Ocado’s Shopping List Stories campaign finds emotional value in the weekly shop

News

Ocado’s Shopping List Stories campaign finds emotional value in the weekly shop

Ocado is reframing grocery shopping as an emotional experience with Shopping List Stories, a new campaign by Uncommon Creative Studio.
Food And Drink : Supermarket : Branding And Advertising
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