News 27.02.2023

Need to Know

Ecoalf opens 3D-printed clothing store, Hilton hotel’s 10-minute TikTok and the promising results of the four-day working week trial.

Ecoalf opens 3D-printed clothing store made of 100% recycled plastic

Ecoalf interiors by Nagami, Spain
Ecoalf interiors by Nagami, Spain
Ecoalf interiors by Nagami, Spain

Spain – Conscious fashion brand Ecoalf and Nagami, a design studio specialising in sustainable architecture, have opened a 90-square-metre store made entirely of 3D-printed recycled plastic.

The stunning installation in Las Rozas Village, Madrid, takes customers into a glacier-inspired space with walls, shelves and display tables made from 3.3 tonnes of plastic. Ecoalf incorporated its sustainable fashion, accessories and footwear lines into the room. The designers aim to raise awareness of how 75% of all areas covered by glaciers have melted due to rising temperatures over the past 50 years.

‘3D printing allows us to bring unimaginable spaces to life. The latter are produced locally not only by using recycled materials, but by establishing production chains that are cleaner, more sustainable and flexible. This is already a reality,’ says Manuel Jiménez García, co-founder and CEO of Nagami.

In Hyperphysical Stores, we analyse how retailers rethink bricks-and-mortar stores to make them engaging, sensorial and memorable. Ecoalf is taking this further with an innovative, awe-inspiring and inherently political shopping experience.

Strategic opportunity

The science of 3D printing large-scale products from sustainable raw materials like plastic waste presents endless opportunities for anyone from new retailers to the housing market

WatchHouse recycles coffee bean chaff into espresso-based soap

Haeckels in collaboration with WatchHouse, UK Haeckels in collaboration with WatchHouse, UK
Haeckels in collaboration with WatchHouse, UK Haeckels in collaboration with WatchHouse, UK

UK – British coffee brand WatchHouse has joined forces with skincare and fragrance-maker Haeckels to turn coffee bean waste into the core ingredient for a new hand wash and moisturiser.

To make its coffee manufacturing process more sustainable, WatchHouse thought about its chaff (a by-product from roasting beans) that used to go straight in the bin. By partnering with Haeckels, it realised that upcycling the coffee debris into a soap and lotion formula was possible. Both companies have now introduced the WatchHouse x Haeckels Bundle, which includes an espresso-based hand wash and a moisturising lotion made with espresso, avocado seeds and oat milk.

In Food Waste Innovation, we explored how the growing need to create innovative and sustainable solutions to food waste presents a range of opportunities for innovators.

Strategic opportunity

The beauty industry should consider more synergies with the food and drink business to upcycle organic waste. Not only would they be finding new formulas, but they would also show how authentically engaged they are in sustainability — appealing to younger customers looking for ethical brands they can trust.

Hilton hotel posts 10-minute TikTok advert

US – US hotel chain Hilton is circumventing fast scroll culture with its 10-minute TikTok advert.

The advert opens with Hilton heiress Paris Hilton asking: ‘Would you watch a 10-minute-long TikTok?’

Then a roster of popular TikTok creators take over, including Chris Olsen, Baron Ryan, GirlBossTown and Boman Martinez-Reid – each trying to persuade viewers to stop scrolling and keep watching.

The creators’ spots were filmed separately and in their own styles. The advert is cohesive because they are unified in delivering Hilton’s brand message.

As part of the hotel chain’s #HiltonForTheStay campaign, Hilton has given TikTok viewers an incentive to stick with the 10-minute spot. Those that make it to the end are eligible to win a share of 10m Hilton Honors Points.

Attention is one of social media’s greatest commodities and it can be a struggle for advertisers to capture. Hilton’s 10-minute TikTok has been viewed 19.7m times because it is creative, authentic and fun. It is also enjoyable –young viewers are willing to watch adverts that prioritise entertaining them.

For The Stay TikTok advert by Hilton Hotel & Resorts

Strategic opportunity

Be fun and have fun. Consumers want to connect with brands that value and showcase joy.

Stat: The promising results of the four-day working week trial

Google Aotearoa Office. Designed by Warren and Mahoney, New Zealand Google Aotearoa Office. Designed by Warren and Mahoney, New Zealand

UK – Could a four-day working week become the norm? As the largest pilot scheme to date came to an end, non-profit organisation 4 Day Week Global has revealed the overwhelmingly positive outcomes.

Since June 2022, nearly 3,000 UK-based employees took part in 4 Day Week Campaign, a six-month trial giving staff the opportunity to take an extra day off every week while remaining on the same salary. Companies taking part in the four-day week pilot were also offered workshops and mentoring to adjust to these changes, and to help employees manage their time to avoid productivity loss.

A survey revealed that 39% of employees felt less stressed and 54% experienced better work-life balance while working 32 hours weekly. The average number of sick days taken also dropped. The model seems to have convinced companies as well – over nine in 10 decided to extend the new working pattern, while 30% have made four-day weeks a permanent company policy. Providing wellbeing benefits and permitting equal if not heightened productivity, shorter working weeks are a development sure to define the future of work.

Strategic opportunity

For business leaders, taking extra steps to stay ahead on employee benefits will go a long way to retain and attract new talent as the great reshuffle continues

Previous News Articles
The Faroe Islands bring back the joy of getting lost

News

The Faroe Islands bring back the joy of getting lost

As algorithm-driven travel fuels overtourism, a new initiative is challenging travellers to let go of planning and control.
Travel : Tourism : The Faroe Islands
Thai perfume brand Journal turns fragrance samples into NFC collectables

News

Thai perfume brand Journal turns fragrance samples into NFC collectables

Fragrance brand Journal is rewriting the rules of scent sampling with a wearable fragrance tester that doubles as a social connector.
Beauty : Fragrance : Technology
Stat: Survey finds hardening stances on office attendance are impacting UK staff wellbeing

News

Stat: Survey finds hardening stances on office attendance are impacting UK staff wellbeing

Hardening return-to-office mandates are fuelling anxiety among UK workers, with 38% reporting that media coverage of stricter attendance policies i...
Office : Workplace : Stat
Innovation Debrief 2025–2026 report goes live

News

Innovation Debrief 2025–2026 report goes live

Discover the top 50 innovations acknowledging, driving and anticipating change in our new Innovation Debrief 2025–2026 report. 
Innovation Debrief 2024-2025 : Future Trends 2026 : Cultural Foresight
Joe Wicks’ Activate turns movement into play for kids

News

Joe Wicks’ Activate turns movement into play for kids

Fitness trainer Joe Wicks is swapping live-action workouts for animation with Activate – a lively new series of five-minute fitness bursts designed...
Fitness : Health And Wellbeing : Gen Alpha
IKEA creates open-air library along the Seine in Paris

News

IKEA creates open-air library along the Seine in Paris

IKEA has unveiled the Billyothèque, a pop-up outdoor library transforming a stretch of Paris’s Seine riverbank into a space for slow, serendipitous...
Ikea : Reading Room : Reading Experience
Stat: US teens turn to AI companions for life advice

News

Stat: US teens turn to AI companions for life advice

A new study by Common Sense Media reveals that 72% of US teens aged 13–17 have tried AI companions, with over half now using them regularly.
Technology : AI : Stat
DressX debuts fashion-forward Roblox game with Puma

News

DressX debuts fashion-forward Roblox game with Puma

Digital fashion platform DressX is expanding its creative universe with DressGo, its first game on Roblox.
Technology : Fashion : Gaming
EcoBeautyScore unveils science-backed beauty scoring system

News

EcoBeautyScore unveils science-backed beauty scoring system

EcoBeautyScore, the first science-based environmental scoring system for cosmetics and personal care, has officially launched with support from ove...
Beauty : Accredited Beauty : Beauty Scoring System
Stat: UK adults increasingly feel ultra-processed foods are hurting their health

News

Stat: UK adults increasingly feel ultra-processed foods are hurting their health

A new survey by digital wellness platform Lifesum finds that 68% of UK adults believe ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are negatively impacting th...
Food : Drink : Health
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