Daily Signals 06.04.2023

Signals

Nike’s period-proof clothing, sober bars are coming to Coachella and why almost half of Gen Z now work remotely some of the time.

Nike races to develop period-proof clothing

Nike

US – Nike is the latest brand to introduce period-proof clothing with the launch of its new product line, Nike Leak Protection: Period. Nike One Shorts will now feature a thin absorbent liner designed to prevent period leaks.

Brands like Thinx previously set a precedent serving people with periods by releasing innovative products such as leak-proof underwear. Nike’s research focused on ensuring the shorts offer more protection to women and other individuals wearing tampons, pads or cups. Its proprietary material technology combines two-layered, laminated pieces of material that absorb, wick and hold the blood.

‘Fear of bleed-through is real – and not just through the teen years, but through the entire journey of menstruation,’ says Lisa Gibson, a senior project manager in Nike’s apparel innovation team. This feeds into our report on Cyclical Fitness, which revealed how women are tracking and synchronising exercise with their menstrual cycles, creating greater demand for intelligent activewear that offers period-related solutions.

Strategic opportunity

The period care industry is ripe for disruption as women and other individuals who menstruate seek innovative self-care products and services, from fashion apparel to skincare

Sober bars are coming to Coachella this year

The New Bar, US The New Bar, US
The New Bar, US The New Bar, US

US ­– The New Bar, a Los Angeles-based and Latina-owned alcohol-free shop and bar, has been announced as Coachella’s first non-alcoholic retail partner.

Since its launch in July 2022, The New Bar has become a community hub in Venice Beach. The tiny bottle shop and online marketplace carry a range of non-alcoholic spirits, wines, beer and tinned functional drinks. As demand for creative and fun low- and no-alcohol options rises, Coachella has called on The New Bar for a first-of-its-kind retail partnership to keep the desert festival dry. During both weekends of the event, The New Bar will operate two bar pop-ups, stocked with a curated selection of drinks and specialist mocktails inspired by Coachella.

While the category has been rapidly expanding, seeing it available at a major festival is a milestone for alcohol-free beverages. ‘It could change the way people think about non-alc and where it can show up,’ explains the brand’s founder Brianda Gonzalez.

The partnership shows that the drinking ­habits of Generation Z and young Millennials are starting to have a wider impact ­­– expect to see Sober Bars permeate entertainment venues and events.

Strategic opportunity

While the non-alcoholic beverage market is reaching maturity, hospitality spaces and events offer an untapped opportunity to cater specifically for sober and sober-curious consumers

Mini Humans is a new sustainable babycare line

Global — Mini Humans is a new sustainability-focused range of babycare products launched by The Conscious Beauty Group.

The line of shampoos, conditioners and bubble baths is made with natural ingredients designed to be gentle on sensitive skin. Mini Humans’ products come in eco-friendly packaging with aluminium bottles featuring fully recyclable accordion pumps.

The Conscious Beauty Group is targeting the line at Millennial and Gen Z parents who value eco-consciousness highly when choosing which products to buy for their families.

Mini Humans positions itself as an accessible babycare line. It is available to buy from US megastore group Target, and adheres to Target Zero and Target Clean standards designed to minimise packaging waste and promote clean formulations.

Each product in the Mini Humans range is priced at £8 ($9.99, €9.14).

Mini Humans, US

Strategic opportunity

Our Tween Skincare list shows how the interest in skincare products is starting earlier. Build an early legacy for your brand by creating products that prioritise values of sustainability and affordability that appeal to young families

Stat: Almost half of Gen Z now work remotely some of the time

Toi Toi Toi Creative Studio for Contentful. Photography by Koy+Winkel, Germany
Toi Toi Toi Creative Studio for Contentful. Photography by Koy+Winkel, Germany

Global – Deloitte’s Global 2022 Gen Z and Millennial Survey has highlighted significant shifts in attitudes to work among these groups, which we address in our newly launched Work States Futures 2023 report.

Deloitte’s survey reveals that 49% of Gen Z and 45% of Millennials work remotely at least some of the time. Not only that, three quarters say this would be their preferred mode of working.

This reflects the big question organisations are asking themselves at the moment: will we or won’t we? As in, will we all go back to the office full-time, or will TWT days – Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays – become the new in-office days for the majority of their teams? London Business School’s professor of management practice Lynda Gratton explains in her recent book, Redesigning Work, that we need to re-imagine work in terms of place and time: place in terms of whether we are co-located in relation to where we need to work, and time, in terms of whether the work we do requires us to be synchronous (as in collaborative) or asynchronous, as in quiet, or lone-working.

The Work States Futures macrotrend is available now to LS:N Global subscribers and will be available to purchase in The Future Laboratory’s Reports store on 6 July.

Strategic opportunity

Whether you believe in BTO (back to the office) or TWT days, explore the long-term challenges not only for team working and collaborative work cultures, but also in attracting younger talent to and retaining it within your business

Previous Daily Signals Articles
Childline gamifies digital pressure to prompt reflection among teens

Daily Signals

Childline gamifies digital pressure to prompt reflection among teens

British counselling service Childline has launched a new campaign, Race to a Milli, designed to raise awareness of the pressures of online life for...
Technology : Health : Wellness
The Holiday & Travel Show 2026: Why experience-led staycations are defining the future of travel

Daily Signals

The Holiday & Travel Show 2026: Why experience-led staycations are defining the future of travel

Destinations: The Holiday & Travel Show returned to Olympia London as a key barometer for the future of tourism, bringing together 600 travel b...
Travel : Hospitality : Staycations
Stat: Gen Z’s screen time isn’t slowing down

Daily Signals

Stat: Gen Z’s screen time isn’t slowing down

Despite growing cultural narratives about going offline, Gen Z’s screen time in the US is still accelerating.
Technology : Gen Z : Statistic
Fred Again builds emotional aftercare into live shows

Daily Signals

Fred Again builds emotional aftercare into live shows

British musician and producer Fred Again is rethinking post-concert care. In a recent Instagram post, the musician reflected on the abrupt ending o...
Live Music : Hospitality : Social Wellness
Stat: Health concerns are driving food choice in Asia Pacific

Daily Signals

Stat: Health concerns are driving food choice in Asia Pacific

New data from PWC’s annual Voice of the Consumer survey reveals that 38% of APAC consumers will switch brands for health benefits, trailing only be...
Health : Food : Statistic
Absolut and Tabasco tap into fast-growing demand for spicy spirits

Daily Signals

Absolut and Tabasco tap into fast-growing demand for spicy spirits

Absolut Vodka and Tabasco are turning up the heat on brand collaboration, unveiling a vodka infused with the hot sauce brand’s signature pepper fla...
Drinks : Food : Flavour
Mongolia brings ancient dress systems to the Winter Olympics

Daily Signals

Mongolia brings ancient dress systems to the Winter Olympics

Mongolia has unveiled the ceremonial and casual outfits for its team at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, using the global sporting sta...
Sport : Fashion : Luxury
Foresight Friday: Alison Farrington, foresight content manager

Daily Signals

Foresight Friday: Alison Farrington, foresight content manager

Every Friday, we offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues and ideas we’re all talking about. This week, foresight content manager Alison ...
China : Lunar New Year : Foresight Friday
Stat: Gen Z switches off the news feed

Daily Signals

Stat: Gen Z switches off the news feed

New research from Adobe Express points to a shift in how information is accessed in the UK. Just 8% of Gen Z adults consume news content, according...
Media : Technology : Statistic
Can mixed-reality theatre re-invent the stage?

Daily Signals

Can mixed-reality theatre re-invent the stage?

An Ark, a mixed-reality theatre experience at The Shed in New York, is exploring how digital technology can transform live performance while preser...
Immersive Theatre : Media : Entertainment
You have 1 free Daily Signals remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN