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Wall’s Solar Priceboard keeps ice cream frozen during power outages

Solar price boards by Wall’s, Pakistan

Pakistan – In an innovative move to tackle Pakistan’s frequent power outages, ice cream brand Wall’s, in collaboration with creative agency LOLA MullenLowe, has transformed a classic advertising fixture into a vital source of energy. The traditional ice cream price board, typically seen outside small Pakistani shops, now serves a dual purpose, ensuring ice cream stays cold even when electricity fails.

Named the Solar Priceboard, this upgraded version is equipped with solar panels that harness energy during daylight hours. When blackouts occur, the stored energy powers the freezers, preventing the ice cream from melting. This initiative comes as Pakistan grapples with worsening energy shortages, causing widespread disruption across various sectors.

The Solar Priceboard, now in its prototype phase, is expected to be integrated into existing solar-powered initiatives at various sales points such as beaches, parks and ice cream carts. Tomás Ostiglia, executive creative director at LOLA MullenLowe, highlighted the project’s dual impact of preserving tradition while embracing innovation. ‘If the ice cream price board has never been changed in over 100 years, then it tells you that it is working well,’ he noted. ‘But there is always an opportunity to make it better.’

In Activist OOH Advertising, we previously analysed how, as the climate crisis becomes an increasing concern, brands are turning their physical billboards into instruments of activism.

Strategic opportunity

Foster a culture of innovation in your brand, encouraging teams to think creatively about how products or services can address societal challenges while aligning with brand values

Hellmann’s launches campaign to save endangered sandwiches

Save Our Sandwiches (SOS) campaign by Hellman’s, US

US – In a bid to rescue beloved mayonnaise-filled sandwiches from extinction, Hellmann’s has launched an innovative campaign inviting fans to ‘adopt’ endangered sandwiches while committing £24m ($30m, €28m) to regenerative farming practices.

The urgency stems from soil erosion threatening soybean crops, a vital ingredient in mayonnaise. Hellmann’s suggests sandwiches as we know them could face extinction as early as 2043. Responding to this crisis, the brand aims to revolutionise soybean farming in order to Save Our Sandwiches (SOS) – the name of the campaign.

Through adoption on SaveOurSandwiches.com, enthusiasts can symbolically support sandwiches like the BLT, turkey club, Italian sub, and egg salad, and receive a digital certificate and a coupon for Hellmann’s products. Complementing the campaign are print and digital advertisements in Chicago and Cincinnati, mourning the potential ‘death date’ of mayonnaise and its iconic sandwiches.

By championing regenerative agriculture, Hellmann’s is assisting farmers in planting cover crops to combat soil erosion. Already supporting 700 farmers in Iowa, Hellmann’s aims to scale its efforts further. ‘Given the importance of soybeans to Hellmann’s, we believe that we should do our part to change this trajectory,’ said Stefani Millie Grant, associate director of external affairs and sustainability at Unilever North America, in a statement.

To raise awareness about climate change, Hellmann’s is following the path of many other brands turning to Subversive Sustainability Ads to maximise impact while cutting through the noise.

Strategic opportunity

Explore partnerships with suppliers committed to regenerative farming practices to secure a sustainable source of key ingredients

Beiersdorf introduces Glycostop to combat sugar-induced skin ageing

Bentel’s Box Bag by Nik Bentel Studio, US

Germany – Beiersdorf, the German health and beauty giant renowned for brands like Nivea and Eucerin, has unveiled a ground-breaking solution in the fight against skin ageing caused by sugar. After a decade of intensive research involving the screening of 1,700 ingredients, Beiersdorf introduced Glycostop, a patented anti-ageing active ingredient targeting the skin’s vulnerability to sugar-induced damage, in April 2024.

The discovery of Glycostop marks a significant advance in skincare science. It addresses the process of glycation, a natural but irreversible reaction in which sugar molecules bind to proteins or lipids, leading to the formation of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs).

‘Sugar molecules are neutralised before they can bind to proteins and weaken collagen fibres,’ explained Dr Julia Weise, Beiersdorf’s laboratory manager, in a statement. ‘This is why we have given our active ingredient NAHP the second name Glycostop.’ The new ingredient is featured in Nivea’s latest product, the Q10 Dual Action Serum, clinically proven to visibly reduce wrinkles within two weeks while boasting environmentally friendly packaging.

Beiersdorf’s innovative approach signifies a leap forward in skincare, offering consumers a powerful ally against the silent assailant of sugar-induced skin ageing. In Skintellectual Bodycare, we analysed how consumer demand for science-backed, active and ingredient-led products and treatments that contribute to their overall health and wellbeing are transforming the bodycare market.

Strategic opportunity

Expand product portfolios to include skincare solutions addressing niche concerns, such as sugar-induced skin ageing, catering for evolving consumer preferences for specialised treatments

Stat: Speciality brews bring US coffee consumption to new heights

Grind, UK

US – Americans’ love affair with coffee continues to brew stronger than ever, with recent data from the National Coffee Association (NCA) revealing a significant surge in consumption across the nation.

According to the latest statistics from the NCA, over two-thirds of American adults (67%) indulged in coffee the previous day, surpassing all other beverage choices, including tap and bottled water. This marks a 37% increase since 2004, the highest level in more than two decades.

Speciality coffee, in particular, is driving this trend, with a notable 7.5% year-on-year increase in its consumption in the past week. Espresso-based drinks are leading the charge, signalling a shift in consumer preferences away from traditional filter coffee, especially when consumed outside the home.

Moreover, the ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee market is growing exponentially, with RTD coffee emerging as the third most popular preparation method among daily coffee drinkers. This trend underlines consumers’ prioritisation of convenience and evolving preferences for healthier options, creating new opportunities for roasters to innovate and capture market share.

In our Brewing Coffee Futures market report, we track the innovations across the coffee industry, from eco-conscious farming to new coffee experiences in and out of the home.

Strategic opportunity

Explore opportunities for innovation in the ready-to-drink coffee segment, such as developing healthier formulations, unique flavours or convenient packaging options to capture market share in this rapidly growing market