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Hyundai turns to emotional marketing for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games

US – Hyundai is changing its advertising strategy for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris with an emotion-centred campaign titled It’s OK. Unlike typical Olympic ads showcasing athletic triumph, this campaign explores children’s doubts about the pressures of sports and their parents’ supportive responses. ‘Never give up on finding what you love,’ the ads conclude, emphasising mental health and emotional connections.

Angela Zepeda, CMO of Hyundai Motor America, stated, ‘This is definitely telling more about our brand ethos first and telling an emotional story’, as the campaign focuses less on product promotion. The clip will air during key broadcasts, including the Halftime Show on NBC Universal during the 2024 Summer Games, and more content will appear on digital platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.

Hyundai’s strategy starkly contrasts with other Olympic sponsors, such as Nike, and aims to resonate with audiences seeking uplifting narratives amid low consumer sentiment. ‘The country is probably needing a little boost,’ said Zepeda.

For more insights on what’s new and next in advertising, head to our analysis of Cannes Lions 2024.

Strategic opportunity

Explore incorporating emotional narratives in marketing, focusing on personal stories that resonate with people’s experiences and life challenges. For instance, can you address mental health issues in messaging and promote wellbeing and balance in personal and professional pursuits?

Meta AI’s Imagine Me feature transforms user photos into customisable art

Global – Meta AI has launched Imagine Me, a new feature so that users can create AI-generated images from their photos and prompts. Currently in beta in the US, Imagine Me allows people to type a command in the chat and prompt, for example, ‘Imagine me as a superhero’ or ‘Imagine me in a historical setting’ and the AI generates a customised image.

Meta AI can also seamlessly edit photos, add or remove objects and make other modifications. Users can even generate whimsical images, such as ‘Me as a 3D sticker’ and easily modify them with instructions such as ‘Change to a royal image’.

This is part of a broader update in which Meta AI has expanded globally to support more languages and is available in 22 countries, including Argentina, Chile and Mexico. Meta plans bi-weekly updates, with an ‘edit with AI’ button launching this month to simplify photo editing further.

Our Authentic Avatars report explored how users are seeking more inclusivity in avatar creation, as digital expression becomes an important part of consumers’ identities. Meta AI will help meet that need by allowing users to create customisable AI images of themselves to use as digital avatars.

Photography by Shingi Rice, UK

Strategic opportunity

Consider how your brand can integrate AI into avatar creation to transform user photos into hyper-personalised digital selves with advanced editing options for further customisation

Foresight Friday: Seyi Oduwole, intern

Victoria Ling for The Future Laboratory

Every Friday, we offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, intern Seyi Oduwole discusses Gen Alpha language, Kamala Harris’ hot girl summer Presidential campaign and Ozempic-inspired snacks.

: As Kamala Harris announced her bid for the US presidential elections we were met with an onslaught of pop culture-influenced, girl-coded marketing. From Beyoncé reportedly giving Harris permission to use her song Freedom to the presidential candidate rebranding as a fully certified Charlie XCX brat, there has been no shortage of memes. Take New York magazine’s themed cover, for example, a prime case of Yassified Marketing at play. With Megan Thee Stallion as her hype woman, the Kamalot era has well and truly begun.

: Japanese confectionery company Morinaga has developed a hunger-curbing drink In Tansan which solidifies into jelly after ingestion. Proclaimed as a drug-free alternative to Ozempic, the jelly creates a feeling of fullness and can potentially curb excessive snacking. Read more on the next generation of weight loss in our Neozempic Futures report.

: Although I’m a Gen Z myself, Gen Alpha’s new slang has made me feel ancient and completely out of the loop. From words like sigma (cool) and mewing (looking good) to fanum tax (stealing) and auramaxxing (achieving maximum attractiveness), I'm going to need a comprehensive breakdown of the new Gen Alpha jargon. Check out our Gen Alpha sector to understand their lingo and lifestyle, and how to appeal to this new cohort.

Quote of the week

‘Now I know my ladies in the crowd love their bodies – and if you want to keep loving your body, you know who to vote for. Let’s get this done, hotties. Hotties for Harris’

Megan Thee Stallion speaking at the Kamala Harris rally in Atlanta

Stat: Global population to peak in 2080 according to new United Nations report

Zalando and Adidas, Germany

Global – The world’s population is set to grow by over 2bn people in the coming decades, reaching a peak of approximately 10.3bn in the 2080s, according to a new United Nations report released on World Population Day. However, this growth will be followed by a decline to around 10.2bn by the century’s end.

The World Population Prospects 2024 report highlights that the likelihood of the global population peaking within this century is about 80%. This earlier-than-expected peak is attributed to declining fertility rates in some of the world’s most populous countries, notably China, where the population is projected to drop dramatically from 1.4bn in 2024 to 633m by 2100.

Already, population numbers have peaked in 63 countries and territories including China, Germany, Japan and Russia, with a total decline of 14% expected over the next 30 years.

Brazil, Iran, Türkiye and Vietnam are among 48 countries which are expected to reach their population peak between 2025 and 2054. By 2080, the demographic landscape will shift significantly, with those aged 65 or older outnumbering children under 18. Look to our Generations coverage for more nuanced analysis, from Boomers to Gen Alpha.

Strategic opportunity

Consider regional age demographics to better serve population segments. For example, how will China’s ageing population affect healthcare needs in the coming decades?