News 28.11.2024

Need to Know

Björk brings the voices of endangered animals to the Centre Pompidou, Aldi launches beer made from food waste and beauty companies are betting big on experiential marketing.

Björk brings the voices of endangered animals to the Centre Pompidou

Nature Manifesto by Björk and Aleph, Paris

France – Singer-songwriter Björk has created an immersive sound installation for the Centre Pompidou in Paris that uses AI software to produce the sounds of endangered and extinct animals.

Collaborating with editor Aleph Molinari and French sound institute IRCAM, Nature Manifesto (2024) layers the Icelandic musician’s vocals with digital recreations of natural sounds to symbolise humanity’s precarious relationship with biodiversity.

Urging audiences to reconnect with nature and the importance of preservation, the three-minute piece will play on the museum’s exterior escalators from 20 November to 9 December 2024, coinciding with the UN Climate Change Conference.

Nature Manifesto is part of the museum’s Biodiversity: What Culture for What Future? forum and echoes Björk’s long-standing climate advocacy.

The project echoes insights from our Rebranding Nature design direction which highlighted how brands and businesses are rebranding nature to lure Gen Z outdoors and engage them in conservation and climate activism.

Strategic opportunity

Partner with artists, institutions and innovators to create immersive experiences that position conservation as aspirational and empowering, moving away from fear-based narratives to foster hope and action

Aldi taps into sustainability with food waste beer range

Toast Brewing by Aldi, UK Toast Brewing by Aldi, UK
Toast Brewing by Aldi, UK Toast Brewing by Aldi, UK

UK – Aldi is advancing its sustainability efforts with The Hop Foundry beer range, crafted from surplus food items and sold exclusively in its stores. Partnering with innovative breweries, the supermarket is addressing food waste creatively, turning discarded bread and wonky fruits into refreshing beers.

Toast Brewing has collaborated on The Hop Foundry and Toast Brewing Another Round Session IPA, using surplus bread – a top contributor to UK food waste – to create a zesty and sustainable brew. Meanwhile, The Hop Foundry and Freedom Brewery Misfits Summer Fruits Beer, made with nearly a tonne of Aldi’s surplus berries, offers a vegan-friendly, tangy IPA.

Julie Ashfield, Aldi UK’s managing director of buying, highlights the retailer’s commitment to affordable sustainability, stating: ‘By partnering with incredible innovators, we’re transforming surplus food into delicious, high-quality products our customers can feel good about buying.’

This initiative aligns with our Waste Reinvented insight in our Innovation Debrief 2023–2024 report.

Strategic opportunity

Collaborate with innovators to create sustainable, affordable products that reduce waste while aligning with shoppers’ demand for environmental responsibility

Minecraft ventures into reality with Merlin Entertainments partnership

Minecraft Minecraft

US, UK – Minecraft fans will soon experience the beloved game off-screen. Entertainment destination company Merlin Entertainments is partnering with Minecraft creator Mojang Studios to bring Minecraft to life through immersive real-world attractions.

The £85m ($107m, €102m) initiative, Adventures Made Real, will be launched first in the UK and the US by 2026–2027. Highlights will include interactive Minecraft-themed rides, digitally integrated guest accommodation and in-game content.

This marks Merlin’s first global collaboration with a gaming brand, signalling a new era of phygital experiences that blend digital adventures with tangible, theme-park magic.

‘Minecraft is the best-selling video game of all time, and this world-first will see fans experience its thrill and creativity in real life, at theme parks and city centre attractions in leading tourist destinations,’ said Scott O’Neil, CEO of Merlin Entertainments.

Our Mobile World Congress 2024: The Future of Connectivity event coverage explored the future of digital integration of theme parks, transforming traditional adventure destinations with immersive gaming experiences.

Strategic opportunity

Develop attractions that blend virtual and physical gaming elements, offering interactive experiences that merge in-game challenges with real-world exploration, appealing to Gen Z and Gen Alpha consumers

Stat: Beauty brands double down on experiential marketing

Your best Elf visionOS app, US Your best Elf visionOS app, US

Global – The beauty and skincare sector is increasingly prioritising experiential marketing, with 84% of companies reporting budget increases over the past three years – 38% significantly and 46% slightly – according to a new survey of over 750 senior marketers across 12 industries.

While the industry allocates a relatively conservative 9.55% of its revenue to marketing, experiential initiatives are becoming central to its strategy. Popular formats include in-retail rituals (62%), live-streams (56%), partnerships and collaborations (41%) and influencer content creation (36%), showing diverse approaches to audience engagement.

The primary objectives driving experiential marketing in the sector are content creation (51%), innovation and test marketing (49%) and customer relationship management (41%), with earned media value (64%) and social engagement (41%) highlighted as key metrics for success.

Two-thirds of companies now dedicate 10–30% of their budgets to experiences, solidifying the sector’s commitment to immersive brand interactions and consumer-centric campaigns. These statistics align with our findings in Five Beauty Retailers Deploying EQ-Commerce Strategies.

Strategic opportunity

Invest in immersive in-store experiences such as guided rituals and multi-sensory environments to evoke emotional connections, aligning with the rise of EQ-Commerce and fostering strong brand relevance

Previous News Articles
AirCar readies for launch, ushering in an era of casual air mobility

News

AirCar readies for launch, ushering in an era of casual air mobility

Slovakia’s Klein Vision has announced that its AirCar – a road-legal vehicle that converts into a certified aircraft in under two minutes – will be...
Mobility : Air Travel : Transport
Foresight Friday: Seyi Oduwole, foresight analyst

News

Foresight Friday: Seyi Oduwole, foresight analyst

Every Friday, The Future Laboratory team offers an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, ...
Foresight Friday : Gen Z : Gen Beta
British Gen Alphas are listening to CDs and vinyl

News

British Gen Alphas are listening to CDs and vinyl

Nearly half of Generation Alpha are turning to physical music formats, according to new research from Key Production.
Gen Alpha : Music : Media
Social media star Kai Cenat launches Streamer University

News

Social media star Kai Cenat launches Streamer University

Twitch sensation Kai Cenat has launched Streamer University, a weekend-long experience for aspiring creators to collaborate, learn and produce cont...
Media : Entertainment : Education
De Beers to close its lab-grown diamond jewellery brand

News

De Beers to close its lab-grown diamond jewellery brand

De Beers Group has announced the closure of Lightbox, its lab-grown diamond jewellery brand, signalling a strategic retreat from the synthetic jewe...
Luxury : Sustainability : Jewellery
Financial mansplaining endures for a majority of British women

News

Financial mansplaining endures for a majority of British women

Gender bias in money matters is pushing British women out of financial conversations, according to new research commissioned by digital wealth mana...
Finance : Diversity : Inclusion
Avanade Intelligent Garden gives trees a voice at Chelsea Flower Show

News

Avanade Intelligent Garden gives trees a voice at Chelsea Flower Show

This year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show invites visitors to interact with AI-enabled trees in the Avanade Intelligent Garden.
Technology : Nature : Sustainability
ITV launches deaf-led drama with BSL and silent ad break

News

ITV launches deaf-led drama with BSL and silent ad break

ITV is pushing the boundaries of inclusive storytelling with the launch of its new prime time drama Code of Silence, starring BAFTA-winning actor a...
Media : Diversity : Inclusion
Stat: Boomerang generation return home due to cost of living crisis

News

Stat: Boomerang generation return home due to cost of living crisis

The rising cost of living and unaffordable housing are fuelling a surge in adult children returning to the family home.
Family : Home : Youth
Manchester City brings grassroots spirit to kit launch

News

Manchester City brings grassroots spirit to kit launch

Manchester City Football Club has marked the launch of its 2025/2026 home kit with a short film that playfully blends football fandom, nostalgia an...
Sports : Design : Creative
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