News 21.05.2025

News

Nature finds its voice at Chelsea Flower Show, ITV sets new standard for entertainment inclusion and why Gen Z are moving back in with their parents.

Avanade Intelligent Garden gives trees a voice at Chelsea Flower Show

The Avanade Intelligent Garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025, London, UK
The Avanade Intelligent Garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025, London, UK
The Avanade Intelligent Garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025, London, UK

UK – This year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show invites visitors to interact with AI-enabled trees in the Avanade Intelligent Garden. Twelve trees, fitted with environmental sensors, respond via an AI tool called Tree Talk – and in this parched spring, their message is clear: thirsty.

The installation, designed by Tom Massey and Je Ahn in partnership with Microsoft and Avanade, monitors soil pH, moisture and air quality in real time. Visitors can engage in text-based conversations with the trees, receiving live updates on their health and alerts on issues such as under-watering.

Addressing the low survival rates of urban trees – around 30% die within a year, according to research from the Woodland Trust – the project shows how AI can enhance urban biodiversity and environmental stewardship.

This initiative reflects a broader shift towards symbiotic technologies that foster more meaningful, reciprocal relationships between human and non-human life, as explored in our Symbiotic Symbols microtrend.

Strategic opportunity

Use AI-driven, nature-responsive tech to turn environmental data into emotional, shareable storytelling – giving eco-systems a voice and inviting consumers to actively engage in protecting and sustaining the world around them

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

Code of Silence on ITV, UK Code of Silence on ITV, UK
Code of Silence on ITV, UK Code of Silence on ITV, UK

UK – ITV is pushing the boundaries of inclusive storytelling with the launch of its new prime time drama Code of Silence, starring BAFTA-winning actor and deaf campaigner Rose Ayling-Ellis.

The recently premiered (18 May 2025) six-part crime drama centres on a deaf lip-reading analyst, Alison Brooks, who is drawn into a covert police surveillance operation watching a gang planning a high-stakes heist. Created by Catherine Moulton, who has personal experience with hearing loss, the series goes beyond representation in plot alone – each episode will also be available in British Sign Language (BSL) on ITVX.

The debut episode was also accompanied by a silent ad break; during the three-minute and 20-second commercial slot, brands including The National Lottery, Virgin Atlantic, Boots Hearingcare, Cupra, Hellman’s, Ikea, Walkers, Aldi and the Scottish Government (on STV) ran subtitled and/or signed ads without sound.

Rather than treating inclusion as a side note, ITV embeds deaf culture into both content and advertising, moving from tokenism to cultural fluency. Code of Silence shows that authentic representation doesn’t limit reach; it drives relevance. By backing the right talent and prioritising creative integrity, the network sets a new precedent for meaningful, accessible programming.

For more on how the media landscape is adapting to increasingly diverse and engaged audiences, explore our Pop Culture & Media sector.

Strategic opportunity

Future-facing media brands should build the creative infrastructure and talent pipelines that make inclusive storytelling the norm – not the exception – driving deeper, more authentic audience connection

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

Photography by Askar Abayev Photography by Askar Abayev

UK – The rising cost of living and unaffordable housing are fuelling a surge in adult children returning to the family home, with the average boomerang age now 26, according to a new survey of 2,000 people across the UK, conducted by Yonder Consulting for NatWest.

Nearly a quarter (23%) of parents with adult children have seen them return home after first moving out. One in five returnees is over 30, and nearly a quarter move back just two years after initially leaving. Some even bring partners or children with them, reshaping the traditional notion of the empty nest. 

Parents are adjusting, too, with 55% having given up home offices or guest rooms to accommodate returning children, and 60% charge or would charge rent. 

‘Many children across the country are having to return to the homes that they grew up in well into their 20s and 30s to give themselves the financial headroom to save for a deposit,’ said Barry Connolly, managing director of home-buying and ownership at NatWest. 

With rental demand rising and fewer landlord listings, the strain on younger adults continues. According to figures from the Office for National Statistics, 28% of UK 20–34-year-olds now live with their parents, highlighting a growing generational shift in living patterns. 

In our Gen Z Now and Next: From Vision to Contradiction macrotrend report we analyse how Gen Z are entering adulthood burdened by global crises and contradictions. Lacking clear role models or tools for change, they face a paralysis by paradox despite a strong desire to make an impact. 

Strategic opportunity

Rethink home and lifestyle product and service strategies for multi-generational living – from adaptable furniture and shared workspace solutions to financial tools and wellbeing activations designed for households navigating the boomerang generation

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