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Tinder explores the nature of black love

Black Is Love by Tinder, UK

UK – Tinder recently commissioned Black Love Is, a film from Director X celebrating black love in all of its forms.

Featuring people’s personal and intimate reflections on love, relationships and the experience of being black, the three-minute film features real people and the experience of a multi-faceted black community. Through a variety of real-life stories, the film depicts the black community in an honest and authentic way.

Having made a conscious effort to tap into a particular community, Tinder also uses the film to explore intimate relationships more generally. We found those touchpoints for everyone. Personal, intimate reflections on how being black twists together with our understanding of love itself – connections to home, to family, to sexuality and to how we present to each other and the world,’ says Director X.

We’ve also explored communications around the black community in relation to modern masculinity in our interview with artist and film-maker IggyLdn.

Air New Zealand puts bunk beds on board

Economy Skynest by Air New Zealand, New Zealand

New Zealand – Air New Zealand has announced an economy-cabin concept integrating sets of bunk beds on flights between New York and Auckland.

Created to make the first-ever non-stop flight between the two cities more comfortable, the Economy Skynest builds on the success of the airline’s Economy Skycouch, which enabled families to transform a row of three economy seats into a single full-sized bed. The Skynest forms an in-air pod hotel with two parallel sets of bunk beds stacked three tiers high, a privacy curtain, full-size pillow, blanket, sheets and earplugs for maximum privacy.

With the rise of ultra-long-haul flights creating a greater need for travellers to feel comfortable and relaxed, air travel companies are innovating to provide enhanced in-flight wellness. For more on how services are being integrated to improve wellbeing while travelling, explore The Future of Flight Wellness.

Amid Covid-19, Lush offers in-store hand-washing

UK – Cosmetics retailer Lush is inviting people into its stores to wash their hands and help prevent the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19).

As part of the brand’s initiative, stores across the UK are promoting the service via its shop windows, stating that those who want to wash their hands will not be required to make any purchases to do so. Lush is also taking the opportunity to educate consumers about the best hand-washing practices.

In a statement about the initiative, the brand said: ‘Since we’re universally known as ‘that soap shop’, from Friday 28 February we’re using our shop windows to promote the hand-washing guidelines as advised by the NHS in the UK and other public health organisations around the world.’ It also hopes to distill some of the fears around the virus in relation to products like face masks and latex gloves.

With some consumers feeling concerned about global pandemics, they are looking to brands to step in and assist them where governments are failing. We explore this in Civic Brands.

Free hand washes by Lush, London

Stat: Americans want more sustainable luxury

A study by Lexus has revealed that most Americans have high expectations when it comes to environmentally friendly manufacturing practices. And more than seven in 10 (71%) believe luxury brands should lead the way on sustainability, allowing consumers to enjoy eco-conscious luxury goods and experiences.

Luxury shoppers are also open to more sustainable manufacturing processes, with 48% saying they are looking to see innovative materials filter into luxury goods, such as faux leather and lab-grown diamonds in the future. The study also predicts that mind-reading technology and brain-implant devices to aid memory will be luxury items by 2050.

With luxury consumers increasingly fighting back against traditional markers of luxury, they’re experiencing a sense of Uneasy Affluence that is forcing brands to rethink their products and services in relation to sustainability and conscious practices.