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A music video to inspire children to stay active

Dance 10,000 by Forsman & Bodenfors for Generation Pep!, Sweden

Sweden – Non-profit organisation Generation Pep! has launched a music video campaign designed to increase Generation Alpha’s activity levels while in lockdown.

Created by agency Forsman & Bodenfors, the Dance 10,000 video follows a young girl dancing through her day and reaching 10,000 steps – the standard aim for a full day's physical activity. To inspire physical activity among kids, Generation Pep! has released a dance tutorial based on the video’s choreography, asking children to share their moves on social media. The accompanying music is an updated version of the song DANCE, by French electronic dance music duo Justice, which was specially made for the campaign.

‘We know that children and young people in many countries don’t get enough exercise, a trend that unfortunately seems to have worsened during the pandemic,’ says Carolina Klüft, operations manager at Generation Pep! With this campaign, the non-profit organisation hopes this will inspire children to find creative ways to remain active during the pandemic.

As consumers explore ways to keep children active during the pandemic, the trend for Tweenage Fitness is evolving.

Ace of Air’s eco-packaging taps into circular beauty

Ace of Air, New York

New York – Ace of Air is a new beauty and wellness brand offering an entirely circular model to tackle the industry’s waste issues.

The brand, which offers skincare and supplements that work in synergy, is the first of its kind to operate in a fully circular and zero-waste capacity. Its Buy the Product, Borrow the Package model allows Ace of Air to take full responsibility for its packaging and enables consumers to be more conscious with their beauty purchases. After customers have finished with their product, they can order a new one and send back the empty packaging in the same box for Ace of Air to then sanitise, refill and re-use.

‘We did this, not because we thought the world needs another beauty and wellness brand. It doesn't. We did this because our planet needs a beauty and wellness brand that fundamentally changes what and how we consume,' explains Stephanie Stahl, CEO and co-founder of Ace of Air.

With the beauty sector becoming more aware of its environmental impact, brands are offering Refined Refillables that are both luxurious and eco-friendly.

L'Occitane’s Hong Kong flagship store fights plastic waste

Hong Kong – For its latest retail location, skincare brand L'Occitane has created an eco-conscious hub that teaches shoppers about sustainability to curb Hong Kong's single-use plastic.

The #MEGA location stands for Make Earth Green Again and was designed in partnership with charity A Plastic Ocean Foundation. The space boasts an in-store recycling system that will turn post-consumer plastics into recycled alternatives. When shoppers visit, they can earn loyalty reward points by completing green tasks, such as recycling empty products. Consumers can also fill out a personal carbon footprint evaluation to learn more about sustainable shopping.

The brand hopes that this initiative will help to inspire eco-conscious behaviour. ‘[The] #MEGA Sustainability Concept Store is like our invitation to the Hong Kong public to explore how we can reduce plastic pollution together,’ said Nathaëlle Davoust, general manager of L’Occitane Hong Kong and Macau.

The opening of L’Occitane’s #MEGA store signifies the shift in the East Asian market where brands are now championing sustainability.

L'Occitane's #MEGA Hong Kong

Stat: Lockdown boosts UK print book sales

Love Reading Love Life by Shanghai Book Fair, Asia

British consumers are driving a rise in print book sales during the national lockdown, with many spending more time reading than in previous years.

Research by Nielsen BookScan reveals that the volume of print books sold in the UK rose by 5.2% in 2020 compared with 2019. Overall, more than 200m books were sold last year – the first time since 2012 that this figure has been exceeded. These findings also show that print books remain popular despite the increased uptake of audiobooks. Reading continues to provide entertainment, learning opportunities and reflective moments for consumers during a time of heightened anxiety.

Although there has been a rise in simplified stimulation and people reclaiming downtime during the pandemic, this reflects a push to more Enlightened States – achieved through the escapism and inspiration that reading can offer.