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Irish tourism enters a Viking metaverse

Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Wrath of the Druids and Discover Ireland

Ireland – Ubisoft's popular Assassin’s Creed adventure video game is being harnessed by Tourism Ireland to introduce its landscapes, Viking history and folklore to a new audience of gamers.

Marking the game's latest expansion pack, Wrath of the Druids, the collaboration allows players to make their way as Eivor, a Viking clan leader, through the country’s ‘otherwordly’ backdrops, immersing themselves in real-life locations such as the Giant’s Causeway, the Hill of Tara, Benbulben and Dublin. The campaign demonstrates how e-Tourism has been rebooted for a new era, in which people are using their imagination to travel while many global borders remain closed.

With popular Twitch influencers also tapped as part of the partnership – each promoting the mythical nature of Ireland to gaming communities across the UK, Germany, France and the Nordics – it’s clear that Tourism Ireland is doubling-down on the gamer demographic, a group that has only grown in size and diversity since the beginning of the pandemic.

Strategic opportunity

With video games being used as escapist pursuits, their fantastical worlds provide the ultimate opportunity for tourism brands to recreate travel experiences and entice a new generation of travellers to explore IRL locations

Scotland's Fife Arms raises the bar for whisky discovery

Bertie’s Whisky Bar at The Fife Arms, Braemar, Scotland

Scotland – Bertie’s Whisky Bar is rethinking the way people experience whisky, encouraging visitors to explore its labyrinth of 365 bottles arranged by flavour profile. By eschewing the traditional counter bar in favour of discovery, the space encourages a deeper understanding of the spirits on display.

To create the visual identity for the extravagant bar, multidisciplinary studio Here Design has borrowed inspiration from King Edward VII – nicknamed ‘Bertie’ – and his ‘hedonistic love of opulence’. The whisky bar has been unveiled as part of the reopening of The Fife Arms, an iconic luxury hotel in Scotland’s highlands, and the space highlights the evolution of No-bar Bars, in which the disappearance of the back bar allows for more serendipitous interactions.

As such, visitors to Bertie’s Whisky Bar are encouraged to meander, turning to taste cards to learn more about the history of the drams they’re drinking. Hence why the bar has been labelled a ‘library’ by the design studio, building on the ambient and intimate spatial design.

Strategic opportunity

As hospitality spaces reopen, on-trade spirits brands should look to intimacy, opulence and discovery as key pillars in which to centre the post-pandemic drinking experience

Lollipop's AI closes the gap between recipes and retail

UK – Lollipop is a new British online grocery marketplace that enables shoppers to build meal plans from recipes and assemble the ingredients automatically into their shopping baskets. As its URL suggests, the start-up’s AI assistant has been developed to automate and streamline grocery shopping in various ways.

Offering a new level of hyper-convenience, Lollipop is looking to cater to the 80% of UK households it claims spends more than an hour per week meal-planning and online grocery shopping. To achieve this, the marketplace will be partnering with retailers such as Sainsbury’s and BBC Good to offer a recipe-based shopping experience. Tom Foster-Carter, founder and CEO, also envisions partnering with online retailers, direct to farm and organic suppliers, recipe boxes and rapid delivery services to boost the offering.

Amid soaring online grocery sales, nascent food-shopping services such as Lollipop are stepping up to offer a higher level of speed and speciality. For more insights, read our Next-gen Grocery Market.

Lollipop AI Online Grocery Marketplace, UK

Strategic opportunity

With the growth of online grocery, the food and drink sectors have a chance to evolve algorithmic shopping recommendations into new services that provide a clear alternative to established retail models

Stat: Beauty consumers reject the anti-ageing narrative

Babor and All Woman Project campaign, US

The beauty landscape has significantly shifted, according to research from the global beauty brand, Avon. Its Future of Beauty report considers why tomorrow's product innovations and marketing needs to address new consumer priorities following the pandemic.

The end of anti-ageing is among the key post-pandemic beauty insights, with 2 in 5 women aged 55 and older no longer considering wrinkles and fine lines as one of their biggest skin insecurities. ‘The end result for skincare and beauty is that the story is not about simply anti- or pro-ageing, but about authentic ageing,’ explains Anthony Gonzalez, Avon’s director of global skincare and trend innovation.

The research reflects the extent to which the pandemic has not only highlighted the fragility of life but also considerably shifted attitudes to ageing as a result. With people increasingly rejecting these societal stereotypes, the market for Flat Age Beauty continues to grow.

Strategic opportunity

In their communications and campaigns, beauty brands should focus on reframing ageing as a positive experience that reflects good health and longevity over aesthetics