Need to Know
15 : 10 : 21

UK – In a bid to modernise associations with drinking tea, British brand Twinings is borrowing cues from the health and wellness sector in a campaign that promotes its range of adaptogenic and vitamin-infused teas. The campaign, Alive in Every Drop, comprises a series of cinematic films that challenge traditional stereotypes of tea drinkers. Created by advertising agency Uncommon London, the work features individuals drinking tea in moments of reflection, exercise and focus.

Through this alternative approach to storytelling, Twinings echoes the ideas we explore in Total Tastes, with food and drink companies turning to ingredients to positively boost people’s psychological states. In doing so, the brand also elevates its offering and broadens its appeal. ‘We’ve never enjoyed more varieties and blends of tea in our lives but the image of tea in the UK is somewhat stuck in the past,’ writes Uncommon in a blog post. ‘Twinings are seeking to address this with these captivating stories of new tea moments.’

As more consumers look for holistic wellbeing solutions, food and drink brands should experiment with products that bolster people’s mental and physical health.

UK – Famed for his quirky cinematic interiors, film director Wes Anderson has teamed up with luxury travel brand Belmond to transform one of its train carriages into a cinematic hospitality experience. Uniting luxury travel and entertainment, the director was tasked with refurbishing the historic Cygnus carriage on Belmond’s British Pullman train – the preferred coach of royalty and statesmen.

The collaboration is representative of the travel sector’s inter-Covid Comeback Campaigns, designed to attract consumers through immersive experiences linked to existing hobbies and interests. By paying homage to the golden era of cinema and travel, this design partnership also taps into the rise of highly shareable nostalgia-led travelling.

Bringing Anderson’s aesthetic to life for travellers, the partnership builds on Anderson’s personal love of train travel, which is central to his films The Darjeeling Limited and The Grand Budapest Hotel. ‘I have often had the chance to invent train compartments and carriages in my movies. So, I was very eager to make something new while also participating in the process of preservation which accompanies all the classic Belmond train projects,’ Anderson explains, adding that trains are 'an endangered species of travel which is nevertheless very suited to our time'.

A recent study conducted by Project Healthy Minds in the US finds that systemic injustices are exacerbating poor mental health among some communities. In a national survey of Millennials and Generation Z, 73% of respondents from the LGBTQ+ community described their mental health as ‘fair’ or ‘poor’, compared to 51% of heterosexual respondents.

The study points to systemic injustices and societal issues such as racial inequity and mass shootings as leading causes of anxiety for the LGBTQ+ community. Some 86% of LGBTQ+ respondents report that police violence against Black Americans makes them feel nervous, compared to 51% of heterosexual respondents. People who identify as LGBTQ+ are twice as likely to describe feeling anxious ‘all the time’ as heterosexual respondents.

With Project Healthy Minds’ wider findings showing that 86% of US Millennials and Gen Z say mental health is as important or more important than physical health, younger generations will expect non-discriminatory care that is radically inclusive. The Queer Care Market might not be a panacea for structural unrest, but it can help targeted groups find care centred on awareness, understanding and allyship.