Need to know 24 : 07 : 17

Need to know 24 : 07 : 17

In today’s daily digest: Google Glass returns for the workplace, American Eagle launches a denim hijab, the rise of digital pharmaceuticals and other top stories.

1. Keepers Coffee Soda is a refreshing take on cold brew coffee 2. Google Glass is relaunched as a workplace tool 3. American Eagle has included a denim hijab in its new collection 4. Lyft offers its drivers $1 car washes  5. Athleisure’s popularity expands beyond apparel 6. Thought-starter: Are smartphones the key to a drug-free future?

1. Keepers Coffee Soda is a refreshing take on cold brew coffee

Keepers Coffee Soda, New York Keepers Coffee Soda, New York
Keepers Coffee Soda, New York Keepers Coffee Soda, New York
Keepers Coffee Soda, New York Keepers Coffee Soda, New York

New York – Keepers taps into the rise in coffee consumption in the US, especially the growing interest in gourmet varieties such as cold brew, something that’s been identified by the National Coffee Association. The brand uses a Japanese flash brewing method, which is lighter on the palate than traditional roasting methods, combining it with juice from tangerines, lemons and limes.

With only 19g of sugar compared to the 30–40g typically seen in fizzy drinks, according to Keepers, the product also offers a better alternative for health-conscious consumers.

For more on how consumers are seeking alternatives to sugar-laden food and drink options, buy our Food and Drink Futures report 2016 here.

2. Google Glass is relaunched as a workplace tool

Glass Enterprise Edition, Sutter Health, US

US – Following the unsuccessful commercial launch of Google Glass, the next iteration of the augmented reality (AR) headset is aimed at businesses.

Designed for use in the manufacturing, logistics, field services and healthcare sectors, the Glass Enterprise Edition is designed to boost productivity in the workplace. Doctors can use the device to see a patient’s medical history, while manual labourers can read instructions while holding tools.

In repurposing the technology for its AR glasses, Google highlights the need for brands to think laterally when considering the potential applications of their products. For more on the future of the workplace, download our free Workplace Summit Report 2016.

3. American Eagle has included a denim hijab in its new collection

New York – Promoted in the brand’s latest campaign by model inclusivity activist Halima Aiden, it was launched as part of a larger move from the brand to feature models that ‘break stereotypes and credibility in their multi-hyphenated careers’.

Aiden appears alongside several other Millennials, including body positivity activist Iskra Lawrence, and the campaign’s images are unretouched. The hijab itself has been designed with new fits, washes and fabrications to represent a new standard in denim.

As we originally outlined in our Modest Wear Market report, brands are beginning to approach modest wear as a style choice that is empowering, rather than something for covering up.

Halima Aiden for American Eagle, New York Halima Aiden for American Eagle, New York

4. Lyft offers its drivers $1 car washes 

La Cienega Car Wash by Lyft, Los Angeles La Cienega Car Wash by Lyft, Los Angeles
La Cienega Car Wash by Lyft, Los Angeles La Cienega Car Wash by Lyft, Los Angeles
La Cienega Car Wash by Lyft, Los Angeles La Cienega Car Wash by Lyft, Los Angeles
La Cienega Car Wash by Lyft, Los Angeles La Cienega Car Wash by Lyft, Los Angeles

Los Angeles – For the campaign the ride-share company has converted La Cienega Car Wash into a branded location, offering its employees discounted washes in acknowledgement of their work.

The brand will offer the cut-price service until mid-August, with all proceeds donated to Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, demonstrating the company’s Civic Brand credentials.

Following the backlash against the questionable working practices of popular sharing economy brands, such initiatives will become an important way to demonstrate their positive treatment of workers. In a similar vein, Uber recently added a tipping option as part of its 180 days of change to help portray the gig economy in a better light.

5. Athleisure’s popularity expands beyond apparel

While LS:N Global has been tracking the rise of athleisure in the apparel market since 2016, the popularity of the sports influenced style is now generating substantial growth in the accessories and beauty markets, according to Euromonitor. For more on how athleisure is influencing make-up, see the Total Beauty focus in our Beauty Futures Report 2017.

6. Thought-starter: Are smartphones the key to a drug-free future?

The abuse of prescription drugs is rife on both sides of the Atlantic, with many consumers developing harmful dependencies. According to a 2016 survey published in the journal BMC Psychiatry, almost one in 10 adults in Britain misuse their prescriptions. Added to this, many health-conscious consumers are now rejecting pharmaceuticals in favour of more natural alternatives. In a recent survey by JWT Intelligence, more than half of US Millennials said they would prefer to treat their ailments with non-medicinal options (59%) than over-the-counter medication (55%).

One such alternative is being provided by a new series of healthcare apps that promise significant results without the need to ingest synthetic chemicals or suffer from their unpredictable side-effects. These apps are providing vital treatments, from pain control to contraception and diabetes management, all based around effective data-monitoring, sound advice and an understanding of how to manipulate human physiology.

For more on the future of Smartphone Therapies, read our microtrend.

Natural Cycles, Germany Natural Cycles, Germany
Discover More News
Cashify flips Indian wedding tradition to promote smartphone resale

News

Cashify flips Indian wedding tradition to promote smartphone resale

Smartphone reselling platform Cashify is challenging outdated attitudes to second-hand tech by reimagining a long-standing wedding ritual as a cele...
Technology : Sustainability : Circularity
Stat: New overtourism report maps the global crisis

News

Stat: New overtourism report maps the global crisis

Wellness Retreat Magazine’s 2025 Overtourism Report ranks 40 major cities facing acute tourism saturation – and the data underscores a growing imba...
Statistic : Stat : Overtourism
Foresight Friday: Dede Mivehchi, foresight intern

News

Foresight Friday: Dede Mivehchi, foresight intern

Every Friday, we offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, foresight intern&nbs...
Digital Detox : The Great Concert Comeback : Live Music Economy
MAD//Fest 2025: Culture, collaborations and creating a new identity for women’s football

News

MAD//Fest 2025: Culture, collaborations and creating a new identity for women’s football

On day two of MAD//Fest 2025, Ruth Hooper, chief marketing officer at the Women’s Super League (WSL), set out a vision for reshaping the visual ide...
Global Events : Advertising & Marketing : Football
Stat: US Gen Alpha favour consoles over mobiles for game play

News

Stat: US Gen Alpha favour consoles over mobiles for game play

Despite assumptions that mobile gaming dominates among young people, a new US report reveals that Generation Alpha are leading the charge in consol...
Statistic : Gaming : Media
Together Group and The Future Laboratory unveil New Codes of Luxury: Immersive Technologies for Transformation report

News

Together Group and The Future Laboratory unveil New Codes of Luxury: Immersive Technologies for Transformation report

In their latest report, New Codes of Luxury: Immersive Technologies for Transformation, The Future Laboratory and Together Group explore how immers...
Luxury : Technology : Design
MAD//Fest 2025: Delayed adulthood, algorithmic segregation and Gen Z hippies

News

MAD//Fest 2025: Delayed adulthood, algorithmic segregation and Gen Z hippies

MAD//Fest returned to Shoreditch on 1 July 2025, with this year’s theme Be Less Boring challenging brands to rethink how to engage with new audiences.
Global Events : Advertising & Marketing : Gen Z
Habitat and Pinterest unveil immersive campaign putting emotion into home design

News

Habitat and Pinterest unveil immersive campaign putting emotion into home design

Habitat has teamed up with Pinterest for an immersive storytelling campaign that repositions homeware as a tool for emotional re-invention and shop...
Retail : Design : Technology
Stat: Young adults are redefining romantic relationships on their terms

News

Stat: Young adults are redefining romantic relationships on their terms

As romantic norms fragment, 20% of people are now unknowingly practising ‘relationship anarchy’, according to the latest State of Dating repor...
Statistic : Stat : Dating
AI billboard visualises real-time sun damage in UV awareness campaign

News

AI billboard visualises real-time sun damage in UV awareness campaign

A new study by the British Skin Foundation reveals that 38% of Britons have already been sunburnt in 2025 – with Gen Z (35%) and Millennials (30%) ...
Advertising : Health And Wellness : Beauty
You have 0 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN