News 09.10.2020

Need to Know

Hinge and Headspace tap into dating anxiety, herbal teas that boast eco-benefits, and Millennials are setting their sights on home ownership due to Covid-19.

Hinge and Headspace partner on pre-date meditations

Hinge in collaboration with Headspace, US & UK

US and UK – Dating platform Hinge and mindfulness service Headspace are teaming up as part of World Mental Health Day to create pre-date meditations.

Recognising that dating can be a particularly nerve-wracking experience – further heightened by the global pandemic – Hinge is the first dating app committing to improving the mental health of its community. The partnership is inspired by Hinge's research, which found that more than three in four Hinge users globally have felt nervous or anxious before a date. The meditations aim to help users to keep a clear mind and keep negative thoughts at bay.

‘At Hinge, we know taking care of your mental health and wellbeing is crucial to creating a meaningful connection, and over these past few months, singles have been feeling more anxious. We want our users to be calm and relaxed when connecting with each other, so it was a no-brainer to partner with Headspace to develop the first-ever meditations for daters,' explains Justin McLeod, founder and CEO of Hinge.

With people experiencing a crisis of closeness during Covid-19, dating and relationship services are innovating to improve the experience of Isolated Intimacy.

These planet-positive teas embrace circular systems

Kib, Ethiopia Kib, Ethiopia
Kib, Ethiopia Kib, Ethiopia

Ethiopia – Kib is a new herbal tea brand that promotes circular systems and ways of growing that give back as much as they take.

Working with diversely sown ‘food forests’, Kib grows many of its own herbs in East Africa using regenerative methods for improved soil, plants and flavour. Avoiding large farming sites, the brand instead works with small plots of land that have been densely planted with crops that benefit one another. For example, herbs like lavender and tulsi attract pollinators to flowering crops, like avocados, while herbs like lemongrass and mint help naturally deter pests. This biodiversity also means the crops are more resilient to year-round farming.

‘We exist to create sustainable supply chains, farms and livelihoods with East African smallholder farmers. And our growing model is specifically tailored to suit the context of these small-scale growers,' says Jacie Jones, managing director of Kib.

By prioritising biodiversity as part of the farming process, this brand is making it easier for eaters to make better food choices.

Spotify Pumped soundtracks at-home fitness

Global – The streaming service is moving into the fitness space with its new personalised HIIT sessions, set to music selected by users.

Spotify Pumped is available to non-subscribers and allows people to create an exercise session based on their own preferences. Available on a dedicated website, the service allows consumers to select a workout that’s easy, intense or somewhere in the middle. After selecting their desired session duration – either seven, 14 or 21 minutes – users will be asked to pick one of four celebrity coaches familiar from popular Spotify podcasts.

Finally, users can choose their preferred music genre – everything from pop and electronic to R&B and hip hop – and receive a curated workout complete with animated visuals. Appealing to the increased demand for home workouts during the pandemic, Spotify is effectively fusing its existing offering with health and wellness content.

Many consumers are still feeling hesitant about returning to communal exercise spaces, so are instead welcoming new innovations and forms of entertainment for At-home Fitness.

Spotify Pumped, Global

Stat: Millennials prioritise home ownership amid Covid-19

Villa de Mûrir by Collective B, Seoul Villa de Mûrir by Collective B, Seoul

The pandemic has made future home ownership a priority for US Millennials.

A survey by Morning Consult reveals how Covid-19 has affected views on home ownership among different generations. Millennials are the most likely to consider buying a house, with 28% of participants agreeing that Covid-19 has made them more interested in owning a home. Generation Z follows at 20%, while 19% of Generation X and only 9% of Baby Boomers say the same.

With many Millennials approaching 40, age is a likely factor in the generational discrepancies. Covid-19 has also left many working remotely, and with Generation Y making up the largest working generation in the US, according to Pew Research, their disposable income could now be used to buy a home.

As the global pandemic impacts generational spending behaviour, it is changing the financial priorities of Millennials.

Previous News Articles
AI-generated images of animals in plastic help WWF-Korea raise awareness about pollution

News

AI-generated images of animals in plastic help WWF-Korea raise awareness about pollution

WWF-Korea has launched Animal Trash Fashion, a powerful out-of-home campaign using AI to starkly illustrate the devastating impact of plastic pollu...
Sustainability : Design : Advertising
Rixo launches pre-loved resale platform

News

Rixo launches pre-loved resale platform

British fashion brand Rixo is expanding its circular ambitions with the launch of Rixo Pre-Loved, a resale platform where customers buy and sell it...
Retail : Fashion : Sutainability
Stat: Global business travel spending hits historic high

News

Stat: Global business travel spending hits historic high

Business travel is set to reach a record £1.18 trillion ($1.57 trillion, €1.36 trillion) by the end of 2025, according to ...
Stat : Statistic : Global Travel Market
Axe gamifies fragrance sampling with arcade-inspired bus stop activation

News

Axe gamifies fragrance sampling with arcade-inspired bus stop activation

Axe is making fragrance sampling fun again with a new campaign for its Cherry Fizz body spray.
Advertising : Fragrance : Retail
New wearable tracks hydration levels in real time

News

New wearable tracks hydration levels in real time

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have developed a non-invasive wearable that continuously monitors hydration levels in real time.
Wearable Technology : Healthcare : Hydration
Stat: Online resale is booming in Britain

News

Stat: Online resale is booming in Britain

Online resale is booming in Britain, with pre-owned shopping now worth £4.3bn ($5.8bn, €5bn) annually and is set to rise to £4.8bn ($6.4bn, €5.5bn)...
Retail : Fashion : Technology
Prada’s 2025 Qixi campaign turns Shanghai’s bridges into a stage for love

News

Prada’s 2025 Qixi campaign turns Shanghai’s bridges into a stage for love

Prada’s campaign for the 2025 Qixi Festival – often referred to as Chinese Valentine’s Day – reimagines China’s legendary love tale through an...
Luxury : Fashion : Chinese Folklore
M&S tracks plastic’s afterlife with invisible UV packaging tags

News

M&S tracks plastic’s afterlife with invisible UV packaging tags

M&S : Sustainability : Retail
Stat: Britons are increasingly turning to biohacking through wellness supplements

News

Stat: Britons are increasingly turning to biohacking through wellness supplements

According to a July 2025 YouGov poll, one in five Britons (21%) have taken a wellness supplement in 2025 – pointing to the rise of personalise...
Health And Wellness : Supplements : Stat
Ocado’s Shopping List Stories campaign finds emotional value in the weekly shop

News

Ocado’s Shopping List Stories campaign finds emotional value in the weekly shop

Ocado is reframing grocery shopping as an emotional experience with Shopping List Stories, a new campaign by Uncommon Creative Studio.
Food And Drink : Supermarket : Branding And Advertising
You have 2 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN