LSN : Daily Signals : Madalena Studio grows logo with live bacteria for Crucible

Toyota transforms car parts into diamonds for C-HR campaign

C-HR Diamond Collection in collaboration with Millie Savage, Australia

Australia – Toyota has unveiled the C-HR Diamond Collection, a new campaign for its C-HR model, developed in collaboration with Australian jewellery designer Millie Savage. Produced by independent agency Hero, the activation positions the all-new C-HR as a premium vehicle, highlighting its unique design inspired by the angular lines of a diamond.

In a first-of-its-kind initiative, lab-grown diamonds were created from the car’s carbon components, resulting in 13 unique pieces crafted by Savage. The campaign launch film, by award-winning director Michael Hili at Finch, visually captures this transformation, from dismantling the vehicle to the final diamond-making process.

‘This is such a stunning, uniquely designed Toyota and it deserved a campaign to match,’ says Vin Naidoo, chief marketing officer at Toyota Australia. ‘We’re confident that the C-HR Diamond Collection campaign strongly positions the all-new C-HR as a premium model.’

For more insights on lab-grown diamonds, head to our analysis of regenerative jewels.

Strategic opportunity

Explore the use of unconventional materials or processes, such as repurposing byproducts or waste from your industry to create premium products, elevating sustainability credentials and brand uniqueness

Madalena Studio grows logo with live bacteria for Crucible

Crucible brand refresh by Madalena Studio, UK

UK – Madalena Studio has taken branding to a microbial level, creating a live bacterial logo for Crucible, a drinks laboratory and creative hub founded in 2017. The project began when Crucible, known for its experimental approach to flavour, sought a fresh identity to reflect its hands-on scientific process. Founder Stuart Bale enlisted Madalena Studio’s Chris Collicott, who decided to grow the logo using live bacteria, capturing the lab’s commitment to real, organic experimentation.

To achieve this, Collicott and his team cultivated nearly 25 samples of bacteria on petri dishes in a makeshift incubator. They swabbed the logo with substances including aged kombucha and food waste, documenting the bacterial growth over two weeks. ‘We had no idea if this would actually work,’ said Collicott.

The final design retains the natural forms and textures created by the bacteria, with minimal edits to align with Crucible’s vibrant colour palette. Collicott describes the project as a joyful intersection of natural form and graphic design, resulting in a dynamic visual identity that’s as experimental as Crucible itself.

In our Biofabricated Futures design direction, we analysed the scalability, possible business applications and strategic opportunities of biofabricated materials.

Strategic opportunity

Embrace experimental design processes that push creative boundaries, such as incorporating biological elements or unconventional materials, to differentiate your brand and stand out

Ocado Retail pioneers refill scheme for grocery deliveries

Ocado, UK

UK – Ocado Retail is trialling a refill scheme for online deliveries, the first of its kind for a major online supermarket. Developed in collaboration with The Refill Coalition, the initiative has introduced reusable containers for pasta, rice and laundry products, which will be refilled.

Starting in August 2024, the trial’s first phase features Ocado Reuse Basmati Rice and Penne Pasta, with phase two adding non-bio liquid detergent and fabric conditioner later this year. Customers receive pre-filled containers as part of their order, and when a container is empty it is returned to Ocado and then washed and refilled by the supplier. Each vessel can be used more than 60 times and replaces five single-use plastic items.

According to Ocado, if every UK household opted to reuse just one item a week, it would eliminate more than 1.4bn items of single-use packaging a year.

In our Food Delivery Futures report, we highlighted that the rapid growth of the food delivery market is driven by consumers’ increasing demand for convenience. To provide a responsible service, technological innovations must be paired with sustainability initiatives, such as reusable packaging, to minimise carbon footprint and waste production.

Strategic opportunity

Food delivery services should follow Ocado’s lead and introduce reusable packaging schemes with reward incentives for participating customers, such as discounts or bonus products

Stat: Early AI investors see promising return on investment

AI imagery by The Future Laboratory, UK

Global – A recent report by Google Cloud reveals that generative AI is delivering substantial returns for early adopters, with 74% of large companies worldwide already experiencing significant returns on investment. The study, which surveyed more than 2,500 C-suite leaders from companies generating more than £7.6m in revenue ($10m, €8.9m), highlights the impressive impact of AI on business performance.

Among the key findings are that 86% of companies that implemented generative AI reported a revenue increase of over 6%, while 77% saw improvements in lead generation and customer acquisition. Employee productivity doubled for nearly half of the respondents, and more than half (56%) noted enhanced cybersecurity, with 82% better at identifying threats and 71% resolving issues more swiftly.

‘Generative AI is not just a technological innovation; it’s a strategic differentiator,’ said Oliver Parker, vice-president of global generative AI at go-to-market, Google Cloud. ‘Organisations investing in gen AI today are the ones that will be best positioned to succeed in the coming decade.’

For more insights on artificial intelligence, head to our AI topic.

Strategic opportunity

How can your business harness the power of AI effectively? Consider accelerating your AI deployment and ensure AI is playing a part in your business strategy to maximise productivity, profits and people-driven initiatives