LSN : Daily Signals : HMD Global unveils Barbie-inspired retro phone for digital detox

Lego and Nike announce partnership to champion kids’ play and creativity

Nike and Lego Group, US and Denmark

Global – Lego and Nike have unveiled a ground-breaking multi-year partnership aimed at combining sport and creative play for kids worldwide. Announced on 22 August 2024, the collaboration promises a series of co-branded products, content and experiences set to be launched in 2025. While fans might hope for Lego-built Air Jordans, the focus is on inspiring children through innovative, play-centred projects.

‘Together, we will create unique experiences that will engage and excite kids around the world, inspiring them to explore their imaginations,’ said Alero Akuya, Lego vice-president of brand development. Cal Dowers, vice-president of global kids at Nike, said he believes ‘in the power of sport to move the world forward, and that starts with kids’.

This initiative highlights both brands’ commitment to fostering creativity, fun and physical activity, empowering the next generation to reach their full potential. In Pliable Playscapes, we forecast the rise of an energetic and assertive visual language reflecting Gen Zalpha’s can-do attitude and capacity to dream.

For more insights on how to reach Gen Alpha consumers, head to our Alphas Now and Next: From the Sandbox to Roblox macrotrend report.

Strategic opportunity

Develop products or services that cater specifically for Gen Alpha’s preferences, such as interactive, tech-enhanced play or educational tools that encourage creativity and physical activity

HMD Global unveils Barbie-inspired retro phone for digital detox

HMD Barbie Phone, UK

Global – HMD Global, the owner of Nokia, has launched a new mobile device inspired by Barbie and designed to cater for the growing desire for digital detox. This retro flip phone, priced at £99 ($130, €117) is a deliberate throwback to the 1990s and early 2000s, and features only basic functions like calling, texting and a simple camera. Absent are the internet and social media connectivity that have become ubiquitous with modern smartphones.

This minimalist approach is aimed at consumers who are increasingly concerned about the impact of constant connectivity on their wellbeing. HMD chief marketing officer Lars Silberbauer emphasised that the device is about reclaiming control of one’s digital life, offering a break from the online buzz that can feel relentless.

The phone also includes customisable stickers and covers, adding a playful touch that aligns with its Barbie-inspired design. As digital wellbeing becomes a growing concern, this nostalgic yet functional phone could offer a refreshing alternative. HMD’s product offers a solution to parents who are growing increasingly worried about their kids’ toxic relationship with technology, as revealed in our Teens, Tech and Tapping Out report.

Strategic opportunity

HMD’s new launch resonates with a market that is tired of feature-packed devices. Consider designing simpler, less intrusive products that can help declutter consumers’ minds and offer a sense of tranquillity

The Onion relaunches print edition

US – Chicago-based publication The Onion has relaunched its print edition after almost a decade. The satirical newspaper now offers the print edition to paid subscribers for £3.80 ($5, €4.50) per month.

The subscription also includes other perks, such as invitations to live events and access to its archive of newspapers. The digital edition on its website will remain free for all readers.

The Onion kicked off the relaunch by distributing free copies of the first edition at the Democratic National Convention held in Chicago in August 2024. First launched in the late 1980s, The Onion gained traction as a weekly on college campuses before expanding to newspaper boxes in selected cities.

According to Ben Collins, CEO of the satirical news outlet, the relaunch of the print newspaper is an attempt to save the publication from the ‘content farm hell’ and to diversify its revenue streams.

In The New News microtrend report, we forecast that as consumers seek an alternative to the 24-hour news cycle, media outlets are racing to re-invent themselves for the next generation.

Loewe in partnership with novelist Danielle Steel, Spain

Strategic opportunity

To solve the new novelty-nostalgia equation, consider introducing premium versions of past best-sellers from your archive – enhancing brand legacy and tapping into consumers’ emotional connection with the past

Stat: TikTok is increasingly shaping Gen Z’s political views

Photography by Shingi Rice, UK

US – A recent US study by Pew Research Center highlights the growing influence of TikTok on young voters, particularly Gen Z. The research shows that nearly half (48%) of TikTok users aged 18–29 use the platform to keep informed about politics, while 52% use it to keep up with news – much of which is election-related.

The study also reveals a significant amount of political content being created and consumed on TikTok. Among users aged 18–29, 50% reported regularly encountering political content. In addition, 88% see creators making humorous posts referencing current news, and 88% encounter content where opinions about news are expressed. Notably, 69% of 18–29-year-old respondents reported seeing creators address breaking news as it happens.

Perhaps most striking is that 33% of TikTok users in this age group believe the platform has a ‘mostly good’ impact on democracy, compared to 17% who see it as ‘mostly bad’. With such engagement, TikTok will play a pivotal role in the upcoming election, signalling the emergence of the ‘influencer election’, a topic we discussed in The Power of Precision Micro-Influencing report.