LSN : Daily Signals : Stat: K-pop’s global popularity shows no signs of slowing

Oloris transforms scent into a multi-sensory experience

Gentle Systems and Arvind Sushil, UK and Germany

UK and Germany – A new prototype from Pitch Studios, a creative agency based between London and Amsterdam, and Gentle Systems, an engineering studio in Berlin, is redefining how scent can be sensed, interpreted and designed for digital environments.

Oloris translates airborne chemical signals into shifting colour, light and motion, giving scent a perceptual presence. We explored how scent is being elevated into a multi-dimensional consumer experience in our Synaesthesia Scents report.

The project builds on early experiments with digital nose technologies that detect changes in volatile compounds. Oloris imagines how a small, modular device could one day extend the sensory range of phones, wearables or home systems, enabling scent to be read, recorded and shared.

Positioned between speculative design and near-term possibility, Oloris echoes themes in The Great Beauty Blur report, which explores Interpretative Beauty, a shift towards subjectivity and sensory ambiguity. By moving scent beyond fixed descriptors into an open, perceptual system, Oloris invites users to interpret atmospheric cues through colour, motion and texture.

Strategic opportunity

Use interpretative visual or atmospheric layers to help audiences feel products or spaces through mood and ambiguity, enhancing consumer immersion and emotional experiences

How Clove is winning over healthcare workers with playful food collaborations

US – Clove, a functional footwear brand for healthcare workers, is using whimsical collaborations with unexpected food brands to stand out and breathe new life into the sector. Co-founded by Joe Ammon in 2019, the brand designs slip-resistant, waterproof shoes that are both practical and stylish.

In September 2025, Clove partnered with Land O’Lakes to launch butter-themed trainers, delivered to influencers in giant yellow boxes shaped like sticks of butter. According to Fast Company, the collaboration generated more than 100m impressions and sold thousands of sneakers. Following this, Clove teamed up with Levain Cookies to hand out coffee, cookies and compression socks to staff leaving shifts. In December 2025, the brand will release fruit-themed socks in partnership with prebiotic soda company Olipop.

‘I watch nurses ‘get ready with me’ videos as a form of ethnographic research,’ co-founder Jordyn Amoroso explained to Fast Company of his strategy to collaborate with food brands. ‘You see nurses pack their lunches with a baked good, or a healthy soda, because it might be the only happy moment in a difficult shift.’

In Collaboration Culture, we unpack how, in a decentralised influence economy, the most impactful brands no longer act alone. Instead, they’re leaning into collaboration over competition, building alliances that unlock new cultural relevance and creative reach.

Land O’Lakes and Clove, US

Strategic opportunity

Collaborate with culturally relevant, unexpected partners to make functional products feel playful and aspirational, turning everyday essentials into moments of joy for your customers

Stat: K-pop’s global popularity shows no signs of slowing

Global music stars joined forces with K-pop idols in Seoul for Apple TV+’s music competition Kpopped, South Korea

Global – K-pop’s transformation from a regional music scene into a global cultural force is now reflected in public awareness worldwide. A Statista survey across 28 countries found that more than half of the 26,400 respondents surveyed (51%) consider K-pop to be ‘very popular’ in their country, signalling that the genre has moved firmly into the mainstream, with related products widely available beyond South Korea.

The genre is closely associated with highly trained K-pop idols, who typically make their debut in tightly choreographed boy and girl groups after years of preparation under major entertainment agencies. In 2024, Hybe emerged as the highest-revenue K-pop company, managing multiple globally recognised acts including BTS.

We began unpacking K-pop’s domestic and global cultural influence in our Gen Z in South Korea report, before delving deeper into how South Korea’s soft cultural power is taking root in India in our India’s Korean Wave report.

Strategic opportunity

K-pop fans are loyal and engaged, but surface-level attempts to engage them won’t cut it. Instead of chasing idol endorsements, partner with the fan infrastructures that power K-pop globally – translation communities, fan cafés and content moderators – embedding your brand authentically into the fandom