Need to Know
25 : 09 : 20

By Abi Buller, Rumi Josephs and Sophie Boldog

Ascend Studio augments sustainable farm branding, an ethical search engine for charitable clicks, and APAC shoppers opt for international e-commerce.

In today's news:

A future-facing identity for insect farming

Brother 2.0 gives visibility to intersectional models

Seva’s search engine enables charitable clicks

Stat: Covid-hit APAC consumers crave international brands

A future-facing identity for insect farming

Better Origin by Ascend Studio, UK

UK – AI-powered insect farm Better Origin's new identity seeks to give sustainable farming a future-facing feel.

Breaking from traditional connotations around sustainability, Ascend Studio has created new branding for Better Origin – formerly known as Entomics – to reflect its mission of addressing the ‘broken food industry’. With an updated identity, marketing material, positioning and proposition, the rebranding communicates the farm's technology-led yet purposeful aesthetic.

Using black and metallic hues, its mechanical aesthetic is combined with curves to reference how Better Origin unites nature and science. ‘Ascend Studio understood the complexities of our work and scope of our ambition. They helped us identify fundamental truths, and took us through a journey helping us crystallise our vision,' explains Fotis Fotiadis, founder of Better Origin, on its work with Ascend.

As businesses adopt more responsible strategies, a bolder visual language is helping to communicate this New Consciousness as increasingly important.

Brother 2.0 gives visibility to intersectional models

Brother Models 2.0, UK

Manchester – Modelling agency Brother Models is championing a more inclusive future for casting with its Brother 2.0 platform.

This new addition to Brother Models' portfolio is born from the increase in public and fashion industry interest in a more authentic and diverse representation of people in campaigns, photo shoots and content. In response, its 2.0 board features 22 new faces who break free from 'traditional' industry criteria, including gender-fluid people of colour, individuals with disabilities and single mothers.

‘I think that all kids should be able to walk around a shopping centre and see models who look like them – whether it be size, race or ability – so they don’t grow up feeling inferior to people who fit the dated beauty standards,’ explains Michael Mayren, photographer and founder of Brother Models.

Similar to Brother 2.0’s mission, Zebedee Management aims to increase the visibility of people with disabilities in the fashion and advertising industry so that it's no longer a tokenistic gesture.

Seva’s search engine enables charitable clicks

Search engine by Seva, US

US – Seva is a new search engine that allows people to engage in charitable giving by simply browsing the internet.

Unlike traditional search engines, Seva promises full transparency about its finances, doesn’t store users' search data, and uses minimal information to target ads.

To encourage clicks, the service generates funds from targeted ads, which it puts towards charities. Launching with a focus on the World Food Programme and Project Healthy Children, Seva promotes a more positive use of technology.

It uses Microsoft Bing’s functionality to power searches either through web browsers of its dedicated mobile app. 'I think technology is one of the greatest enablers of both positive and negative forces,’ explains Sean Kelly, founder of Seva. ‘We wanted to create a way for people to engage in effortless charity. Seva is allowing people to make an impact with something they do every day: search the internet.’

While Seva is taking an interest in philanthropy, environmental and ethical impacts have also come to the fore in the technology space, with UX and UI designers responding by creating Low-impact Interfaces.

Stat: Covid-hit APAC consumers crave international brands

A study from Rakuten Advertising uncovers shifting shopping behaviour among consumers in the Asia-Pacific region amid the pandemic.

Its Road to Recovery: 2020 e-Commerce in Asia-Pacific report found that 46% of 5,000 Asia-Pacific consumers surveyed shopped more frequently online during lockdown. During this time, APAC consumers also expanded their searches beyond borders, with 66% preferring to shop via international online stores.

The reasons for this increase in international purchasing vary between countries. The majority of Malaysian (87%) and Indian (84%) consumers choose to shop internationally due to larger product selections, whereas most Chinese consumers (78%) are driven by their belief that international retailers offer more genuine and authentic products.

In Omnilux Lifestyles, our new Luxury & Hospitality macrotrend, we explore the rise of digital-first solutions for consumers unable to discover international brands owing to Covid-19 travel restrictions. Read the macrotrend in full here.