Need to know
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US – Billie is a new subscription service that aims to offset the ‘pink tax’ – where women pay more than men for gender-specific items. Its starter kit, which includes two five-blade razor cartridges, a re-usable handle and a magnetic holder, costs £6.50 ($9, €7.50), and subscribers can opt to receive a delivery of four new cartridges every one, two or three months for the same price.

The brand also offers a Pink Tax Rebate scheme, which enables customers to receive a voucher for money off their next purchase when they refer a friend, effectively counteracting the price discrepancy. While the subscription model is nothing new, the fact that the brand is offering a low-cost razor with five blades, which typically have a high price point in stores, marks a step forward for the female grooming category.

Global – Spotify is marking the countdown to the new year with a new billboard campaign designed to capture the mood of 2017 and look forward to the year ahead.

Spotify has mined its wealth of user data to create slogans such as ‘Hit the dance floor with the person who made a playlist called ‘Daddy Pence Come Dance’’ and ‘Be as loving as the person who put 48 Ed Sheeran songs on their ‘I Love Gingers’ playlist’. Featuring more than 70 artists, from Sam Smith and Big Shaq to Niall Horan and Cardi B, the campaign builds on last year’s Thanks 2016, It’s Been Weird campaign. Brands are increasingly tapping into their data resources as a way of customising their offers to suit customers’ tastes.

New Jersey – As part of the Terminal C rebranding at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), a new sushi takeaway, Tsukiji Fishroom, will serve fish flown in from Japan’s Tsukiji fish market. Transported several times a week on United’s non-stop Tokyo to New York flight, the fish will be sourced based on availability and seasonality. Once it has arrived at the airport, it will be prepared by sushi chefs and served immediately to ensure freshness.

‘By sourcing from and working directly with a supplier at Tsukiji market in Tokyo, we ensure a level of sushi not seen before in an airport,’ said Nate Appleman, vice-president of culinary at airport restaurant operator OTG, and award-winning chef James Beard. As people travel more frequently and further afield, they will expect to find the same delicacies outside of the countries from which they are sourced.

Researchers in Taiwan have discovered that higher levels of pollution can be directly linked to poorer sperm quality. This change in sperm quality occurs when fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the atmosphere rises above 25 ug/m3, which can be compared to the average PM2.5 levels in the port city of Kaohsiung, Taiwan, which are 30 ug/m3.