Need to Know   23 : 01 : 18
MTV Global Rebrand by Builders Club

Need to Know
23 : 01 : 18

Study confirms adulting now happens later in life, Amazon Go opens to the public, technology companies hold the highest consumer trust.

1. MTV aims to elicit an emotional response from viewers 2. Nike gives its classic sneaker styles a female redesign 3. Adolescence is being extended beyond childhood 4. Amazon’s cashier-less grocery store goes public 5. Trust in the technology sector is at a high 6. Thought-starter: How should we measure the wealth of a nation?

1. MTV aims to elicit an emotional response from viewers

MTV Global Rebrand by Builders Club

US – MTV has commissioned design agency Builders Club to help create a new visual language that focuses on emotion. The project, entitled Moodswing, explores feelings of love, sadness and happiness through Visual ASMR to create a playfully evocative campaign. While the content has not been formalised into a single campaign, MTV will use the ideas throughout its regional teams to repurpose as they see fit.

The BBC similarly explored the idea of mood-driven media, looking at the emotional connection that many viewers have with television, through its Make Me microsite. In line with The E-motional Economy, consumers are increasingly obsessed by how they feel and are looking for brands that can deftly tap into their specific emotions.

2. Nike gives its classic sneaker styles a female redesign

The 1 Reimagined by Nike The 1 Reimagined by Nike
The 1 Reimagined by Nike The 1 Reimagined by Nike
The 1 Reimagined by Nike The 1 Reimagined by Nike

Global – As the hype around female streetwear gathers pace, Nike is helping to drive the conversation with its 1 Reimagined project. The streetwear brand has created an internal team of 14 women, including colourists, material specialists and male and female footwear designers who will be rethinking two of Nike's most iconic styles, the Nike Air Force 1 and the Air Jordan 1 within a two-week period.

‘The genesis of creativity is diversity,’ says footwear director Andy Caine. ‘From a design point of view, each of the designers has a unique background and personality. Our theory is that when you mix diverse creative talents you realise some magic.’

3. Adolescence is being extended beyond childhood

US – Medical journal The Lancet has published a study that suggests this life stage now extends beyond teenage years and into the early 20s.

The researchers looked at both biological and societal shifts, drawing the conclusion that in both cases people are now reaching maturity later in life. Traditional markers such as marriage and parenthood are being delayed, as people extend their instructive years into later life. The study draws the conclusion that puberty should be redefined as 10–24 years, as opposed to the traditional 10–19 years.

There is an increasingly greater appreciation of the difficulties faced by young people today in learning the life skills required for adulthood, with initiatives such as The Adulting School offering courses in finance, DIY and navigating relationships.

Traición by Derré-Tidá, Mexico Traición by Derré-Tidá, Mexico

4. Amazon’s cashier-less grocery store goes public

Amazon Go, Seattle.

US – Just over a year after its announcement in December 2016, Amazon is opening its technology-enabled grocery store to the public for the first time. In addition to salads, sandwiches, ready meals and beverages, the brand has earmarked a section for Whole Foods Market’s 365 Everyday Value Products.

The store, which was due to open in early 2017, has been trialled by Amazon members of staff to ensure that the cameras and shelf sensors are functioning to their best capacity. The store allows shoppers to simply grab an item and go, with the product charged to their Amazon account. While the technology has proved successful, it remains to be seen how it will cope with issues such as a crowded shop floor or items being removed from their original shelf and placed on another.

'We [originally] felt that we needed to open it up to the public early enough in order to get the traffic that we needed,' he said. ‘Traffic is necessary to train our algorithms to be able to learn things about the assortment and customer behaviour.’

Brands are experimenting with new ways of creating a seamless purchasing experiences, a topic that will be explored in depth at our forthcoming Trend Briefing. To attend the event, buy your tickets here.

5. Trust in the technology sector is at a high

Despite the scandals that have rocked the technology sector in recent times, trust among consumers is still high. The report found that companies based in Canada (68%), Switzerland (66%) and Sweden (65%) are seen as the most trustworthy, while trust in brand US fell by five points to 50%. Read our opinion, which examines morality in the age of technology and asks whether we place too much trust in our devices.

6. Thought-starter: How should we measure the wealth of a nation?

In a world of jobless growth, climate change, mass migration and rising inequalities, strategic researcher Victoria Buchanan asks whether GDP and the destructive nature of monetary policy are harming our ability to innovate?

In the 1980s, world GDP was £20 trillion ($28 trillion, €23 trillion) – in 2016 this grew to £54 trillion ($75.4 trillion, €61.5 trillion). The global economy is now three times bigger than it was a generation ago.

GDP was developed as a concept in the 1930s to facilitate fiscal policy – not to summarise national wellbeing or to benchmark industrial sophistication. The way we measure it today is failing us.

It can grow even if we throw more out than we buy and we actually become poorer. It can even increase as the consequence of a major environmental disaster, because of the economic activity created by the clean-up and repair. When forests are destroyed by economic activity, GDP views the events as good news for the economy.

For more on the new metrics we need to adopt if we are to build a better future, read the full opinion.

Phillip K Smith for Desert X. Photography by Lance Gerber Phillip K Smith for Desert X. Photography by Lance Gerber
Discover More News
Big W embraces the beautiful chaos of parenting in new campaign

News

Big W embraces the beautiful chaos of parenting in new campaign

Department store chain Big W is shaking up family advertising with a bold new campaign celebrating the chaos, meltdowns and small wins of everyday ...
Advertising & Branding : Parenting : Retail
George at Asda unveils new adult adaptive clothing range

News

George at Asda unveils new adult adaptive clothing range

George at Asda has launched a 28-piece adult adaptive clothing collection, designed in collaboration with the late breast cancer campaigner Nicky N...
Retail : Fashion : George At Asda
Stat: Girls’ sport participation could unlock leadership potential at work

News

Stat: Girls’ sport participation could unlock leadership potential at work

Girls who play extracurricular sport in the UK are 50% more likely to go on to achieve senior professional roles at work, according to Game Changin...
Sport : Women's Sports : Teenage Girls
Vattenfall and Samuel L Jackson’s seaweed snack is grown on wind farms

News

Vattenfall and Samuel L Jackson’s seaweed snack is grown on wind farms

Swedish energy company, Vattenfall has teamed up with actor Samuel L Jackson to launch Wind Farmed Seaweed Snacks, a limited-edition delicacy grown...
Visual : Sweden : Energy
Happy Head debuts DNA-based system for personalised hair growth

News

Happy Head debuts DNA-based system for personalised hair growth

Happy Head has launched StrandIQ, the world’s first dermatologist-developed hair growth system powered by genetic analysis, giving patients tailore...
Health : Wellness : Happy Head StrandIQ
Stat: Luxury consumers’ optimism is improving amid global slowdown

News

Stat: Luxury consumers’ optimism is improving amid global slowdown

Saks’ latest Luxury Pulse survey shows rising confidence among luxury shoppers, with more than half planning to maintain or increase their spending...
Stat : Statistics : Statistic
Louis Vuitton brings La Beauté to life with immersive Soho pop-up

News

Louis Vuitton brings La Beauté to life with immersive Soho pop-up

Louis Vuitton has marked the launch of its first cosmetics line with a limited-time pop-up in New York’s Soho, transforming 104 Prince Street into ...
Retail : Luxury : Beauty
Foresight Friday: Dan Hastings, deputy foresight editor

News

Foresight Friday: Dan Hastings, deputy foresight editor

Every Friday, The Future Laboratory team offers an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, ...
Foresight Friday
Stat: US adults are losing confidence in capitalism 

News

Stat: US adults are losing confidence in capitalism 

Stat : Statistic : Money
Knight Frank’s research signals the rise of wellness in luxury real estate

News

Knight Frank’s research signals the rise of wellness in luxury real estate

In The Residence Report, released in September 2025, global real estate consultancy Knight Frank explores the future of luxury residential developm...
Luxury : Real Estate : Wellness
You have 0 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN