Need to Know   29 : 03 : 18
Underwear by Everlane

Need to Know
29 : 03 : 18

Everlane counters overly sexualised underwear, Manchester United combines football and manga, ASOS champions diverse sizing.

1. Everlane campaign champions comfort 2. Manchester United football team converges cultures 3. Google launches peer-to-peer voice payments 4. ASOS uses AR to showcase fit 5. Amazon lockers help boost Whole Food sales 6. Thought-starter: How is science revolutionising the alcohol market?

1. Everlane campaign champions comfort

Underwear by Everlane

US – E-tailer Everlane has launched a new campaign that exalts simplicity in lingerie. The new range, which includes bras, briefs and boxer briefs, was spearheaded by a group of female employees at the company who were tired of overtly sexualised, uncomfortable fits and wanted to create cotton garments that feel good.

‘Underwear should be simple, but for some reason it never is,’ states actress Jemima Kirke who features in the campaign. Alongside the campaign video, the brand has launched an underwear manifesto that explains its desire to design lingerie for the women who will be wearing it. ‘Underwear should be made for you. But for decades, it’s been designed with someone else in mind.’

In line with Bare-It-All Branding, there is a shift away from the traditionally idealised approach to underwear advertising towards more honest campaign imagery.

2. Manchester United football team converges cultures

Wake Up The Red Devil Inside for Manchester United, China

China – With Manchester United already the most popular team in China, the football club has released a WeChat game that reimagines its players as manga characters.

Tapping into the DiaoSi subculture, which are happily referred to as 'social outcasts', Red Devil is an interactive game designed to capture ‘the spirit of Manchester United’. It hones in on the tendency of Chinese fans to watch football games as a solitary rather than a social activity.

In order to engage and inspire fans, the story is about the devil inside an average Chinese football fan, awakening. The video adopts Manga, a style of art which is favoured by young readers in China. By celebrating a familiar club, and directly targeting Chinese consumers, Manchester United hope to expand their database of fans in the country.

Read our market for more on the evolving mentality of China’s youth.

3. Google launches peer-to-peer voice payments

Global – Google now offers voice-activated payments on Android and iOS through its AI assistant.

The new functionality works alongside the Google Pay app, allowing users to send payments to friends and family through simple voice commands like ‘OK Google, send Simon $20 for the tickets’, after which the funds are transferred instantaneously.

Users can also avail of the service to ask for money with recipients receiving a request via text message, email or as a Google Pay notification.

Interest in peer-to-peer payment is growing but to ensure uptake Google will have to demonstrate to consumers that the service is not just convenient but also secure.

Google Pay app

4. ASOS uses AR to showcase fit

ASOS ASOS
ASOS ASOS
ASOS ASOS

Global – Online retailer, ASOS has launched another feature in a stride towards inclusivity. The platform uses augmented reality (AR) to show their products on a variety of different sized models, in hope to give a more realistic representation of what it may look like on different individuals' bodies.

The use of augmented reality allows the company to superimpose the clothes on different sized models, rather than reshooting garments.

Moving away from an idealised body image, ASOS are looking to create a more genuine online fashion experience for plus-sized customers by improving their inclusive communication strategies. ‘We’re always testing new technology that can make our customers’ experience even better,’ the brand stated in a press release.

In line with their efforts to improve their customer service, ASOS also launched a try-before-you-buy service earlier this year.

5. Amazon lockers help boost Whole Food sales

US – Organic retailer Whole Foods has witnessed a rise in quick trips to stores which have Amazon lockers installed in them. The inMarket report suggests consumers are still wary of porch theft and therefore prefer having their packages sent to a secure location at no additional cost.

Currently 16% of Whole Foods locations having Amazon lockers installed, but there is an opportunity for the Amazon-owned store to increase impulse sales by strategically placing products adjacent to the lockers. ‘There’s a serendipity and immediacy to the in-store experience,’ Todd Dipaola, chief executive and founder of inMarket explains.

6. Thought-starter: How is science revolutionising the alcohol market?

Scientific innovation is challenging the manufacturing, consumption and very definition of alcohol. With consumers drinking less than ever, a future of synthetic or non-damaging alcohol looks evermore realistic.

At present, patience is the key for appreciators of aged liquors such as whisky and rum. But at the Lost Spirits Distillery in Los Angeles, you can sample a rum that tastes like it has been aged for 20 years, when in reality, it has only been aged for six days. The distillery’s founder, Bryan Davis invented his own chemical reactor that forces the liquid to undergo the chemical reactions that normally take years to develop, to create synthetically aged liquor.

While synthetic methods can age alcohol faster, it doesn’t make it any healthier. Scientist Harsha Chigurupati has invented an alcohol additive known as NTX that is made up of a blend of potassium sorbate, glycyrrhizin and mannitol, to limit the damaging effects of alcohol on the liver.

To explore more on the evolution of the craft, read the full article here.

White River by Max Lamb, Brompton Design District
Discover More News
Samsonite’s new durable suitcase can survive travelling to the edge of space

News

Samsonite’s new durable suitcase can survive travelling to the edge of space

Samsonite has unveiled its latest innovation, the Proxis Space collection, setting new standards in travel gear with sustainability and advanced te...
Luxury : Travel & Hospitality : Design
The Saudi Investment Bank celebrates national identity with bespoke typeface

News

The Saudi Investment Bank celebrates national identity with bespoke typeface

The Saudi Investment Bank and creative agency Impact BBDO have launched I am Saudi, a campaign celebrating national heritage with a bespoke typeface.
Design : Advertising & Branding : Finance
Foresight Friday: Simar Deol, foresight analyst

News

Foresight Friday: Simar Deol, foresight analyst

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, ...
Society : US Elections : The Power Of Precision Micro-Influencing
Stat: Rapid increase in e-waste raises need for circular solutions

News

Stat: Rapid increase in e-waste raises need for circular solutions

As AI computing demands surge, researchers warn of unprecedented e-waste levels that could equate to discarding more than 10bn iPhones each year by...
Technology : Sustainability : Society
Emteq Labs unveils emotion-sensing smart eyewear

News

Emteq Labs unveils emotion-sensing smart eyewear

Brighton-based Emteq Labs has introduced Sense, a wearable technology innovation that uses nine optical sensors embedded in lightweight glasses to ...
Technology : Health & Wellness : Design
El Departamento turns Barcelona’s historic building into cultural learning hub

News

El Departamento turns Barcelona’s historic building into cultural learning hub

Architecture studio El Departamento, led by Alberto Eltini and Marina Martín, has repurposed Barcelona’s Casa Degli Italiani, a Renaissance-era bui...
Youth : Architecture : Design
YouTube launches media literacy programme to help teens spot AI content

News

YouTube launches media literacy programme to help teens spot AI content

Launched during the Global Media and Information Literacy Week, YouTube has introduced a free curriculum designed to help teens navigate AI-generat...
Technology : Pop-culture & Media : Youth
Stat: Climate change anxiety affects Gen Z across political divides

News

Stat: Climate change anxiety affects Gen Z across political divides

A new study published in The Lancet Planetary Health reveals the intense mental health impacts of climate change on young Americans aged 16 to...
Election : Sustainability : Society
LS:N Global’s latest report Future Five 2025 explores the topics of tomorrow

News

LS:N Global’s latest report Future Five 2025 explores the topics of tomorrow

Discover the most important topics of tomorrow, relevant for today.
Report : Foresight : Future Five
By Rotation opens new rental pop-up store for fifth anniversary

News

By Rotation opens new rental pop-up store for fifth anniversary

Peer-to-peer rental platform By Rotation is marking its fifth anniversary with an immersive, five-storey pop-up experience in London.
Retail : Sustainability : Fashion
You have 2 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN