Need to Know
27 : 04 : 18

UK – Clean Air Now‘s latest campaign, Polluted Beauty, aims to raise awareness of illegal pollution levels in the UK by visualising the negative effects of toxins on the skin.

As a growing number of consumers are exposed to noxious air, the campaign illustrates the noticeable impact that it has on every area of skin. In a series of images, the agency highlights issues such as blocked pores, premature ageing, loss of facial elasticity and dark circles, which can be magnified by pollution.

The images use physical indicators to represent pollution including dark smudges, smoke and suffocating plastic. In a New Consciousness approach, the vibrant visual aesthetic captures the viewer’s attention by contrasting with traditional anti-pollution campaigns that tend to focus on blue skies and rolling hills.

‘By using pop colours, fashion-led poses and bold diptychs we are visualising the invisible effects of pollution,’ explains Claire Matthews, co-founder of Clean Air Now, in an opinion piece on It’s Nice That. ‘We utilised design to make the message bold and pop without shying away from the grotesque reality of the situation.’

Global – To celebrate Fashion Revolution Week – an annual awareness campaign following the Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh in 2013 – a new film highlights the roles of various garment workers in the fashion supply chain.

Created by sustainability advertising agency Futerra, and commissioned by European Commission Development Education Awareness Raising (DEAR), the film, Who Made My Clothes? uses dance to explore stories of the ‘invisible’ workers, from the cotton pickers to the pattern cutters and finally the garment workers. The project advocates a fair, safe and more sustainable industry by raising awareness of its complex, global workforce.

‘It’s about re-examining our relationship with trends,’ said director MJ Delaney in a statement. ‘We need to be more conscious about where we’re shopping, what we’re buying and who was involved in the production of the garment. Buy quality, buy less. It's about shopping clever.’

To discover more about the brands playing an active role in promoting change, read our Fashion Futures report here.

UK – The luxury department store has announced the opening of its new Fine Wine and Spirits Rooms, which organises products by flavour rather than category or brand.

In the Spirits Room customers are greeted with the first Louis XIII Cognac boutique outside of Beijing featuring more than 1,200 eaux-de-vie. Shoppers are further encouraged to explore fine spirits from whisky brands such as Suntory and Glenfiddich, which are individually displayed according to flavour.

The new space also features wines, with products displayed by terroir, allowing customers to discover new varieties from unexplored regions. To further heighten the sensory experience, Harrods has created an interactive table of scents that guides consumers through the different flavours of each grape.

With the rise in premium spirits consumption, Harrods is increasing the accessibility of its products and tailoring its retail model to better cater for what consumers are looking for. It follows the opening of Black Rock in 2016, a bar in East London that highlights whisky by flavour rather than brand.

A new report from YouGov, commissioned by Infor, highlights a sizeable increase in consumer demand for supply chain transparency. Participants also communicated that they wouldn’t hesitate to switch brands if the performance failed to meet their expectations.

The survey looked further into the specific elements of delivery that are paramount to consumers. The results found that 49% of shoppers said an estimated time of arrival (ETA) is imperative and 29% said they would like real-time updates.

As e-commerce continues to change consumers expectations, brands will have to reconsider how this will affect in-store selling as well. To find out more on how to implement a holistic retail strategy, buy tickets for our Retail Futures Forum here.