Need to Know
21 : 12 : 18

New York – The company is re-inventing the £127bn ($155bn, €139bn) home painting category for the Millennial generation (source: Business Insider).

With advisers from Glossier, Everlane and Warby Parker, Backdrop is a new paint brand that is applying the direct-to-consumer formula to the interior paint industry. The brand challenges the overwhelming nature of paint shopping by offering a curated selection of colours, a range of essential supplies and an inspiring shopping experience.

The branding, created by design agency Aruliden, differentiates Backdrop from most paint brands on the market, which tend to focus on images of interiors. Backdrop instead positions itself as a lifestyle brand, filling its e-commerce site with playful campaign imagery of young people and families.

Inspired by the success of start-ups like Warby Parker, brands like Backdrop and Clare are taking on an antiquated industry by going direct to the consumer and simplifying the shopping experience.

Scottsdale, US – Situated close to the Arizona desert, OTTO Car Club promises to elevate the luxury car enthusiast experience.

Limited to just 175 members, the 4,000 square foot space features a library, bar, private dining room and members’ lounge for high-end car owners. With an in-built car elevator, OTTO also offers climate-controlled storage for 185 luxury vehicles.

Created as an alternative to tired race track hospitality, its creator Eli Kogan says: ‘If you’re a car person or car-centric and love design and art, there’s nowhere central to go meet with friends and spend time besides the racetrack or a cars ’n’ coffee. But not everyone likes to go to a racetrack.’

Likened to a Soho House for car fans, OTTO also offers a calendar of events that includes private rallies and whisky nights. As explored in our Members Club Market, private members’ clubs are undergoing a transformation, inspired in part by the rise of high-end, co-working spaces.

US – The brand’s latest campaign reminds drivers of the freedom they can regain when riding with Lyft.

The film, which was created by Wieden & Kennedy, highlights the inconveniences that come with driving, such as speeding tickets, parking spaces and having to forgo alcoholic drinks. It follows a driver, who says ‘’nope’ to driving and swaps his car for a Lyft. He then discovers a newfound sense of liberty and says ‘yep’ to everything, including having a few drinks.

Ride-sharing has seen success in cities where consumers are unlikely to own a car, but now Lyft is attempting to convert a more challenging market – accustomed drivers. ‘Here at Lyft, we want to help you say ‘yes’ to more things,’ reads the brand’s press release. ‘Riding is often a better alternative to driving yourself – yet many of us are still held back by our own cars.’

As more drivers trade in their cars for ride-sharing apps, the way we plan our cities will have to change. For more, read our Far Futures vertical on Mobility.

The market for biodegradable packaging is forecasted to boom over the next five years, according to a report by Research and Markets. In 2017, the market was valued at £64bn ($81bn, €71bn), and it is expected to reach a value of £89bn ($113bn, €99bn) by 2023.

As more brands react to consumer demand for sustainable products, biodegradable packaging is being used in a wide range of industries due to its low environment impact. The report also cites the growing number of companies that are gradually phasing out their wasteful practices, such Unilever and P&G, which have pledged to move to natural packaging and reduce their ecological footprint by 50%.

As consumers grow more aware of the environmental impact of their waste, natural packaging will increasingly become a factor in their purchasing decisions.