News 23.01.2019

Need to Know

Suntory launches a world whisky, Spotify matches music to horoscopes and emerging markets drive global app downloads.

The Chinese teahouse gets a contemporary revamp

Tingtai Teahouse, designed by Linehouse
Tingtai Teahouse, designed by Linehouse
Tingtai Teahouse, designed by Linehouse

Shanghai – Tingtai Teahouse offers a more modern setting for China’s next generation of tea drinkers.

Designed by Linehouse, the large space is made up of private tea rooms that are elevated above the café, giving customers the option to sit in a more secluded area. While Chinese teahouses traditionally rely on the country’s heritage for design inspiration, the Tingtai Teahouse uses a contemporary colour palette of grey and green and features a ‘floating’ metal structure staircase.

Customers are able to try a selection of rare teas, including Pu’er, a tea that is matured through a fermentation process like wine. ‘Guests to the Tingtai Teahouse will spend a few hours drinking tea to really appreciate the different stages of the tea leaves and brews,’ Linehouse founder Alex Mok tells Dezeen.

Tea culture is more relevant than ever in China, as consumers flock to aesthetic-driven tearooms and even choose to stay in tea hotels.

Aavia reduces anxiety around taking the pill

Aavia smart hardware device & app Aavia smart hardware device & app
Aavia Aavia

US – The device connects the pill packet to an app to track when the user has taken her birth control.

The MIT Sloan start-up Aavia has launched a beta version of its device, a pouch that is designed to carry a blister pack of pills and automatically sense when pills are removed. With time a factor that affects the success of many birth control pills, Aavia will remind users to take their pill via push notifications to their device until it has been removed from the pack.

The app also responds to changing time zones and offers the option to customise the pill notification to less explicit reminders such as ‘your latte is ready’. According to the founders, no company has yet to address the misuse of oral contraceptives, which contribute to more than one million unintended births a year.

Smartphone apps that take initiative and help consumers manage their personal health are booming, as consumers look to technology for everyday guidance.

This world whisky highlights transparency

Tokyo – The leading producer of Japanese whisky has announced a new world blend comprised of Irish, Scotch, American, Canadian and Japanese varieties of the spirit.

Suntory Ao – meaning ‘blue’ in Japanese – is a single whisky that will allow consumers to enjoy the unique characteristics of each of the five major whisky-making regions. The branding aims to frame the whisky’s global origins around the legacy of Japanese craftsmanship.

Japanese whisky is a burgeoning spirits category, but one that has been facing stock shortages due to increased demand. A lack of regulation also means blends featuring imported whisky have increasingly been falsely labelled as domestic. This new world whisky, which will initially be available exclusively in Japan, is being viewed as a step toward greater transparency in the country’s whisky market. As such, Ao shows how the notion of provenance is evolving across wine and spirit categories. For more, read our Displaced Drinks microtrend.

Ao, Suntory World Whisky

Spotify launches horoscope-inspired playlists

Spotify Cosmic Playlists Spotify Cosmic Playlists

US – The streaming service is creating unique playlists for each of the 12 zodiac signs in collaboration with astrologer Chani Nicholas.

Launched last week, the star sign-specific playlists are available to users in the US and can be streamed via Spotify’s Pop Culture hub. The Cosmic Playlists will update every month to reflect each of the 12 signs' themes at that time, based on Nicholas’ astrological readings, which will also accompany each song list.

‘Astrology is about a specific moment in time,’ says Nicholas. ‘Each moment has a specific astrological mark, or archetype associated with it, that defines it. Spotify and I have come together to take the theme of the moment for each sign and curate a playlist that reflects that.’

With these thematic collections of music, Spotify is tapping into the modern-day resurgence of astrology among consumers, who are turning to New Age rituals to reflect and find direction in their lives. To find out why spirituality and folk religion are becoming more mainstream, read our Alternative Spirituality microtrend.

Stat: Emerging markets fuel global app downloads

New data compiled by App Annie shows that emerging markets accounted for three out of the top five markets for app downloads in 2018. India, Brazil and Indonesia’s app downloads increased by 165%, 25% and 55% respectively. These numbers were driven by the rise in mobile adoption in these markets and new device owners discovering and experimenting with apps.

In Indonesia, mobile users spent more than four hours a day using apps in 2018 – or 17% of their day. This is an hour more than markets such as the US and Canada, where the average user spent around three hours a day in mobile apps. And while these developing markets played little role in consumer spend on apps, this is expected to increase as engagement climbs and the markets mature.

For a closer look at growth opportunities in India and other emerging markets, explore our Youth vertical.

Thought-starter: What happened to teenage hedonism?

As Generation Z enter an era of cautious hedonism, The Future Laboratory's Carla Seipp asks what this will mean for brands.

‘Live fast, die young’ was once the mantra for generations of angsty teen rebellion, but as Generation Z enter the era of cautious hedonism, is it being laid to rest?

Amid the increase in educational and performance pressures placed on young people, a collective shift towards health and wellness, and far greater online visibility of their generation, there’s little room left for adolescent debauchery. In fact, some 60% of 16-22 year olds feel the need to succeed and make money, according to Ipsos.

But with 91% of Gen Z reporting that they have felt depressed or anxious due to stress, it’s evident that the need to let go is more crucial than ever. But when you know too much to care too little, is there any space left for exhilarating and exceptional delights?

Read the full Opinion piece here.

photography by Nina Ahn
Previous News Articles
SXSW London 2025: The Store of 2050 and Minecraft’s chicken jockey opportunity

News

SXSW London 2025: The Store of 2050 and Minecraft’s chicken jockey opportunity

On day two of SXSW London, the panel Retail Remix: The Store of 2050 brought together executives from Co-op, Mondelez International and creative ag...
Pop Culture & Media : Technology : Branding
Nike and Lego team up on creative play experiences and products

News

Nike and Lego team up on creative play experiences and products

Nike and the Lego Group have launched a global partnership to inspire kids through active and creative play, combining sport and imagination.
Technology : Nike : Lego
Stat: Consumers globally are buying clothes they never wear

News

Stat: Consumers globally are buying clothes they never wear

According to Statista Consumer Insights, a notable number of shoppers admit to buying clothes they never wear – a wasteful habit most common among ...
Fashion : Retail : Sustainability
SXSW London 2025: Biological age, AI-powered abundance and Substack’s in-person future

News

SXSW London 2025: Biological age, AI-powered abundance and Substack’s in-person future

The first edition of SXSW in London brought hundreds of visitors to Shoreditch for a mix of music, film, experiential workshops and forward-thinkin...
Pop Culture & Media : Global Events : Wellness
QuiteLike unveils rebranding to inspire joyful home cooking

News

QuiteLike unveils rebranding to inspire joyful home cooking

Meal kit brand QuiteLike has unveiled a striking rebranding designed to elevate dinnertime beyond mere convenience.
Food And Drink : Advertising & Branding : Design
Stat: US teen beauty spending soars to record high fuelled by fragrance boom

News

Stat: US teen beauty spending soars to record high fuelled by fragrance boom

Teen beauty spending in the US has surged to record levels, according to Piper Sandler’s latest Taking Stock With Teens report.
Beauty : Gen Alpha : Gen Alpha Consumers
Oura flips the script on ageing in new Give Us the Finger campaign

News

Oura flips the script on ageing in new Give Us the Finger campaign

Oura is challenging cultural norms around ageing with its latest brand campaign, Give Us the Finger.
Health And Wellness : Longevity Lifestyles : Technology
Oxford Economics Global Cities Index launches 2025 report

News

Oxford Economics Global Cities Index launches 2025 report

Global urban influence is shifting, according to the newly released Oxford Economics Global Cities Index 2025.
Society : Cities : Oxford Economics
Stat: Consumer confidence is on the rise in the US

News

Stat: Consumer confidence is on the rise in the US

Consumer confidence in the US partially recovered in May after five consecutive months of decline, according to The Conference Board.
Retail : Value : Consumer Confidence
Elf taps into adventure culture with mid-ocean skincare drop

News

Elf taps into adventure culture with mid-ocean skincare drop

Beauty brand Elf cosmetics has orchestrated a high-impact cultural intervention by airdropping a skincare package to solo sailor Oliver Widger, who...
Beauty : Social Media : Culture
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