Need to Know
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Paris – Founded by Made.com’s co-founder Ning Li, Typology wants to differentiate itself from the cosmetics conglomerates of today by offering cruelty-free, Made in France products with simple ingredients lists.

The start-up is launching with three unisex sub-brands each dedicated to transparent beauty but with their own concept and branding.

The first brand, Raw, allows customers to mix products at home to create their own face mask or hair oil; the Lab product line is focused on cosmetic serums; and the Ten brand features basic skincare products with less than 10 ingredients. Over the coming months Typology will expand further to 10 product lines.

As consumers increasingly favour natural beauty, brands are borrowing from the world of food by embracing the philosophy that fresh, small-batch production methods yield quality products.

London – The app will integrate public and private transportation in one simple city pass.

The Citymapper Pass is a travel card that aims to simplify London’s complicated transport system. While the app is already using data and artificial intelligence to get users from A to B, it is now using its expertise to address the inefficiencies of the city’s ticket pricing system.

The card will cover public transport, Santander cycles and the Citymapper Ride service, and will continue to expand and partner with more transport companies. The brand also wants to bring the concept to other cities, eliminating the anxiety travellers face when using a foreign public transport system. The pricing is cost-effective when compared to travel cards offered by Transport for London (TfL), and plans will eventually be customisable to suit each traveller.

Public transport bodies are in need of disruption, as brands step in to introduce alternative methods of payment. Last year, for example, a pair of Adidas sneakers doubled as a ticket for Berlin’s subway.

Austin, Texas – Futura is redefining the way coffee is communicated with its branding for new coffee shop Superthing.

The Mexico-city based creative studio was enlisted by Superthing to challenge the serious, artisan-inspired aesthetic of coffee packaging. The resulting branding features playful illustrations and graphic elements that convey surrealism and the energy that coffee brings.

Playing on the brand name Superthing, Futura wanted to create a ‘visual universe of exaggerations’ which features wild creatures, abstract people and the tools that symbolise the coffee-making process.

In line with Anti-authenticity Marketing, Futura is rejecting the stereotypes of heritage and craftmanship that plague the coffee industry. For more on how food and drink brands are using satirical imagery to catch consumers’ attention, read our Design Direction.

Group holidays are ideal for sparking romantic encounters on holiday, a new study from Mintel has found. While 57% of Generation Z believe that group holidays are a good way to meet a partner, so do a third (32%) of those aged over 65, suggesting that travel operators should not ignore this demographic.

These findings highlight the opportunity for travel and hospitality brands to cater to friendship groups as opposed to pushing romantic narratives that are focused solely on the couple. ‘In an age of social media, it could be that meeting someone in person, with a shared love of travel, provides the perfect antidote to online dating,’ says John Worthington, senior travel analyst and Mintel. ‘One way to appeal to this trend could be by highlighting occasional real-life examples of couples having met on group holidays to be used alongside stories of lasting friendships.’

For more on the hotels that are being positioned as an opportunity to make lasting connections with strangers, read our microtrend Serendipity Hotels.