News 25.10.2019

Need to Know

Men’s skincare takes a not-so-serious stance, medicine cabinets get an update, and China’s wealthy population now outnumbers the US.

Dutch Design Week 2019: Augmenting museum tours with emojis

Through the Emoji Looking Glass by Lara Chapman at Design Academy Eindhoven
Through the Emoji Looking Glass by Lara Chapman at Design Academy Eindhoven, photography by Ronald Smits
Through the Emoji Looking Glass by Lara Chapman at Design Academy Eindhoven

Eindhoven – An augmented museum tour is layering emojis over historical objects to expose our contradictory methods of communication.

Through the Emoji Looking Glass is a design-research project by Lara Chapman. She created augmented reality (AR) tools to be used at Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum, merging classical art and objects with contemporary symbolism. Using an iPad, visitors to the museum are encouraged to scan over large-scale paintings, with themed emojis popping up on-screen. As these symbols are revealed, they become visuals layered over historical imagery, characterising modern times against the past.

While creating a playful and fun tool, Lara aims to shine a critical light on emojis as a form of communication. According to her, these small visual symbols have significant power to shape our culture; they can be fun but also political, influence bias and reshape ideologies. In particular, she hopes to start critical dialogues around colonialism, appropriation and inequality through such symbolism.

For more on how to critically engage museum visitors and provide a platform for public discussions, explore our Post-Modern Museum micro trend.

disco launches skincare for the grown-up lad

Disco Disco
Disco Disco

US – disco is positioning itself as a fuss-free option for men at the start of their skincare journey.

Launching in the US, its range includes a body wash, face scrub and mask, presented in simple packaging with minimal branding. It aims to provide a painless purchasing experience for men, to ensure skincare becomes an ‘auto pilot’ part of their daily routines. ‘I noticed there was a gap in the industry and other men were also looking for attainable skincare,’ says Benjamin Smith, founder of disco. ‘[We] will normalise self-care for men by offering easy to understand products.’

To speak to its target audience, the brand playfully introduces the tenets of skincare using fictional ‘testimonials’ from Robin Hood, Muhammed Ali and Elvis Presley, alongside a tongue-in-cheek brand video featuring a fictional 1970s brand representative. At a later date, disco plans to launch an interactive platform for men to provide real-time feedback and insight to aid the development of future collections.

While New Masculinity is driving new directions in men’s cosmetics and personal care, disco caters to those who are curious about skincare but still look to brands representing traditional male typologies.

Cabinet’s DTC pharmacy makes medicine affordable

Cabinet, US
Cabinet, US
Cabinet, US

US – The online pharmacy is launching medicine kits aimed to eliminate confusion around ingredients, brands and self-diagnosis.

In a sector historically controlled by conglomerates, Cabinet wants to reduce Americans’ spend on over-the-counter medicine by up to 55%. To do this, it offers a direct-to-consumer (DTC) delivery service that combines quality medicine with a simplified purchasing experience.

Cabinet’s range includes products for common ailments, such as painkillers, cold and flu tablets, headache relief and laxatives. Its Personal and Travel kits, for example, comprise the essential medicines used by consumers, and aim to last the average household between six and 12 months. To provide a holistic healthcare experience, each item contains a near-field communication chip which sends product information and health tips to customers’ smartphones.

‘For too long people have been purchasing medicine based on brands, rather than symptoms and what’s right for them,’ says founder Achal Patel. Cabinet is the latest example of a DTC brand bridging the worlds of health and wellness to create a trustworthy modern pharmacy.

Stat: China’s rich population has overtaken the US

The number of rich Chinese people has overtaken the number of wealthy Americans for the first time, according to a new report by Credit Suisse. The bank’s annual survey found that 100m Chinese people are among the world’s top 10% of richest people, compared with 99m people in the US.

To be part of the top 10% of the world’s richest people, consumers must have personal savings of over $109,430 (£84,857, €98,222). The report says the ‘rapid transformation of China from an emerging nation in transition to a fully-fledged market economy’ has helped to create a record number of rich people. However, the US is still ahead of China when it comes to its super-rich population, which accounts for 40% of the world’s millionaires.

China is quickly gaining traction as one of the world’s leading luxury markets, as its wealthy population opt for domestic premium brands and eschew international labels. For more, read our State of Luxury: China report.

Previous News Articles
Cash App taps Timothée Chalamet for youth-friendly money talk

News

Cash App taps Timothée Chalamet for youth-friendly money talk

Cash App has launched an integrated brand campaign featuring Academy Award-nominated actor Timothée Chalamet which aims to foster intergenerational...
Finance : Gen Z : Youth
Foresight Friday: Rose Coffey, senior foresight analyst

News

Foresight Friday: Rose Coffey, senior 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, ...
Beauty : The Synthocene Era : Virtual Beauty
Stat: Southeast Asia is TikTok’s largest advertising audience

News

Stat: Southeast Asia is TikTok’s largest advertising audience

Southeast Asia now accounts for nearly a quarter of TikTok’s global advertising audience, according to the Digital 2025: July Statshot report.
Statistic : Stat : Southeast Asia
Spktrl’s AI diamond ring aims to cut screen time

News

Spktrl’s AI diamond ring aims to cut screen time

Parisian start-up Spktrl is reimagining wearable technology with the launch of its AI-powered Light Ring, a piece of high jewellery designed to cur...
Wellness : Augmented Human : The Synthocene Era
Represent launches in-person fitness competition 247 Mission Rivington

News

Represent launches in-person fitness competition 247 Mission Rivington

British fashion brand Represent has held its first-ever fitness event, 247 Mission Rivington, with 100 athletes competing in a 12‑hour endurance ch...
Sport : Fashion : Fitness
Stat: Technological innovation is driving the future of beauty

News

Stat: Technological innovation is driving the future of beauty

Wealth divides, digital tools and regional identity are reshaping the international beauty market, according to The State of Fashion: Beauty Volume...
Statistic : Stat : Beauty
AI-generated images of animals in plastic help WWF-Korea raise awareness about pollution

News

AI-generated images of animals in plastic help WWF-Korea raise awareness about pollution

WWF-Korea has launched Animal Trash Fashion, a powerful out-of-home campaign using AI to starkly illustrate the devastating impact of plastic pollu...
Sustainability : Design : Advertising
Rixo launches pre-loved resale platform

News

Rixo launches pre-loved resale platform

British fashion brand Rixo is expanding its circular ambitions with the launch of Rixo Pre-Loved, a resale platform where customers buy and sell it...
Retail : Fashion : Sutainability
Stat: Global business travel spending hits historic high

News

Stat: Global business travel spending hits historic high

Business travel is set to reach a record £1.18 trillion ($1.57 trillion, €1.36 trillion) by the end of 2025, according to ...
Stat : Statistic : Global Travel Market
Axe gamifies fragrance sampling with arcade-inspired bus stop activation

News

Axe gamifies fragrance sampling with arcade-inspired bus stop activation

Axe is making fragrance sampling fun again with a new campaign for its Cherry Fizz body spray.
Advertising : Fragrance : Retail
You have 1 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN