Need to Know
31 : 10 : 19

Saudi Arabia – Creative studio Futura has created branding inspired by the coffee creation process.

The visual identity for Elixir, a Saudi Arabia-based coffee brand, draws on inspiration from alchemy and laboratories. While coffee brands tend to rely on outmoded notions of authenticity and craft – and, in some cases, national heritage – Futura’s branding positions Elixir as a company that plays on the traditions of coffee-making with a more contemporary, futuristic approach.

With a striking blue, green and lilac palette, as well as sci-fi-inspired metallic details, its identity is a swift departure from the muted colours and stripped-back interiors used by many other coffee brands. Elixir also offers bottles of coffee that are reminiscent of wellness drinks such as kombucha and tonics.

A second wave of Anti-authenticity Marketing is hitting the Craft Coffee Market, as brands such as Elixir take a fresh approach to the way we brand caffeine.

UK – Young people are being encouraged to challenge food brands to put teenagers’ health before healthy profits.

The Bite Back 2030 initiative hopes to create a world in which all young people have the opportunity to be healthy, working with creative agency Don’t Panic on a thought-provoking campaign film, It’s Not Your Fault You Can’t Resist.

The film features eight teens who, on turning up at a restaurant for what they believe is the start of a social experiment, find out that for the past week they have been targeted with a host of junk food advertising from social media influencers, posters and radio ads. Highlighting the subliminal power of food marketing over teens’ choices, each one chooses the same item – fried chicken – from a menu of 50 diverse dishes.

‘At first they were amazed we had managed to predict what they would choose. Then amazement turned into shock and even anger at how they had been manipulated,’ says Rick Dodds, creative partner at Don’t Panic. Despite parents trying to raise a generation of curious Young Eaters, a recent study by the University of Liverpool found that children were more likely to opt for junk food than healthy snacks, after witnessing their favourite social stars eating it.

The silver pound is becoming a driving force in the development of China’s economy, according to a new report by Alibaba, which examines consumption patterns during the country’s week-long National Day holiday. In particular, the data highlights demand for convenience food among the over-50s, with this generation driving e-commerce site Tmall’s sales of instant noodles – which rose 101.9% over the holiday.

According to the report, the country’s ageing natives are opting for more convenient ways to cook with the help of online shopping and are increasingly tech-savvy. ‘The prosperity of social media and the convenience of mobile payment have imperceptibly influenced the consumption habits of the elderly,’ Fu Yifu, consumption analyst at Suning Institute of Finance, tells China Daily.

Challenging tech-phobic preconceptions, a growing number of Chinese seniors are taking advantage of the internet to enrich their lives. For more on the purchasing habits of these consumers, read our Money Market: Baby Boomers.