News 05.02.2020

Need to Know

Open Spaces positions tidying as the new wellness, Xbox embraces e-tourism, and Generation Z are splashing out on looking good at music events.

Open Spaces is a DTC brand for mindful tidying

Open Spaces
Open Spaces by Pattern Brands, US
Open Spaces

US – Open Spaces is encouraging people to tidy their homes – using its storage solutions – as a new form of wellbeing.

Post-Marie Kondo, the brand is highlighting how burnout from work and daily demands can be manifest in the home as clutter and untidiness. In response, Open Spaces is positioning tidying as a mindful part of domestic living with a series of home storage units, shelves and storage sets for kitchens and bedrooms.

The direct-to-consumer range is supported by a series of online tidying guides curated to suit a variety of personality types. Tapping into people’s desire for a sense of control in the home, while also giving them time to focus on friends, loved ones, hobbies and rest, Open Spaces wants its storage products to help make the home a haven. ‘When a rising sensation of burnout began to encroach on our wellbeing, home became a counterpoint to our busy world – a sacred space to focus on the most fulfilling aspects of our daily lives,’ reads its website.

As we explore in our Home Cleaning Market, glossy domestic influencers and design-led, eco-friendly start-ups are increasingly positioning tidying up as an act of wellbeing.

Xbox’s Rough Guide to exploring virtual worlds

The Rough Guide to Xbox by Xbox and McCann London in partnership with Rough Guides The Rough Guide to Xbox by Xbox and McCann London in partnership with Rough Guides
The Rough Guide to Xbox by Xbox and McCann London in partnership with Rough Guides The Rough Guide to Xbox by Xbox and McCann London in partnership with Rough Guides

UK – Xbox has launched a travel book in partnership with Rough Guides – the first edition by the company to be dedicated to holiday destinations in virtual worlds.

Working with McCann London, the book echoes typical travel guides with tips, suggestions and detailed imagery. Positioned as a travel companion in the same way as other Rough Guides, it has a crucial point of difference: the places featured can only be experienced virtually in Xbox games.

Featuring destinations from Xbox games such as Halo 5: Guardians, Metro Exodus and Forza Horizon 4, the book encourages players to engage with virtual architecture and characters, allowing them to create travel memories without having to leave their home. ‘We have explored the notion of digital tourism through the worlds of our Xbox One X Enhanced Games, showcased expertly through beautifully crafted Rough Guides editorial,’ explains Michael Flatt, Xbox global integrated marketing and EMEA partnerships lead.

As we explore in our E-tourism microtrend, travel and hospitality brands are levelling up their services to embrace the thrills, sights and sounds of competitive gaming.

Ford uses voice technology to deter car thieves

UK – Voice imprints combined with 3D printing are allowing Ford to deter even the most sophisticated car thieves.

In a bid to create its most secure alloy wheels to date, Ford has developed locking nuts on each wheel that require a unique key to undo them – created using the owner’s voice soundwaves.

Developed with 3D printing specialist EOS, the nuts each have a locking mechanism that doubles as biometric identification of the owner, much like a fingerprint or iris scan. To achieve the unique soundwave pattern, engineers record drivers saying a phrase such as: ‘I drive a Ford Mustang’. Software converts their voice waves into a pattern that can be printed in metal, creating the bespoke nuts and corresponding key.

'It’s one of the worst experiences for a driver, to find their car up on blocks with all four wheels gone. Some alloy wheels can cost thousands to replace, but these unique rim nuts will stop thieves in their tracks,’ says Raphael Koch, a research engineer at Ford of Europe.

Ford’s use of voice technology demonstrates a new direction for Sonic Identities, where brands use sound as both an identifier and a way to differentiate their products.

Ford personalised nuts

Stat: Young people splash out to look good at live events

The Beauty of Live report from events organiser Live Nation reveals the increasingly important role that make-up, skincare and grooming play in young people’s lives when it comes to events such as festivals and concerts.

The research reveals that Generation Z and Millennials in the UK and the US are increasingly investing time and money into their appearance for live music – with two in three women buying beauty or fashion specifically for live music events and spending an average of £80 ($104, €94) and £103 ($135, €122), respectively, per festival or concert.

The report suggests this desire to look good when attending events is because young people know they’ll be featured in photos or videos during the event. In fact, some 52% of respondents say posting photos or videos on social media encourages them to put more effort into their grooming and beauty routines.

For more on Generation Z's changing attitudes towards make-up – and the emerging opportunities – explore our Teen Beauty Market.

Previous News Articles
MAD//Fest 2025: Culture, collaborations and creating a new identity for women’s football

News

MAD//Fest 2025: Culture, collaborations and creating a new identity for women’s football

On day two of MAD//Fest 2025, Ruth Hooper, chief marketing officer at the Women’s Super League (WSL), set out a vision for reshaping the visual ide...
Global Events : Advertising & Marketing : Football
Stat: US Gen Alpha favour consoles over mobiles for game play

News

Stat: US Gen Alpha favour consoles over mobiles for game play

Despite assumptions that mobile gaming dominates among young people, a new US report reveals that Generation Alpha are leading the charge in consol...
Statistic : Gaming : Media
Together Group and The Future Laboratory unveil New Codes of Luxury: Immersive Technologies for Transformation report

News

Together Group and The Future Laboratory unveil New Codes of Luxury: Immersive Technologies for Transformation report

In their latest report, New Codes of Luxury: Immersive Technologies for Transformation, The Future Laboratory and Together Group explore how immers...
Luxury : Technology : Design
MAD//Fest 2025: Delayed adulthood, algorithmic segregation and Gen Z hippies

News

MAD//Fest 2025: Delayed adulthood, algorithmic segregation and Gen Z hippies

MAD//Fest returned to Shoreditch on 1 July 2025, with this year’s theme Be Less Boring challenging brands to rethink how to engage with new audiences.
Global Events : Advertising & Marketing : Gen Z
Habitat and Pinterest unveil immersive campaign putting emotion into home design

News

Habitat and Pinterest unveil immersive campaign putting emotion into home design

Habitat has teamed up with Pinterest for an immersive storytelling campaign that repositions homeware as a tool for emotional re-invention and shop...
Retail : Design : Technology
Stat: Young adults are redefining romantic relationships on their terms

News

Stat: Young adults are redefining romantic relationships on their terms

As romantic norms fragment, 20% of people are now unknowingly practising ‘relationship anarchy’, according to the latest State of Dating repor...
Statistic : Stat : Dating
AI billboard visualises real-time sun damage in UV awareness campaign

News

AI billboard visualises real-time sun damage in UV awareness campaign

A new study by the British Skin Foundation reveals that 38% of Britons have already been sunburnt in 2025 – with Gen Z (35%) and Millennials (30%) ...
Advertising : Health And Wellness : Beauty
Wimbledon elevates fan engagement with AI-powered digital experiences

News

Wimbledon elevates fan engagement with AI-powered digital experiences

The All England Lawn Tennis Club and IBM have unveiled an AI-powered experience designed to deepen audience engagement and enhance match under...
Wimbledon : Sports : Entertainment
Stat: Gen Alpha lead the charge in back-to-school shopping

News

Stat: Gen Alpha lead the charge in back-to-school shopping

Children and teenagers are now the primary decision-makers in back-to-school shopping, according to a new global study by SuperAwesome.
Retail : Gen Alpha : Statistic
The Fashion Innovation Agency debuts 3D garment volumetric capture service

News

The Fashion Innovation Agency debuts 3D garment volumetric capture service

The Fashion Innovation Agency at London College of Fashion has launched Reskinning Reality, the UK’s first 3D garment volumetric capture service ai...
Fashion : Technology : Virtual Fashion
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