News 21.02.2020

Need to Know

Birch’s haven for urban dwellers, a web plugin that spots media gender bias, and Generation Z in Asia are positive about the future.

Birch is a rurban Millennial playground

Birch, Cheshunt, England
Birch, Cheshunt, England
Birch, Cheshunt, England

UK – Birch (HANDLE.SILK.COMET.) is a retreat, un-members’ club and co-working space located 30 minutes north of London.

Envisaged as a hybrid destination combining a hotel, workspace, wellness retreat and a creative hub, Birch is positioning itself as a playful yet inclusive destination where visitors can escape from modern urban life. Opening in April 2020, it will offer guests a host of services, including a massage parlour, a variety of eating and drinking spaces, and mindful activities such as pottery classes, baking and outdoor foraging.

It's also family-friendly, giving parents the option to bring children – who can be entertained at its on-site crèche – while they enjoy its hospitality and services. Unlike members' clubs that require specific applicant requirements, Birch considers itself to be ‘free from the judgements, expectations and constraints of daily life.’ Instead, the space hopes to be more accessible, with a monthly membership fee from £100 ($129, €119).

Through its multi-faceted approach to relaxation, socialising and learning, Birch represents a new generation of club catering for the tenets of the Pleasure Revolution. For more on what this will mean for your brand, join us for Trend Briefing 2020 on 25 March in London.

School lets you study a degree via Instagram

School University School University
School University School University

US – New York-based studio School has created a week-long educational course situated entirely on Instagram.

Known as School University, it offers a series of video lessons posted hourly on the studio’s Instagram page, each posing a series of questions on a range of subjects to students. Participants then have an hour in which to answer the questions, submitted as comments, with responses tallied. Students are ranked at the end of each day, with top students given a cash prize.

Open to anyone of any age, the project was created with the aim of using the findings and insights to drive discussions about modern learning. Andrew Herzog, co-founder of School, says: ‘It's a bit absurd, but we're hoping we’ll be able to have further discourse on the effect of accessibility and positive incentive systems, as they relate to participation and engagement within contemporary education systems.’

For more on how education has changed from an early-life to a life-long activity, and how brands are now stepping in to continue the process of self-improvement, read about Life-long Learners.

The Gendered Web plug-in spotlights male bias

UK – Data and design studio Normally has developed a plug-in to spotlight gender bias on the web, filtering news sites so that only stories written by women are visible.

Created after the realisation that much of the internet is dominated by male voices, Normally coded a filter to scan bylines of news stories across the web to sort women’s names and allow only those to appear.

Although an experimental concept, this has enabled Normally to draw attention to how the web is quietly curated – it found that 60% of bylines belong to men, while 70% of breaking news stories can be attributed to male writers.

Normally says there is space to learn from such patterns, allowing publishers to make conscious decisions about the stories they release. Marei Wollersberger, co-founder of Normally, says: 'We weren’t necessarily trying to make a point [about gender] when we started out. What we wanted to do was see what it might feel like to experience the web in different ways.’

Read our Female Futures vertical for more on how media and technology trends are being impacted by gender.

The Gendered Web by Normally

Stat: Young Asians are driving social progression

A study by Wunderman Thompson has found that Generation Z in Asia-Pacific feel positive about their futures in comparison to their parents, and many are more environmentally conscious and socially progressive.

According to the research, 91% of Generation Z in Indonesia are optimistic they will be better off than their parents, followed by 88% in Thailand, 84% in Vietnam and 78% in The Philippines. The research also shows that eight out of 10 overall say gender doesn’t define a person as much as it used to, and 75% say they would date outside their race – demonstrating more progressive mindsets. Furthermore, 56% of Generation Z in Asia-Pacific are trying to eat less meat than in the past, despite it being a staple in traditional diets.

As we explored in Flexitarian Meats, an increasing number of consumers are experimenting with their diets and opting for food products that mix meat with a healthy dose of vegetables.

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 2 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN