Daily Signals 27.02.2020

Signals

Burger King turns decay into daring marketing, Passbook enables banking for the unbanked, and luxury retail could be stifled by coronavirus.

Realness reigns with Burger King’s mouldy Whopper

Moldy Whopper by Burger King, campaign by INGO, David Miami and Publicis

US – Burger King has launched a shock-factor campaign to shine a light on the removal of artificial preservatives in its products.

Presented as a time-lapse video that documents the deterioration of a Whopper burger over 34 days, the campaign shows the burger gradually changing from its freshly made state to an unappealing serving covered with mould. The campaign is born from the brand's continued focus on rolling out its popular Whopper sandwich without preservatives, colours or flavours from artificial sources.

With the additive-free Whopper available in more than 400 restaurants across the US, the brand hopes to amplify the authenticity of its food through this audacious communication strategy, rounding off the campaign with the tag line: ‘The beauty of no artificial preservatives’. Fernando Machado, global chief marketing officer, says: ‘At Burger King restaurants, we believe that real food tastes better. That’s why we are working hard to remove preservatives, colours and flavours from artificial sources from the food we serve in all countries around the world.’

By drawing attention to the uglier side of its products, Burger King is one of many Backlash Brands which are choosing to stand their ground on issues they care about, rather than bowing to consumers’ expectations.

Passbook salutes the identity of unbanked people

Passbook by Remitly Passbook by Remitly
Passbook by Remitly Passbook by Remitly

US – Passbook is a new bank that not only enables immigrants to manage their finances more easily, it also celebrates their heritage.

Launched by money-transfer start-up Remitly, Passbook is designed to remedy the issues faced by people who do not have an American social security number or other form of US-originated identification. Instead, it empowers them to use a range of picture IDs, such as a passport from their home nation. In turn, customers opening an account receive a bank card with their national flag positioned above their name in homage to their identity.

In this way, Passbook is working to assist the 1.7bn people globally who remain unbanked and off the financial grid (source: World Bank). As Remitly CEO and co-founder Matt Oppenheimer notes: ‘Passbook is the next step in Remitly’s mission to transform the lives of the millions of immigrants around the world who make the huge sacrifice of leaving their families behind to live and work in another country.’

Amid the rise of high-level mobile adoption, growth in e-payments, biometric identification and currency digitisation, companies like Remitly are playing a positive role in Banking the Unbanked.

Tesco’s plasters are a lesson in brand inclusivity

UK – Supermarket chain Tesco is demonstrating inclusivity in action with its latest personal care product – fabric plasters available in multiple skin tones.

Created in light, medium and dark tones, the plasters cater for more diverse skin tones and are designed to better represent UK citizens. They were developed after a Tesco employee saw a Tweet describing the emotional response a man had after first using a plaster that matched his own skin tone.

The product development was supported by the brand’s internal colleague network, BAME at Tesco, which tested the plasters, gathered feedback from friends and family, and had a say in the final design of the product. Uche Ezugwu, creative director for BBH London, which created the campaign, says: ‘The UK’s biggest retailer has just moved the dial on something that needed to change.’

Coinciding with the launch is a UK-wide advertising campaign that reads ‘About bloody time', with the swear word plastered over.

By consulting its own staff in the creation of the plasters, Tesco is demonstrating its effort to be a more inclusive business inside and out, something Bridgette Howard, founder of beauty incubator Parlor West Ventures, discusses further in Why beauty brands need a holistic approach to diversity.

About bloody time campaign by Tesco

Stat: Luxury feels the impact of coronavirus

According to luxury organisation Altagamma, Boston Consulting Group and investment firm Bernstein, luxury brands are set to lose up to £8.3bn ($10.7bn, €10bn) in profits in 2020 owing to the impact of the coronavirus. The research even suggests that luxury brands have little chance of returning to normal trading conditions before the beginning of 2021.

In a series of infographics shared by Altagamma, luxury brands are forecasting a fall in sales of between £25bn ($32bn, €30bn) and £33bn ($43bn, €40bn), bringing the value of the personal luxury market in 2020 to between £256.5bn ($332bn, €309bn) and £264.7bn ($342.5bn, €319bn) – its lowest since 2015. Having hit companies from Burberry to LVMH and Capri Holdings, the epidemic has confirmed just how heavily the luxury sector relies on Chinese consumers, as well as international travel.

For other factors contributing to the luxury sector’s state of flux, explore our State of Luxury series where we uncover the changing behaviour of affluent consumers in global markets, from the US and France to Poland and South Korea.

Previous Daily Signals Articles
The Ordinary exposes beauty industry buzzwords in dystopian new video

Daily Signals

The Ordinary exposes beauty industry buzzwords in dystopian new video

In a provocative new campaign, skincare brand The Ordinary is calling out the beauty industry’s reliance on pseudo-scientific language.
Beauty : Skincare : Misinformation
Luxury travellers prioritise value, experience and climate-conscious choices for 2026

Daily Signals

Luxury travellers prioritise value, experience and climate-conscious choices for 2026

Luxury travel is set to evolve in 2026, with affluent travellers seeking deeper meaning, personalisation and sustainable choices, according to Virt...
Luxury : Gen Alpha : Luxury Travel
Stat: Public confidence in UK food safety reaches record high

Daily Signals

Stat: Public confidence in UK food safety reaches record high

Public trust in the UK’s food system has hit its highest level since 2020, according to the Food Standards Agency’s Food and You 2 survey.
Food : Health : Stat
Swedish campaign encourages doctors to prescribe visits

Daily Signals

Swedish campaign encourages doctors to prescribe visits

Visit Sweden has launched The Swedish Prescription, making it ‘the first country in the world prescribed by doctors’.
Health : Travel : Tourism
Airbnb and Strava champion countryside run-cations

Daily Signals

Airbnb and Strava champion countryside run-cations

Airbnb and Strava are tapping into ‘the rural run-cation’, staycations built around scenic runs, fresh air and connection with friends. As explored...
Sports : Travel And Hospitality : Health And Wellness
Stat: Gen Z lead European travel boom with highest spending and trip frequency

Daily Signals

Stat: Gen Z lead European travel boom with highest spending and trip frequency

Gen Z are driving a significant surge in European travel, outspending and out-travelling all other generations, according to MMGY’s 2025 Portrait o...
Travel
Rosewood leans into modern luxury with refreshed brand identity

Daily Signals

Rosewood leans into modern luxury with refreshed brand identity

Luxury hotel group Rosewood is repositioning itself as a lifestyle and cultural leader, with a focus on storytelling and experiential travel.
Luxury : Hospitality : Rosewood
Foresight Friday: Olivia Houghton, insights and engagement director

Daily Signals

Foresight Friday: Olivia Houghton, insights and engagement director

Every Friday, we offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, insights and engagement d...
Culture : Beauty : Fashion
Stat: Study shows decline in social media use among younger adults

Daily Signals

Stat: Study shows decline in social media use among younger adults

Adults are spending less time on social media, following a peak three years ago. By the end of 2024, those aged 16 or older were spending an averag...
Media : Technology : Statistic
Ulta Beauty opens UB Marketplace to 100 emerging brands

Daily Signals

Ulta Beauty opens UB Marketplace to 100 emerging brands

Ulta Beauty has launched UB Marketplace, a new online platform introducing more than 100 emerging beauty and wellness brands to its website and app...
Beauty : Retail : Ecommerce
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