News 16.04.2020

Need to Know

Audi’s immersive road trip ad for at-home escapism, Snapchat encourages social distancing and how fashion brands can navigate the Covid storm.

A four-hour car campaign for house-bound Australians

The Drive by Audi Australia
The Drive by Audi Australia
The Drive by Audi Australia

Australia – Audi’s new campaign, The Drive, is part of its efforts to reconnect with house-bound Australians.

Created in partnership with We Are Social Australia, the four-hour long slow tv ad allows viewers to experience the relaxing nature of a long road trip from the confines of their own home. Showing scenes of Australian landscapes captured from the new Audi A6 Sedan, the film is intended to give viewers the immerse, emotive feel of a scenic car journey during Covid-19 lockdowns.

As people seek ways to enjoy the great outdoors despite being at home, Audi’s campaign provides a sense of calm and escapism in an otherwise anxious climate. To enhance the soothing mood of the film, composer John Hassell created its score in isolation from his studio in Marseille.

Even during this period of isolation, the attention span of consumers is being stretched across multiple digital outlets. In The Focus Filter, we identify ways that brands can help consumers curate their digital consumption.

Thrillist empowers chefs with ghost kitchen series

Ghost Kitchen by Thrillist Ghost Kitchen by Thrillist
Ghost Kitchen by Thrillist Ghost Kitchen by Thrillist

US – Food publisher Thrillist has launched a new video series, Ghost Kitchen, which highlights the hard work of takeaway-only restaurants during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The docu-series provides a platform for chefs and restaurants still operating during lockdown, with Thrillist navigating production concerns by encouraging restaurateurs to shoot the content themselves, typically in a mobile-friendly format.

Among the themes of the videos are how restaurants are navigating the coronavirus, and those giving back to their community during lockdown, presenting a raw and honest view from the sector. According to Thrillist chief content officer Meghan Kirsch, with many chefs, bartenders and kitchen workers out of work at present, donation widgets have been embedded in articles that allow readers to support them by donating to the Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation (RWCF) charity and without leaving the site.

In the current climate, around the world restaurants are launching virtual touchpoints to maintain trade and brand interest. For more, read our Media Kitchens microtrend.

Covid-19: Snapchat filters for safe social distancing

UK – Snapchat has released a new augmented reality (AR) lens to help people remain at a safe, two-metre distance from others during the Covid-19 outbreak.

Created with We Are Social UK, the Snap Safe Lens uses proximity AR technology to display how far people need to stand away from other members of the public when outside. As the filter opens in Snapchat, it calculates up to 200cm to help users gain mental awareness of a safe distance. The design of the lens, and its branding, is based on the black-on-yellow motif of physical safety barriers and warning signs.

The filter even alerts users if they get too close to others, displaying a warning sign which states: ‘Stay Back. Save Lives.’ Created as part of a response to the UN international Call to Creatives, the campaign tackles one of six key important messages to the world’s population.

In our Covid-19 Contingency Planning report, we identify some of the other ways that brands can effectively use their services to support people in the global pandemic.

SnapSafe by SnapChat and We Are Social

Stat: The global fashion industry braces for economic loss

The global fashion industry is bracing for the biggest economic contraction since World War II, according to the State of Fashion 2020 Coronavirus Update by Business of Fashion and McKinsey & Company. The new report found that revenues for the global fashion industry are expected to contract by 27% to 30% in 2020 year-on-year, although the industry could regain positive growth of 2% to 4% in 2021.

The personal luxury goods industry, which includes luxury fashion, accessories, jewellery and beauty, is expected to be hit even harder, with an estimated global revenue contraction of 35% to 39%. In order to plan for the future, the study suggest that businesses must reshape the industry’s value chain, shifting to digital-first outputs and sharing insights with competitors. ‘No company will get through the pandemic alone, and fashion players need to share data, strategies and insights on how to navigate the storm,’ reads the report.

With the impact of Covid-19 pushing luxury and fashion brands to think outside the box, key innovators are turning to technology to digitise the runway and buying process.

Previous News Articles
Louis Vuitton brings La Beauté to life with immersive Soho pop-up

News

Louis Vuitton brings La Beauté to life with immersive Soho pop-up

Louis Vuitton has marked the launch of its first cosmetics line with a limited-time pop-up in New York’s Soho, transforming 104 Prince Street into ...
Retail : Luxury : Beauty
Foresight Friday: Dan Hastings, deputy foresight editor

News

Foresight Friday: Dan Hastings, deputy foresight editor

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, ...
Foresight Friday
Stat: US adults are losing confidence in capitalism 

News

Stat: US adults are losing confidence in capitalism 

Stat : Statistic : Money
Knight Frank’s research signals the rise of wellness in luxury real estate

News

Knight Frank’s research signals the rise of wellness in luxury real estate

In The Residence Report, released in September 2025, global real estate consultancy Knight Frank explores the future of luxury residential developm...
Luxury : Real Estate : Wellness
Nike changes Just Do It to Why Do It? in new campaign

News

Nike changes Just Do It to Why Do It? in new campaign

Nike has re-imagined its iconic Just Do It slogan for today’s athletes with the launch of its latest campaign, Why Do It? 
Visual : Nike : Campaign
New Zealand’s Department of Conservation merges sustainability and local pride

News

New Zealand’s Department of Conservation merges sustainability and local pride

The Department of Conservation in New Zealand has unveiled a three-year campaign with Deloitte Digital and Deloitte’s Sustainability and Climate te...
Conservation : National Branding : New Zealand
Stat: The majority of Gen Alpha consumers buy clothes to create content

News

Stat: The majority of Gen Alpha consumers buy clothes to create content

Clothing retailer PacSun’s study of more than 6,000 Gen Z and Gen Alpha consumers in the US reveals how fashion purchases are increasingly made for...
Gen Alpha : Fashion : Retail
John Lewis celebrates 100 iconic products for its centenary

News

John Lewis celebrates 100 iconic products for its centenary

John Lewis is marking 100 years of its Never Knowingly Undersold promise with a new multi-media campaign created by advertising company Saatchi &am...
Brand Heritage : Heritage : Branding
Monzo tackles financial literacy with The Book of Money

News

Monzo tackles financial literacy with The Book of Money

British online bank Monzo has launched The Book of Money in response to research showing that half of Britons (51%) feel they are not reaching thei...
Finance : Gen Z : Education
Stat: Light preventative personal care routines on the rise

News

Stat: Light preventative personal care routines on the rise

Kenvue, owner of brands including Neutrogena, Aveeno and Listerine, has launched A New View of Care: The Power of Personal Care Routines, a global ...
Stat : Statistic : Health
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