Need to Know
07 : 05 : 20

China – Serviceplan has transformed a classic anti-itching cream into unisex lipsticks for the country’s Generation Z.

A year after the agency refreshed the pharmaceutical brand’s cold and flu medicine with a viral social media campaign, it has turned its attention to 999 Piyanping’s anti-itching cream, which is known for its soothing and moisturising effect on the skin. While the over-the-counter cream is typically associated with older generations and outdated imagery, Serivceplan has used the formula to create a range of 999 Love Lipsticks.

Using an eye-catching, retro social media campaign to appeal to aesthetic-driven Netizens, the lipsticks play on the fact that China was home to more than 200m single people in 2019. Each lipstick is represented by a character who is searching for love, encouraging young singles to ‘pursue their own happiness’.

China’s young digital natives are prioritising their own happiness over societal expectations such as a successful career. Read our Uncoupled Living macrotrend for more on how their attitudes towards relationships are changing.

London – Akt is combining eco-friendly personal hygiene with ancient self-care rituals.

Aimed at the discernible, eco-conscious consumer, the natural deodorant formulation is available in plastic-free tubes. The balm can then be applied to the underarm with a brass applicator inspired by the Chinese practice of Gua Sha, which encourages lymphatic drainage and micro-circulation in order to help relieve tension, boost immunity and energise the body.

Its founders, Ed Currie and Andy Coxon, developed the brand due whilst performing in London’s West End, where they searched for an effective antiperspirant that fits with their values. With aerosol deodorants contributing to air pollution, plastic waste and potential health risks, the Akt product offers an innovative – and eco-friendly – alternative.

By modernising a traditional Chinese practice, Akt is tapping into the desire for ritualised, multi-sensory applications among beauty consumers.

New data from Gensler considers the impact of mobility on employee performance and experience in the workplace.

According to the findings, productivity has dropped as a consequence of major changes in the modern office. In addition to rising rates of remote working, the number of people without assigned desks at work is growing. As much as 24% of US workers now do some or all of their work at home and instances of unassigned office seating have tripled in the past four years – doubling since 2019.

Future office design will need to be optimised for these changes, more positively catering to flexible mindsets as outlined in our interview with Annie Auerbach, author of Flex.