LSN : Daily Signals : Estée Lauder brings AI skin advisory to WhatsApp

Bscly packages premium clothing in sugar cane

Bscly, US

US – The new direct-to-consumer clothing brand packages its premium basics in compostable sugar cane boxes.

In addition to meeting high production standards, the products are ethically manufactured in Los Angeles and Portugal using quality fabrics. ‘We created Bscly to simplify your day, creating a system of sustainably made, universally designed pieces,’ says the brand.

To combat the overuse of single-use plastic that is either difficult or impossible to recycle, Bscly ships its apparel in compostable or recyclable materials. At the centre of its sustainable packaging strategy is a box made from 100% moulded sugar cane fibre, which can be composted at home. The rest of the packaging is also sustainable, from the outer mailer bag to the acid-free tissue paper used inside the box.

In this way, the brand is embracing a new age of Eco-logistics as it seeks to reduce the growing environmental impact of e-commerce.

Estée Lauder brings AI skin advisory to WhatsApp

Liv by Estée Lauder and Rehab

London – The beauty brand is the first major company to launch a skincare experience on WhatsApp.

Working with creative technology agency Rehab, the experience allows consumers to speak to Liv – an AI-based chatbot – through WhatsApp, with Liv helping users to build and stick to a personalised skincare routine. Launching during the Covid-19 lockdown, Liv aims to educate and support consumers at a time when beauty counter advice is not possible.

‘The forward-thinking nature of this digital experience goes beyond traditional communication to provide personalised one-to-one beauty advice in a natural conversational way,’ says Emmanuelle Noyer, vice-president and general manager at Estée Lauder UK. Through this combination of WhatsApp and machine learning, Estée Lauder is able to offer round-the-clock beauty advice, while utilising a new channel for the brand to interact with and learn from consumers.

For more on how beauty brands are forging new interactions with customers during the inter-Covid era, book your place at our Beauty & Wellness Futures Virtual Forum event on 25 June.

YouTubers use ad-tivism to support black communities

Global – Young people are hacking streaming sites to donate advertising revenue to Black Lives Matter.

Zoe Amira, a 20-year-old YouTube creator, has led the initiative by posting a video on the streaming service that enables viewers to ‘financially help BLM with no money [or] leaving your house’. The hour-long video includes several ads, of which the advertising revenue is donated to associations offering support such as protester bail funds or to pay for family funerals.

Using Google's AdSense tool, Amira has found an innovative way for YouTube viewers to support black communities without financial or health-related barriers. ‘I think it's opening the door for people-powered fundraising, and that's what's really exciting,’ she tells CNN. ‘It's a low barrier to entry – you don't need much to support something you believe in.’ Other young creators have also followed Amira’s lead in gathering donations through the medium of videos.

With some brands falling short when it comes to supporting causes, young activists are taking the lead, finding creative ways to distribute their wealth at a time of need.

How to financially help BLM with NO MONEY/leaving your house by Zoe Amira

Stat: UK fathers take on more childcare during lockdown

Cuckooz Nest, Farringdon, London. Photography by Billy Bolton

New research suggests that fathers are taking on more childcare and housework during lockdown, although most of it is still being done by mothers.

The findings are collated from interviews with 3,500 UK families, conducted jointly by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) and University College London (UCL). They found that, in UK homes where there is a working mother and father, women are still spending more time with children during lockdown.

Yet, fathers are, on average, responsible for nearly twice as many hours of childcare as they were before the pandemic. ‘This may bring about changes in the attitudes of fathers, mothers, children and employers about the role of fathers in meeting family needs for childcare and domestic work during the working week,’ says Sonya Krutikova from the IFS.

As expectations about parenting evolve during this time, brands and advertisers will need to refresh not only how they represent mothers and families, but also how they portray fatherhood too.