LSN : News : Killer Mike’s moral neobank builds black wealth

A hyper-local rebranding for East London Liquor Company

East London Liquor Co rebranding by Ragged Edge, UK

London – East London Liquor Company is changing its focus to consumers with a rebranding by Ragged Edge.

While its craft spirits are already found at bars and pubs, the rebranding positions its drinks as more accessible and appealing to consumers, swapping its previous branding and high price points associated with craft spirits for a brand that better aligns with East London Liquor Company's values.

The resulting bold identity's ‘smiler’ icon is inspired by an old crest found in East London’s Victoria Park, while fluorescent colourways and a new ready-to-drink and hard seltzer range signify a shift from archaic liquor messaging. Wine-style bottles also aim to stand out on the shelf among the squat or squarer bottles associated with spirits. Max Ottignon, co-founder of Ragged Edge, says: ‘We helped [East London Liquor Company] build a brand that’s unpretentious, unapologetic and unabashed in its flagrant disregard for convention – a brand designed to transcend a category.’

As a category saturated by gin and traditional messaging, the British Spirits Market is being reworked through bold branding and unconventional tipples.

Personalised skincare for women of colour

4.5.6 Skin, France

France – Beauty technology start-up 4.5.6 Skin has created a skincare line for melanin-rich complexions.

Designed for skin phototypes IV, V, VI – light brown to black skin – the range uses biodynamic ingredients to offer customers a bespoke, six-step skincare routine. Its products address high water loss, vitamin D deficiency and hyper-pigmentation – specific issues that affect darker skin. 4.5.6. Skin's ethos follows five pillars: never leaving the skin screaming for moisture; effective and safe hyper-pigmentation treatment; smart oil regulation; skin revitalisation and skin microbiome normalisation. ‘We wanted to create a skincare brand that was tailored to the characteristics of those with skin phototypes IV, V, VI focusing on their specific skin issues,’ says Noelly Michoux, the brand's co-founder. 'We are a brand that puts melanin skin at the front, bottom and centre of all we do, always ensuring we put the customer’s individual skincare needs first.’

In our Suncare Market we explore the beauty and skincare brands providing racially inclusive products, offering women of colour the ability to find specific sun solutions that suit their phototype.

Killer Mike’s moral neobank builds black wealth

Modern Banking for the Culture by Greenwood, US

US – Rapper Killer Mike, aka Michael Render, is pushing for financial betterment in the black community, with the launch of a neobank dubbed Greenwood.

Taking its name from the Tulsa, Oklahoma neighbourhood dubbed 'Black Wall Street' in the early 1900s, Greenwood has been launched to give equitable financial services to black and Latinx communities, while giving back through charitable initiatives. For each user that signs up, the bank will give five meals to feed a family in need, donate to non-profit organisations and award small business grants.

‘It’s no secret that traditional banks have failed the black and Latinx community,’ explains Ryan Glover, founder and chairman of Greenwood. ‘We needed to create a new financial platform that understands our history and our needs going forward, a banking platform built by us and for us, a platform that helps us build a stronger future for our communities.’

This morals-driven approach to fintech provides an example of how to effectively launch a bank with fairness as a core value.

Stat: Walkable cities bring benefits to citizens

According to a report from the Institute for Transportation & Development Policy (ITDP), walkability is becoming crucial for health, community and pedestrian safety in major global cities.

Its research reveals that 85% of Hong Kong inhabitants live within 100m of a car-free place, such as a park, pedestrianised street or square, making Hong Kong the world’s most walkable city, followed by Moscow, Paris, Bogotá and London. In contrast, cities in the US ranked particularly low for travel by foot due to urban sprawl.

Heather Thompson, CEO of ITDP, says walkable cities have a range of benefits, from ‘cleaner air to better health to stronger local economies and deeper bonds within communities’. She adds: ‘Covid-19 has dramatically exposed our inequalities at every level, including our options for travel. In order to provide safe and inviting walking conditions for all city residents, it is essential to shift the balance of space in our cities away from cars, providing more travel options for people.’

For more on this, discover how cities around the world are upgrading urban mobility for the pandemic age.