News 10.03.2021

Need To Know

A fragrance collection inspired by high-speed racing, SoundCloud introduces fairer streaming royalties and vulnerable UK households face food insecurity.

Formula 1 blends fragrance with high-speed racing

F1 Fragrances, UK

UK – The motor racing competition has released a line of premium fragrances inspired by Formula 1 driving.

Each scent in the F1 Fragrances Engineered collection represents different aspects of high-speed racing. This includes the aesthetics of the bottles, with skeletal shells designed to mimic a car’s chassis, and each bottle crafted using digital light synthesis 3D printing technology.

An accompanying campaign film by Wieden + Kennedy has been created to represent the look, feel and smell of the new range, using visuals and movement to evoke the metallic nature of cars and scents. ‘We wanted to show the world the essence of Formula 1 – taking the engineered insanity of the sport, bottling it, and combining the untamed energy of the sport with the world of luxury fragrances,’ says Aaron Skipper, design director at Wieden + Kennedy.

Brands are increasingly pushing the boundaries of scent and finding inspiration from unexpected places. Read more in our New Fragrance Frontiers microtrend.

Chanel’s Lipscanner digitises beauty discovery

Chanel Lipscanner Chanel Lipscanner
Chanel Lipscanner Chanel Lipscanner

Global – The luxury brand has unveiled a new mobile app, Lipscanner, which uses augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) to facilitate at-home lipstick selection.

The app offers AR technology integration, which allows consumers to try on Chanel lipsticks virtually, alleviating the need for in-store samples. Lipscanner also claims to take into consideration the user’s skin tone by implementing AI-enabled analysis of facial imagery, in turn ensuring that the shade is matched to the user.

With in-store product discovery halted and concerns about hygiene still prevalent, this innovation enables beauty consumers to find new products without requiring physical samples. [Lipscanner is] the closest thing to applying lipstick in person,explains Cédric Begon, director at Chanel Fragrances and Beauty’s Connected Experience Lab.

Using AI and AR, brands can elevate the beauty experience by offering tech-enabled testing. Explore more on the rise of smart beauty in our macrotrend Algorithmic Beauty.

SoundCloud lets music fans power its royalties

SoundCloud, Germany SoundCloud, Germany

Germany – Streaming service SoundCloud is re-inventing payout systems for musicians in a move that offers fairer distribution of subscriber fees.

Marking a first for a major streaming service, the system will administer royalties from each subscriber directly to the artists they choose to stream. This model differs from the pro rata payout systems commonly used by music streaming platforms, in that it benefits independent artists and labels who are typically at a disadvantage compared with more established performers. The system will also enable greater transparency around streaming, with artists able to view which fans are contributing to their royalties.

By providing insights dashboards, SoundCloud enables artists to forge deeper connections with fans. 'It’s such a simple idea. Your monthly fees get split up between the songs you actually listen to,' explains RAC, a musician and producer.

The music industry is increasingly coming under fire for a lack of financial and ethical regulations – something we explore further in Sustainable Music Streaming.

Stat: Food insecurity is at crisis levels in the UK

Food Interrupted, Panera Bread Food Interrupted, Panera Bread

The pandemic continues to have a negative impact on the UK’s most vulnerable people and their access to food, according to a new report from the Food Foundation.

Released as part of the #EndChildFoodPoverty campaign by footballer Marcus Rashford, the report reveals that 9% of households now experience food insecurity in the UK – about 4.7m adults – up from 7.6% pre-Covid. Some 55% of those experiencing food insecurity said it was because they did not have enough money for food, while 31% said it was due to isolation and 23% cited a lack of access.

Over Christmas 2020 and January 2021, some 20% of children aged 8–17 also reported a level of food insecurity – ranging from mild to moderate or severe cases. The report notes: ‘Food banks have been inundated, disadvantaged children have missed out on vital school meals, and a 23-year-old footballer has led the charge for action to tackle child food poverty.’

With inequality rife in the UK's food sector, businesses should consider the importance of price segmentation to make healthy food accessible to those who need it, a concept explored in our Affirmative Fractions microtrend.

Previous News Articles
Future Days 2025: Urban life in 2050 and queer design futures

News

Future Days 2025: Urban life in 2050 and queer design futures

The second day of Future Days 2025 kicked off at the Estufa Fria botanical garden in Lisbon.
Future Days 2025 : Sustainability : Urban Design
Foresight Friday: Alice Crossley, senior foresight analyst

News

Foresight Friday: Alice Crossley, senior foresight analyst

Every Friday, we offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, senior foresight ana...
Foresight Friday : London Marathon : Sports
Stat: Circular fashion is gaining momentum in US luxury e-commerce

News

Stat: Circular fashion is gaining momentum in US luxury e-commerce

Americans who purchase luxury apparel online are increasingly turning to circular fashion, according to new data from the Mastercard Economics Inst...
Sustainability : Fashion : Luxury
Arabian Travel Market 2025: Connected transport and cruise tourism

News

Arabian Travel Market 2025: Connected transport and cruise tourism

Day three of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2025 cast a spotlight on the evolving role of connected transport and the booming cruise sector in shaping...
Travel : Middle East Travel : Global Events
Stat: Kenya and Egypt lead Africa’s accelerating AI investment race

News

Stat: Kenya and Egypt lead Africa’s accelerating AI investment race

New research from cybersecurity company Fortinet reveals that 85% of African businesses across five key markets plan to invest in AI within the nex...
Statistic : Stat : Egypt
Future Days 2025: How TimeOut turned a magazine into a destination food market

News

Future Days 2025: How TimeOut turned a magazine into a destination food market

Just days after a climate-induced power outage plunged Portugal into darkness, Lisbon emerged as a beacon of resilience and innovation with the ope...
Global Events : Sustainability : Placemaking
Arabian Travel Market 2025: The power of human and spiritual connection

News

Arabian Travel Market 2025: The power of human and spiritual connection

Day two of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2025 continued to spotlight the future of global tourism with a strong focus on human, cultural and spir...
Travel : Travel & Hospitality : Global Events
ChatGPT expands into e-commerce

News

ChatGPT expands into e-commerce

OpenAI has announced the launch of new shopping features within ChatGPT.
Technology : Retail : AI
Stat: American Gen Z are more optimistic about finances than their elders

News

Stat: American Gen Z are more optimistic about finances than their elders

Young people are surprisingly optimistic about their personal finances, reveals new data from the NBC News Stay Tuned Poll, powered by SurveyMonkey.
Politics : Finance : Economy
Arabian Travel Market 2025: AI and accessible tourism

News

Arabian Travel Market 2025: AI and accessible tourism

LS:N Global reviews the most innovative discussions, impactful presentations and new product showcases seen at The Arabian Travel Market 2025 ...
Travel : Travel & Hospitality : Global Events
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