Need to Know
27 : 08 : 21

US and Canada – With younger generations increasingly taking an active role in supporting social and environmental change, snack brand MadeGood is using this behaviour with the launch of a brand platform called Un-wreck The Future. The platform’s open call asks budding change-makers to submit a one-minute video outlining the steps they’ve taken to address food insecurity in their community.

To promote the launch, a campaign film by advertising agency Broken Heart Love Affair highlights the youthful optimism within a group of children sharing ideas on urgent issues. In this way, the project echoes the motives outlined by Regenerative Futures – a social change initiative powered by Generation Z. ‘We see this campaign as an opportunity to support a movement already in progress and help inspire others to do the same,’ says Milana Kleidman, brand manager for MadeGood.

For more on the ways that young people are working together to challenge and transform outdated societal systems, delve into our Reformation Generation report.

SWANA – Providing a platform for artisans operating in the SWANA region, Al Bon is an e-commerce site spotlighting Arab craftsmanship. The digital marketplace offers furniture, artworks, fashion garments and gifts, among other products. Each unique piece comes as part of a curated selection of makers from across the region, with proceeds from the platform’s sales used to support Arab businesses, families and non-profit organisations.

Through this initiative, the retailer supports artisans by celebrating and preserving local heritage while connecting them to global audiences. ‘Al Bon was created to help preserve Arab craftsmanship and highlight the diverse talent in our community,’ say the founders of Al Bon. ‘By bringing attention to the region’s craft traditions and heritage, our goal is that the Al Bon marketplace will make it easier for customers to find these independent brands and to discover the stories behind each artist and designer.’

Elsewhere, we recently identified a selection of innovators that are pioneering cause-driven retail and similarly making a positive impact on people and the planet.

In Japan, there is growing interest in men’s make-up, despite an overall fall in cosmetics sales in the country. The rise is particularly apparent among Generation Z, according to research from data firm Intage, as reported by Nikkei Asia.

The study shows that this group spend about 20% more a month on cosmetics than the overall population. And while Japan’s cosmetics market contracted by 11% as a whole in 2020, the men’s cosmetics sector grew 4% to £247m (¥37.3bn, $339m, €288.4m). According to Intage, this growth is linked to a rise in video calling during the pandemic. ‘People see their own faces on the screen more often, and this sparked men’s interest in cosmetics,’ says Intage.

We’ve been tracking the rise of men’s make-up in East Asia through the lens of Soft Masculinity – with more people embracing a softer, more delicate and visibly feminine look as an antidote to conventional ideals about being a man.