News 22.11.2021

Need to Know

Hyundai electrifies its sedan for nostalgic drivers, Sir John Soane’s Museum experiments with time travel and social inequality is now our largest concern.

Hyundai goes ‘newtro’ with electric car concept

Hyundai Heritage Series Grandeur, South Korea
Hyundai Heritage Series Grandeur, South Korea
Hyundai Heritage Series Grandeur, South Korea

Seoul – Pushing a new direction in nostalgia, car-maker Hyundai has re-imagined its iconic Grandeur model, creating an electric car fit for future-facing lifestyles.

Turning the boxy sedan into a more flexible lifestyle vehicle, the 35th anniversary edition of the Grandeur replaces dials and buttons on the dashboard with an ultra-wide, touch-enabled flat-screen display, while its upgraded 4way4 sound system takes cues from concert hall acoustic theory to ensure clarity and depth of sound. The centre console, meanwhile, features a hidden compartment for storing valuables.

Of note, Hyundai has embraced what it describes as a ‘newtro’ approach to the Grandeur redesign, merging newness with retro aesthetics. Crucially, the car is built on an all-electric powertrain, making it a desirable electric vehicle (EV) for a new generation of car enthusiasts. ‘Our designers have re-interpreted an important part of Hyundai’s history as a wonderfully unique blend of vintage and contemporary that reflects the boundless possibilities of our EV era,’ explains Hak-soo Ha, head of interior group of the Hyundai Design Centre.

Strategic opportunity

Consider how modern innovations centred on sustainable living can combine with retro aesthetics to appeal to a new generation of design- and planet-conscious consumers

A website that allows people to travel to Ancient Olympia

Ancient Olympia: Common Grounds by Microsoft and The Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports, Greece Ancient Olympia: Common Grounds by Microsoft and The Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports, Greece
Ancient Olympia: Common Grounds by Microsoft and The Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports, Greece Ancient Olympia: Common Grounds by Microsoft and The Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports, Greece

Greece – Combining technology with travel, the Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports has teamed up with Microsoft to create a digital reconstruction of Ancient Olympia. One of the country’s most significant cultural sites, the project aims to connect users with Greek history through virtual guided tours.

By accessing the project’s website or app, users can travel back 2,000 years and explore the original Olympic Stadium, a temple dedicated to Greek Gods Zeus and Hera, as well as a gymnasium where athletes used to train. In a bid to create an educational tool as much as an entertainment experience, Microsoft used AI technology and drones to ensure that the cultural sites were as realistic and historically accurate as possible. ‘This contributes to the research and documentation of monuments [and] supports the tourism and extroversion of the country as a modern and strong democracy with a long historical and cultural past,’ explains Lina Mendoni, Greece’s minister of culture and sports.

Gesturing towards a future in which de facto time travel will be possible from one’s home, this project aligns with the principles of Imagination Travel.

Strategic opportunity

Homebound consumers are still eager to experience virtual travel. The tourism sector should consider using virtual travel to promote real destinations

An exhibition that makes virtual travel a possibility

London – Drawing on a theme that has long fascinated architects, writers and artists alike, Sir John Soane’s Museum is hosting an exhibition dedicated to portals and teleportation. Opening in June 2022, the exhibition will explore how previous depictions of portals in popular culture can inform the future of virtual travel.

Drawing a link between the transporting power of art and portals, visitors will be provided with virtual reality headsets that allow them to wander in speculative environments. Created in collaboration with multi-disciplinary design studio Space Popular, the exhibition also aims to reveal the exclusive and elite aspects of portals.

‘Perhaps the most surprising discovery in our study of portals in fiction is that many of our most beloved portals are actually used to enable very problematic narratives of elitism, egomania, racism and colonialism’ explain the members of Space Popular.

As virtual travel receives renewed attention thanks to the metaverse, the exhibition serves as a reminder that digital space is not neutral and must be programmed to be inclusive and accessible for all.

Space Popular: The Portal Galleries by Lara Lesmes and Fredrik Hellberg at Sir John Soane's Museum, UK

Strategic opportunity

As companies establish themselves in the metaverse, they must prioritise social equality and inclusivity in the digital realm

Stat: Social inequality replaces Covid as top global concern

Never Go Alone, UK Never Go Alone, UK

After 18 consecutive months in the top spot, Coronavirus is no longer the world’s greatest concern. A global survey by Ipsos Mori reveals that poverty and social inequality, and unemployment are now the world’s top worries.

Even as winter causes a spike in Covid cases in the northern hemisphere, global anxiety about Coronavirus is changing. Among people surveyed across the world, 33% cited poverty and social inequality as primary concerns – the highest number recorded since February 2020. Notably, the countries that are most worried about social inequality and poverty are Hungary and Russia, followed by Colombia and Brazil. Coming in second, 30% of those surveyed cited unemployment as a top worry, with 67% of South Africans ranking this as a principal concern.

Although 64% of respondents in Malaysia still cited Coronavirus as their primary worry, there has been a significant shift globally in the proportion of countries that classify the virus as their most pressing problem. As global mindsets change, and the Great Acceleration continues, businesses must be mindful of the world’s largest worries.

Strategic opportunity

As brands are increasingly expected to respond to global events, keeping abreast of global concerns can help teams launch timely initiatives

Previous News Articles
AI billboard visualises real-time sun damage in UV awareness campaign

News

AI billboard visualises real-time sun damage in UV awareness campaign

A new study by the British Skin Foundation reveals that 38% of Britons have already been sunburnt in 2025 – with Gen Z (35%) and Millennials (30%) ...
Advertising : Health And Wellness : Beauty
Wimbledon elevates fan engagement with AI-powered digital experiences

News

Wimbledon elevates fan engagement with AI-powered digital experiences

The All England Lawn Tennis Club and IBM have unveiled an AI-powered experience designed to deepen audience engagement and enhance match under...
Wimbledon : Sports : Entertainment
Stat: Gen Alpha lead the charge in back-to-school shopping

News

Stat: Gen Alpha lead the charge in back-to-school shopping

Children and teenagers are now the primary decision-makers in back-to-school shopping, according to a new global study by SuperAwesome.
Retail : Gen Alpha : Statistic
The Fashion Innovation Agency debuts 3D garment volumetric capture service

News

The Fashion Innovation Agency debuts 3D garment volumetric capture service

The Fashion Innovation Agency at London College of Fashion has launched Reskinning Reality, the UK’s first 3D garment volumetric capture service ai...
Fashion : Technology : Virtual Fashion
Elemis brings beauty trackside with new Aston Martin F1 collection

News

Elemis brings beauty trackside with new Aston Martin F1 collection

Premium beauty brand Elemis is stepping further into the world of Formula 1 with the launch of four exclusive skincare collections in partnership w...
Aston Martin : Elemis : Formula 1
Stat: US cinema execs predict the end of traditional moviegoing within 20 years 

News

Stat: US cinema execs predict the end of traditional moviegoing within 20 years 

Over half of cinema executives in the US believe the traditional cinema model will no longer be viable within the next 20 years, according to a new...
Movies : Entertainment : Stat
 New clubhouse for women’s sports retail opens in London

News

New clubhouse for women’s sports retail opens in London

A new retail concept is putting women’s sport centre stage this summer.
Sports : Retail : Fashion
Foresight Friday: Rose Coffey, senior foresight analyst

News

Foresight Friday: Rose Coffey, senior foresight analyst

Every Friday, The Future Laboratory team offers an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, ...
Foresight Friday : Fashion : Sustainability
Stat: Nearly half of women feel misunderstood by brands

News

Stat: Nearly half of women feel misunderstood by brands

Despite driving an estimated £25 trillion ($31.8 trillion, €29.4 trillion) in global discretionary spending, nearly half of women worldwide say bra...
Branding & Advertising : Brands : Retail
Modem’s Dream Recorder turns sleep into spatial storytelling

News

Modem’s Dream Recorder turns sleep into spatial storytelling

Dutch design studio Modem has unveiled Dream Recorder, an AI-powered device that transforms spoken memories of dreams into cinematic video se...
Technology : Modem : Dreams
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