News 01.11.2022

Need to Know

Gucci expands its metaverse presence, the Anthropocene Cookbook dissects future food challenges and Europeans call on governments to make sustainable food more affordable

Gucci Vault lands in The Sandbox

Gucci Vault Land in The Sandbox

Italy – Luxury house Gucci is expanding its presence in the metaverse. The Italian company has brought its experimental online space Gucci Vault to the digital real estate platform The Sandbox. The virtual pop-up, which will be open until 9 November, aims to educate and entertain Gucci’s online community.

The interactive fashion experience includes a virtual display of vintage items, as well as games that will teach players about the luxury house’s history and heritage. Riffing on the popular ‘play-to-earn’ format, the pop-up describes itself as a ‘play-to-know’ model. Visitors will be invited to participate in games that teach them about the company's key pillars, such as repairing vintage handbags in the Vault Vintage Lab and deciphering riddles in the Vault Room of Rhyme.

One of the first luxury companies to launch an NFT and enter existing gaming platforms, Gucci continues to be the standard-bearer of the metaverse. ‘Gucci is not afraid to be a first mover in many areas and will continue to adopt this mindset and challenge the status quo,’ explains Marco Bizzarri, CEO of Gucci.

Strategic opportunity

How can companies use digital spaces and games to reinforce their company’s key pillars and values? Consider using ‘play-to-know’ to educate consumers and grant access to exclusive rewards and benefits

The Anthropocene Cookbook dissects future food challenges

Tiger Penis Project by Kuang-Yi Ku. Photography by Ronald Smits, The Netherlands Tiger Penis Project by Kuang-Yi Ku. Photography by Ronald Smits, The Netherlands
The Cow of Tomorrow by Paul Gong. Photography by Lydia Chang, Taiwan The Cow of Tomorrow by Paul Gong. Photography by Lydia Chang, Taiwan

UK – The Anthropocene Cookbook radically re-assesses humankind’s contemporary eating habits and traditions – redefining food taboos and proposing new recipes for survival in future catastrophes.

Written by Zane Cerpina and Stahl Stenslie, this ‘cookbook of ideas’ looks at food under the lenses of art, culture and science. The anthology comprises more than 60 experimental and thought-provoking projects to challenge our perceptions of food or how we define edible ingredients. Think whisky made from urine, cheese using human breastmilk or the idea of bringing back extinct species in order to eat them.

‘The availability of traditional foods is changing rapidly. Our current menu is going extinct. Including the new and strange is a good start for us not only to survive but also to thrive in the Anthropocene,’ explain the authors.

To discover the rituals, flavour profiles and bio-hacks that will drive the food and drink market in the coming decade, tune in to our Food & Drink Futures 2022 online event on 1 December.

Strategic opportunity

The Anthropocene Cookbook’s take on experimental eating is a call for innovation and adaptation in the food industry. Lifting taboos around controversial ingredients can improve the resilience of food systems and supply chains

Fitbit now integrates health data into addiction recovery app

US – Pretaa, the analytics app specialising in addiction recovery, is partnering with Fitbit Health Solutions to integrate data collected from wearables to help support substance abuse recovery. Fitbit wearables can track heart rate, sleeping patterns and other biometric data.

The data collected from frequent check-ups synchronises with the Pretaa app and is used to alert care-givers about any changes that could indicate relapse.

Pretaa hopes the partnership will aid people during the recovery process with the use of tailored care and technology and the ‘ability to deliver a differentiated, personalised, experience focused on health and wellness’, said CEO Michael Madon. The insights collected will ensure help providers have a more rounded view of their patients and will help in creating health plans.

The ambient data obtained from technology's pervasive presence gives platforms the opportunity to offer mutual partnerships aiding mental and physical health. You can read more about data analytics in healthcare in our opinion piece on The Optimised Self: What’s next for design?

Fitbit, UK

Strategic opportunity

As technology merges with healthcare, the data obtained from ambient tech via these platforms will allow users to access services that offer increasingly holistic and bespoke plans

Stat: Europeans call on governments to make sustainable food more affordable

Future Farm, Brazil Future Farm, Brazil

Europe – Four out of five Europeans say national and EU policymakers should introduce new legislation and provide financial support to help consumers adopt sustainable eating habits, according to WWF’s latest survey on food habits in the EU, the UK and Mexico.

EU citizens believe governments should also be addressing the influence of advertisements on food choices – more than half (57%) agree that public funds should not be used to advertise unhealthy or unsustainable food. But fewer people back more restrictive policies, such as banning adverts for non-sustainable food (36%) or increasing the price of non-sustainable food (49%).

‘Unless our governments and the EU take action, families will continue to struggle to access sustainable, healthy food – let alone afford it,’ says Giulia Riedo, agriculture and food systems policy officer at WWF. ‘The best option for our planet and health should also be the most accessible.’

Consumers’ plea for better access to better food choices and the EU’s upcoming Sustainable Food System Law are both laying the foundations for future-fit food systems that better reflect social values and preferences.

Strategic opportunity

Businesses shouldn’t wait for legislation to be enacted. What can you do to educate your consumers, help them identify and access the more affordable, better-planet options that they demand?

Previous News Articles
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
Stat: Consumers are willing to pay more for brands they trust

News

Stat: Consumers are willing to pay more for brands they trust

More than two-thirds of consumers in the US, the UK and Australia are willing to pay an average of 25% more for their favourite brands, according t...
Retail : Advertising And Branding : Value
Heineken launches innovation studio to supercharge social drinking

News

Heineken launches innovation studio to supercharge social drinking

Brewing company Heineken has launched Heineken Studio, a new experimental platform designed to redefine the social drinking experience.
Hospitality : Food And Drink : Beer
BritBox reveals 14-hour one-shot film tribute to British tv

News

BritBox reveals 14-hour one-shot film tribute to British tv

In a bold stand against CGI and AI imagery, BritBox’s latest campaign See It Differently brings back the magic of real-time filmmaking.
Britbox : Storytelling : Interactive Storytelling
You have 1 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN