Need to Know
26 : 05 : 23

By Dan Hastings, Simar Deol, Emily Rhodes, Marta Indeka and Pavan Bivigou

GCDS makes signature heels more accessible, Marta Indeka’s Foresight Friday and why US consumers are turning to self-bartending amid rising inflation.

In today's news:

GCDS makes signature heels accessible to all with larger sizes

Back Market discourages users from upgrading technology

Foresight Friday: Marta Indeka, foresight analyst

Stat: US consumers turn to self-bartending amid rising prices

GCDS makes signature heels accessible to all with larger sizes

GCDS Morso Heel, Italy

Italy – Edgy fashion line GCDS (Giuliano Calza Design Studio) has taken a step towards greater inclusivity with three models of high heels now available as unisex products in EU sizes 36 to 46. Each shoe features a mouth heel and teeth as part of the brand’s signature Morso range. The extended sizing makes the footwear accessible to various consumers with larger foot sizes, from trans women to artists, drag performers, non-binary individuals and men.

‘With this project, a little dream comes true,’ said GCDS founder Giuliano Calza in a press release. 'Every time I create something that special, like the Morso heel we made that has now become so iconic for the brand, I think of my friends. Finally, I have the opportunity to make such accessories versatile and available to everyone.’

We previously highlighted how Gen Z are behind the surge in demand for gender-fluid fashion. We will soon cover the fashion initiatives and innovators attempting to make the market more inclusive to all genders, disabilities and beliefs. Look out for this in our Identities series.

Strategic opportunity

To stay relevant to Gen Z consumers, players in the fashion industry must rethink their approach to sizing and explore new fluid options, from shoes to jewellery and all female-coded accessories now unavailable to a growing number of consumers who aren’t cis women

Back Market discourages users from upgrading technology

Global – Back Market, a refurbished tech marketplace, is tackling the issue of technological waste by encouraging users to question whether they need to upgrade their phones. The brand’s latest advertising campaign looks at the realities behind purchasing decisions, challenging people about not using the full range of features on their upgraded phones.

The print ads feature screenshots of camera rolls filled with commonly popular photos (dogs, coffees, plane wings and selfies) with the caption: ‘Trust us, last year’s phone will do.’ The sassy campaign addresses tech giants like Apple encouraging consumers into purchasing new devices every year.

‘Every year, tech companies put out a new model of their flagship phones, with specs that are only slightly better than the ones from the year before,’ says Gabriel Mattar, Europe chief creative officer of Innocean Berlin, the agency that developed the campaign. Back Market’s ads align with our report on tech brands developing DIY repairable devices and how consumers are looking for longevity in their products to reduce their technological waste.

Back Market, France and Germany

Strategic opportunity

Using humour to address more serious issues like Back Market does will allow brands to develop a strong line of communication with newer audiences who can appreciate criticism of their own habits – ultimately changing them for the better

Foresight Friday: Marta Indeka, foresight analyst

The Future Laboratory

The Future Laboratory team offer an end-of-week snapshot of the topics, issues, ideas and virals that we’re all talking about. This week, LS:N Global’s foresight analyst Marta Indeka shares her cheerful and not-so-cheerful awe-inspiring finds.

: The new Fondazione Prada exhibition, Everybody Talks About the Weather, gives me chills – for its beauty but also for its poignant message, stressing the vulnerability of Venice in the face of rising temperatures.

: My favourite AI use case of the week is @what.if_ai rewriting history. Generated with Midjourney and Stable Diffusion, the scenarios imagine a past in which Western imperial nations never came to power.

: DJ Kaytranada and rapper Aminé coming together for the Kaytraminé album is the kind of creative collaboration I want to see more of. Not a marketing coup, but genuine synergies between the artists paired with a sticky co-branded visual identity.

: The Awe Economy is gaining ground – 61% of consumers want brands to help them feel intense emotions and 68% prefer to spend time in places that spark their imagination, according to new data from Wunderman Thompson.

Quote of the week:

‘Trends have lost all meaning,’ argues Reddit’s head of global foresight Matt Klein about how brands are losing focus by giving too much weight to TikTok buzz and -cores

Stat: US consumers turn to self-bartending amid rising prices

Photography by Polina Tankilevitch

US – E-commerce platform Drizly’s fifth annual Consumer Trend Report has revealed that 26% of US consumers are spending more money on beverages for consumption at home than on going out to bars. Owing to rising prices, nearly one in four consumers are drinking at home more often in 2023 than in 2022.

Drizly’s report also highlights the return of ‘self-bartending’, which was popular during the Covid-19 pandemic. One in five respondents told Drizly that they plan to improve their at-home bartending skills this year. Of those surveyed, 28% said they already have a home bar set-up, with 63% restocking it at least once a month. Respondents also said they are planning to socialise at home, with backyard barbecues topping the list of events they would hold. When hosting gatherings, 47% of respondents said they intend to supply the drinks and would stock up on RTDs (ready-to-drink) alongside beer, wine and spirits.

In our Tinned Tipples report, we discussed the wine industry’s accelerated transition to RTDs, which continue to be popular due to their affordability, sustainability and adaptability to consumers’ changing drinking needs.

Strategic opportunity

Focus on making the at-home drinking experience distinct and not a lesser option to going out. In branding and marketing, promote activities such as mixology classes and themed happy hours that can be enjoyed from the comfort of home