LSN : News : Key takeaways from the 2023 Pentawards Festival

Adidas Rivalry turns to ballroom and breakdancing in new ad

Adidas, Australia

Australia – In a strategic and timely move that transcends mere sportswear marketing, Adidas Rivalry has used the realms of ballroom and breakdance battles to redefine rivalry as a cultural phenomenon. In a new promotional short film imagined with Rolling Stone Australia, the brand showcases how its shoes were made for electrifying dancers performing against each other.

The film features ballroom dancer Tony Oxybel and breakdancer B-Girl Mags coming together to show that battles are not just about outshining competitors, but are rather a commitment to elevating the cultural legacy of their art and expressing their identity on the dance floor.

After the success of Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour and Madonna’s Celebration tour featuring ballroom dancers, Adidas Rivalry smartly jumps on the trend by showing how dance battles (in Adidas shoes) are a celebration of inclusivity. It positions the brand as more than just an athletic gear provider but as a curator of cultural narratives, resonating profoundly with diverse audiences. Keep an eye on our Viewpoints section for our upcoming piece on the ethics of using ballroom culture in advertising.

Strategic opportunity

In a world where authenticity is a currency, find inspiration in how this strategy amplifies Adidas Rivalry’s appeal among the Gen Z audience, known for their appreciation of diverse and authentic representations

Key takeaways from the 2023 Pentawards Festival

Pentawards Festival 2023, London, UK

UK – Held at the Science Museum in West London on 9 November, the second edition of the Pentawards Festival explored the role of innovation and AI in the future of packaging and design.

The day kicked off with a fireside chat with Steven Bartlett, multi-hyphenate investor, serial entrepreneur and host of the top-ranked podcast The Diary of a CEO. Bartlett revealed he owes much of his success to being open to experiment and to fail, being intentional about ‘out-failing competition because failure is feedback and feedback is knowledge’. He encouraged the audience to adopt this mindset when it comes to AI: ‘AI is the biggest disruption in our lives; the choice we have now is lean out or lean in,’ he conceded. ‘You can lean in by increasing your rate of experimentation.’

In a different talk, Jeremy White, senior innovation editor at Wired, echoed this mentality: ‘Use the stuff; if you don’t you’ll be left behind.’ But there were also reminders at the event for businesses not to underestimate human intelligence and not to feel threatened by tech. Graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister also made the case for AI Optimism, adopting the position that there is no need for doomerism when positive tech advances are by far outnumbering setbacks. As he put it: ‘If we want positive change, we need the whip, but we also need the carrot.’

Strategic opportunity

LS:N Global distils insights from the best industry shows, conferences and festivals. You can now find all of our events coverage in the dedicated global Events section.

Tinder adopts à la carte membership offer

Photography by Polina Tankilevitch

US – Tinder owner Match Group, which also owns Hinge, OkCupid and Match, has launched weekly memberships based on Gen Z and Millennials’ preferences for more cost-effective, shorter-term financial commitments.

The move directly addresses the needs of price-conscious Gen Zers navigating the cost of living crisis. ‘We’ve learned from launching weekly subscriptions that the younger generations Tinder primarily serves have more of an affinity with lower-priced and shorter-term duration products than we had initially anticipated,’ CEO Bernard Kim told a Match Group analysts call on 1 November.

President and chief financial officer Gary Swidler explained that the move is part of a longer-term strategy and is not aimed at short-term gains, and the model will potentially be rolled out to its other apps.

‘Younger users… [are] comfortable at the higher-priced, but lower-duration packages, and so that’s what we’re delivering,’ said Swidler.

In our report, Five Apps Introducing the Next Generation of Dating, we explore how dating services are increasingly shaping themselves around the digital habits of younger generations.

Strategic opportunity

Match Group’s move also acknowledges Gen Z’s lack of brand loyalty. How can your product or services meet their à la carte preferences and low-commitment lease lifestyles?

Stat: Topicals suggests skin health is also a mental health issue

Express Your Elf by elf, UK

Global – An October 2023 report from skincare brand Topicals underlines the significance of the connection between skin health and mental wellbeing, particularly for people of colour.

Conducted via a web-based survey in August 2022, the study involved 775 participants, with 64.6% identifying as having skin of colour. Some 94.2% of respondents were women, and 76.6% identified as Black or African American.

The research signals the critical importance of addressing the mental health impact of persistent skin issues. Some 57.4% of respondents said their mental health was affected by their skin conditions, including self-consciousness (50.4%), low self-esteem (41.8%) and embarrassment (38.4%).

Individuals with dark spots said they often encountered negativity from close associates, leading to feelings of depression in almost half of the respondents. Of those battling atopic dermatitis or eczema, 58% reported missing social activities, and about a third had digitally altered images to conceal their condition.

As explored in How beauty is being refined for Generation Z, beauty brands must adapt to a new wave of consumers who promote authenticity and show off their pimples with colourful face stickers while also trying to meet unattainable beauty standards that hurt their mental health.