LSN : News : The Future Laboratory’s Trend Briefing 2025 introduced The Synthocene Era

Samsung turns Galaxy AI into health and fitness coach

Racing to Fiji, A Samsung Health story campaign, Global

Global – Samsung has released a new global ad campaign that spotlights how AI can enhance health and fitness journeys through Samsung Health and Galaxy AI.

The campaign comprises a long-form ad, A Samsung Health Story: Racing to Fiji, which follows a couple aiming to rebuild their fitness in preparation for a surfing trip in Fiji, reminiscent of one they took five years ago. In playful rivalry, the couple tracks their progress through the Energy Score feature on the Samsung Health app as they record their runs and swims on their Samsung Galaxy watches.

Created by BBH Singapore, the two-and-a-half minute film concludes on a cliffhanger, teasing the first of what is expected to be a series. By emphasising personalised AI coaching, the film resonates with the findings of our The Synthocene Era: Merging Human and Machine Intelligence macrotrend report, in which we predict the rise of AI companions, co-pilots and AI dieticians designed to support and track people’s health to help them meet their fitness goals.

Strategic opportunity

Incorporate gamified elements into fitness programmes, using AI to create challenges, leader boards, and rewards. This can motivate users to stay consistent with their health goals and foster feelings of competition and achievement

The Future Laboratory’s Trend Briefing 2025 introduced The Synthocene Era

The Future Laboratory's Trend Briefing 2025 at the BAFTA 195 Piccadilly, UK

UK – On 26 September, The Future Laboratory hosted its annual Trend Briefing at the iconic BAFTA 195 Picadilly in west London to launch its latest macrotrend report, The Synthocene Era: Merging Human and Machine Intelligence.

On top of a presentation of the report, guests had an exclusive look into the findings of our Future:Poll – a proprietary survey of 2,000 people across the UK and the US on their adoption of AI and hopes for the future of the technology. Get in touch now to enquire about our Future:Poll services.

In the afternoon, The Future Laboratory’s co-founder was joined on stage by Microsoft’s EMEA creative director Martyn Gooding, Ainigma’s director Ginnia Cheng, and Lucy Hardcastle, founder of Lucy Hardcastle Studio. The panel dived into the impact of AI on creativity, from idea ignition to delivery.

‘We’re increasingly separating technology from human design,’ said Cheng, highlighting how we must remember that humans are the ones who created everything from algorithms to AI. Should artificial intelligence go wrong, the blame would be on the humans who designed it and those who embraced it and gave it more power, not the technology itself.

Members of LS:N Global can now access The Synthocene Era: Merging Human and Machine Intelligence macrotrend report. Non-members can purchase the report on The Future Laboratory’s shop.

Domino’s and Peloton begin in-game advertising on Fortnite

The Glitch, Twitch and Fortnite, Global

US – Amazon and Twitch have launched The Glitch, a series of games within the Fortnite platform, with a new approach to brand integration. Developed by Look North World, The Glitch is designed to counter intrusive in-game advertising that disrupts play.

Instead, it applies ‘branded blueprint’, an innovation that integrates brands directly into the gameplay experience by tailoring the series to each sponsor’s brand identity.

Domino’s and Peloton are the first brands to enter this new arena. Players visiting Domino’s space will encounter a pizzeria where they can hold a pizza party to restore their character’s health.

The launch follows a study of 30,000 people by Amazon Ads showing that consumers felt significantly more positive about advertising in video games than in other entertainment categories. Additionally, 35% of respondents wanted advertising that was brief and non-intrusive.

In Why Gaming is Your Next Brand Touchpoint, we examined how the potential rise of gaming culture presents more opportunities for brands to connect with Gen Z.

Strategic opportunity

Explore opportunities to integrate your brand into popular gaming platforms through engaging, immersive experiences that feel natural within the game environment, rather than relying on intrusive ads

Stat: Africa is the world’s fastest urbanising region

The Custom Heirloom by Thebe Magugu, South Africa

Global – Africa is on the brink of an urban revolution, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s African Cities 2035 report. With rapid population growth, Africa is now the world’s fastest urbanising region.

By 2035, the continent’s urban population is expected to reach 1bn, up from 650m in 2023. Major cities including Luanda (Angola), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Cairo (Egypt), Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Lagos (Nigeria) and Greater Johannesburg (South Africa) will each surpass 10m residents.

This surge in urban growth brings opportunities for innovation and economic growth but also challenges such as overcrowding, informal settlements, infrastructure strain and climate vulnerabilities. City planners face the task of developing sustainable, forward-thinking solutions to manage this rapid transformation.

As Africa’s urban centres expand, they will become hotspots for both wealth creation and social tension, raising a critical question: how can emerging megacities ensure that young people thrive amid this urban boom? In Emerging Youth: Nigeria, we look at how Gen Z Nigerians are living through urbanisation and the japa syndrome (moving out of Nigeria) simultaneously.

Strategic opportunity

Explore opportunities in renewable energy solutions such as solar and wind power to meet the rising energy demands of Africa’s growing urban centres, particularly where traditional energy grids are insufficient