LSN : News : Stat: Work and financial pressures eclipse culture wars for Gen Z

Haraku’s The One Noodle targets Indonesia’s gaming community

The One Noodle by Haraku Ramen, Indonesia

Indonesia – Ramen brand Haraku Ramen Halal has launched The One Noodle – a limited-edition, 3.5-metre-long noodle engineered specifically for gamers. Created in collaboration with BLKJ Havas and Moonfolks Indonesia, the noodle is designed to be eaten continuously, allowing players to stay immersed in game play without interruption.

With a thicker, flavour-absorbing texture and unbreakable form, The One Noodle playfully bridges the worlds of food and gaming culture. Launched on 21 February 2025, the product sold out within days, highlighting the demand for novelty dining experiences that meet the needs of niche lifestyle communities. The campaign is part of Haraku’s strategy to differentiate within Indonesia’s booming quick-service food scene using experiential innovation and playful cross-sector creativity.

Our Gastro Gaming Market report spotlights how food and drink brands across the globe are tapping into the world of gaming to offer tastes, skins and experiences that transcend the screen.

Strategic opportunity

Build loyalty by solving small but meaningful problems for hyper-engaged communities in ways that reflect their culture. Novelty resonates most when niche audiences – like gamers – feel seen, valued and included in a brand’s story

247 by Represent launches first-ever womenswear collection

247 Woman spring/summer 2025 by Represent, UK

UK – Performance wear brand 247 by Represent has unveiled its debut womenswear collection, marking a new chapter as it responds to rising demand for luxury athleisure. The collection drops online and at a London pop-up on 9 April.

Part of the spring/summer 2025 line-up, the 14-piece edit includes standout styles such as the DNA Sports Bra, DNA Legging and DNA Training Jacket – all made from sustainably sourced, high-performance fabrics.

Designed by Represent’s new head of womenswear Toni Purdie (former head of design at Topshop), the collection aims to deliver gymwear with ‘lasting style that can go the distance’. In a press release, Purdie added: ‘The On a Mission ethos of the 247 brand is all about inspiring people to perform at their very best… we want to give people the confidence to go and achieve great things without having to sacrifice their style.’

Represent co-founder George Heaton said the move from menswear to womenswear is a natural progression: ‘We have so many women already in our community who attend our events and our runs all over the world, so we know the demand is already there.’

For more insights on Represent’s secret recipe for success, read our Brand Innovation Debrief: Represent.

Strategic opportunity

Consider how to use insights from loyal customers already engaging with your brand to co-create new product lines. Could you, for instance, launch feedback loops, design challenges or ambassador programmes that directly involve your community in product innovation?

Stat: Work and financial pressures eclipse culture wars for Gen Z

Gully Guy Leo by OhkayChris

UK – A new youth poll by the John Smith Centre at Glasgow University reveals that UK Gen Z’s top concerns are economic, not ideological. In a survey of 16–29-year-olds, 37% cited financial stress as their primary source of anxiety, followed by work pressures (23%) and job insecurity (20%). Issues often assumed to define youth sentiment – such as social media (14%) and climate change (10%) – ranked considerably lower.

The findings also reveal divides based on gender, education and class. While 70% of young people in full-time work felt optimistic about the future, only 44% of those unemployed shared that sentiment.

Despite concerns about democratic decline, 57% still preferred democracy over dictatorship. Notably, 75% reported participating in political activity in the past year.

The report positions Gen Z as politically active but pragmatically focused – more worried about weekly survival than ideological battles. This aligns with research from our Gen Z Now and Next: 2024–2025 report, which explored younger consumers’ financial anxieties and worrying gender divergence.

Strategic opportunity

Address Gen Z’s real anxieties by focusing on economic empowerment. Brands should shift from performative purpose to practical value – offering tools, education and products that support financial resilience, career growth and emotional wellbeing