In for the ride: Amateur takes on Tour de France

In for the ride: Amateur takes on Tour de France

In for the ride: Amateur takes on Tour de France

UK – In May, Dan Francis, an amateur cyclist from London, was dropped off in Liège, Belgium with a Halfords bike and invited to ride the four toughest stages of the Tour de France.

His efforts were recorded in a 15-minute documentary and a blog written by Francis as part of a campaign for Halfords devised by creative agency DLKW Lowe.

The campaign, entitled Tour de Francis, aimed to highlight how reliable a Halfords bike can be when riding through the most rigorous terrain.

The storytelling aspect of Tour de Francis is reminiscent of Rapha’s campaign in which the brand asked professional riders to cycle across the UK while documenting their journeys in an online diary.

Storytelling and creating characters are great ways for brands to engage with consumers. To find out more, read LS:N Global’s Personality Brands microtrend.

Discover More Daily Signals
The Trend: The Great Beauty Blur

Daily Signals

The Trend: The Great Beauty Blur

2025 marks a critical inflection point for beauty. The sector, once defined by diversity and creativity, has grown increasingly monotonous, as glob...
Beauty : Wellness : Identity
The Big Idea: Neo-community Market

Daily Signals

The Big Idea: Neo-community Market

Brands are redefining engagement by transforming followers into communities where belonging is the ultimate currency.
Beauty : Engagement : Community
The Campaign: The Ordinary exposes beauty industry buzzwords in dystopian new video

Daily Signals

The Campaign: The Ordinary exposes beauty industry buzzwords in dystopian new video

In a provocative campaign in October 2025, skincare brand The Ordinary called out the beauty industry’s reliance on pseudo-scientific language.
Beauty : Skincare : Cosmetics
The Viewpoint: Reframing Ageing

Daily Signals

The Viewpoint: Reframing Ageing

Jacynth Bassett, founder and CEO of Ageism Is Never In Style, is reshaping the conversation around ageing, positioning it as a privilege rather tha...
Beauty : Marketing : Ageing
The Space: Koyia perfumery asks customers to pay with time rather than money

Daily Signals

The Space: Koyia perfumery asks customers to pay with time rather than money

In September 2025, Swedish fragrance brand Koyia introduced a forest-based retail concept where the only currency is time.
Beauty : Retail : Fragrance
The Trend:  The New Age of Discovery

Daily Signals

The Trend:  The New Age of Discovery

Where can consumers still find newness amid algorithm fatigue, ad blockers and saturated content platforms? Part of the answer lies in gatekeeping ...
Technology : Discovery : Retail
The Big Idea: The Future of  Dating Apps

Daily Signals

The Big Idea: The Future of Dating Apps

Hinge is the ‘designed to be deleted’ dating app now turning to real-life connections to tackle Gen Z loneliness. The Future Laboratory spoke to pr...
Technology : Dating Apps : Hinge
The Campaign: Why Apple leaned into artisanal charm for 2025 festive push

Daily Signals

The Campaign: Why Apple leaned into artisanal charm for 2025 festive push

Apple’s 2025 Christmas campaign A Critter Carol puts human craftsmanship front and centre.
Technology : Advertising & Branding : Apple
The Viewpoint: Cyberchondria and Its Cure

Daily Signals

The Viewpoint: Cyberchondria and Its Cure

The democratisation of medical knowledge – and the spread of fake news – has opened the doors to a new kind of cyberchondria. Jay Topham, co-founde...
Technology : Cyberchondria : Health
The Space: Koibird’s London store mixes digital and physical

Daily Signals

The Space: Koibird’s London store mixes digital and physical

A new wave of designers is bridging the virtual chaos of gaming realms and extended reality with the tactile authenticity of human craft.  
Technology : Retail : Design
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