LSN : News : Selfridges and Pokémon meet in the metaverse

The telecoms brand starts a phone-fixing movement

Keep On Fallin’ by BETC for Bouygues Telecom

France – In a bid to encourage more eco-conscious smartphone habits, telecoms service provider Bouygues Telecom is actively encouraging people to repurpose and repair their phones. The company’s playful advert, entitled Fallin’ in reference to its Alicia Keys soundtrack, shows several scenarios in which people are prone to accidentally breaking their phones.

At the end of the ad, a couple are shown getting their device repaired by Bouygues Telecom as part of a programme available to customers at a discounted rate up to twice a year. By offering this solution to a common issue, the company is demonstrating the importance of promoting longevity when it comes to technology – a sector that is moving away from planned obsolescence.

As a sector historically driven by newness, there is a need for brands to prepare for a backlash against short-term, and un-eco-friendly, behaviours. And with the Right to Repair movement gaining momentum, companies are stepping up to create devices that are made to last – resulting in more economical and sustainable product journeys.

Strategic opportunity

Across sectors, companies must take note of this anti-newness approach and support consumers in making more sustainable decisions. Incentivise customers with discounts or payback schemes as a way of discouraging buying new

Selfridges and Pokémon meet in the metaverse

Electric/City featuring the Charli Cohen and Pokémon collection by Selfridges and Yahoo Ryot Lab

London – To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Pokémon, Selfridges has teamed up with clothing brand Charli Cohen to launch a unique digital shopping experience that re-affirms the rising demand for metaverse retail concepts. To shop for the new collection, customers will have to explore the Electric/City, a digital environment that allows fans to purchase both physical and virtual garments.

Created in partnership with Yahoo Ryot Lab, the digital environment allows fans to discover the Charli Cohen collections through a 360-degree video experience, which takes inspiration from Pokémon to put a cyberpunk spin on global fashion capitals. Once logged in, shoppers navigate the world with customised avatars they have created, dressing them with purchased digital garments, which can be viewed via an augmented reality body-tracking Snapchat lens.

As fashion companies prepare for the influence of the metaverse, they are investing in virtual infrastructure to cater for a rise in phygital shopping. With the rise of Alternet Economies empowering a new generation of digitally savvy consumers, fashion companies looking to court these online communities are embracing the concept of the Metaverse Mall to reap the benefits.

Strategic opportunity

To reach these new communities, fashion brands should not be afraid to partner with technology companies and gaming brands to ensure they build an immersive and shoppable digital infrastructure

Super Coffee asks competitors to steal its recipe

US – In its latest attempt to disrupt the sugar-heavy caffeinated beverage industry, the bottled coffee brand has released its open-source coffee code to rivals including Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts.

Igniting conversations about healthy sugar alternatives, the controversy-courting marketing tactic takes the form of a print campaign that ran across US newspapers, directly calling out the multinational monoliths and daring them to copy its healthier coffee recipe, which is available publicly on an open-source website.

By inviting its rivals to recreate its product, the family-run business is tapping into our Backlash Brands macrotrend, as well as the increased consumer demand for ingredient transparency, which is increasingly important for health- and ethically conscious consumers. ‘We call it adding something positive, and although we’re speaking directly to our competitors, the spirit of the ad is to share the good stuff with more people, even if that means giving our recipe to our competitors,’ explains Jim DeCicco, CEO of Super Coffee.

Super Coffee, US

Strategic opportunity

Provocative advertising campaigns that call out competitiors can prove both popular and profitable, especially when executed with confidence and backed up with open-source solutions

Stat: Automotive buyers finally embrace e-commerce

Benz | I Know by Kelvyn Colt

The automotive retail industry is undergoing a drastic shift, as more people embrace the ability to shop for cars online. The International Automotive Report 2021 by YouGov finds that a growing number of customers are satisfied with the process of online automotive dealerships.

According to its report, 31% of future car-buyers globally will consider buying their next vehicle online – almost double the current purchase rate of 16%. Among those who have previously bought a car online, a majority (61%) say they will consider buying their next vehicle online too. These figures indicate a positive experience from customers, hinting at a future when car retailers move to online spaces and find creative ways to bring vehicles to life virtually.

We’ve previously written about how luxury car retail is modernising, embracing virtual sales experiences and community-driven showrooms to attract a new market of customers.

Strategic opportunity

Automotive brands should focus on surprising e-commerce innovations to ramp up their global sales. Take cues from the wider retail sector and design immersive online experiences that highlight the benefits of vehicles