News 22.08.2019

Need to Know

Parents benefit from play as much as their children, user-generated AR lands on Instagram and cost inhibits children’s sporting activity.

OkCupid taps into Indian Millennials’ new values

Find My Kind, OkCupid, campaign by BBH India

India – The dating app has revealed its first campaign in India, designed to reflect changing local attitudes to meeting potential partners.

The Find My Kind campaign focuses on a couple who reject more conventional attempts at finding a partner, such as arranged marriage or being set up by friends, and instead match with each other via OkCupid. Executed by BBH, the concept highlights the importance of personal agency at a time when younger Indian generations are challenging patriarchal values and strict gender roles in favour of freedom of choice.

The campaign builds on insights gleaned from user responses to questions on the OkCupid app, such as 92% of users in India feeling their values vastly differ from those of their parents, and 79% do not believe they echo their friends’ preferences either. ‘Today’s single Indian is battling ‘suitable’ recommendations by parents, friends, extended family or matrimonial services that don’t account for personal preferences,’ explains Shruti Gupta, brand manager at OkCupid India.

Recent campaigns in India for Bumble and Tinder have also targeted the country’s increasingly liberal young population. For more, read our Emerging Youth: India market.

Instagram unveils a user-generated AR tool

Spark AR on Instagram Spark AR on Instagram
Spark AR on Instagram Spark AR on Instagram

US – With Spark AR, users can now design and share their own augmented reality (AR) effects and filters across the platform.

The tool is equipping Instagram’s creative community with the tools and resources to use AR to customise their photos and videos. In addition to being able to build and publish their own AR effects, users will be able to access the Effect Gallery, which includes niche AR filters from up-and-coming artists.

According to Facebook, more than 1bn people have already used AR effects and filters powered by Spark AR on Facebook, Instagram and Messenger. ‘AR lets artists, creators and designers make customi effects to share with their communities and enable more vibrant forms of digital expression – and we’re happy to help bring the Spark AR community’s creative visions to life,’ reads a press release.

By seeking to simplify the process of designing, developing and publishing AR effects, Facebook and Instagram point to a future when consumer touchpoints will be increasingly fluid.

Parents need more free play time with their kids

Denmark – A new study by the Lego Foundation highlight that parents need to facilitate and spend more time playing with their children.

The study found that, on average, 17% of kids across nine countries – including Russia, Denmark, Mexico, Germany, France, the US and Saudi Arabia – report feeling like they don’t have time to play any more. Furthermore, 32% of those kids’ parents felt that they had little time to play with their children. The research showed that unstructured and imaginative play is fundamental to children’s emotional and creative problem-solving development, as well as their parents’ overall happiness and creativity.

‘You don’t need fancy toys. You don’t need a ton of time,’ says Sarah Bouchie, vice-president at the Lego Foundation. ‘You don’t have to be perfect, you just have to put in the effort and just a few minutes a day can make a big difference.’

A raft of new spaces aim to elevate the parent-child bonding experience, allowing them to discover, create and develop together. Read our Premium Play Spaces listicle for more insight.

Dads Who Play Barbie by BBDO San Francisco for Mattel

Stat: Kids ‘retire’ from sport due to cost pressures

A new survey of parents of youth athletes conducted by the Aspen Institute and Utah State University reports that the percentage of 6–12-year-olds in the US who regularly play sports has dropped from 45% in 2008 to 38% in 2018.

According to the Aspen Institute, the high cost of participation could be the cause, with the average amount of spending on sport about £562 ($692, €615) per child per sport per year. The average household income of these families is £73,968 ($90,908, €81,732), however – a notably higher figure from the US average of £48,038 ($59,039, €53,078).

'The gap helps explain why children from low-income families are half as likely to play sports as kids from upper-incomes homes, according to separate research from Sports & Fitness Industry Association. For these parents, even a few hundred dollars in fees can be hard to cover,’ reads the report analysis.

Previous News Articles
Agency for Nature returns with five bold campaigns to reconnect youth with nature

News

Agency for Nature returns with five bold campaigns to reconnect youth with nature

After a first season in 2024, the Agency for Nature, a pop-up creative agency by Purpose Disruptors, has launched five new campaigns in its second ...
Sustainability : Advertising & Branding : Youth
Lidl becomes first UK supermarket to sell on TikTok shop

News

Lidl becomes first UK supermarket to sell on TikTok shop

Lidl has made history as the first UK supermarket to sell products via TikTok Shop, launching a limited-edition high-protein bundle for just £5. 
Food & Drink : Retail : Pop-culture & Media
Stat: Ikea is on a mission to improve global sleep quality

News

Stat: Ikea is on a mission to improve global sleep quality

A new Ikea report has uncovered a worldwide sleep crisis, with people missing out on an average of one hour and 20 minutes of rest each night.
Sleep : Health & Wellness : Society
The Future Laboratory and Together Group release Longevity & Wellbeing Strategies report

News

The Future Laboratory and Together Group release Longevity & Wellbeing Strategies report

The Future Laboratory and Together Group have joined forces to release the New Codes of Luxury: Longevity & Wellbeing Strategies report, which ...
The Future Laboratory : Together Group
Tesco Clubcard marks 30 years with nostalgic campaign

News

Tesco Clubcard marks 30 years with nostalgic campaign

Tesco is celebrating three decades of its Clubcard loyalty scheme with a campaign that blends nostalgia with a reminder of its ongoing value.
Retail : Advertising And Branding : Food And Drink
US consumers to stage economic blackout against corporate greed

News

US consumers to stage economic blackout against corporate greed

On 28 February 2025, grassroots organisation The People’s Union USA is calling for a 24-hour economic boycott in response to rising living costs an...
Finance : Society : Retail
Stat: LGBTQ+ identification in the US reaches record high, driven by Gen Z

News

Stat: LGBTQ+ identification in the US reaches record high, driven by Gen Z

LGBTQ+ identification in the US has reached an all-time high of 9.3%, up from 7.6% in 2023, according to a report released by Gallup.
Culture : Society : LGBT
Belvedere Museum brings art masterpieces into the digital world on Roblox

News

Belvedere Museum brings art masterpieces into the digital world on Roblox

The Belvedere Museum in Vienna is pioneering new approaches to digital art education with Art Leap, an interactive game on Roblox that immerse...
Gaming : Culture : Gen Alpha
Selfridges Unlocked now rewards shoppers for spending time in-store

News

Selfridges Unlocked now rewards shoppers for spending time in-store

Selfridges has launched an updated version of Selfridges Unlocked, a membership programme that now rewards customers for both spending and time spe...
Fashion : Retail : Luxury
Stat: UK life expectancy rises with more people set to reach 100

News

Stat: UK life expectancy rises with more people set to reach 100

According to new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), boys born in the UK in 2023 can expect to live an average of 86.7 years, wh...
Health : Society : UK Life Expectancy
You have 2 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN