LSN : News : Mastercard enters the world of pop music

This Czech youth brand is inspired by mythology

The Mythos, CÉSAR&CHARLES, campaign by Isobar Czech Republic

Prague – César&Charles is a new apparel brand confronting the country’s post-communist roots.

In collaboration with digital agency Isobar, the fashion brand has launched The Mythos campaign film that merges local and popular culture with ancient mythology. It aims to show how young people are defying societal and gender norms in the traditionally conservative Czech Republic.

Featuring figures from the country’s youth culture scene, including MMA fighter and model Kateřina Kinderová, fashion blogger Thatboy and rapper Lvcas Dope, the campaign hopes to challenge the way the world sees the post-communist state. ‘The movie is intentionally set into the dark post-communist suborns of Prague, and the story is a metaphor to contemporary society tied up by the archetypes,’ says Pavel Flégl, executive creative director at Isobar Czech Republic.

Young people around the world are finding creative ways to challenge the stereotypes of their heritage in order to create more inclusive nations. Discover what’s driving them in our Emerging Youth series.

Senser unveils mood-enhancing alcohol alternatives

Senser, UK

London – Senser has introduced three booze-free spirits that use functional botanicals to ‘elevate social situations into mood-enhancing experiences’.

Inspired by traditional medicines and shamanic practices, the three alcohol alternatives called ‘plant spirits’– Power, Love and Joy – are designed to be imbibed like traditional spirits. Power features gotu kola, orange peel, eleuthero, ginkgo, wormwood and cacao for a sense of confidence, while Love contains ingredients including hibiscus, rose, passionflower, orris root, bergamot, geraniol and palmarosa to accentuate the 'subtle, sensual self'.

‘I am delighted to offer a new conscious way to socialise,’ explains Vanessa Jacoby, founder of Senser. ‘While alcohol has long been a ritual to anaesthetise both the mind and the body, our range of spirits have been designed to offer a natural high, enhancing your mood and allowing you to be present with none of the side effects and ensuing hangover.’

By harnessing the mood-altering potential of functional ingredients, Senser shows how the desire for Alternative Intoxication is driving further innovation in the zero-abv drinks category.

Mastercard enters the world of pop music

Merry Go Round, Mastercard

Las Vegas – Merry Go Round is the first single from the global payments company’s forthcoming 12-track album.

The single is the latest iteration of Mastercard’s sonic brand identity, which was launched in February 2019 as a way to future-proof consumers’ interaction and recognition of the brand. Debut track Merry Go Round was created with Swedish artist Nadine Randle, and was first played in public at CES 2020.

The full Mastercard album, produced in collaboration with songwriter and producer Niclas Molinder and bringing together global up-and-coming artists, is due to be launched later in 2020. ‘The launch of this sonic-integrated song project is one of a kind and signals the way that music and consumer consumption is changing,’ says Molinder of the project.

Sonic identities are becoming an effective marketing tool as companies look for new ways to design customer interactions that cater for all senses in an ever-more distracting world.

Stat: Consumers are choosing small-screen entertainment

Smartphones are emerging as our go-to devices for entertainment, according to App Annie’s State of Mobile 2020 report.

The findings suggest the rise of video streaming apps on mobile devices is ushering in a new era of on-the-go viewing, with more consumers watching films, tv shows and live events on smartphones as they travel or to fill micro-moments during their day. Driven by high-quality streaming and offline mode, App Annie reports consumers spent 50% more time in entertainment apps in 2019 than they did in 2017.

In future, competition in video streaming will also be bolstered by an appetite for user-generated content. For example, TikTok saw the greatest increase (135%) in cross-app usage with Netflix. This suggests that innovation in the streaming space is not only being led by traditional media companies and streaming services, but by social media disruptors tapping into mobile-first mindsets.