LSN : News : Handwritten Collection is Accor’s take on masstige hospitality

Burberry’s ephemeral art installations display long-lasting sustainability commitments

Burberry Landscapes

South Africa, Canary Islands – In a bid to communicate the brand’s commitment to regenerative practices, Burberry has planted larger-than-life versions of its iconic check in natural landscapes.

Part of the Burberry Landscapes initiative, the brand commissioned Cuban-American artist Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada for two art installations in the Canary Islands and South Africa. Aerial shots reveal the duo of supersized signature check patterns, imprinted onto soil to spotlight the brand’s continued commitment to nature regeneration. On El Hierro in the Canary Islands, natural milk-based paints were used to imprint the pattern on volcanic ground, whereas the second iteration on a meadow east of Cape Town was made with flowers, hand-planted with help from biodiversity experts.

Both installations were intended to be ephemeral, swept away by rain and wind after a week in a nod to Burberry’s aim to bear no negative impact on the surrounding environment and to achieve climate-positive status by 2040. In times of rising corporate ‘green hushing’, such a demonstration of eco-confidence through OOH activism feels refreshing, and signals that despite eco-fatigue and scrutiny, Post-purpose Brands are heading for an era of bolder commitments and campaigns.

Strategic opportunity

Being vocal and proud of environmental actions is key to regain consumers’ trust. Use creative communication to convey a more impactful and fearless message

Handwritten Collection is Accor’s take on masstige hospitality

Global – Handwritten Collection is the latest addition to Accor’s network of hotel brands, and features a line of charming and bespoke hotel concepts intended for travellers on a budget.

The French hospitality group announced the launch of the Handwritten Collection to expand its portfolio of mid-scale offerings. The curated selection will include established destinations and cities off the beaten track, such as Tallinn, Annecy and Bucharest. Inspired by the intimate act of jotting down notes, Handwritten hotels will exhibit unique personalities and place hoteliers front and centre.

‘The hotels we feature in Handwritten Collection are those sought out by travellers who appreciate heart-warming travel experiences and a twist on traditional hospitality, and by hoteliers who cherish the unique personality of their properties while desiring the benefits that come with a global partner,’ explains Alex Schellenberger, chief marketing officer of premium, mid-scale and economy brands at Accor.

Reminiscent of the customised and warm travel experiences depicted in The White Lotus series (minus the homicides), Accor’s timely new venture suggests that the travel and hospitality sector is striving to further diversify and personalise mid-scale offerings.

Oru Hub Hotel, Handwritten Collection by Accor, Estonia

Strategic opportunity

With so many aspects of culture being globalised and homogeneous, travellers are seeking to reconnect with the surprising and authentic. Offering experiences that feel unique to them and unseen on social media feeds will make your business stand out

Stat: 45% of game developers say they don’t believe in the promise of the metaverse

Photography by Artem Podrez

The annual report of the Game Developers Conference (GDC), released ahead of GDC 2023, reveals that the metaverse hype of the past year has left many game developers unenthused.

In the State of the Game Industry survey, 45% of game developers say they don’t believe in the promise of the metaverse, up from 33% in 2022. The key reason game developers gave for their scepticism is that they don’t feel the digital space has defined itself clearly enough. But they also believe that its lack of substantial interactivity and the current high cost of hardware (VR headsets in particular) are barriers to metaverse entry.

In The Betterverse we explored the broad potential of the metaverse – especially as a more ethical digital space. Scepticism is understandable and can also be read as a feeling of being overwhelmed. As all industries grapple with the possibilities of the metaverse, they face daunting questions about what to create and how to fit in.

Strategic opportunity

The promise of the metaverse still feels nebulous to many consumers. Brands should think about how they want to use the space and how to grasp opportunities to shape its meaning.