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This IWD campaign confronts self-care capitalism

Find the More in Less by Merrell, US

US – Responding to the abundance of unnecessary wellness products targeted at women, performance footwear brand Merrell’s latest campaign suggests a simple alternative for self-care: stepping outside.

Launched for International Women’s Day (IWD), the series of ads challenges the wellness industry’s focus on buying products as the solution to improved wellbeing. It points to how women are plied with unrealistic and expensive items geared towards a never-ending quest for self-improvement.

Instead, the brand – which creates footwear for outdoor activities such as hiking – advocates spending time in nature as an easier and more accessible route to self-acceptance. In soothing tones, the video communicates thoughtfulness and trustworthiness, demonstrating Merrell’s commitment to women’s wellbeing without necessarily being a wellness brand.

The campaign’s message exemplifies the narrative of our Synchronised Care macrotrend, pointing to the interconnectedness of our health with all aspects of lifestyle and the natural world.

Strategic opportunity

It's not just wellness brands that should be debunking myths about self-care. How can your brand make wellbeing easier to achieve?

Rave Review paves the way for women on the blockchain

CryptoPanties by Rave Review and RedDao, Stockholm

Sweden – Fashion brand Rave Review is tackling the male-dominated non-fungible token (NFT) space with the launch of its Cryptopanties project.

Comprised of 3,333 NFTs of digital underwear, the project is a direct comment on the crypto-community’s dearth of women members. It is also an attempt to bring the upcycling aesthetic into the metaverse, a sustainable technique that the brand is known for. The NFTs have been digitally rendered in the brand’s signature recycled fabrics and textiles.

Holders of the NFT will also be rewarded with exclusive benefits, such as invitation-only events, access to the Rave Review team through social media channels, and discounted prices of the brand’s real clothing. As such, the NFT will serve as a token of membership rather than just a static asset.

Completed in collaboration with digital fashion house Red DAO, this project shows how women collectives are helping virtual environments become more equitable, paving a way for Women’s Futures in the metaverse.

Strategic opportunity

Gender representation is a large issue in the crypto-community. Fashion brands entering the metaverse should work with digital artists of marginalised genders to disrupt the boys’ club of crypto

Fila targets Gen Z travellers with branded hotel

China – Sports and lifestyle brand Fila has announced its collaboration with Hyatt to build a branded hotel in Shanghai.

Due to open by 2024, Fila House Shanghai is expected to become a destination for sports retail. The destination will celebrate Fila’s youthful spirit and aim to connect with the local community as well as travellers. Although luxury fashion brands have explored hospitality opportunities in the past, the announcement is new territory for streetwear brands with a Gen Z focus. The building will be part of parent brand Anta’s new headquarters in the city’s West Hongqiao Business District, and will sit alongside developments of an office, shops, and food and beverage outlets.

Our Hospitality Fitness Market pointed to the convergence of leisure and fitness in travel destinations. Fila House plays with this notion by appealing to travellers seeking to maintain their fitness regimes on the go, adding an element of youthful energy.

Fila House by Hyatt Hotels and Anta, China

Strategic opportunity

Sport brands should lean into the travel fitness market, exploring ways to design creative brand experiences for travellers

Stat: Snapchat finds a loyal audience with young Saudis

Photography by Shaye Laree for High Snobiety

All eyes may be on TikTok in the West, but Snapchat is rapidly becoming one of the most popular social media platforms in Saudi Arabia. According to research by Campaign Middle East, 90% of 13–34-year-olds in the country are using the photo-sharing app.

The platform’s success can be chiefly attributed to its use of augmented reality (AR) technology and its focus on visual communication and storytelling. In addition, Abdulla Alhammadi, regional business lead at Snap, believes that it's the fact its products remain focused on visual communication with one’s closest friends and family that is leading to surging downloads. He notes: 'There’s a rich legacy of storytelling in KSA, and our continued emphasis on visual, camera-led communication really resonates with Saudis... [Snapchat] enables you to be yourself with your loved ones, without pressure to be popular, pretty or perfect.'

While next-generation messaging platforms launched by Gen Z entrepreneurs boom in Europe and North America, the SWANA region is proving itself an ideal market for legacy social apps like Snapchat.

Strategic opportunity

Social media may be performative and entertaining in the West, but there's an opportunity to build apps based on kinship in regions where smaller friendship circles are blossoming

Futures100 designed by Sam Davies for the Future Laboratory

Nominate your Futures 100 Innovators

As we develop our Futures 100 Innovators longlist for 2022, we’re calling on you – our community of members and readers – to nominate those individuals who are transforming industries, creating opportunities or disrupting the status quo.

Each month, we reveal 10 new names in our longlist for the Futures 100 Innovators Awards – a global line-up of 100 innovators, disruptors, activists and change-makers working across sectors ranging from Beauty to Food & Drink, Luxury, Retail and Youth culture – with January and February’s lists already live.

But it’s not only for us, The Future Laboratory and LS:N Global analysts, to decide: we are calling for our wider community to contribute to this year’s longlist by nominating your own innovators. Just tell us who they are, what they’re doing to shape the future, and any links where we can find out more about their projects or work, via: [email protected]

After 10 months, our complete Futures 100 Innovators list will be presented to a panel of industry judges who will select and award their 10 leading innovators, revealed in October 2022.

To partner with us on this year’s Futures 100 Innovators Awards, get in touch with Jonny Ayres via: jayres@thefuturelaboratory.com