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Ridley Scott’s campaign for Hennessy is a visual odyssey

Hennessy, The Seven Worlds by Ridley Scott

Paris – The luxury spirits brand has released a cinematic campaign set in seven sci-fi worlds.

The film, The Seven Worlds, uses a surreal, dystopian narrative to explore the seven flavour profiles of Hennessy XO cognac: Sweet Notes, Rising Heat, Spicy Edge, Flowing Flame, Chocolate Lull, Wood Crunches and Infinite Echo. The director, who is known for his cult sci-fi films, interprets each taste as a separate world in the four-minute cinematic spot. The film is a visual metaphor for the tagline ‘each drop of Hennessy XO is an odyssey’.

‘I was attracted to this project because I was inspired by the potential for art and entertainment to bring this story to life,’ said Scott in a statement. In 2018, Kenzo experimented with cinema and advertising with its 30-minute campaign The Everything.

Through the film, Hennessy is exploring how Visual ASMR can be used to portray complex flavour patterns in alcoholic drinks.

By Humankind’s personal care products are plastic-neutral

By Humankind, US

New York – The new personal care brand reconsiders single-use packaging.

By Humankind’s line includes a natural deodorant packaged in a refillable plastic container, a solid shampoo bar wrapped in paper and mouthwash tablets that dissolve in water. Deodorant refills are supplied in a paper pod that fits into the original packaging, which is guaranteed for life. In this way, the company aims to be plastic-neutral, rather than entirely plastic-free.

US consumers discard more than 3bn single-use plastic personal care items every year, according to the brand. By considering the lifecycle of its packaging and helping consumers to reduce their plastic footprint at source, By Humankind’s model acknowledges that recycling alone is not enough to address the environmental concerns of plastic consumption. These efforts are complemented by the brand’s minimal aesthetic, premium feel and clean formulations.

We explore how beauty and personal care brands are upgrading the eco-friendly element of re-usable packaging in our Refined Refillables microtrend.

Tastewise uses an algorithm to track food trends

Tel Aviv – Israeli start-up Tastewise is a new food intelligence platform that uses machine learning to identify emerging food trends.

The platform analyses billions of food and beverage consumer touchpoints, including food photos shared on social media, restaurant menus across the US and online recipes. Tastewise then uses this data to help restaurants and food brands pinpoint market opportunities, with a view to responding to food and drink trends more quickly. Using data in this way also means the company can capture insights with greater volume and depth than conventional market research.

‘Today, many of us are adventurous eaters, constantly searching for new food experiences, while prioritising our health,’ says Tastewise co-founder Alon Chen. ‘In this new environment, all CPGs and restaurants, whatever their size, have to become as dynamic as food trucks and pop-ups.’

Discover the ingredients to watch in 2019 with our dedicated Listicle.

MUJICucina by Yoji Tokuyoshi, photography by Matteo Piazza

Dropbox’s new blog is all about productivity

Work in Progress blog by Dropbox

Global – Work in Progress is a place for Dropbox to communicate not just its company news, but its perspective on culture and technology.

The blog content includes a news vertical, which includes information like the company’s quarterly earnings; work culture, which features advice-led articles such as ‘what happens when we stop looking at careers through the lens of age?’ as well as featured creative work by Dropbox customers. Work in Progress is characterised by bold graphic design, putting a new spin on the mundane corporate blog.

According to the brand’s global head of content Alex Moore, Dropbox’s unique point of view on productivity hacks will help encourage ‘a paradigm shift where both the culture of work and the tools we work with help us focus deeply on meaningful work, rather than simply keeping us busy’.

As we explored in our Workplays design direction, designers are challenging the typically sober workplace by injecting it with humour, wit and playful graphics.

Stat: Shoppers seek greater in-store personalisation

Consumers increasingly expect the same level of personalisation in-store as they receive when shopping online. According to a recent survey conducted by Boston Retail Partners, customers are becoming more comfortable with the idea of retailers identifying them in-store via mobile phone. More than three quarters of shoppers surveyed said personalised service from a sales associate significantly affects where they decide to shop.

Despite this, only 37% of retailers are able to identify their customers before checkout, and 20% can’t identify customers until after checkout, or not at all. Many retailers are therefore missing a critical engagement opportunity.

To learn about future-facing brands using consumer data profiles to personalise bricks-and-mortar shopping, read our Data ID Stores microtrend.

Thought-starter: Is the hair removal market still relevant?

The conversation on hair removal is changing, from the aesthetics of men’s shaving to the way people achieve their hairless look, says foresight writer Rhiannon McGregor.

While attitudes are changing to reflect a more inclusive approach to body hair, the global hair removal market is still predicted to grow from £626m ($800m, €710m) in 2017 to £1.05bn ($1.35bn, €1.19bn) in 2022 (source: GlobeNewswire/Transparency Market Research).

Women are looking beyond the chore of shaving to longer-lasting methods of hair removal. The popularity of at-home depilatory wax, favoured by Generation Z consumers for its low cost, is driving growth in the sector, with Wakse a notable example of a brand innovating in the field. Its scented metallic wax beads are designed to be melted at home and applied directly to the skin without the need for cotton strips, becoming Instagram-worthy in their resemblance to metallic war paint.

As skin sensitivity becomes a growing concern for consumers, it has led to the rise of solutions such as laser hair removal. Compared to most other forms of hair removal, however, the practice is costly and this is inspiring those looking for affordable alternatives to turn to the process of sugaring.

Read the full Hair Removal Market.