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Apple brings AR art tours to global cities

Apple AR[T] Tours, New York

New York – Apple has collaborated with the New Museum to launch a series of augmented reality (AR) experiences created by leading contemporary artists.

The AR installations have been designed to push the creative potential of the technology. Engaging with the medium, seven artists – Nick Cave, Nathalie Djurberg and Hans Berg, Cao Fei, John Giorno, Carsten Höller, and Pipilotti Rist –have reimagined ways to express core themes of their art practice. The resulting works can be experienced via interactive walks in Hong Kong, London, New York, Paris, San Francisco and Tokyo.

The [AR]T initiative is part of the Today at Apple project, which also includes in-store sessions that teach the basics of creating AR using Swift Playgrounds and an AR art installation viewable in every Apple Store worldwide.

As we explore in our Programmable Realities macrotrend, technologies such as augmented reality are driving a future in which consumer touchpoints are increasingly reactive and fluid.

Pernod Ricard infuses vodka with caviar

L'Orbe

London – L’Orbe is the world’s first caviar-infused vodka, bringing together the fine dining and mixology industries.

The result of five years of research and development by Pernod Ricard’s Breakthrough Innovation Group (BIG), the L’Orbe vodka marks a milestone for the spirits industry. Each recipe has been developed in collaboration with Michelin-starred chefs and leading mixologists, with the first bottle bringing caviar from Gironde and Swedish vodka together in one bottle.

The technology used – micro-encapsulation – is most often found in cosmetics. A transparent tube runs down the centre of the bottle, comprising dozens of caviar pearls. By naturally diffusing the caviar’s aromas into the spirit over the course of six weeks, the vodka takes on a fresh, savoury flavour profile.

By developing entirely new spirits categories, brands like Pernod Ricard are exploring beyond the traditional rules of liquor-making.

Nestlé closes the loop on sweetening chocolate

Switzerland – The brand has created a unique chocolate made entirely from the cocoa fruit, using the beans and pulp as the only ingredients.

The innovation sees Nestlé introduce its first 70% dark chocolate made without any refined sugar. The all-natural approach allows the brand to extract the soft, sweet pulp from the cocoa fruit and use it to sweeten chocolate without compromising on taste, texture or quality. Moving forward, the company plans to introduce the first product in Japan under the KitKat brand, with further products in other countries expected to follow in 2020.

‘We’re proud to bring chocolate lovers a new chocolate made entirely from the cocoa fruit without adding refined sugar,' says Patrice Bula, head of strategic business units, marketing and sales at Nestlé. 'This is a real innovation which uses the natural sweetness of the cocoa pulp to provide a pure, novel chocolate experience.'

With consumers increasingly conscious of their sugar intake, chocolate-makers are under pressure to innovate. For more, read our Chocolate Market.

Nestlé

The Coming World speculates on a world without Planet B

The Coming World: Ecology As The New Politics 2030-2100, Garage Museum of Contemporary Arts

Moscow – The exhibition offers a glimpse into a future already in the making, in which an environmental agenda will be paramount.

The Coming World: Ecology as the New Politics 2030-2100 is a major exhibition at Moscow’s Garage Museum of Contemporary Art. Running until December 2019, the exhibition speculates on the future of environmentalism and ecology, alluding to a time in the near future in which the human race will be forced to live with the knowledge that there is no Planet B. Developed in dialogue with artists and activists, the exhibition invites visitors to face the ecological imbalances caused by human activity.

The timeline of 2030 and 2100 is informed by science as well as science-fiction. It is suggested by academics that 2030 will be the year when existing resources of oil will be exhausted, putting an end to the Oil Age; while 2100 is the year that Arthur C Clarke predicts human life will be able to expand to other star systems.

While The Coming World presents a somewhat bleak future, there are many ways humans and brands can actively create solutions for climate change, such as investing in renewable energy.

Stat: A good night’s sleep boosts hotel loyalty

Quality of sleep is one of the most important aspects of a hotel guest’s experience, according to J.D. Power’s North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study. The survey of almost 45,000 consumers found that a good night’s sleep can boost overall satisfaction by 114 points. Factors considered include the comfort of beds, quietness of the room, quality of pillows and linens, as well as room temperature.

‘Delivering a superior sleep experience is a huge opportunity for hotels to differentiate themselves from the pack and earn significant goodwill with guests,’ said Jennifer Corwin, senior manager of consumer insights for travel & hospitality intelligence at J.D. Power.

As the sleep market continues to evolve, hospitality brands must ensure they focus on promoting sleep quality, even making it central to their room offer.

Thought-starter: Is Escapex the new Instagram?

Shamik Talukder, chief business officer at Escapex, discusses the need to create a platform that puts engagement back at the heart of social media.

Escapex caters to social media influencers and celebrities hoping to build their own communities. ‘What Escapex is trying to do is bring the social element back into the business of social media for celebrities,’ says Talukder. ‘We provide a template and guidance for celebrities to create their own social media app for fans to be part of.’

‘The celebrities put out content that’s exclusive. Content could be the celebrity having coffee and taking a picture, putting it on the app and letting the conversations start,’ he continues. ‘Once the conversation starts, every time a user – a fan – gets into the app, they start earning something known as ‘app currency’, which proves their status as a fan based on interaction.’

Read the full Q&A here.