LSN : News : Need to Know 10 : 01 : 18

1. CES 2018: L’Oréal launches a wearable UV sensor

UV Sense by L’Oréal, Las Vegas

Las Vegas – Two years after L’Oréal launched My UV Patch at CES, the beauty brand’s Technology Incubator has now developed a battery-free wearable sensor that monitors an individual’s UV exposure.

At less than 2mm thick and only 9mm wide, the UV Sense is designed to be worn on the thumbnail and can store three months of data. Using NFC technology, the data is transmitted to an accompanying smartphone app, which tracks UV exposure, measures specific activities and makes recommendations on when to take shade or apply sun protection.

The sensor was designed in partnership with Yves Béhar’s Fuseproject studio, which worked to create a wearable that wasn’t a distraction but integrated into the body. ‘We didn’t want you to think of it as a product, but rather as an ornament,’ says Béhar. ‘We want it to be something that you want to wear, that you don’t have to think about charging or where it is – it accompanies you throughout your day.’

For more on UV Sense and the future of connected beauty, look out for our forthcoming full interview with Yves Béhar and Guive Balooch, global vice-president of L’Oréal’s Technology Incubator. Stay in the know with more on-the-ground reporting from CES in the News section.

2. Biofit explores the impact that biophilic design has on wellbeing

The Wardian Case by Biofit Health & Wellness and EcoWorld Ballymore, London

London – Biofit Health & Wellness is continuing its exploration of the physical and psychological benefits of biophilia, extending beyond fitness and into the workspace. A collaboration with property developer EcoWorld Ballymore, the project will incorporate air purifying plants, circadian lighting and forest aromatherapy to help boost mood and mental clarity, while helping to reduce stress levels. Visitors to the space will be asked to fill out a short questionnaire before and after visiting, which will inform research being carried out by scientists from the University of Essex.

‘There is a growing body of evidence around the health benefits of exposure to nature,’ founder Matt Morley tells LS:N Global. ‘Our intention is to deliver at least one key piece of research each year to support the cause of healthy, biophilic design.’

As explored in our Wellness Architecture market, the importance of architecture that promotes wellbeing is increasingly being recognised across sectors as wellness becomes an integral part of everyday life.

3. Amazon Alexa’s new skill offers tutorials about champagne

New York – Moët Hennessy USA has launched a skill for Amazon’s personal assistant Alexa. Named Bottles and Bubbles, the skill aims to teach consumers more about drinking champagne at home.

Users can interact with Alexa to get recommendations for champagne pairings alongside a Champagne 101 course that offers basic knowledge around the sparkling wine and information about Moët Hennessy’s specific offerings. Alexa will also recommend dates where popping open a bottle of champagne might be appropriate.

Brands are still in the experimentation phase when it comes to tapping into the potential of both Google Home and Amazon Alexa. But it is clear that tuition is an area where the Voice Retail Market is coming into its own.

Bottles and Bubbles by Moët Hennessy

4. JD.com follows Alibaba in moving into physical grocery retail

7Fresh by Alibaba, Beijing

Beijing – The online retailer has opened its first premium grocery store, 7Fresh. Following Alibaba’s move into bricks-and-mortar grocery with its Hema brand, 7Fresh will similarly combine the lessons learned in online retail with offline.

7Fresh enables customers to shop and pay via a mobile app to complement its in-store browsing. The store also has smart shopping trolleys that can guide shoppers to their desired aisle to get the food they are looking for.

A partner of Walmart, JD.com believes that its control of its supply chain will differentiate it from Alibaba’s Hema stores. Alongside integrating technology along every step of the path to purchase, 7Fresh is focused on premium groceries to cater for growing middle class tastes, offering imported foods such as meat from Australia and Iberico ham from Spain.

5. Dry January gains in popularity as people embrace sobriety

More people than ever are choosing to abstain from drinking during the first month of the year. The Dry January campaign was first launched in 2014 by Public Health England to raise awareness of drinking habits.

Since its inception it has helped to facilitate a more mindful approach to alcohol throughout the year, a behaviour that LS:N Global noted emerging in our Party-totallers tribe. ‘Dry January is growing year-on-year as more people across the country decide to take control of their drinking and reap the benefits, both in how they feel now and for their future health,’ says Richard Piper, CEO of Alcohol Concern.

6. Thought-starter: How can dating brands re-ignite the spark?

With consumers ditching dating apps in favour of meeting in real life (IRL), foresight writer Rhiannon McGregor examines how matchmaking brands can re-ignite people’s passion for these services.

Evidence suggests that younger consumers are increasingly exhausted by the shallow nature of Tinder, with many now believing these matches to be inferior to meeting IRL. ‘Looking for a date on Tinder is like going to the petrol station for dinner at 2:00am bc [sic] everything else is closed’, states one cynical user on Twitter.

So how can dating brands avoid the threat of break-up and re-ignite the spark with consumers? Earlier this week online dating site OKCupid launched its first advertising campaign, Dating Deserves Better, which playfully addresses dating fatigue, with its shrewd take on the popular hook-up acronym Down To Fuck.

Tapping into a Gen Viz mindset of social activism, the campaign is provocative in its use of lines such as Down To Filter Out the Far Right and Down To Fight About the President.

Read the full Opinion piece here.