LSN : News : A phygital store dedicated to Japanese designers

Chivas targets football fans

Chivas x MUFC, UK

Manchester – The Scotch whisky brand has joined forces with Manchester United in its first affiliation with football fandom.

A video campaign kicks off the three-year collaboration, which plays on the concept that football players may have a reputation as luxurians, but they are ‘more than designer swag and hashtags’. The brand also references the working class roots of football, with the aim of reaching a wider audience and introducing new customers to the brand.

Chivas will be present in Manchester United’s marketing, primarily over digital and social platforms. During the partnership, the football club will suggest that fans toast wins ‘over a glass of Chivas’ and will be launching a bespoke product later this year.

Premium brands are acknowledging the lucrative Luxury Sports Fan Market as a way to boost brand recognition among a new consumer group.

A phygital store dedicated to Japanese designers

dot COMME, Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne – Online shopping platform Dot Comme, which sells over 1,500 archival pieces from Japanese designers, has launched its second brick-and-mortar store.

Started by fashion collector Octavius La Rosa, Dot Comme is known for paying homage to Japanese labels Comme des Garçons, Yohji Yamamoto and Issey Miyake. The new store in Melbourne only displays 150 items and enables customers to browse its online archive of 1,500 pieces using iPads rather than trawl through rails of clothing. These items are then collected from the on-site archive for customers to try on.

With interiors by Sibling Architecture, the minimalist design of the store prioritises creativity over clutter, providing a clean environment for customers with a minimal volume of stock. Read more about how retailers can create inspirational store environments.

Low-carb diets could shorten life expectancy

US – A new study published by The Lancet Public Health indicates that low-carb diets such as Atkins may not be the healthiest option.

Following a group of 15,400 people aged 45–64 in the US over 25 years, researchers found that those who got 50–55% of their energy from carbohydrates had a slightly lower risk of death than the groups who consumed low- and high-carb diets. Researchers estimated that those in the moderate carb group over age 50 were on average expected to live for another 33 years, four years more than people who got 30% or less of their energy from carbs.

According to the researchers, low-carb diets are rich in animal proteins and cheese, which are foods linked to a slightly increased risk of death. The results of this study may play a part in changing the way consumers view dieting. Tribes such as The Upstreamists are losing interest in fad diets like Atkins and are looking to more sustainable ways to upstream their health using food.

Fake Food by Tamara Staples

Highlighting the tactility of packaging using ASMR

Artomatic by Accept & Proceed

London – Creative packaging specialist Artomatic has created a series of videos that use autonomous sensory meridian response, or ASMR, to convey its products in the digital space.

Created in partnership with agency Accept & Proceed, the web experience brings to life the physical sensations of touching Artomatic’s packaging, including merchandise for brands such as Massive Attack and Spiritualized and promotional products for brands like Google. The videos feature the voice of ASMR content creator Emma WhispersRed as she inspects the items for the first time, and are intended to be watched while wearing headphones.

Digital-first brands that produce physical products must find creative ways to express their material goods online. Ikea also recently tapped into the medium of ASMR to produce a 25-minute advert in which a woman playfully interacted with Ikea’s tactile homeware products.

Stat: More US homes are streaming tv services

According to new data from comScore, streaming tv services – which offer programming similar to that of cable tv but over the internet – are gaining in popularity in US households. But these account for just 5% of households, a small portion of the overall market.

The research studied consumers’ use of virtual multichannel video programming distributor (vMVPD) channels such as Sling TV, Fubo, YouTube TV and Hulu Live. These types of services have been gradually gaining in popularity over the past few years as a cost-effective alternative to cable television, and have led many households to cut the cable tv cord.

For more on how entertainment providers are rolling out live offerings in the hope of dethroning traditional television, read our microtrend Off-demand Entertainment.

Thought-starter: Are hotel toiletries due an upgrade?

Faced with concern over plastic waste and the need to cater for a diverse range of guests, junior foresight writer Holly Friend explains why hotels must re-evaluate their complimentary bathroom products.

There was a time when hotel toiletries were limited to small, unbranded bars of soap and miniature bottles of pearlescent shampoo. Now, sub-par products won't cut it, as consumers increasingly expect the same calibre of hotel beauty items that they would use at home.

Hotels guests have long grappled with the question of whether they should swipe their miniature shampoos, but travel websites are now encouraging them to do so. This is because billions of half-used plastic bottles are thrown away from hotels every year, according to The Wall Street Journal, contributing to an already devastating plastic waste problem. In May 2018 Marriott announced that it is installing bulk dispensers for shampoo, conditioner and body lotion in 450 hotels, with plans to expand this to 1,500 hotels in North America by January 2019.

In addition, hotels must rethink their one-size-fits-all approach to hair and body toiletries, as black celebrities have begun to criticise hotels’ lack of product diversity.

Read the full market here.