News 11.10.2019

Need to Know

Couples therapy delivered through an app, Microsoft, Sony and Twitch pledge to make gaming planet-positive, and consumers want food with health benefits.

Reinventing sausages for veggie-curious consumers

Misfit Foods
Misfit Foods
Misfit Foods

US – Misfit Foods has launched a range of flavour-packed sausages that reposition the humble foodstuff for both meat lovers and flexitarians.

Available in three flavours – Kale Citrus Chimichurri, Sweet Potato Andouille and Squash Sweet Italian – the sausages are made of 50% humanely-raised, antibiotic-free, hormone-free chicken and 50% vegetables.

Previously known for its wonky fruit and vegetable juices, Misfit has launched products containing meat after learning that the average American eats 200lbs of meat a year. ‘The majority of Americans…want to eat less meat, but they’re not quite ready for a number of different reasons to fully give it up,’ explains Dave Betts, co-founder of Misfit. ‘It allows people to reduce their meat consumption significantly, but really doesn’t make people change their behaviour in a drastic way.’

With its range, the brand hopes to provide a tastier option for veggie-curious meat eaters, or those looking for sausages with health benefits, something explored by Carolien Niebling in her project The Future Sausage.

This app lets couples confront relationship issues

Life Couple Life Couple
Life Couple Life Couple

Global – LifeCouple has been developed to help couples monitor and address different challenges in their relationships.

The app invites partners to reflect on trust, communication, conflict, and intimacy within their relationship by analysing their individual data and offering tools to provoke meaningful conversations. The app utilises artificial intelligence and machine learning to adapt dynamic content to each couples' needs. Couples can take part in daily relationship challenges, ice breakers that prelude difficult conversations, and digital gifts. The app is not intended to be a cure-all, but has been designed to be used alongside traditional forms of couples therapy.

‘It’s not a replacement to therapy but it’s a complement to it,’ says founder Sean Rones. ‘I don’t think this can 100% solve your problem but it can give you the tools to solve your problems.’

Discussions around emotional wellbeing and its impact on relationships continues to grow, with brands such as LifeCouple innovating on traditional therapy methods to serve the needs of digitally-oriented consumers.

Gaming giants pledge to reduce their environmental impact

Global – Tech companies have stepped forward to form the Playing for the Planet Alliance with the aim of reducing the environmental impact of gaming through brand-led initiatives.

Twenty one organisations including Microsoft, Sony, and the companies behind Minecraft and Twitch made the pledge at the 2019 United Nations Climate Action Summit. Microsoft plans to make 825,000 new carbon-neutral Xbox consoles, while game streaming platform Twitch, which is owned by Amazon, and Minecraft promise to spread sustainability messages to their audiences.

The next-generation PlayStation console, meanwhile, will dramatically reduce its power consumption. ‘I believe games and gamers can be a force for social change and would love to see our global community unite to help our planet to survive and thrive,’ said Jim Ryan, CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, at UN Summit. ‘There is an undeniable opportunity for leaders in the games industry to take a stand and support the UN Environment team.’

As the ethical implications of online entertainment come to the fore, a number of music platforms are also taking greater responsibility. Read the Sustainable Music Streaming micro trend for more case studies.

Stat: Consumers want food with functional benefits

Recent research by Tastewise has found that 37% of consumers are using food as a tool to achieve their health goals.

Utilising artificial intelligence to analyse millions of social media posts, menus, reviews, and recipes, the intelligence agency was able to determine which ingredients consumers are most likely to use to aid their health. Among the most popular foods are provolone cheese, maple syrup, CBD, pea protein, kefir and maca, which are eaten as aids for weight loss, easing depression, assisting sleep, and boosting gut health.

For brands, there is an opportunity to pivot their ingredients and messaging around food to serve the consumers' desire to make food consumption more aligned with their holistic wellness needs.

Read our interview with Tastewise founder Alon Chen for more on why consumer taste preferences are becoming more nuanced, and how brands can leverage data to get ahead of burgeoning flavour and wellbeing trends.

Previous News Articles
Burberry revives archival outerwear for National Geographic documentary

News

Burberry revives archival outerwear for National Geographic documentary

Burberry’s latest archival display at its London Regent Street store celebrates Sir Ernest Shackleton’s legendary 1914 Antarctic expedition.
Luxury : Pop-culture & Media : Fashion
Gob launches mycelium-based earplugs

News

Gob launches mycelium-based earplugs

Gob is revolutionising the earplug market with a mycelium-based alternative that promises to eliminate the environmental impact of traditional disp...
Sustainability : Health & Wellness : Design
Brenda Lee’s holiday classic enters the AI era with Spanish re-release

News

Brenda Lee’s holiday classic enters the AI era with Spanish re-release

Brenda Lee’s iconic holiday song, Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, has been re-imagined as Noche Buena y Navidad in a Spanish-language release po...
Technology : Pop-culture & Media : Society
Stat: US Gen Z are the most likely to hide their voting choices

News

Stat: US Gen Z are the most likely to hide their voting choices

An October 2024 Axios Vibes survey by The Harris Poll reveals that nearly half of Gen Z voters (48%) in the US have lied about their voting prefere...
Society : Youth : Politics
Camdom is the world’s first digital condom for safer intimacy

News

Camdom is the world’s first digital condom for safer intimacy

This Sexual Health Awareness Month, condom brand Billy Boy and creative agency Innocean Berlin unveiled Camdom, an app that acts as a digital condo...
Health & Wellness : Technology : Pop-culture & Media
Resting Reef memorialises pets as eco-friendly marine reefs

News

Resting Reef memorialises pets as eco-friendly marine reefs

Eco-friendly funeral company Resting Reef has launched a pet memorial service that blends pet ashes with crushed shells to create eco-friendly unde...
Design : Health & Wellness : Sustainability
Netflix new unveils Moments feature to save and share scenes

News

Netflix new unveils Moments feature to save and share scenes

Netflix has launched a new feature called Moments, allowing subscribers to bookmark, save and share their favourite scenes from shows and movies.
Technology : Pop-culture & Media : Society
Stat: Mars’ study reveals strong pet devotion

News

Stat: Mars’ study reveals strong pet devotion

Mars has unveiled ‘the largest global pet parent study to date’ of more than 20,000 pet owners across 20 countries.
Pets : Society : Retail
Samsonite’s new durable suitcase can survive travelling to the edge of space

News

Samsonite’s new durable suitcase can survive travelling to the edge of space

Samsonite has unveiled its latest innovation, the Proxis Space collection, setting new standards in travel gear with sustainability and advanced te...
Luxury : Travel & Hospitality : Design
The Saudi Investment Bank celebrates national identity with bespoke typeface

News

The Saudi Investment Bank celebrates national identity with bespoke typeface

The Saudi Investment Bank and creative agency Impact BBDO have launched I am Saudi, a campaign celebrating national heritage with a bespoke typeface.
Design : Advertising & Branding : Finance
You have 2 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN