News 20.04.2020

Need to Know

Quarantine Together strips back the dating app experience, Kickstarter makes isolation creativity more accessible and why music could be medicinal.

These customised playlists elevate film streaming

Trolls World Tour mixtapes Pandora and Xfinity

US – The feature film Trolls World Tour is using audio playlists in lieu of traditional marketing.

The collaboration with audio platform Pandora plays on the film’s music-focused narrative, in which trolls set out to destroy music genres from techno to country and classical. To market the film, musicologists at Pandora created dedicated mix tapes for each troll character, custom-designed to capture their personalities and music preferences, which are available for subscribers to stream on the platform.

Taking an alternative approach to traditional film advertising, in lieu of out-of-home billboards, the digital marketing campaign promotes the premiere of the film on streaming platforms. It represents the first mass-market feature film to replace its theatrical opening with at-home streaming due to Covid-19. Therefore, the customised mix tapes offer an additional touchpoint for consumers to interact with the narrative and characters.

As interactive audio experiences become ever-more important in a peak visual world, Trolls World Tour demonstrates the potential for audio content in the entertainment industry.

Covid-19: Quarantine Together is a more focused approach to dating

Quarantine Together , US Quarantine Together , US
Quarantine Together , US Quarantine Together , US

US – The dating app requests that users log on at 6:00pm daily to be matched with potential dates.

Launched in response to the numbers of Americans isolating during the pandemic, Quarantine Together prompts users at 6:00pm daily with a reminder to wash their hands. Once they confirm they have done so, they are matched with others in a private text message. After 20 minutes, the pair decide whether to continue their virtual connection over video chat.

Created as a way to encourage those isolating to date safely and remain connected, the app also supports frontline care workers. While the app is free, users are sent links to donate to the Frontline Responders Fund to provide healthcare workers with PPE (personal protective equipment).

With hundreds of dating apps vying for consumers’ attention, Quarantine Together is taking a more focused approach that strips back the dating process and operates on a real-time schedule. For more on how off-demand media can help to focus consumers’ attention spans, read our macrotrend The Focus Filter.

Covid-19: Kickstarter doubles down on lockdown creativity

Global – Inside Voices aims to promote at-home creativity during the Covid-19 pandemic.

With the initiative, Kickstarter aims to support projects made and delivered entirely at home, providing financial help for creatives out of work. It encourages makers to launch simple digital projects such as zine PDFs, album downloads, Zoom performance invitations or poetry newsletters.

Playing on the term ‘inside voices’ – typically used to tell children to be quiet indoors – the concept provides straightforward ideas and tutorials to allow anyone to unleash their inner creative. ‘Some people are experimenting with creative work for the first time and feeling inspired by the possibilities,’ reads a statement by Kickstarter.

With isolated consumers increasingly time-rich, many are taking the opportunity to reconnect with creative activities and engage with brands that encourage life-long learning.

Inside Voices by Kickstarter

Stat: The latest wellness essential could be music

The concept of music as medicine is finding its feet, according to a new study by The British Academy of Sound Therapy. The global study found that 89% of consumers believe music to be essential to their health and wellbeing.

The research also found that 90% of people reported listening to music as a key part of relaxation, with researchers suggesting this may be down to the use of relaxation music in meditation apps such as Calm and Headspace. It also found that the act of listening to music was commonly associated with processing emotions.

When exploring the role of music in relaxation, the study found that participants benefited from simple melodies with no lyrics, with 79% finding that this music reduced muscle tension and 84% having less negative thoughts.

As a mental health crisis abounds, the health and wellness industry is acknowledging the potential of Music as Medicine, recognising sound as a therapeutic medium.

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