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A virtual world of interactive therapy

Bump Galaxy by Bianca Carague, Netherlands

The Netherlands – Centred on community and accessible healing, Bump Galaxy is a virtual mental health space by Design Academy Eindhoven graduate Bianca Carague.

Created in response to 2020 ‘amplifying feelings of stress, anxiety, depression and loneliness’, Carague has designed the conceptual virtual space to offer decentralised care for people, no matter where they are based in the world. Those logging on to the low-fi, Minecraft-inspired platform can navigate through multiple virtual locations, such as a forest where they can experience sound baths, sand dunes for dream reflection, and an underwater temple for hypnotherapy.

Trained practitioners are also present in Bump Galaxy, including healthcare professionals in fields such as hypnotherapy and relationship counselling, who can provide their services to users. With a focus on collaboration, Carague hopes to ‘de-institutionalise healthcare’ by combining traditional and unconventional wellbeing methods.

Virtual Sanctuaries like Bump Galaxy will help to empower care-giving and democratise approaches to wellbeing, something we explore further in the microtrend Decentralised Care.

Rosaluna mezcal offers free-from drinking

Rosaluna, US

Mexico – Rosaluna mezcal is aiming to tick several consumer boxes with a focus on simple ingredients and an inclusive ethos.

Taking the spirit back to basics, it's putting ingredients and dietary considerations front and centre. Rosaluna is made from espadín agave, which the brand grows, farms, ferments and distils in Oaxaca. By being vertically integrated, the resulting mezcal is all-natural, free from additives and colouring, as well as being gluten-free, non-GMO and vegan. In addition, the company claims to be carbon-neutral in its operations.

In a bid to be a ‘gateway mezcal’, Rosaluna is positioning itself as an accessible yet high-quality brand for everyone. ‘We want to have a sense of humility because that’s really the essence of mezcal from our perspective,’ explains co-founder Terry Lee.

Explore how changing consumer tastes are shaping tequila and mezcal in our Global Spirits Market.

The BBC and Getty spotlight diverse modern families

UK – The brands are working together on a project to create a more inclusive library of images of British families and children.

Launching with over 2,000 images and videos, the BBC Kids Collection is the result of both Getty Images and the BBC’s commitment to increasing the representation of families in the media. The collection aims to capture the breadth of kids’ lives and experiences across the country, from black and ethnic minority families to children with a range of disabilities and using various technologies.

To further diversify the collection, the companies have issued a call out to amateur and professional photographers across the country to submit their work to the Getty Images library. ‘We know the crucial role the media plays in shaping children’s view of themselves and the world around them. It is therefore vital that we all get it right,’ says Miranda Wayland, head of creative diversity at the BBC.

With Getty Images having already made steps to deconstruct stereotypes, the brand is now turning its attention to the changing definitions of what family means today.

BBC Kids Collection by Getty Images and the BBC, UK

Stat: US online holiday sales will break all records this year

See You Tomorrow resale store, Nordstrom

This year, online holiday sales in the US are expected to shatter all previous records, according to Adobe.

Online shopping predictions for the coming holiday season suggest that US e-commerce sales will total £144bn ($189bn, €159.7bn) in 2020, surpassing £1.5bn ($2bn, €1.6bn) every day between 1 and 21 November and rising to £2.3bn ($3bn, €2.5bn) a day between 22 November and 3 December. Overall, this is an increase of 33% year on year, which is equal to two years’ growth in one season.

‘As retailers adapt to consumers’ new behaviours in this pandemic, we expect earlier discounts, more shipping and pick-up options and uncertainty around in-store purchases to drive this year’s online holiday sales to record highs,’ says John Copeland, head of marketing and customer insights at Adobe.

As online shopping and click-and-collect culture continue to transform bricks-and-mortar retail, brands are embracing an era of Flagship Fulfilment.