LSN : News : Augmented statues educate children on black history

Burberry wants to empower UK youth futures

Voices of Tomorrow campaign by Burberry in collaboration with Marcus Rashford

UK – The British luxury brand is working with footballer Marcus Rashford for a new campaign supporting the creative and business futures of British youth.

As part of the Voices of Tomorrow campaign Burberry is joining forces with youth organisations in the UK cities of London and Manchester, providing 'protection, encouragement and empowering them to shape our tomorrow'. The brand’s outreach will support young people’s education as well as providing creative and entrepreneurial opportunities.

Having garnered attention for calling on the government to extend the provision of free school meals for children in the UK, Rashford has been selected by Burberry to front the campaign, representing a progressive and resilient voice to inspire youth futures. 'Burberry shared my vision in bettering local communities through investment in youth centres, which play a pivotal role in the childhood of many, especially in under-privileged areas,' says Rashford. 'We are all products of our community and youth centres offer children in those local communities stability and consistency to succeed at anything they put their minds to.'

With governments failing to support societal needs, Burberry is taking the role of a Civic Brand, stepping in as an educator and enabler.

This flat wine bottle reduces CO2 emissions

Banrock Station in collaboration with Garçon Wines, Australia

Garçon Wines Eco-flat Wine Bottle

UK and Australia – Wine brand Banrock Station is working with start-up manufacturer Garçon Wines to release flat bottles of wine made from 100% recycled plastic.

Hoping to catch the attention of younger, eco-conscious consumers, the brand's merlot and chardonnay will be available in the flat format, which is manufactured using a PET polymer to allow the brand to boast sustainability benefits such as carbon-neutrality. The new containers are lighter and smaller than the average glass wine bottle, which means that carbon dioxide output is reduced during transport.

'We pride ourselves on our environmental ethos and our aim is to galvanise consumers to do good for themselves and our planet,’ explains Lindsay Holas, brand manager at Accolade Wines, parent company of Banrock Station. Holas notes that the switch to the recycled flat bottles will attract a younger demographic ‘who on the whole are more aware and concerned for the future of the planet’.

Similarly, in Eco To Go we explore eco-conscious packaging innovations in the food delivery sector.

Augmented statues educate children on black history

London – Non-profit organisation Black Learning Achievement and Mental Health (BLAM) is educating children on historical black figures with its augmented reality (AR) app, History Bites.

The app, developed as part of Black History Month, allows users to see black history through virtual statues and plaques. Profiling five key figures, users are required to complete quizzes about each figure in order to correctly match them to physical monuments. The BLAM app features black men and women from across history and the African diaspora, as well as two women who are still alive today – NASA astronaut Mae Jemison and Stella Dadzie, British author and founder of the activist group Organisation of Women of African and Asian Descent (OWAAD).

‘At BLAM we are constantly seeking new ways to counterbalance the effects of Eurocentricity and racism on black lives and the creation of this app can help black children re-affirm positive ideas and notions about their black identity,’ explains Ife Thompson, founder of BLAM.

While traditional education systems fail to accurately represent black communities, Generation Z are using alternative mediums to (un)learn behaviours and decolonise education.

History Bites by BLAM, London

Stat: Millennials turn to DIY wills during the pandemic

Deutsche Telekom in collaboration with Saatchi & Saatchi and Billie Eillish, Germany

According to UK start-up Farewill, more Millennials are considering writing their own will than before the pandemic.

The firm reports in April 2020 – at the peak of the pandemic in the UK – the number of under-35s writing their own wills was 12 times higher than in 2019. Furthermore, among individuals aged 25–39, enquiries about will-writing services rose by 146% between July and September 2020, compared with the same period in 2019.

According to Farewill, the data shows that Millennials are keen to get their affairs in order, having witnessed the effects of Covid-19. ‘We are all reflecting on our mortality since the pandemic began,’ explains Dan Garrett, CEO of Farewill.  

Indeed, younger people are spearheading open dialogues about death and funeral planning. For more, read the Death Positivity Market.