LSN : News : Palace Skateboards joins forces with McDonald’s on cinematic universe

Ennismore introduces subscription-based Dis-loyalty programme

Dis-loyalty membership campaign by Ennismore

Global – Ennismore, the hotel group behind brands such as The Hoxton, SO/Hotels and SLS, has unveiled Dis-loyalty, an innovative subscription-based loyalty programme. Unlike traditional loyalty programmes, Dis-loyalty asks members to pay £144 ($218, €180) annually, or £12 ($18, €15) monthly, for exclusive benefits across Ennismore’s 75 hotels and 150 restaurants worldwide.

Members of Dis-loyalty receive a range of perks, including 50% off stays at new hotels within the first three months of opening, 20% off the first stay in any Ennismore hotel, 10% off return stays and 10% off food and drink at most Ennismore restaurants. In addition, members can enjoy a daily barista-made beverage at any Ennismore hotel or restaurant, even if they aren’t staying there. The programme is designed to encourage guests to explore different Ennismore properties and embrace new experiences.

Founder and co-CEO Sharan Pasricha explained that the subscription model rewards members for being disloyal by trying various locations. New ideas about subscription have been pioneered by coffee chains like Pret-a-Manger, Panera and Au Bon Pain, and have since been adopted by others like Sweetgreen. In our Innovation Debrief 2023–2024 report, we assess new iterations of memberships that are better suited to the flexible working, travel and leisure lifestyles of the post-pandemic consumer.

Strategic opportunity

The rise of Bleisure and remote working lifestyles has increased the appetite and ability of consumers to try new things and build new experiences. How are you as a business responding to this shift? Are your services fit to make flexible customers feel at home worldwide?

Palace Skateboards joins forces with McDonald’s on cinematic universe

McDonald’s, US

Global – British streetwear brand Palace Skateboards has once again shown its flair for unexpected collaborations, teaming up with fast food giant McDonald’s to create what is being dubbed the McDonald’s Cinematic Universe (MCU).

The collaboration kicked off with a teaser campaign featuring a billboard in New York’s Times Square displaying a cryptic sentence in the form of bullet points akin to Palace’s website descriptions, which read: ‘Basically, if I do enough descriptions about McDonald’s I reckon I can expense burgers, then my life’s complete’. The McDonald’s Instagram page also shared clips of its appearances in popular tv shows and films including Seinfeld, Loki, Coming to America and Space Jam.

The collaboration, which was promoted by both brands using Palace’s classically sardonic tone of voice, finally revealed a co-branded solid ruby gold ring. Palace’s bullet point Instagram caption read: ‘I thought the only seedin’ McDonald’s did was on the buns.’

McDonald’s is a universal brand with audiences across age demographics, but its collaboration with Palace Skateboards shows an understanding of the multi-coded ironic language that persists among Gen Z consumers. As explored in Subversive Sustainability Ads, if you know you know humour can cut through the noise of mainstream adverts.

Strategic opportunity

Traditional brands should take a page out of the McDonald’s and Palace book to target young audiences. Consider piggy-backing off brands with avant-garde and underground reputations as authenticated by Gen Z in order to connect with them effectively

Stat: British consumers feel confused by the skincare industry

Squalane + Copper Peptide Rapid Plumping Serum by Biossance, US

UK – In a bid to address the growing confusion and misinformation in the skincare industry, popular British brand Simple has unveiled its Simple Truth report. The research reveals that 79% of British consumers feel overwhelmed by the skincare market, especially in the era of too many experts and over-complication.

Data and marketing advisory group Savanta Group surveyed 2,003 UK skincare consumers for the report, highlighting the role of social media in adding to the confusion. Individuals with sensitive skin (84%) and women (80%) reported feeling particularly perplexed by the skincare industry.

The study emphasised a clear demand for more transparency and simplicity, with 87% of participants desiring positive changes in the beauty industry, and 62% expressing a preference for straightforward skincare routines. Terms like ‘clean beauty’ were found to add to the confusion, with 65% of participants uncertain about its meaning.

The study also found that 62% of 18–24-year-olds rely on social media for skincare advice, but 31% find it misleading and 33% remain unsure about the information’s accuracy. This aligns with our Accredited Beauty macrotrend, which looks at how consumers are seeking proof points on product quality in the skincare industry.

Strategic opportunity

As consumers move from self-diagnosis to self-correction, learning from their own and others’ skincare mistakes on social media, brands should use their scientific expertise and accreditation to effectively stand out in a crowded marketplace