LSN : News : Foresight Friday: Dan Hastings, deputy foresight editor

Audi unveils Love at First Light campaign as part of its Audi Design Love Stories

Love at First Sight campaign by Bartle Bogle Hegarty London for Audi, UK

UK – Audi is celebrating the launch of its fully electric SQ6 e-tron SUV with a new content campaign Love At First Light, the initial instalment in a three-part series called Audi Design Love Stories. Created in collaboration with BBH London, the campaign aims to spotlight the emotional connection drivers can form with electric vehicles through Audi’s cutting-edge technology.

Love At First Light tells the story of a moth captivated by the SQ6 e-tron’s headlight signatures, illustrating how Audi’s innovative design elements evoke strong, emotive responses. The campaign is part of Audi’s effort to rejuvenate its Vorsprung durch Technik brand philosophy, focusing on how technology can create deeper connections between drivers and their cars.

The campaign also includes two additional stories that feature wildlife and technology: one featuring a car filled with fish swimming in the calming glow of the SQ6’s ambient lighting, and another where an owl is captivated by the car’s integrated headrest speakers.

Explore our Mobility topic to see how LS:N Global tracks the ideas, innovations and experts that will help shape the future of this sector.

Strategic opportunity

Focus on creating campaigns that evoke strong emotional connections with consumers and speak to your brand heritage. Consider using design elements that appeal to the senses such as light, sound and texture

Official images of the world’s largest football stadium in Morocco have been released

Grand Stade Hassan II by Oualalou + Choi and Populous, Morocco

Morocco – Official images have been released of the design for the Grand Stade Hassan II, set to become the world’s largest football stadium. Created by architecture studios Oualalou + Choi and Populous, the design includes three tiers of seating and five levels of VIP hospitality within the 115,000-seat stadium which is being built in Benslimane, Morocco, in preparation for the 2030 World Cup.

The Grand Stade Hassan II, named after the former Moroccan king, is described as a ‘truly iconic, landmark venue’ by Christopher Lee, Populous managing director for EMEA. The stadium will feature a giant, tented roof inspired by Morocco’s traditional moussem festivals, with a translucent aluminium lattice structure that creates monumental entrances housing botanical gardens.

Tarik Oualalou, founding partner of Oualalou + Choi, emphasised the stadium’s deep cultural roots in ‘ancient and primordial figures: the moussem, the tent and the garden, as well as the topography and landscapes of Morocco’.

In our upcoming Sports Fandom macrotrend report, we will dive into how sport is evolving beyond traditional boundaries and attracting a broader, more diverse audience. RSVP to our Sports and Leisure Futures 2024–2025 Online Event on 10 September to be the first to learn about this new era of fandom.

Strategic opportunity

Explore opportunities in sports tourism by developing hospitality, entertainment and travel packages around major sporting events such as the 2030 World Cup. These can attract international visitors and boost local economies

Foresight Friday: Dan Hastings, deputy foresight editor

AI imagery by The Future Laboratory, UK

Every Friday, we offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, deputy foresight editor Dan Hastings tackles digital gentrification, fetish butter and the 2024 Democratic National Convention.

: I’m so happy to see the success of Jools Lebron, the Latina plus-size trans content creator behind the ‘very demure’ TikTok trend. She has been leading online culture for the past few weeks, and she was even commissioned by Netflix for a partnership and invited onto Jimmy Kimmel Live! Campaign deemed the trend to be ‘marketing gold’. But I’m slightly annoyed at the immediate gentrification of Lebron’s work by brands, creators and LinkedIn commentators riding her coattails by representing ‘demure’ as a whitewashed autumn girl Instagrammable aesthetic. This reminds me that dance moves, aesthetics and soundbites created by Black women on TikTok sometimes only go viral or succeed when they’re repurposed by white creators – a trend we analysed in Yassified Marketing.

: ‘Spread me. Lick me. Bite me. Smear me crackers with wine.’ Get your mind out of the gutter; this is just copywriting to sell butter! Made from ‘the best cream they could find on Earth’, Butt is an upcoming butter brand with the horniest packaging I’ve ever seen. For more insights on fetish food, read our Functional Feasting macrotrend report.

: In other news, Alex Consani is the first out trans woman nominated for Model of the Year, microplastics are in our brain, testicles, placenta, lungs and perhaps even our soul, as per Vice, and if you want to see M Night Shyamalan’s new movie Trap, please don’t. The only good thing about it is his daughter Saleka’s music, especially Release.

Quote of the Week

‘For years, Donald Trump did everything in his power to try to make people fear us. See, his limited, narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hardworking, highly educated, successful people who happen to be Black. I want to know, who’s going to tell him that the job he is currently seeking might just be one of those Black jobs?’

Michelle Obama at the 2024 Democratic National Convention

Stat: Fashion brands maintain consumer loyalty despite spending decline

thredUP, US

UK – New research from Centra reveals that consumer loyalty to fashion brands remains strong, even as spending decreases amid ongoing economic challenges. Despite 64% of people in the UK buying fewer fashion, apparel and lifestyle products due to the prolonged cost of living crisis, many continue to engage with their favourite brands in other ways.

The survey of 1,000 UK consumers highlights that more than half (55%) of shoppers interact with the fashion brands they love, even if they are not currently making purchases. This ongoing engagement takes the form of browsing new products, consuming brand content and staying connected through social media, with a view to maintaining a relationship with brands and buying from them when their financial situation improves.

Moreover, while a quarter of respondents are opting for pre-loved or second-hand items, and another quarter are choosing lower-cost alternatives to refresh their wardrobes, 23% remain loyal to their favourite labels despite reduced spending. This loyalty is even more pronounced among Millennials, with nearly 29% continuing to prioritise their preferred brands. This research evidences our findings in Luxury States: New Codes of Luxury 2024–2025, in which we explore how companies are establishing themselves as cultural corner-stones customers want to engage with – whether or not they are making a purchase.

Strategic opportunity

Consider creating free branded experiences, concerts, pop-ups and more to sustain customer relationships, especially during economically challenging times