Through slightly "disturbing, uncomfortable, and strange" interactions with fans, the Pop-Tarts Bowl mascot memed college football into pop culture and people's hearts.

Pop-Tarts Bowl mascot brings unhinged to the masses

A meme featuring a guinea pig driving a pink toy car reached all corners of the internet during 2023. Its caption, ‘The horrors persist, but so do I’, captured a collective need for perseverance.

The horrors persist, but so do I

A TikTok creator @engineer.everything, dubbed 'tunnel girl' by onlookers, has drawn millions of views for an unconventional hobby. The widespread interest in recreational tunnelling signals enthusiasm for offbeat, escapist, and obscure niche interests.

TikTok's 'tunnel girl' goes viral

One worker's boredom with the monotony of work emails resulted in an experiment to keep herself entertained. The TikToker's unhinged email sign-offs have drawn a significant following as people look to break the tedium themselves. 

Unhinged email sign-offs

As part of an embrace of darker humour, 'when your card declines at therapy' videos have taken over TikTok. The trend sees people sharing their incredibly specific sources of anxiety or trauma.

When your card declines at therapy

Luxury brand Moschino is leaning into absurdism with the release of a bag modelled on a stalk of celery. Blending humour and hyper-realism, the move speaks to a growing appetite for self-aware humour within the industry, which may be particularly appealing to meme-savvy young shoppers.

Moschino lures luxe buyers with hyper-real celery clutch

The consequences of teen gambling addiction are being brought to life in a Korean short film. Once thought of as an adult crisis, easy access to online gambling platforms has led to addicts skewing younger, prompting conversations about whose responsibility it is to keep young people safe.

Ad campaign highlights Korea’s teen gambling epidemic

JMSN's soulful 2023 track 'Soft Spot' is experiencing a resurgence thanks to its laidback video. Inviting audiences to enjoy the freedom of movement and lightheartedness without burden, it offers an encouraging reminder that even in trying times, it’s okay to 'dance through it'.

'Soft Spot' resurgence captures desires for escapism

According to Nielsen, the 2000s-era TV series Gilmore Girls receives an annual rise in streaming views every autumn. As people seek nostalgia, comfort, and communal celebration, brands have the opportunity to craft campaigns and activations around the show's fall-coded narratives.

Gilmore Girls spotlights enduring cozy fall vibes

Airbnb is offering three families a chance to spend a night in Paddington’s house in London ahead of the third film's release. With many people seeking immersive travel, brands can craft fan experiences that cater to both adults and children, speaking to desires for nostalgia and escapism.

Airbnb venue entices fans with immersive staycation

The market for ‘premium’ products and services is growing in popularity, as shoppers look for value and meaning from their purchases. But the term is often misunderstood. Canvas8 spoke to Ashley Mauritzen to glean insight into how brands can stand out and best perform in this increasingly crowded space.

Ashley Mauritzen on what ‘premium’ means in 2024

Viral animal tourism is on the rise as people travel worldwide for a glimpse of 'celebrities' like the pygmy hippo Moo Deng. The trend reflects how social media is letting individuals connect more deeply with their interests, fuelling a desire for more immersive IRL experiences.

Viral animals fuel trips to far-flung destinations

Aussies’ obsession with baked goods shows no signs of slowing, despite the cost of living crunch. With TikTok, Instagram, and run clubs at the helm of the boom, small bakeries are turning into local sensations through creative, seasonal flavours, and nostalgic twists. How are these little luxuries keeping loyalty to the local bakery up?

Why a luxury mindset shift is driving sales of baked goods

LEGO has partnered with COLORSxSTUDIOS and singer-songwriter Jacob Collier to launch a new campaign encouraging adults to unwind. Demonstrating the importance of letting loose and self-exploration, the move highlights how experimentation and creativity can help one find one’s happy place.

LEGO ad celebrates need for rest and creativity

Kraft Heinz is leading with loud chewing for the launch of its frozen quesadillas, getting people's visceral reactions to get them engaged. This campaign highlights how sensorial and memorable experiences may attract people's attention and how brands can make things fun.

Kraft leans into sound for crunchy frozen line

DC GO! is 'a new frontier of webcomics' designed for mobile devices, providing fans with reformatted old stories and original content. Brands are adapting their offerings as people’s media consumption habits shift away from traditional avenues, and this move recognizes the popularity of webcomics.

DC gives on-the-go readers mobile-formatted comics

Gamification makes app use a habitual part of daily life, but as people spend more and more time within app ecosystems, the lines between escapism, ease and addiction are beginning to blur. Our Spotlight on gamification asks: how can brands use gamification to create new value and purpose for customers?

Spotlight on: Gamification for good

A school for adults in Hokkaido, inspired by Danish educational institutions, is attracting people of all ages to engage in self-reflection and personal growth. As trust in traditional institutions wanes, this trend signals the need for brands to consider alternative pathways in learning.

Adult ‘School for Life’ gains popularity in Japan

In Japan, oshikatsu, or passionately supporting a fave celebrity or character, has evolved from a niche subculture into a multigenerational, mainstream phenomenon, driving significant spending and immersive fan experiences. What is fuelling this shift, and how are brands tapping into this trend to engage fans across age groups?

How Japanese superfans go all out for their heroes

Amtrak has released a campaign that encourages people to embark on slow, mindful journeys. Amid rising concerns about accessibility and shared travel services, the railroad company taps into a desire for meaningful travel experiences that prioritize sustainability over rapid exploration.

Amtrak campaign highlights the beauty of slow travel

Riding on the popularity of Netflix's Culinary Class Wars, convenience stores across South Korea are launching items in collaboration with participants from the show. These collaborations offer fans a way to enjoy the foods featured in the programme in an accessible way while ensuring quality.

Korean convenience stores collab with Netflix star chefs

Chinese people are hiring emotional support companions for hikes, highlighting a larger cultural trend of addressing loneliness through paid companionship. As the loneliness epidemic continues to impact daily life, people are seeking revitalised and supportive ways to socialise.

Chinese hikers are paying climbing buddies for support

Due to post-pandemic fitness rituals, the mainstreaming of weight loss drugs, and the ebb and flow of the trend cycle, thinness is back in the form of the "ballet body." People want brands to care for their mental and physical health and continue to represent all body types. 

'Ballet body' trend signals return to thinness ideals

Bottega Veneta has tapped 'child-like wonder' on the MFW runway. As people seek escape from global stressors through nostalgia and playful experiences, luxury brands can create emotional connections by evoking fond childhood memories while maintaining sophistication in their products and experiences.

Bottega Veneta reveals luxury fashion's inner child

Millions of young people are blending reading and socializing on BookTok. Authors are becoming influencers, using DIY marketing and unconventional swag like custom perfumes to engage their micro-communities. What does the ‘lit-girls-as-it-girls’ trend tell us about how we’re reading in 2024?

The rise of the literary ‘it’ girls

Nintendo's influence spans from family-friendly entertainment and 5-bit adventures to driving lucrative career opportunities within Japan's thriving gaming industry. As analogue experiences help people cope in a crisis-stricken world, Nintendo’s toys and games now serve as social anchors.

Why Nintendo brings nostalgic fun to on-the-go gamers

The Mid-Autumn Festival has sparked a surge in local tourism, shopping, and dining in China. The holiday provides an opportunity to spend time with family, travel, and participate in rich traditions as people look to celebrate their heritage against a backdrop of rising national and cultural pride.

Mid-Autumn Festival sparks spending around celebrations

Adult advent calendars filled with items like spirits and high-end makeup are becoming increasingly popular. This trend highlights a shift towards personalised, smaller gifts, allowing adults to indulge in small luxurious products that make their holiday experience feel extended and more special.

More adults want advent calendars

Despite some Gen Zers wanting to cut back on non-essentials due to rising living costs and eco concerns, many are willing to concede on their budgeting for events. For brands, this represents an opportunity for IRL reach and impact during moments when people are most open to indulging.

Gen Z forego budget-conscious mindsets for live events

Netflix Japan has collaborated with Suntory’s Horoyoi brand of ‘sours’ to release a limited-edition canned cocktail for some of its upcoming series. As alcohol consumption declines in the country, brands are offering NOLO options centred around evolving social moments and drinking occasions.




Netflix launching canned cocktails for Japanese fans

An exhibition set to open in London invites true crime fans to explore some of history's most famous serial killer cases. While people are seeking greater immersion in the content they consume, concerns are being raised over the ethics of real tragedies as entertainment.  

Serial killer exhibition to open for true-crime fans

Chinese youth are showing renewed interest in traditional culture and spirituality in an attempt to regain a sense of stability. As discussions around death become gradually more open, funeral handcrafts are providing a meaningful way for Gen Zers in China to connect with heritage.

Chinese Gen Z rediscover traditional funeral art

Multi-generational dance parties are growing in number on the streets of New York, offering a much-needed source of release for locals, young and old. As people navigate the myriad stressors of modern life, they’re yearning for small moments of collective joy to cut through the gloom.

New Yorkers find release in inclusive dance parties

Soju is one of South Korea’s most popular products. However, its domestic sales have fallen as Gen Y and Z Koreans increasingly prefer whisky, tequila, and makgeolli. Changing drinking habits, influenced by crackdowns on traditional events, now favour mindful social drinking over binge drinking.

What are South Koreans drinking now?

With the cost of living crisis worsening, Aussies are cutting back on discretionary spending and reviewing their streaming habits. As they seek value for money and reduce the number of services they subscribe to, how are they reevaluating which ones are worth keeping and which they don't need?

Are Aussies still streaming entertainment? 

Prominent content creators are shifting towards slower and less attention-grabbing 'no-edit' formats to recapture audiences fatigued by content overload. In an increasingly saturated social media environment, people are looking to take back control through more mindful modes of consumption.

Creators opt for no-edit content to battle ‘brain-rot’

China’s first AAA level game, Black Myth: Wukong, represents a major breakthrough of the country’s game industry and its global influence. The game offers a fresh perspective on a classical story, appealing to domestic and international players by tapping into the country's rich cultural heritage.

'Black Myth: Wukong' sees China's gaming influence grow

Hinge has enlisted a group of contemporary writers to create an anthology inspired by real user love stories. At a time when young people are turning their backs on digital dating, the campaign taps budding interest in romance literature to reframe perspectives on modern love.

Hinge’s ‘No Ordinary Love’ taps romance lit buzz

Political polarization, social shifts, and economic pressures are reshaping how Americans celebrate major holidays and personal occasions. Canvas8 spoke to eight people across the country to find out more about how they approach gatherings, hostings and traditions in the shifting world.

How are Americans celebrating special occasions?

As people in the UK continue to grapple with the cost of living crisis, it's having an impact on celebration spending for Christmas, Eid, Diwali and other occasions. Canvas8 spoke to eight people across the country to find out their takes on gift-giving, festive meals and shared entertainment.

How are Britons celebrating special occasions?

Renowned destination Pikes Ibiza has extended its no-phone trial to every night of the week, reflecting club culture shifts. As Gen Y and Z continue to challenge the role of tech and surveillance on the dance floor, venues like Pikes are helping to facilitate safe forms of essential escapism.

Pikes Ibiza’s phone ban counters dancefloor surveillance

Modern homesteading has entered the public consciousness, and a budding community of young male creators is building an online niche around their efforts to live off the land. With ongoing systemic failures driving down faith in institutions, interest is growing in more self-sufficient lifestyles.

Off-the-grid homesteaders promote autonomous living

A budding online community is forming around cozy gaming – a genre of low-stakes, non-violent video games designed for relaxation. As myriad global crises drive stress levels to new heights, people are retreating into calming hobbies and re-centering their pastimes around community and wellbeing.

Cozy-gaming community spotlights escapist hobbies

In an era when Japanese shoppers are losing interest in the written word, Tsutaya is reimagining ways to bring them back to bookstores. The famous chain offers a range of literature, music, film, and other artefacts, often not found anywhere else, in a space built for community and self-expression.

How Tsutaya Bookstore reinvents the literary retail space

In 2024, Australians will navigate the balance between their deeply held values and economic realities. While their decisions mirror their desire for societal change, the cost of living crisis has shifted priorities. How do these dual realities shape people’s lives and decisions amid trying times?

A Cultural Snapshot of Australia: 2024

5 Gum has teamed with Zedd to host a secret rave inside a New York City bodega – but only for the first 25 fans to find the secret location. Combining the allure of a scavenger hunt with the excitement of an intimate concert, the move transforms a simple promotional event into a memorable adventure.

5 Gum secret rave courts adventure seekers

The China Film Co. has partnered with a national broadcaster to air the 2024 Paris Olympics in cinemas across the country. As economic pressures force young people into smaller home environments, Gen Zers are embracing the event, viewing opportunity as a much-needed third space.

Chinese Gen Z choose to watch the Olympics in cinemas

The ‘metal is girlypop’ trend is redefining metal music by combining cutesy dances with thrashing songs like ‘Custer’ by Slipknot. As posts about 'metal girls' gain traction online, this trend challenges the boys’ club mentality in metal, creating an inclusive community for female fans.

Who are the girly metalheads?

Canadian brand Submission Shark is a leading player in the Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) world, known for its premium products and gear. The brand is now venturing into music, creating collaborations that resonate with both martial artists and music lovers, fostering a strong community in the process.

Why Submission Shark is big on culture for martial artists

The city of Madrid has launched a new initiative aimed at reviving public interest in reading. With many people growing fatigued with time spent on social media, brands can harness the power of interactive storytelling and experiential activation to further immerse people in new worlds.

Decline in reading takes book culture outdoors in Madrid

Von Dutch, the iconic Y2K brand known for its trucker hats and tees, is making a comeback aided by Charli xcx and her viral song 'Von Dutch'. As young people turn to the past in a longing for nostalgia, Y2K fashion and recession pop have come together to tap into aesthetic desires.

Von Dutch taps Y2K interest and rides the BRAT wave

As Britons continue to navigate polycrisis, they’re seeking emotional repireve, solace, and immersive escapism from their entertainment. Canvas8 spoke to seven people from across the UK to find out which emotions – from fear to nostalgia – they’re most likely to engage with in media.

Do Britons want big feelings with their entertainment?

Charli XCX and Billie Eilish have released a remix for ‘Guess’, as part of the latter artist's first collaboration in six years. Tapping into fandoms and the desire for community through authentic world-building, BRAT summer continues to generate hype and keep fans engaged in a hedonistic way. 

Billie Eilish collab continues BRAT summer hype

The power of pastries and desserts as mechanisms for comfort and self-care can't be underestimated. Tapping into this, Hotel Chocolat is rolling out its own bakery brand, serving sweet and savoury pastries and hot food, including its signature Chocolatier’s Carrot Cake and a Cacao Pod Pastry.

Hotel Chocolat’s new bakery range delights treat seekers

Champagne sales have declined significantly, with LVMH reporting a 15% drop and industry-wide shipments down 15.2%. Analysts suggest various factors may be influencing purchasing patterns, including economic uncertainties and evolving celebration habits amid global anxieties.

Champagne sales drop amid global uncertainties

Hope & Sesame has found its footing in Guangzhou and has become one of China’s best. The Dongshankou-set speakeasy’s unique approach to unearthing craft cocktails fostered a global following among alcohol lovers, whose preferences continue to shift toward symbolic beverages and brands.

Why Hope & Sesame crafts liquor journeys in urban China

In a world of constant noise, Loop earplugs are leading a quiet revolution. From office workers seeking sensory control and focus to ravers protecting their hearing, the brand is redefining how people engage with daily soundscapes – blending wellness, technology, and fashion in the process.

How Loop turns down the volume on auditory overload

Vans has launched Vans World 2.0, a new iteration of its successful Roblox game, which includes a digital-first launch of the Mixxa sneakers. In addition to a sense of exclusivity, the move caters to younger generations' desire for immersive and interactive experiences.

Vans World 2.0 brings sneaker exclusivity to Roblox

Malibu and Oatly have collaborated to offer stressed adults a playful escape with their 'Piña Oatlada.' As UK adults increasingly seek breaks from daily routines and stressors, this dairy-free, alcoholic soft-serve provides a fun and tasty sensorial reprieve during challenging times.

Malibu and Oatly offer a cocktail escape for stressed adults

Fangirls are redefining femininity and emerging as a powerful economic force. From Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour to Barbiecore, they’re driving significant spending, shaping cultural trends, and fostering vibrant communities. How can brands authentically engage with this influential audience?

How fangirls became an economic force

Nursing homes all over China have been transformed into low-cost hostels, attracting the nation’s young and burnt-out working class. More Gen Zers and Yers are shifting their life goalposts to align with their values, driving them to find respite in the pastoral away from the urban grind.

Chinese youth seek solace in repurposed nursing homes

TikTok users are divided over 'coffee badging' – an office trend where workers show up, get a coffee, and go home to finish the day. The trend points to a desire for greater career autonomy and is part of how younger generations question traditional work structures and office norms.

‘Coffee badging’ showcases desires for flexible work

KFC Australia is offering a two-night stay at Colonel Lodge, a holiday-themed accommodation inspired by the festive season. As people seek unique and immersive food-centric experiences, brands can leverage consumers' growing appetites and sense of indulgence by creating avenues to deepen connection.

KFC Australia entices customers with immersive getaway 

Sales of Western styles are skyrocketing in the US as the iconography of country music crosses over, thanks to celebrities like Beyoncé and Lana Del Rey. As Western fashion leaves its rural bubble, people are looking to refresh old styles and remix old notions of Americana.

Western aesthetics witness a renaissance

Despite a broader decline in UK nightlife, country-influenced nighttime events are gaining momentum among young Britons. The trend speaks to a burgeoning global interest in country music and Western aesthetics, reflecting younger audiences' borderless approach to music consumption.

British youth swap nightclubs for country music events

The cinema industry is transforming with multiplex closures and the rise of gaming among younger generations. Despite these challenges, diverse storytelling by studios like A24, movie-loving influencers, and theatres evolving into experience hubs are revitalising interest among Gen Zers and Yers.

What’s drawing young people to the cinema?

Dua Lipa has released a new version of her latest album, Radical Optimism, filled with extended versions of the original songs. The move taps into the ongoing trend of artists like Dua and Taylor Swift maximising their content and exploring different ways of engaging their audience.


Dua Lipa releases extended version of new album

‘Nomad aesthetics’, which blend cultural tradition with contemporary styles, are resonating with Chinese youth. In a bid to escape from ongoing financial pressures, young people are finding solace in slow living and reconnecting with ethnic heritage as a source of re-invigoration.

Chinese Gen Zers embrace nomadic aesthetics

‘Wild-eating’ is gaining popularity among China’s Gen Z population, allowing for a return to simplicity, freedom, and balance. Renowned for intensive work expectations, China’s youth is reassessing their priorities and leaning on nature and the outdoors as a means to improve wellbeing.

Chinese Gen Zers turn to 'wild-eating' for escapism

Amid increasing pushback against mass tourism, an unconventional ad from Visit Oslo has framed the Norwegian capital as a slower, calmer alternative to over-crowded tourist hubs. The tongue-in-cheek ad speaks to a growing desire for stress-free travel among burnt-out holiday-makers.

Visit Oslo taps desires for slow tourism

Geopolitical tensions, economic and election anxiety, and overarching stress make it difficult to see the bright side. In response, Loewe partnered with a Japanese ceramic studio to create designs that capture beauty and happiness in small, everyday moments, offering escapism through the mundane.

Loewe celebrates beauty of the mundane with Suna Fujita

Tween fashion brand Limited Too is making a comeback, with plans for brick-and-mortar stores and larger product launches. The retailer's return specifically caters to shoppers' nostalgia, especially for Gen Y parents, who likely would've grown up with the brand in their childhood.

Limited Too return caters to nostalgic Gen Y parents

As luxury giants like LVMH and Kering report stalled or negative sales elsewhere in the world, they’re experiencing up to double-digit growth in Japan. With this continuing boost in tourism, the Japanese government is seeking different ways to spread spending from inbound travellers.

Luxury tourists cause a flood in the Japanese bargain market

Credit Karma has revealed that young Americans are determined to have a summer of fun, even if it damages their finances. As they reckon with uncertain futures, people are looking to satisfy their escapist desires sooner rather than later and are prioritizing fun-filled travel to fulfil this need.

Young Americans are prioritizing summer fun over finance

Queer raves are on the rise in Vietnam. A country that once denounced homosexuality is now welcoming a new generation with a drastically different perception towards the LGBTQ+ community. What started this trend? And what does this mean for those wanting to step into the scene?

Why queer raves are dominating Vietnam’s nightlife

KFC’s irreverent campaign highlights the difficulty of knowing what to believe in and calls on people to ‘believe in chicken’ in these uncertain times. As modern anxieties fuel mass distrust and disconcertion, the campaign hopes to lighten the mood in a playful and simple way.

KFC campaign calls on people to believe in chicken

As inflation continues to squeeze people’s budgets, people are seeking budget-friendly ways to find joy and connect with others. In Seoul, many older adults have found a new love for old movie theatres for a sense of nostalgic escapism and belonging that doesn’t break the bank.

Older Seoulites turn to nostalgic cinema for belonging

What began as revenge spending post-pandemic has now become par for the course, with Indians splurging on sprawling residences, lavish holidays, fashion, tech, and more. Simultaneously, however, India’s income inequality and unemployment numbers are soaring through the roof.

How luxury spending in India thrives amid a turbulent economy

Forget working from home. Little National is finding its niche among digital nomads looking to work from anywhere. Small and perfect travel, hotels, and stays mean focusing on convenience, comfort, and design. As domestic travel rebounds, Aussie hotels are hitting new highs. Can they meet demand?

Why Little National localises nomadic vacays for Aussies

HBO series Fantasmas has been lauded by critics for its off-beat style of surrealist anti-comedy, which explores societal ills through a dream-like lens. Against a backdrop of ongoing global crises, people are making sense of their troubled realities by leaning into the strange and absurd.

Fantasmas satisfies an appetite for absurdist humour

Lush has given independent bookshop The Poetry Pharmacy a permanent home at its Oxford Street store. Tapping a boom in literary interest, the move reinvents Lush’s flagship store as a cultural sanctuary centred around personal wellbeing, meeting fresh expectations for experiential retail.

Lush brings poetic remedies to London’s Oxford Street

Fulfilling, calming, and creative hobbies are helping Britons to navigate the ongoing polycrisis. But how much time and money are they willing to spend on their newfound passions for crocheting, photography, or hiking? Canvas8 spoke to eight people from across the UK to find out.

How are Britons finding solace in hobbies?

Charli XCX is making headlines for her mould-breaking approach to pop stardom and generating headlines with her unapologetically brash style of club music. As people tire of iterative creative content, they’re gravitating towards bolder statements as a reprieve from digital homogeneity.

Charli XCX’s Brat album leans into hedonistic desires

Research into television habits has found that people prefer to watch live events when they share viewing experiences with friends and family, using them as a vehicle for community. This shift comes as younger generations search for belonging and rethink their relationship to technology.

Live TV events spur community-building 

Daytime TV found new life during the pandemic as remote working boosted viewership and online subcultures spawned countless related memes. Will this resurgence last as Britons seek comfort in entertainment? Or will increasingly right-leaning politics turn daytime TV into a new beast altogether?

What's driving Britons' daytime comfort TV habits?

Birdwatching, once labelled as boring, is being adopted by many young people across the world as a way to reconnect with nature. Luckily for these hobbyists, a recent study revealed that birdwatching boosts mental health and physical wellbeing, but not everyone is aware of these benefits.

Birdwatching boosts mental and physical wellbeing

With reading skills declining globally, Playbrary is targetting tech-savvy youth to boost interest in literature. It uses a custom ChatGPT prompt to transform classic books into immersive and interactive games based on the plots of classic novels, enabling deeper fandom while inspiring new readers.

Playbrary allows GenAI to be immersed in classic fantasy 

Tea’Stone has captured the hearts and tastebuds of China’s Gen Z, injecting fresh energy into a heritage category. With an authentic, craft-led approach that reinterprets tradition with innovative flair, the brand shows what third spaces and slow living can look like for China’s youth.

How Tea’Stone brews a third space for Chinese tea lovers

India’s newfound love for speciality coffee is brewing a new era of beverage preferences among local caffeine lovers, driving market trends and redefining cafe enthusiasts’ tastes. This shift presents new opportunities for brands looking to innovate in a rapidly growing market.

What’s fuelling Indians’ newfound obsession with coffee?

Black Joy Disco is an alcohol-free Black LGBTQ+ safe space that aims to enable healing through the power of community, music, and movement. As prejudice against the LGBTQ+ community continues to grow, spaces like these are increasingly important for providing support, nurturing, and joy.

Black Joy Disco builds Black LGBTQ+ safe space

Pigeon-keeping is on the rise among young Brits as the hobby proves an affordable and accessible way to reconnect with nature and spend time outdoors. While people want to engage with nature and the world at large, financial and time constraints can make it difficult for many to get outside.

Brits are becoming pigeoneers to connect with nature

While fewer people around the world are going to cinemas to catch the latest film releases, moviegoing is booming in China. This shift comes with higher box office numbers, growing appreciation for local cinema, and a decline in Hollywood’s decades-long foothold in the international market.

How Chinese moviegoers created a booming box office

Hotel chain JW Marriott has partnered with the LA-based homestead Flamingo Estate to offer nature-focused wellness to luxury travellers. The venture taps into a growing desire to unplug from digital lifestyles and signals a drive in demand for luxury experiences grounded in the natural environment.

JW Marriott helps luxury travellers connect to nature

The runways of Australian Fashion Week were coloured by subcultural influence, bringing occult aesthetics and goth-inflected beauty looks to centre stage. In an age of polycrisis, people are shunning overly-polished visuals and exploring the macabre as a way of processing harsh realities.

Occult aesthetics gain ground at Australian fashion week

A viral social media trend – ‘Twenty Minutes in the Park’ – is sending droves of young people in China to local parks to slow down and regain mental balance. In response, brands are setting up events in parks to resonate with their audiences through a variety of green activities.




Stressed urbanites are flocking to parks in China

A group of kids from Ireland have gone viral thanks to their energetic rap video. The reactions to the song have overwhelmingly mentioned the joyfulness it brings, highlighting a growing need for small moments of happiness as people try to traverse today’s challenging climate.

Young Irish rappers’ music video brings joy to many

The way that people are listening to music is changing. Gone are the days of tinny, low-quality sound – they want something better. British audio brand KEF has long stood at the higher end of innovation and price, but it’s shifting gears in an effort to democratise high-fidelity sound.

How KEF lowers barriers to high-fidelity sound in the UK

In an era when young adults are keen on reclaiming their childhood, Ocean Teabags captivates its patrons with playful animal-themed products, riding the booming ‘kidult’ phenomenon and redefining the traditional tea experience. What can brands do to help people reconnect with their inner child?

How Ocean Teabag steeps childhood warmth into Japan’s kidults

The 2024 Generational Snapshot of Gen Alpha in the APAC region looks into how the youngest generation values accelerated satisfaction, the role of representation and corporate responsibility in technological innovations, and finding solace in virtual worlds through gaming.

2024 APAC Gen Alpha Snapshot

Fleabag and Sherlock actor Andrew Scott is now starring in The Queen's Guard, an erotic audio series on Quinn. Scott's role in the series speaks to emotional intelligence and sensitivity, aligning with changing concepts of masculinity influenced by feminist ideals and sexual empowerment.

Andrew Scott leads in an erotic audio series on Quinn

Anime-style gaming – what was once meant to appeal to a subculture of people during the pandemic has since exploded into the mainstream, redefining the whole gaming industry. With a myriad of companies already in line to ride this great wave – how significant will this shift be?

Inside the global phenomenon of anime-style gaming

Lifecycle

People are looking for a visceral reprieve from the permacrisis