Mascots have long been used to front brands in Japan, but Gudetama – a lazy anthropomorphic egg – is a far cry from the cutesy characters typically seen. It now appears on around 1,700 items, boasting its own Twitter feed and pop-up cafés, but how has it won the hearts of people nationwide?

Japanese women have been driving up the country’s wine sales, drinking glasses over tapas with friends or by the bottle at home. As more women move into a male-driven workforce, they’re repurposing the nation’s after-work drinking culture to suit their tastes.

Asia's growing economies are creating new opportunities, but how equal are they? How are labels used to categorise professional Asian women, and how can brands communicate with this powerful consumer demographic in a meaningful and relevant way?

By 2020, Japan's prime minister Shinzō Abe wants women to fill 30% of the nation's senior management roles. Yet despite efforts to get women into work, a growing number are targeting domestic bliss. Are dreams of a family funded by a high-earning husband anything more than a fairytale?