Emojis have become ubiquitous in digital communications, but their use in marketing campaigns hasn’t always been successful. Canvas8 spoke to Dr. Sara Kim, an associate professor at the University of Hong Kong, to learn how people interpret and react to brands that use these symbols.

Unicode’s 2021 update features 217 new emojis, adding everything from racially-inclusive emoji couples to a floating head in the clouds. As social distancing puts even more weight on technologically-mediated communication, younger generations want more nuanced visual tools at their disposal.

With the push for gender inclusivity gaining mass attention, many are recognising its importance when it comes to all things menstruation. Pantys is taking the lead with its period underwear, The Boxer, with the aim to put trans and binary people’s needs front of mind.

Pride month saw many beauty brands advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, but members of this community want to feel represented by the industry in more ways than just rainbow-hued packaging. Among Gen Yers and Zers, there’s a demand for more accurate representation of diverse gender realities.