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"I have Asthma, allergies, dyslexia, ADD, anxiety, and Depression. But I will tell you that what you have does not define what you can become. Why Not You!"

That's what Noah Lyles posted on X after clinching the 100-meter gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics on 5 August 2024, amassing over 12 million impressions and 300,000 likes within 48 hours. His message stands as a potent reminder that anyone can grapple with mental health challenges.

Lyles' post is part of a wave of impactful Olympic moments, from Snoop Dogg's viral appearance at the opening ceremony to Simone Biles' Netflix documentary, each drawing (unexpectedly) high viewer counts for the Paris games. Those large audiences have a downside, too. As social media has morphed into a global sports bar, athletes increasingly find themselves the target of armchair critics, and worse — prompting the Japanese Olympic Committee to issue a plea for fans to behave better. Meanwhile, the IOC is harnessing AI to weed out online abuse on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X. Humans review flagged posts and, if necessary, issue takedown requests.

As passion for sports unites people around the globe, these high-profile moments can function as platforms for greater awareness. While Olympic organizations work to protect and support participants, collaborating with athletes could be a powerful way for brands to educate fans about mental health, cyber harassment and mindful use of social media.

Sports and music tourism is experiencing a significant boom, with fans increasingly willing to travel far and wide to catch their favorite athletes, teams and artists in action. A new global research report from Collinson International reveals that over three-quarters of sports and music enthusiasts have flown to attend events in the past three years or plan to do so within the next 12 months. Several factors drive this trend: a growing number of events offering more destination choices, increased exposure to international leagues and artists through streaming platforms, and a post-pandemic hunger for live experiences.

The economic impact of this phenomenon is substantial, with sports tourism alone expected to grow in value from USD 564.7 billion in 2023 to USD 1.33 trillion by 2032. Music tourism is following suit, projected to reach USD 13.8 billion by the same year. With a projected CAGR of 8.5% for music and 10% for sports, the two combined could hit USD 1.5 trillion within a decade. Sports fans, in particular, are proving to be big spenders, with over half shelling out more than USD 500 per trip. The 25-34 age group leads the pack, with a third exceeding USD 1,000 for sports events and 31% doing the same for music.

Collinson's findings line up with a recent survey by Thrillist, summarized as "passion travel is the future." According to its US-only research, the majority of Gen Z-ers and Millennials (77%) are prioritizing personal interests when it comes to travel, not specific destinations: "Whether it's food-focused journeys, music festival trips, wellness retreats, educational vacations or eco-tourism experiences, younger travelers lean on their passions to explore the world. Of the travelers we surveyed who plan to book a flight in the next year, 63% say they will purchase tickets or plan activities for that trip prior to purchasing a plane ticket."

Partnering with Brooklyn Brewery, Carlsberg has created the world's first lager brewed entirely with fonio, an ancient West African grain. Carlsberg Fonio Lager replaces traditional barley with the hardy and nutritious grain, showcasing the potential for sustainable brewing in the face of climate change. Fonio, a staple food in West Africa for over 5,000 years, is known for its ability to grow in arid conditions without irrigation. Its time to harvest is also exceptionally short.

Zoran Gojkovic, Director of Brewing Science & Technology at Carlsberg, emphasized the technical challenges that were overcome in creating this novel brew. "There are no recipes for a beer like this," he noted. The fonio beer is part of Brooklyn Brewery's 'Brewing for Impact' campaign, which aims to drive positive change in the industry. While Carlsberg Fonio Lager is only being released as a limited edition, available from the Home of Carlsberg in Copenhagen, the project highlights the possibilities of brewing practices adapted to life on a hotter planet.

In a fusion of outdoor gear and robotics, Arc'teryx and Skip have unveiled MO/GO, the world's first pair of AI-powered pants designed to enhance human movement. Set to hit the market in late 2025, these high-tech hiking pants aim to tackle mobility challenges stemming from aging, fatigue and injury. 

The system combines a pair of cuffs worn under pants, one on the lower and another on the upper leg, with a motorized, external joint that clips onto the outside of a pair of Arc'teryx Gamma pants. A suite of sensors and a computer module predict and assist the wearer's movements — that's where the artificial intelligence comes in — and is said to provide a 40% boost to leg muscles during ascents while supporting knees on descents. Skip compares MO/GO to an electric bicycle: "It makes pedalling a lot easier, but you still have to turn the pedals yourself."

Skip, which spun off after starting at Google X, brings its expertise in artificial intelligence and powered wearable technology to the collaboration. Arc'teryx contributes its outdoor product design skills and understanding of movement in challenging environments. The result is a sleek design that feels like a natural extension of the body, setting it apart from existing medicalized mobility devices. MO/GO is priced at USD 5,000 for the full system, including pants and external joints for both legs.

Qantas is undertaking a major renewal of its fleet over the next decade. New additions will include twelve Airbus A350-1000 planes that can fly non-stop from Australia's east coast to New York and London and allow Australians to "overcome the tyranny of distance." Since ultra-long haul flights can leave people jet-lagged, the airline worked with researchers at the University of Sydney on an advanced lighting system to help passengers adjust to their destination's time zone before landing.

By simulating natural light patterns, a series of twelve changes in brightness and color ease passengers into sleep or help them stay awake. Everything is carefully orchestrated to prepare people's body clocks for a jump forward or back in time. The lighting design includes sunrises and sunsets and draws inspiration from Australian landscapes. Enclosed suites in first class provide passengers with the additional option of selecting which time zone they want to be on for the duration of a flight.

→ Wellness can be integrated into almost every product and service. Customers will be especially delighted if health boosters aren't just thoughtfully embedded, but — like Qantas' anti-jet lag lighting — require absolutely no effort on their behalf.

Almost everyone has experienced loneliness. Gallup's latest research reveals 23% of people worldwide felt lonely 'a lot of the day yesterday.' And people who are lonely are more likely to experience sadness (+36%), worry (+31%), stress (+30%) and anger (+26%). Beyond heightened negative emotions, 20% are more likely to feel physical pain.

Loneliness is a global concern, affecting all ages. Rates vary, from 6% in Vietnam to 45% in Comoros, but the emotion is pervasive. In 22 countries, the number of adults who feel lonely is over 30%, with countries in Africa showing the highest percentages. In many places, those aged 50+ are 10% more likely to experience loneliness than younger groups. In the US and China, however, it's those aged 15-29 who feel loneliest.

Gallup notes that in some countries, loneliness might not be as widespread as it seems because "individuals answering this question in these countries may be affirming they spent periods of their day physically, rather than emotionally, alone." That conflation might not only apply to the highest loneliness rates, but also to the lowest, for people who rarely find themselves physically alone.

Caveats about outliers aside, the middle range of 1-in-5 people feeling emotionally lonely is more than enough to warrant action. As entities with societal presence and influence, brands can help mitigate involuntary solitude by acting as guides, helping people connect online and offline. Two examples? Hinge's One More Hour funds organizations that host inclusive, diverse and low-cost IRL events. Online, retro-style social app NoPlace connects users around shared interests and quickly topped the Apple App Store charts after launching.

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To celebrate International Fried Chicken Day, KFC Philippines invited fans to design their dream KFC snacks using Meta's AI sticker feature. From 4-6 July 2024, fried chicken enthusiasts could use the KFC Crave Generator to share their creations on social media with the hashtag #KFCInternationalFriedChickenDay. The fast food giant selected the 11 most innovative ideas, turning them from digital concepts into edible products. The creators of these chosen snacks were also invited to taste their creations.

This activation reminds us of Burger King’s Million Dollar Whopper Contest from earlier in the year. Neither KFC Philippines nor Burger King US made the fan creations available for sale to the public. However, consumers jaded by ‘the age of average’ still welcomed the opportunity to exercise creativity and co-create truly novel products. 

Alibaba Group’s e-commerce platform Taobao launched an updated Apple Vision Pro app late June 2024, coinciding with the headset’s release in mainland China. First introduced as a beta in April, the app combines spatial computing, 3D and mixed reality technology, plus Apple’s multi-window capabilities. Users can view items from multiple angles, compare options and scrutinize product details such as material, texture and finish. They can also test selected products in immersive environments, such as taking Xiaomi’s electric vehicles for a virtual test drive or DJI’s drones for a virtual test flight.

From as far back as 2018, Taobao has pioneered interactive online shopping concepts. The platform packaged retail offerings inside livestreams, encouraging consumers to visit Taobao multiple times daily to watch fun videos and shop while at it. It repositioned the value proposition of online retail from purely convenient to experiential and even communal. Now, with new technology, Taobao is looking to set new expectations for the digital shopping experience. 

Due to Taobao’s size, scale and reach, its latest app can also help drive mixed reality experiences toward mainstream adoption. New technology, like the Apple Vision Pro, requires practical applications to add value for consumers and encourage widespread uptake. In retail alone, there are currently only a handful of shopping-focused apps compatible with the headset, and most don't work outside the US. Given its popularity, the Taobao marketplace is an outsized addition to Apple Vision Pro's practical use cases, and regular consumers, especially those in Asia, will now have a stronger incentive to try the headset.

Providing a larger-than-life reminder of the pleasure of reading — as well as a spot to do so — Madrid's city council recently installed book-shaped benches across eight of its districts. The concept is the result of a partnership between the city, Penguin Random House, Carat and JCDecaux. All 26 benches, or bancolibros, portray titles published by Penguin, and each features a QR code directing viewers to more information about the book and its author.

This is the second edition of Siéntate a leer (Sit Down to Read), with six more book benches installed this year than in 2023. Titles for residents to perch on included Esnob by Elísabet Benavent, 'En agosto nos vemos' by Gabriel García Márquez and 'Mafalda' by Quino. Besides encouraging people to read, the campaign was also meant to promote local bookstores and libraries, near which most of the benches were strategically located. Presumably because they're not just street furniture but also advertising units for a specific publisher, the bancolibros were only up for a month, until 22 June 2024.

📖 Rather than telling people about books and reading, Siéntate a leer takes a more engaging and interactive approach, creating a physical and visual invitation to immerse oneself in literature. One to bring to your own city's streets?

Following George Floyd’s murder and #BlackLivesMatter, DEI job postings surged by 123%. However, with the US election looming and socio-political polarization spiking, companies are backpedaling, fearing the woke label. Zoom, Google and Meta have already scaled back their DEI initiatives, and now Microsoft joins the club, with a team leader sending an internal email declaring DEI is 'no longer business critical' while assuring their commitment remains steadfast… 😶

The World Benchmarking Alliance’s first Social Benchmark assessment provides another wake-up call. Its study evaluated the world’s 2,000 most influential companies — including major apparel and food brands — which collectively generate revenue equal to 45% of global GDP and employ 95 million people directly, plus hundreds of millions more indirectly. It found them lacking. Five key findings from the study:

🆘 HUMAN RIGHTS, DECENT WORK AND ETHICAL CONDUCT: A staggering 90% of the assessed companies fall short of fundamental societal expectations in these areas. Over 30% of companies scored between 0 and 2 points out of a possible 20.

🚫 DUE DILIGENCE: 80% of companies scored zero on initial human rights due diligence steps, such as identifying, assessing and addressing human rights risks and impacts.

🏛️ REGULATIONS: Companies in countries with human rights regulations scored nearly 60% higher on average than those in countries without such regulations.

💸 FAIR PAY: Only 4% of the 2,000 companies pay their direct employees a living wage, and less than 1% have set a target to do so. Just 3% support living wage payments in their supply chains.

🕵️‍♂️ TRANSPARENCY: A mere 11% of companies have established a policy that publicly outlines their approach to lobbying and political engagement, and only 5% disclose their lobbying expenditures.

Not only should the backpedaling stop, but it’s time to transform DEI commitments into accountability and action — from diversifying boardrooms to empowering factory workers. Both consumers and watchdogs are seeking tech solutions that can validate claims and clear up confusion; the dual forces of new laws and AI are paving the way. Are you ready to bring accountability to your entire supply chain?

Nissan's Second Delivery program is a tech-forward take on post-purchase support. Recognizing that modern vehicles are packed with complex features and questions are likely to arise once a new owner has spent some time behind the wheel, Nissan offers an in-person tutorial around two weeks after a car is purchased or leased. A trained Tech Expert visits the driver at their preferred location — home, office or elsewhere — to provide a comprehensive walkthrough of the vehicle's technology, from advanced driver assistance systems to smartphone integration and voice recognition.

Launched in February 2023 for Ariya owners, the complimentary service is resonating with buyers, with over 5,000 appointments completed and a 93% satisfaction rate. According to Nissan, participants appreciate the program's tailored, personal approach and thoroughness, with experts spending up to two hours answering questions and demonstrating features. Building on that success, Nissan will expand Second Delivery to Rogue and LEAF models in late 2024.

According to the recently published Transparency Index from Connected Impact and Ringer Science, greenwashing is on the decline: only 2% of US companies over-promoted (that is, greenwashed) their ESG progress. But that might not be a cause for celebration. Instead, many are taking the opposite approach, with 58% under-promoting their progress. The report, which analyzed over 600,000 corporate communications at 200 US and UK companies across 12 months, supports previous research from South Pole. 

But why are companies choosing to greenhush? It's primarily the result of more robust legislation, high-profile lawsuits and increasingly informed customers. For environmental advocates that have spent decades fighting greenwashing, this shift isn't exactly good news, with greenhushing linked to a loss of momentum (as companies become less ambitious with their targets) and less solution sharing.

Some companies are bucking the trend. Google recently revealed that its greenhouse gas emissions in 2023 were 48% higher than in 2019, with the increase mostly attributed to more energy required for data centers, a consequence of the growth of AI. It's a similar story at Microsoft, which has also gone all in with AI and seen supply chain emissions rise (in 2020, the company pledged to be carbon negative by 2030). 

While these numbers aren't great, they are public. Openly acknowledging the challenges of meeting climate goals is key to creating honest dialogue around the topic. And with many brands scaling up their AI ambitions, it will be essential to keep considering the environmental impact of the shift to AI-everything, as well as potential trade-offs. So, instead of retreating into silence, are you willing to talk about your progress — or lack thereof — when it comes to emissions? Building trust through transparency isn't new, but as sustainability knowledge intersects with concerns about the pace and impact of AI, it will be even more important for brands to deliver.

Aiming to help its residents cope with rising temperatures, the city of Madrid is testing a new type of bus stop shelter. In addition to providing shade, the 'Natural Cooling' bus shelter can actually lower ambient air temperature for waiting passengers by up to 9°C (16°F). Developed and patented by JCDecaux, the units aren't equipped with energy-intensive air conditioning. Instead, they use an age-old technique — evaporative cooling. As water evaporates, it absorbs heat from its surroundings and cools the air around it.

In the bus shelter, hot air passes through a wet, honeycombed panel. The cooled air is then directed toward people seated on its bench. The self-contained system runs on solar power and harvests rainwater, which is stored in a tank. It only switches on when temperatures exceed 25°C (77°F), and someone pushes a button on the cooling panel. No mist is produced, avoiding health risks associated with inhaling microscopic water droplets.

Madrid's municipal transport company, EMT Madrid, recently installed two of the shelters in Pavones and Villaverde Cruce. While JCDecaux announced the product in 2020, this is the first time it's being trialed in a public setting. The pilot project will allow JCDecaux and EMT Madrid, which operates 4,565 shelters throughout the city, to evaluate the concept's real-world performance. If successful, cooling shelters could be widely implemented, offering a tangible solution to urban heat challenges and providing residents with a bit of relief on sweltering days.

Quiet quitting is overhauling company cultures and outputs, pushing businesses to seek cheaper (remote!) talent from abroad while simultaneously enforcing return-to-office policies.

According to Autodesk’s State of Design & Make 2024 report, 59% of global employees (61% in Americas, 54% in APAC, 61% in EMEA) say their companies are recruiting remote talent from low cost-of-living areas. Meanwhile, 62% (63% in Americas, 57% in APAC, 65% in EMEA) report that their employers are mandating a return to the workplace.

And it’s not just RTO policies. Companies are scaling back on perks like four-day workweeks and summer Fridays… 🏝️

These actions will further fuel disengagement and exacerbate tensions between employer and employee. Smart companies will take a different approach. Instead of clinging to pre-pandemic norms (which didn’t work for many people anyway), they'll embrace a new vision on labor.