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Across Europe and the US, 79% of workers are clocking serious unpaid overtime — logging the equivalent of two full extra workdays every week. That’s over two months of free labor per year. 😵‍💫 In the US, workers average 60 hours of unpaid overtime per month, followed by the UK (40 hours) and Germany (31 hours).

Why? Because 84% say they feel pressure to work overtime — and 72% say it’s only worsened since the pandemic. Always-on devices, blurred work-life boundaries, and an ingrained hustle culture have made clocking off feel like a rebellious act.

🥥 Enter Malibu, teaming up with Succession star Brian Cox (TV’s most infamous workaholic) in a surprising turn as the poster man for logging off. In the brand’s latest Do Whatever Tastes Good campaign, Cox trades boardroom barks for roller skates and a pink blazer — skating away at exactly 17:01 to celebrate the radical joy of finishing work on time. This follows Cox’s collaboration with ASICS promoting 15-minute breaks to combat desk-bound burnout.

To drive the message home, Malibu unveiled a ‘Clock Off Fountain’ in London, where overworked pedestrians could toss their phones (safely sealed) into the water, freeing themselves from after-hours messages in exchange for a Malibu Piña Colada. 🍹💧

🛼 This campaign isn’t just cheeky fun — it hits a cultural nerve. With Gen Z logging the most after-hours comms and unpaid hours, brands that position themselves as advocates for leisure, laughter and life beyond the inbox will win hearts and hours.

Samsung New Zealand has partnered with online content filtering platform Safe Surfer and the Auckland Normal Intermediate School on The Worst Children’s Library, a pop-up experience showcasing the harmful online content children face daily. During the first weekend of April 2025, the Auckland Normal Intermediate School library’s collection of regular books was replaced with over 1,000 fictional titles representing real digital threats — think self-harm, hate speech, toxic beauty standards and more. The topics were curated based on global legal, academic and media data of actual harmful content kids have experienced online.

The exhibition, attended by parents, teachers, and government officials, aimed to bridge the awareness gap between adults and the digital experiences children face daily. It also spotlighted the partnership between Samsung New Zealand and Safe Surfer, which last year launched a Kid-Safe Smartphone with built-in safety features and content filtering to protect children online.

Online safety for children is receiving renewed attention, driven partly by the viral success of Netflix’s Adolescence, which has sparked conversations about the deeper effects of always-connected lifestyles. With a smartphone in every pocket, it’s harder for kids to escape exposure to harmful content or peer bullying. And often, they stay silent while parents struggle to grasp the digital world their children inhabit — leaving a dangerous communication gap that limits adults’ ability to intervene.

What role can your brand play in protecting young people online? Can you help parents better understand their children’s digital lives, or empower kids and teens with the tools they need to safely navigate today’s hyper-connected world?

Spain's leading bookstore chain, Casa del Libro, has launched an innovative tool that calculates exactly how many books a person needs to read to reach their life goal. The campaign, titled "A unos libros de distancia" (Just a Few Books Away), positions reading as the pathway to achieving any ambition: from becoming a finance expert to, as demonstrated during the launch event, becoming Spain's first female prime minister.

The initiative cleverly inverts today's AI dynamic. While millions turn to chatbots for instant guidance, Casa del Libro directs people back to the original knowledge sources the bots were trained on. The tool employs a sophisticated AI backend combining GPT models and semantic embeddings to analyze a database of over 250,000 books, creating personalized reading journeys tailored to specific life objectives.

For the campaign launch, a teenage girl stood before Spain's Congress of Deputies surrounded by the 148 books the algorithm calculated she would need to read to become the country's first female head of government. Casa del Libro demonstrates how to rethink the practice of futuring as a B2C service. By providing tools that help people envision their future selves, brands can help them make better decisions today. Instead of offering easy, instant answers, could your brand buck the trend and similarly create a system charting long-term, deliberate paths to personal transformation?

Kimpton Hotels is tapping into the growing trend of 'tattourism' through a new partnership with micro-tattoo studio Tiny Zaps. As of this month, the collaboration is bringing pop-up tattoo residencies to five Kimpton properties across the United States, allowing guests to commemorate their travels with permanent souvenirs inked directly onto their skin.

The residencies will rotate through hotels in Nashville, New Orleans, Los Angeles, New York and Washington, DC, with designs created to reflect each destination's unique character — think a trumpet or a shrimp tail in New Orleans, a water tower or theater ticket in New York, etc. Each location will host monthly tattoo events through June 2025, where hotel guests can receive free tiny tattoos placed by a local artist from Tiny Zaps' network.

Leveraging the intersection of travel and self-expression, the collaborative perk provides an alternative to conventional souvenirs while building on the historical practice of marking journeys through tattoos. A sailors' tradition dating back centuries, travel tattoos have found new traction among consumers seeking fun ways to document and share their adventures.

Two and a half centuries after Josiah Wedgwood perfected Jasperware, with its distinctive matte finish, the British ceramics brand is marking the milestone with a decidedly 21st-century approach. The company has launched Jasper 250 AI, a generative tool that enables anyone to get creative and play with an iconic style of pottery.

The initiative echoes a 1930 international design competition when Wedgwood celebrated its founder's bicentennial, which crowned Danish artist Emmanuel Tjerne. Now, participants can share their AI-generated designs across social platforms using #jasper250, with the winning creation to be 3D-printed and acquired by the V&A Wedgwood Collection.

Rather than asking people to passively admire tradition, Wedgwood is inviting them to actively collaborate with its legacy — positioning AI as a bridge between today's consumers and the brand's heritage. By translating 250 years of stoneware artistry into an accessible digital format, Wedgwood demonstrates how even the most storied brands can allow consumers to mold tradition and make it their own.

Once a Saturday ritual on the high street, shopping has shape-shifted into a 24/7 digital drip — from TikTok hauls to Roblox skins to one-click Amazon finds. But in the shift from discovery to delivery, something got lost: the spark. ✨

Criteo’s latest report — The Spark of Discovery: Reigniting the Emotion of E-Commerce — dives into this exact tension. Surveying 6,000 consumers and 600 brand leaders across the UK, US, France, Germany, Japan and South Korea, it maps out the new mood in retail:

🛍️ In-store still satisfies: 40% of shoppers prefer IRL experiences, with sensory appeal (71%) and practicality (64%) topping the list of reasons why.

📦 E-com: All speed, no spark? 54% want joy from online shopping, but 76% say the experience lacks surprise or delight. Also, 79% find it lonely, 78% overwhelming and 29% say it feels like a chore. Still, efficiency (63%) and convenience (61%) keep it relevant.

🛒 Impulse still hits: 50% of consumers make unplanned purchases, mostly in-store (36% vs. 13%) – #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt numbers excluded? 🧐 Anyways, 36% say the unexpected find is missing online and 49% feel most satisfied when they stumble across something unplanned.

With 61% of brands saying discovery is the biggest barrier to engagement, emotion is the missing layer. So, how can digital touchpoints recapture the magic of the unplanned and unforgettable?

🕹️ Enter at unexpected moments: Walmart meets shoppers where they already are, like Minecraft Discords. It’s not a storefront; it’s a fandom touchpoint.

🧠 Use AI for emotional design: Google’s new AI tools let users describe a vibe and get matched with curated beauty and fashion items — less scroll fatigue, more creative spark.

🏬 Reimagine retail as experience: If joy can’t be scaled digitally, bring it to life physically — like H&M’s Berlin portrait pop-up celebrating self-expression, or Glossier’s perfume launch, featuring AI-generated poetry and an immersive confetti cloud.

Following its premiere last week, A Minecraft Movie has quickly become a box-office hit. It earned USD 313 million globally in its opening weekend, making it the biggest debut of the year so far, and the highest-grossing opening weekend in US history for a video game adaptation. Its success is especially notable against recent high-profile disappointments such as Captain America: Brave New World and Disney’s live-action Snow White.

Minecraft is massive — it has 300 million copies sold and over 140 million monthly players — and the film's strong performance is driven by the original IP's immense fanbase. At a glance, the film’s popularity reflects a familiar truth: give consumers what they love, and they’ll show up. But in a landscape where studios keep churning out franchises and reboots that regularly flop, Minecraft’s success underscores a crucial gap between executive decisions and genuine consumer preferences. It’s a timely reminder for brands in every industry: how well do you understand your audience, and how many of your initiatives are truly consumer-centric?

On a deeper level, the movie illustrates how culture continues to drive commerce. Tapping into a beloved IP can unlock immediate engagement, but only when handled with authenticity. A Minecraft Movie is packed with easter eggs and deep-cut references — from ‘chicken jockeys’ (a rare in-game NPC) to the fan-favorite ‘yearn for the mines’ phrase. These moments, delivered with gusto by Jack Black, have gone viral and inspired enthusiastic audience response, transforming the film into more than entertainment — it has become a cultural moment.

At a time when media consumption is deeply fragmented, cheering in unison with a theater full of strangers over an inside joke becomes something rare. It invites consumers into a shared, communal experience and extends a sense of belonging. The memes might move on, but the lesson stands. What shared cultural moment could your brand spark? And when the next one comes around, will your brand be ready to join the conversation?

Confectionery giant Lotte has launched Shu-Chew Beats, a concentration-boosting tool that pairs custom-composed tracks with syncopated chewing to help office workers regain their focus. In response to a survey revealing that nearly 80% of Japanese employees struggle to concentrate in office environments, Lotte is pitching its gum as a functional candy that can serve as a 'brain warm-up exercise' for workers who feel distracted.

The project, developed under the supervision of neuroscientist Professor Yoshikuni Edagawa of Ritsumeikan University, offers three hour-long soundtracks at different beats — and chews — per minute, each designed for specific concentration needs. Chill runs at 66 BPM for precision and accuracy, Hyper at 120 BPM for efficiency, and Extreme at 140 BPM for processing speed (and a decent jaw workout). Japanese electronic music artists Shohei Amimori, Shinichi Osawa and Pasocom Music Club created the tracks, which have racked up hundreds of thousands of views since they were uploaded to YouTube last month.

Shu-Chew Beats answers a widespread consumer need for clarity, calm and control in increasingly overwhelming environments. Combining gum (a physical anchor) with neuroscience-informed audio (a cognitive anchor), Lotte positions itself not just as a candy brand, but as a tool for self-optimization. As the lines between wellness, productivity and entertainment continue to blur, how can your brand hit its own sweet spot by turning an everyday product or habit into a mindful ritual?

As the Netherlands gears up for King's Day celebrations, retailer HEMA is addressing a perennial pain point at large events: the shortage of toilets, particularly for women. The brand has launched Thuistoilet (Home Toilet), transforming private residences across ten Dutch cities into a network of accessible bathrooms for orange-clad revelers.

Participating residents receive a free kit containing bathroom essentials like cleaning supplies, air fresheners, tampons and The Good Roll's sustainable toilet paper. Those in need of a loo will be able to find their good samaritan via a map on HEMA's website; homes are also invited to display an official poster. Hosts are asked to provide access from 1  pm to 6 pm on King's Day, and maintain full control over access to their home.

Tapping into people's innate desire to help others, Thuistoilet creates a framework for strangers to assist one another in addressing a practical need. Transforming a common constraint into an opportunity for doing good, HEMA and campaign developer Tosti Creative identified a feel-good, human solution that should boost both brand equity and community spirit on one of the nation's biggest holidays.

OpenAI and MIT Media Lab just released their first large-scale study on ChatGPT’s impact on emotional wellbeing. After analyzing 40 million weekly user interactions, researchers found that while most chats are quick and transactional, a small group of users (~10%) engages far more deeply, spending an average of 30 minutes a day with the chatbot. These users often describe ChatGPT as a source of trust or companionship. But this digital closeness comes with caveats.

➡️ More usage, more loneliness? The study found that intensive users reported increased loneliness and reduced real-world socializing. Female participants were slightly less likely to engage socially after four weeks of use. And users who interacted with a voice-mode chatbot of a different gender were more likely to feel emotionally dependent and lonely by the end of the study.

⚠️ Another layer: ChatGPT itself shows signs of reduced emotional resilience when exposed to trauma-heavy conversations — raising questions about the mental load on machines, too.

As AI becomes more emotionally embedded in people’s lives, brands can’t afford to think in scripts and FAQs alone. If consumers are venting, bonding or trauma-dumping on your bot – tone, boundaries and emotional intelligence matter.

✨ Two trends and two tools to build emotionally intelligent touchpoints:

1️⃣ Inside the chat – VIRTUAL COMPANIONS
Bots aren’t just support agents anymore — they’re becoming low-stakes friends (like your work friends), especially for younger users seeking connections that feel safe, nonjudgmental and always-on.

🤖 Example: In clinical trials, AI therapist Therabot reduced depression symptoms by 51%, anxiety by 31% and eating disorder symptoms by 19%.

2. Beyond the chat – SOCIAL FABRICS
As screen-based comfort replaces social confidence, brands can step in with tools that rebuild confidence beyond the screen. Think AI-powered rehearsal buddies, low-pressure meetups and tech that nudges users back into the real world.

💕 Example: Tinder's new OpenAI-powered flirting coach simulates dating convos, gives feedback and helps users sharpen their in-person charm — before they move on to the real thing.

Ten architects and designers have created a striking collection of funeral urns for Alessi's The Last Pot exhibition at Milan Design Week. The project, curated by Alberto Alessi, explores the funeral urn as a final container — an object surprisingly overlooked by the design world despite its significance.

The show includes contributions from David Chipperfield, Daniel Libeskind, Audrey Large and Philippe Starck. Vienna-based EOOS Design contributed Totem, designing metal urns in two sizes, smaller for pets and larger for humans, which can be stacked to create "a totem that represents families, clans, or tribes." Hangzhou's Mario Tsai Studio created something resembling a heavy book, for storing on a shelf or keeping out on a coffee table. One segment of Tsai's urn holds ashes; the other, revealed when the 'book' is opened, has room for photos or letters.

The Last Pot reflects broader societal shifts toward death positivity — a movement seeking to normalize discussions around mortality and reclaim death as a personal, cultural and aesthetic experience. It aligns with other innovations in the death care industry, from human composting to dissolving urns and mycelium coffins, as designers increasingly apply their skills to personalize and bring meaning to the end of life. As people seek alternatives to traditional funeral practices, opportunities arise to transform objects of mourning into vessels of memory and identity.

For a change, the most talked-about IPO in Asia wasn’t an AI disruptor or fintech unicorn, it was bubble tea. Mixue, the China-based bubble tea and ice cream brand, debuted on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in early March. The IPO was oversubscribed 5258 times, with shares jumping 30% on the first day and remaining up 49% since. Mixue’s momentum mirrors wider market interest in the category — another major Chinese tea brand, Chagee, filed for its highly-anticipated Nasdaq IPO last week. Still, long-term performance remains uncertain; Nayuki, one of the first Chinese tea chains to go public in 2021, has seen its stock fall 90% since.

Yes, the popularity of Mixue’s stock is largely due to its rapid expansion. The brand has been opening an average of 21 stores every day since 2019. At 45,000 outlets globally, it is now the largest fast food and drink chain by store count, surpassing both McDonald’s (43,000+) and Starbucks (41,000+). But beyond business metrics, its success reveals something more telling: the strength of little treat culture as a consumer driver.

Mixue offers low prices (often 20% lower than competitors) and a product people enjoy — so much so, that when it was recently revealed that some stores had engaged in unsafe handling of ingredients, most consumers simply laughed it off. But its real resonance lies in the cultural role of bubble tea in many Asian markets as consumers’ go-to “happy drink.” It has become a default small treat — something people turn to for a mood lift, whether they are struggling through a difficult day or celebrating a mini milestone.

The tendency to escape into small pleasures is the cornerstone of little treat culture, a global movement that has traction momentum on social media in the last few years. Beyond being just another quirky TikTok trend, however, little treat culture reflects a broader consumer reality. Amid inflation, ongoing global crises and a general sense of instability, consumers are gravitating toward accessible, everyday pleasures. These aren’t luxury splurges — they’re manageable indulgences that provide a sense of control and comfort.

For brands, the opportunity is clear. You don’t have to be in the business of drinks or desserts to deliver small moments of delight. The question is: how can your brand embed everyday joy into its offerings and become a source of positive, repeatable experiences for your customers?

Healthcare provider Akido Labs is bringing AI-powered medical care directly to New York City's busy ride-share drivers, addressing a critical gap in access for gig workers who often skip seeing a doctor to avoid losing income. The Los Angeles-based company will deploy its ScopeAI technology, which suggests diagnoses and treatments based on patients' symptoms and medical histories, with human doctors reviewing and making final decisions. The Wall Street Journal reports that Akido trained its model with historical data gathered from actual patient visits.

Partnering with the Independent Drivers Guild and Workers Benefit Fund, Akido plans to position employees equipped with ScopeAI in strategic locations throughout New York. Appointments facilitated by the technology typically last 30-45 minutes, with certified medical assistants gathering patient information prompted by the AI system. The initiative aims to deliver "whole person care" addressing physical, behavioral and social health factors for drivers whose demanding schedules — often exceeding 10 hours a day — make traditional healthcare access challenging.

The risks associated with integrating AI in healthcare shouldn't be overlooked, especially as technological developments outpace regulatory changes. Unrepresentative training data can perpetuate health inequities and lead to risk miscalculations, and privacy concerns loom large as extensive data collection borders on bio-surveillance. That said, patients are becoming more comfortable with AI-powered decision-making if paired with human oversight. Predictive models have the potential to make healthcare more personalized, efficient and scalable, while delivering the convenience consumers have come to expect in every industry.

An unusual bookstore just opened its doors in Naples — one that emphatically places emotions at the center of the literary experience. Luce, Italy's first 'emotional bookstore,' invites visitors to explore books through the lens of feelings rather than traditional genre classifications, creating a deliberate counterpoint to hardening cultural forces.

Founded by Neapolitan author Lorenzo Marone and family mediator Roberta Nicodemo, the 'libreria emotiva' organizes books based on four primary emotions: joy, anger, sadness and anxiety. The bookstore emerges at a moment when anti-feminist rhetoric and segments of the manosphere championing emotional detachment have gained prominence and power. In contrast, Luce deliberately reclaims and celebrates qualities traditionally dismissed as feminine weaknesses — emotional intelligence, vulnerability and empathy — repositioning them as essential strengths and catalysts for social connection and social change.

The 100-square-meter space, which opened on 30 March 2025, aims to be "a light in the emotional and empathic void," explicitly championing women's voices and perspectives. "Luce seeks to recall the illuminating strength of women, giving space to their determination and view of the world," explains Marone. Beyond selling books, the venue hosts workshops on emotional literacy and critical thinking, transforming reading into what the founders describe as an act of resistance.

At its Alfafar store in Valencia, Spain, IKEA has launched a community-focused initiative providing free retail space to nine local businesses devastated by last October's catastrophic floods. The program, called "La meua llar és la teua" (My home is your home), enables entrepreneurs to reconnect with customers while their original premises are under reconstruction and repairs.

Among the businesses finding temporary shelter at IKEA are a bookstore, a fashion boutique, a plant shop and a beauty salon. Participants were selected by Nittúa, a Valencia-based platform for socioeconomic innovation. As reported by Europa Press, the initiative represents a lifeline for struggling entrepreneurs like Cristian, CEO of workwear retailer Worket: "The flood took away our store and left us in uncertainty. Today, we have the opportunity to resume our activity in IKEA's space. This isn't just a place to sell — it's the hope of starting over."

For IKEA store director Diana Carrero, the program embodies solidarity in challenging times: "We're convinced that unity creates strength, which has become even more irrefutable after the past months." The collaborative approach not only helps flood-affected businesses survive but demonstrates how large retailers can leverage their resources to support local economic recovery following a crisis.