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The 2024 Paris Olympics aren't just about sports but aim to showcase sustainable food, too. With over 13 million meals to be served during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, organizers see a monumental opportunity to spotlight cuisine that's not just delectable but also comes with a lower environmental impact.

France intends to leverage its culinary reputation to inspire more eco-friendly eating habits, both at major sporting events and at home. A prime example is the Athletes' Village dining hall, which will offer 500 recipes and make over a third of dishes entirely plant-based when it opens as the 'world's largest restaurant.' Spectators will see more meatless options, too. At the La Concorde venue, 100% of food served to visitors will be vegetarian. 

Additionally, 80% of the ingredients used will come from France, and 30% from organic farms or those in the process of converting. In canteens, both the nutritional values and environmental impact of each course will be displayed. By dramatically increasing meat-free options, Paris 2024 aims to halve the carbon footprint of catering at the Olympics.

Despite brands' focus on improving the CX, 71% of shoppers see no improvement or an increase in the time and effort required to make a decision. And with information overload reaching a new level (thanks to tailored ads and personalized products), 75% say they feel bombarded by advertising... 🤯

One solution? Gen AI-powered assistants that cut through the noise. These AI GENIES will work on behalf of overwhelmed consumers, ticking mundane tasks off their to-do lists. Since most people will prefer to pick and choose what they outsource, brands must learn to discern when autonomy is preferred. In fact, 55% of consumers say they are open to AI GENIES making purchases for them, especially for booking flights (70%), hotels (65%) and buying consumer tech (59%).

From 6–9 June 2024, the tenth European elections will take place in the EU's 27 member states. The previous elections, in 2019, saw electoral turnout increase for the first time since voting began. That was mainly down to a surge in young voters turning up. Still, only 42% of voters 24 and under voted. In the Netherlands, the number was even lower, at 35%.  

Since declining voter participation is a threat to democracy, Ben & Jerry's is stepping in with a sweet reward to entice more young people to vote this year. After casting their ballot on June 6th, Dutch citizens can trade in their red voting pencils for free ice cream. Ben & Jerry's will be swapping pencils for pints at six locations across the country.

Beforehand, people can confirm their intention to vote and Ben & Jerry's will send them a reminder the day before the election. For those unable to secure a red pencil, showing the confirmation email will still earn them free ice cream.

LLMs have a dirty secret. They’re thirsty: a single ChatGPT conversation uses about half a liter of water 💧 Microsoft’s 2024 Environmental Sustainability Report reveals a similar picture. The company’s C02 emissions are up by 29.1% since 2020, mainly due to the construction and provisioning of more data centers to meet customer demand for cloud services. Which makes Microsoft's goal of becoming carbon-negative by 2030 an ever-greater challenge.

More likely than not, your own company is busy adopting AI technologies to drive innovation and enhance customer experiences. And that means grappling with associated environmental implications, too.

🔴 Risk assessment: With leaders fearing they'll be outpaced by competitors in the race to deploy, gen AI is pushing sustainability down corporate priority lists. How will you stay vigilant? For starters, track the energy consumption of your brand's AI integrations and keep it in line with your ESG goals.

🟢 Opportunity: As concern about greenwashing reaches new heights, AI's ability to analyze large datasets promises to open up new routes to accountability, particularly within sustainability reporting. Use that capacity to your advantage, or face data-driven condemnation.

Of online daters, 64% are now interested in leveraging AI as a dating coach, according to cyber safety brand Norton. No longer confined to merely finding a match, AI is assisting daters in making conversation, enhancing their profiles and even simulating trial dates to break the ice. All of which could reduce the average six hours per week users spend on dating apps.

The latest AI-powered dating tools to hit the market, from Rizz and Volar to relationship coach Couply, demonstrate the field's potential. However, AI's inroads into dating are coinciding with a concerning rise in scams. While Norton obviously has skin in the game here, its data reveals a 72% increase since 2023, with nearly one in three American dating app users targeted, and almost half of those falling victim.

Given the ease of crafting a flirty text with AI, ensuring dater safety is key. Can you teach users to spot red flags, or harness AI to intervene when catfishing is about to strike?

We first wrote about Stolp in 2021, calling it a signal-blocking butter dish for better phone habits. The concept is still the same: a small Faraday cage that blocks WiFi, 3-5G and Bluetooth signals for up to five phones placed inside. What's new is that the Belgian startup has gained a prominent new partner in Marie Kondo. They've collaborated on a limited edition Stolp phone box in two muted, matte colors: KonMari Brown and KonMari Sand. Each box comes with a guide to digital decluttering based on Kondo's famous joy-sparking philosophy.

Just as Kondo shaped contemporary views on home organization, inspiring many to adopt a more intentional approach to their living spaces, she and Stolp encourage people to take a thoughtful approach to their digital lives and the devices that distract them from focusing on what truly matters. By integrating Stolp into their daily routines, users can adopt a physical ritual for unplugging, making space for moments of calm and deeper connections with those around them.

Hyatt is teaming up with Peloton to motivate guests to prioritize their wellness while traveling. The partnership aims to be the first global hotel loyalty program incentivizing members to exercise by rewarding them with points. Guests at participating Hyatt properties will have access to Peloton bikes and rowing machines in fitness centers and to Peloton workout classes streamed directly to their room's TV. 

Good behavior isn't just its own reward

By doling out points to World of Hyatt members for completing Peloton cycling and rowing classes during their stay, Hyatt is tapping into an enduring trend we call CURRENCIES OF CHANGE. It's the notion of appealing to people's desire to save money (or accumulate valuable points) while simultaneously working toward self-improvement goals.

As travelers increasingly prioritize their mental and physical health, hospitality brands have loyalty-building opportunities to move beyond tangible amenities and position themselves as partners in guests' overall wellbeing journeys.

A 2024 study called The ABC of Mobility shows that 51.4% of commuters across 794 cities in 61 countries travel by car. Although the negative impacts of congestion and combustion engine cars are undisputed — air and noise pollution, GHG emissions and inefficient use of public space, to name a few — the transition to more sustainable options is slow.

The study finds considerable differences between cities, correlating with income and region:

• In cities with twice the average income, 37% more trips are made by car.
• In cities in Asia, a significant portion of trips are by public transport. In cities in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, trips are mainly by car, regardless of city size. Within Europe, there are notable differences in the share of different modes of transport, from cities with predominantly active mobility (like cycling in Utrecht) to cities where public transport plays a crucial role (the subway in Paris or London), to cities where more than two out of three trips are made by car (such as Rome and Manchester).

French soccer club Paris Saint-Germain has released its first fully AI-generated campaign, consisting of photos introducing the team's 2024-25 home kit. None of the players were photographed for the images and none of their faces were photoshopped; the images were entirely generated by AI. The only parts that were tweaked in post-production were the logos on their shirts.

Says the campaign's creator, Benjamin Benichou of Drop: "In this case, using AI wasn't about replacing human creativity but enhancing it. It was also a busy period for the players, so shooting with them wasn't an option." He trained local generative AI models on existing images of the players, the new jerseys and various PSG brand elements. Benichou asks a question that's rapidly becoming a common refrain: "If I wouldn't have told you, would you have spotted that it was made with AI?"

Lil Miquela 🇺🇸 Shudu 🇿🇦 Lu do Magalu 🇧🇷... AI influencers aren't new, but AI tools allow for a speedier and cheaper creation of AI personas, driving demand for the role on freelancing platforms like Fiverr. Global searches on Fiverr for 'AI influencer' flew up by 6,305% over the past six months.

In addition to AI mega influencers, new AI niche influencers like Spanish gamer/model Aitana and 23-year-old Kant reboot Manu are joining the AI creator economy. They won't replace human influencers, but they're yet another competitor for followers and marketing spend. While Gen Z-ers are excited about AI influencers, they also worry their dream career as an influencer is no longer feasible... 💸

So, why not support them in becoming what we've dubbed M.E.O.s, the one-person, maker C.E.O.s of tomorrow? Take a cue from Ariel Marie, who (unlike Scarlett Johansson) actually gave AI companies full consent to use her persona for AI-generated content.

PwC just published its first Global AI Jobs Barometer, analyzing AI's impact on jobs, skills, wages and productivity in 15 countries. One of the report's key findings? "Sectors most exposed to AI — financial services, information technology and professional services — are experiencing nearly five times higher labor productivity growth than sectors less exposed to AI."

That surge in productivity is paired with a rapid change in the kind of know-how required from workers. Parsing 500 million job ads, PwC found that skills demanded by employers evolved 25% faster for occupations most able to use AI than for roles that are less AI-enabled.

While skills that can be complemented by AI are in demand, so are those that are hard for AI to perform. Examples listed by PwC include laser hair removal, yoga instruction and ecological restoration — careers that lean heavily on inhabiting a human body. For now, at least 🙃

In Q4 2024, Nestlé will launch Vital Pursuit, the first product range by a major food brand designed specifically for consumers taking GLP-1 weight loss medications. Since Ozempic, Wegovy and similar drugs work by decreasing appetite, Vital Pursuit's 12 frozen meals and snacks will come in smaller portions. They'll also contain extra protein to counteract the muscle loss commonly associated with the drugs. 

Meanwhile, Abbott repeatedly referred to GLP-1 medications when releasing its new high-protein nutrition shakes, and Daily Harvest created a GLP-1 Companion Food Collection.

According to the American Pharmacists Association, one in 60 adults was prescribed a GLP-1 medication in 2023, and that number is expected to jump this year. Morgan Stanley estimates approximately 10% of the US population could be on the drug by 2034 — that's around 35 million people no longer experiencing constant cravings for processed foods... 

Unexpected recurring payment from an unknown brand name showing up on a bank statement? That happens regularly, with 36% of Brits spotting a scamscription or payment trap in 2023. Considering that inflation ranks as the number one concern for the 25th consecutive month, this is becoming more of a concern.

From LatAm to Asia, the subscription economy is booming, with consumers appreciating the convenience, cost-effectiveness and personalization these services provide. Yet many people don't realize they're signing up for a recurring payment: per Citizens Advice, 13 million Brits (26%) accidentally signed up for a subscription in 2023. Auto-renews, free trials and unclear terms are the most common reasons.

We know England can be prone to the odd spot of rain ☔😉, but wet days are becoming more than a mild inconvenience. Three in five English adults say extreme weather affects their ability to be active. According to the UK's Football Association, 30% of community pitches are flooded for two months of the year, resulting in an estimated 120,000 lost soccer matches annually.

Recognizing the impact of flooding and unusually heavy downpours, UK sporting body Sport England has announced Every Move, a comprehensive strategy for dealing with the effects of climate change. Planned initiatives include restoring flooded pitches and making swimming pools more environmentally and financially sustainable. Sport England has also warned of funding cuts to organizations without robust sustainability measures in place by 2027, stating: "It's time we moved from informing and encouraging to enabling and requiring."

Findings from Sport England's recent survey of sports clubs and other stakeholders underscore the need for change: 4 in 10 organizations are already affected by disruptions to play caused by weather events, and 59% state that funding for environmental initiatives is the type of support they want most. As Sport England says, "While it might not be convenient or easy, we have to act now."

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P.S. The accompanying image isn't a random cute pic. Since harvest mice are suffering from a loss of habitat, Wimbledon tennis balls are donated to conservation programs around Britain to serve as spherical mouse homes.

Just under 16 minutes. That's how long it takes to get a mental boost from exercise. The ASICS 2024 State of Mind Study reinforces the positive impact of exercise on psychological wellbeing and identifies a direct link between exercise in teenage years and mental health in adulthood. The study, which surveyed over 26,000 people across 22 countries, also reveals that 57% of the Silent Generation were active daily in their childhood, compared to just 19% of Gen Z.

It could get even worse for the next generation – whose members handle iPads before their third birthday and spend 2.48 hours a week shopping online (US kids 8 or younger). So it's time to nudge kids and teenagers, from Gen Alpha to Gen Z, to swap their digital playgrounds for IRL exercise. It's likely to help them feel more energized (30%), confident (21%), focused (19%) and relaxed (23%), equipping them with life-long mental resilience.

Unsurprisingly, sportswear brands are taking the lead:
🏊 adidas enters the move-to-earn scene with 1,000 NFTs
🏃 Saucony challenges phone users to run further than they scroll
🧘‍♀️ Nike and Dove's Body Confident Sport builds body confidence in girls
🤸 In a generational flip, ASICS' Little Reminders sees 7-to-8-year-olds remind adults to exercise