Canada & China - Myesports Ventures — Purpose-built esports stadiums under development
August 2018 saw Myesports Ventures unveil plans for a stadium dedicated to esports in Canada. Similar to traditional sports arenas, the Gaming Stadium will seat 250 spectators and feature 40 gaming stations, broadcasting facilities and food and beverage outlets. The stadium is set to open in 2019. The world's first purpose-built esports stadium (still under development) is based in Chongqing, China.

US - Ward — App allows fantasy predictions on esports games
A US-created app launched in June 2018 allowing fantasy esports fans to make predictions about games in real time. Ward users predict their version of in-game events to win prizes such as headphones, tickets for championships and signed merchandise such as team jerseys. The initiative launched following USD 600,000 seed investment from backers Impulse VC, SmartHub and a number of European angel investors.

US - H4X — Brand offers performance apparel for esports athletes
Launched by San Francisco-based design company Moniker in February 2018, H4X is an esports apparel brand. The label's performance wear (which has technical features to aid player comfort) and casual streetwear is aimed at both esports athletes and fans. H4X signed its first sponsorship with Complexity Gaming in June 2018.

Russia - Pochta Bank and RESF — Bank creates card with perks for esports fans
August 2018 saw Russia-based Pochta Bank announce a partnership with the Russian Esports Federation. The partnership will create a new bank card for gamers that gives holders access to the website ‘Cyberlab’. The members-only section of the website allows users to interact with esports stars, access online practice sessions, enter giveaways and receive coaching from professional players. The card will be available to those who are at least 14 years old.

Europe - Porsche — Esports competition winner learns how to race cars in real life
In August 2018, Porsche partnered with Microsoft and esports platform ESL to launch the 911 GT3 RS Challenge. The global competition will see esports players compete in several online rounds, including one at the Gamescom event in Cologne. The final winner earns the opportunity to enter the Porsche Mastercup Training in Barcelona, a two-day course that teaches a select group of drivers how to race the Porsche 911 GT3 RS in real life.

Singapore - Changi Airport — Airport introduces animatronic butterflies and five-story playground
Singapore's Changi Airport debuted its Luck is Everywhere campaign in July 2018, promoting its ‘Be a Changi Millionaire’ shopping giveaway. The campaign saw animatronic, remote-controlled butterflies released into the airport. The butterflies were made to replicate the Diaethria Anna species, which naturally has an '88' design on its wing; the number eight is a symbol of luck and prosperity in Asia. Then in August, Changi Airport made Chandelier, a five-story-high playground, open to the public. The woven playground features climbing nets and a pole to slide down. It can be used by up to 50 people at a time, for free, at any time of day.

Denmark - Fokstrot — Artificial urban islands function as public spaces
Denmark-based design studio Fokstrot released a prototype for artificial 'islands', to be placed in the Copenhagen harbor as a public space, in Q1 2018. The Copenhagen Islands project will see the wooden platforms function as a resting spot and park for swimmers and kayakers; the islands will be connected to one another, forming a 'parkipelago', for special events. The project's islands are set to include a stage, mussel farm, sauna and diving board.

Canada - Creactive — Circus-themed family experience designed for malls
Creactive is a family entertainment concept for retail spaces, devised by Canada's Cirque du Soleil. Unveiled in June 2018, the interactive, immersive experiences have been designed for locations such as malls. The touring circus has created an experience including activities such as aerial parkour, mask design, juggling and bungee jumping. The first Creactive space will open in Toronto in September 2019.

LooxidLabs — VR headset measures and tracks shoppers’ emotions.
LooxidVR is a VR headset that measures and tracks shoppers’ emotions. Developed by California-based Looxid Labs, the headset is equipped with six EEG sensors and two eye-tracking cameras, and can measure the wearer’s brain activity, eye movement, and pupil dilation when watching VR content (virtual store fronts, for example). The device then uses AI to turn the data into useful insights for retailers. Available to pre-order from February 2018, LooxidVR won a CES Best of Innovation Award in January 2018.

Korea - KAWS — Artist creates 28-meter floating sculpture
July 2018 saw American artist KAWS unveil KAWS:HOLIDAY in Seoul’s Seokchon Lake. The exhibit, which was produced collaboration with Hong Kong-based creative studio AllRightsReserved, includes a 28-meter inflatable floating sculpture. Accompanying KAWS:HOLIDAY was a range of limited edition merchandise, such as a scaled-down rubber bath toy based on the floating sculpture.

UK - Now TV — Giant statue of Jeff Goldblum appears in London
Marking the 25th anniversary of Jurassic Park, a 25ft (7.6m) statue of Hollywood actor Jeff Goldblum made a brief appearance next to London's Tower Bridge in July 2018. Mimicking a pose Goldblum made famous in his role as Dr Ian Malcolm in the 1993 movie, the effigy was created by Sky's on-demand entertainment provider, Now TV. The statue weighed 331 pounds (150 kilograms) and took more than six weeks to build.

China - Liebian International Plaza — China constructs tallest artificial waterfall off tower’s facade
July 2018 saw China complete the world’s largest man-made waterfall – off a skyscraper. Located in the southwest province of Guizhou, Liebian International Plaza stands 397 feet tall and features a 354-foot waterfall off the tower’s exterior. The waterfall uses recycled runoff water, and arranging for a waterfall show takes two hours of prep work and costs RMB 800 or USD 118 per hour in electricity. Officials say the cascades will only be turned on for special occasions.

Sweden - Björn Borg — Brand uses AR to raise awareness of LGBT rights
June 2018 saw Swedish underwear brand Björn Borg launch a campaign during the FIFA Wold Cup to raise awareness of LGBTQ rights. During the tournament’s opening match (Russia versus Saudi Arabia), fans were encouraged to visit an online platform and place an augmented reality image of a gay couple kissing above the crowd with the tagline ‘Love will Win Tonight’. Images could be viewed via mobile or laptop and could be shared across social media. In Saudi Arabia, homosexuality is an offence punishable by death, while Russia’s LGBT policies have been widely criticized.

Mexico - Minecraft — Gamers help rebuild reefs with in-game creations
Minecraft launched the Coral Crafters coral-rebuilding campaign in Mexico in time for June 2018’s World Ocean Day. The campaign saw Minecraft ask players – including YouTube influencer StacyPlays – to design sculptures for new coral that would be built in real life using Biorock (which accelerates natural coral growth). In addition to building the structures, the game released a special in-game expansion, with proceeds from purchases going to The Nature Conservancy. Minecraft pledged to donate USD 100,000 to the same nonprofit once players had placed 10 million coral blocks underwater in Minecraft.

Brazil - Calvin Klein — Customers invited to play in luxury brand’s display windows
June 2018 saw Calvin Klein install a ball pit in the window of its São Paulo store. Customers were invited to play in the pit and share photos on social media. The campaign coincided with the city’s Gay Pride parade, and Calvin Klein underwear multipacks were sold in the colors of the rainbow with 10% of the proceeds being donated to an LGBT charity.

Bulgaria, Japan and beyond - Pokémon Go — Gamers win rewards for collecting trash
In April 2018, Pokémon Go partnered with ocean conservation organization Mission Blue and local NGOs to offer game players a chance to win rewards for collecting garbage. Timed to coincide with Earth Day, each event lasted 48 hours, with available rewards depending on the total number of people who participated, and each entrant receiving a special avatar item. Cleanups took place across the globe in countries such as Bulgaria, China and Japan.

Canada - Montreal Jazz festival — Festival’s brand identity captures concertgoers’ data
In April 2018, the Montreal Jazz Festival debuted a new brand identity – a visual representation of data captured from concertgoers. The organizer hosted an event in 2017 where sensors around the venue collected information related to attendees’ five senses. The collective body temperature, foot stomping, cheers, and beer purchases of the crowd were captured, and the festival’s new designs and marketing materials were generated from the resulting data.

UK - Keaton Henson — Audience's emotional responses control concert lighting
In July 2018, English musician Keaton Henson performed Six Lethargies, an interactive composition at the Barbican in London. During the live performance, several audience members were monitored with biometric sensors, which monitored their nervous – and emotional – reaction to the music. The data produced controlled the lighting system at the concert. The artist hoped to capture how, through his music, his own feelings of anxiety and depression could be felt by the audience.

UK - Keaton Henson — Audience's emotional responses control concert lighting
In July 2018, English musician Keaton Henson performed Six Lethargies, an interactive composition at the Barbican in London. During the live performance, several audience members were monitored with biometric sensors, which monitored their nervous – and emotional – reaction to the music. The data produced controlled the lighting system at the concert. The artist hoped to capture how, through his music, his own feelings of anxiety and depression could be felt by the audience.

NBA — New flagship is the world’s first sensory-inclusive retail store.
Celebrating World Autism Awareness Day, April 2018 saw the NBA‘s flagship store reopen as the first sensory-inclusive retail location in the world. The NBA worked with nonprofit KultureCity to make the store accessible for shoppers sensitive to regular retail environments. Bags with noise-canceling headphones are available, as well as weighted lap bands and fidget spinners, and staff received training on how to interact with and help shoppers with conditions such as autism, PTSD or dementia.

Emirates NBD — Initiatives make banking easier for individuals with disabilities.
March 2018 saw Emirates NBD unveil a series of initiatives to help individuals with special needs use self-service banking facilities in branches across Dubai. Part of the bank's #TogetherLimitless campaign, the initiatives included a Braille-enabled account opening service, which converts application information into English or Arabic Braille. Branch managers also received American Sign Language training. Emirates NBD also trialled a hearing loop service in the Jumeirah branch.

US - Microsoft — Packaging for disability-friendly games controller gets easy-to-open design
July 2018 saw the unveiling of the Xbox Adaptive Controller’s easy-to-open packaging. The accessible design allows the packaging to be pulled apart with the user’s teeth, making it easier for gamers with limited mobility to open. First announced by Microsoft in May 2018, the controller is specially designed for gamers with disabilities, and retails at USD 99.99.

France - Ubisoft — Video game players instantly banished for racist chat
July 2018 saw French video game publisher Ubisoft taking decisive action against racist trolls in its video game, Rainbow Six: Siege. Players using specific words in public chat channels are banned instantly, with the bans also broadcast to everyone who is online. The automatic bans remove players from the game for roughly half an hour on the first offense, and two hours on the second or third offense.

France - Ubisoft — Video game players instantly banished for racist chat
July 2018 saw French video game publisher Ubisoft taking decisive action against racist trolls in its video game, Rainbow Six: Siege. Players using specific words in public chat channels are banned instantly, with the bans also broadcast to everyone who is online. The automatic bans remove players from the game for roughly half an hour on the first offense, and two hours on the second or third offense.

UK - Pedigree — Online platform pairs elderly residents with local dogs in need of walking
Petcare brand Pedigree has unveiled End Loneliness: a campaign matching lonely elderly people with dogs in their local areas. Individuals aged over 65 can register online to be paired with nearby dog owners and arrange a time to walk the pet. A pilot ran in the UK in April 2018, with positive outcomes. According to Pedigree, 1.2 million elderly people in the UK are chronically lonely.

Emirates NBD — Initiatives make banking easier for individuals with disabilities.
March 2018 saw Emirates NBD unveil a series of initiatives to help individuals with special needs use self-service banking facilities in branches across Dubai. Part of the bank's #TogetherLimitless campaign, the initiatives included a Braille-enabled account opening service, which converts application information into English or Arabic Braille. Branch managers also received American Sign Language training. Emirates NBD also trialled a hearing loop service in the Jumeirah branch.

US - TruTV — Game show’s contestants compete to have student debt eliminated
July 2018 saw TruTV’s comedy game show, Paid Off, premiere in the US. Each episode of Paid Off features three contestants with student loans, who discuss the impact their debt has had on them. Designed to highlight the gravity and absurdity of America’s student debt issue, the show’s contestants must answer trivia questions to earn cash. Although there is only one winner per episode, every contestant earns some money to help with their debt.

US - WinWin — App helps players save while having the thrill of a lottery
Available to download from February 2018, WinWin is an app that encourages regular saving habits by offering users the chance to win cash prizes. Every dollar users save counts as a ‘lottery ticket’ towards winning up to USD 1,000 each week. Furthermore, users can play a short one-minute daily game (like whack-a-mole or word finder), for a chance to win instant cash prizes, with the prizes available increasing as users build their savings balances. Users’ funds are held in a FDIC-insured Wells Fargo account and WinWin costs USD 2 per month.

Nigeria - Diamond Bank — Online games platform aims to boost financial skills of young
In March 2018, Nigerian financial service provider Diamond Bank introduced a digital platform allowing people to plan their financial future, save, chat, and update their financial knowledge while playing games. Created in partnership with Women’s World Banking, Dreamville aims to engage specifically with young people to promote financial literacy. The service is supported by Financial Sector Deepening Africa (FSD Africa) and funded with aid from the UK government.