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Long queues outside stores. Topping US app charts. No, it’s not a new iPhone or sneaker drop — it’s Pop Mart, the Chinese collectible toy brand now valued at USD 34 billion — more than the makers of Barbie, Hello Kitty and Transformers combined. That’s a global takeover fueled by blind boxes, toothy dolls and a fiercely loyal fanbase.

From Rihanna’s bag charms to Selfridges’ vending machines, Labubus is everywhere. Labu-what? The furry, snaggle-toothed figurine first caught fire after Lisa from BLACKPINK (aka Mook from White Lotus) showed hers off on Instagram. Pop Mart’s latest major drop, Labubu 3.0, triggered long lines, resale frenzies and added USD 1.6 billion to its CEO’s net worth — in just one day.


Collectibles aren’t new. So what’s fueling the frenzy?

🫳 Physical, not digital. From blind boxes to magazines, the act of buying, unboxing and displaying is the point. In an era of endless screens, tactile matters again.

👜 Luxury-adjacent, not kiddie-core. Pop Mart lives in the kidult zone: nostalgia meets high design. Think Pokémon meets Bottega. Custom outfits, rare drops and aesthetic cred drive demand.

👯‍♂️ Communal, not commercial. Collecting Labubus isn’t just shopping — it’s signaling. It’s membership. From themed runs to resale platforms, it’s a decentralized fandom with a shared language of cute and cool.


Collectibles are the new coupons!

But instead of discounts, they offer identity, community and cultural currency. They’re memories. Badges. Stories. Objects that live online and IRL. In an age of fragmented fandom, ask yourself: which elements of your brand can people latch onto, both physically and emotionally? How might your products or campaigns earn a place in someone’s personal narrative?

Pop Mart isn’t just making toys. It’s building a fandom-led world. And in 2025, the most magnetic brands aren’t selling products — they’re selling belonging in a box.

GoodNews recently accepted an unconventional yet decidedly human form of currency: gossip. At one of its Spanish stores, customers were offered free beverages in exchange for a bit of (over) sharing. Coffee for a rumor, matcha for a bit of gossip, and a coffee and cookie for anyone willing to divulge a personal secret.

Gossip-for-beverages joins other initiatives the brand has playfully implemented to foster real-world social interaction at its locations in Barcelona, Paris, Madrid and Amsterdam. Earlier this year, for example, GoodNews launched a local book club, offered free drinks for joining a barista-led conga line and handed out drinks to customers who could get the next person in line to laugh at a joke they told.

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The Spanish chain is tapping into a growing cultural pushback against digital perfection and algorithmic interactions. As AI-generated content saturates social media feeds, consumers increasingly seek authentic, messy human connections, and GoodNews appears to be positioning itself as a physical space for genuine human exchange. With digital fatigue setting in across demographics, brands can make their mark by sparking moments of emotional authenticity and unfiltered human connection.

Beer brand Stella Artois is inviting travelers to view a delayed flight as an opportunity for an unexpected breather. Developed by GUT Miami, the "A Delay Worth More" campaign draws on the fact that approximately 30,000 flights are delayed globally every day, affecting around 6 million travelers.

Rather than commiserating with stranded passengers, Stella's approach celebrates these moments of limbo, of time both lost and found. The brand created an algorithm that feeds real-time flight data into digital airport billboards, generating context-aware messages like "The 4:15 PM flight to Toronto is fortunately delayed" alongside imagery of a perfectly poured Stella Artois.

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The campaign reframes what's typically a source of traveler annoyance and anxiety into an opportunity to savor a premium beer. By offering that perspective shift, Stella positions airport delays as serendipitous moments for reflection and enjoyment — all while driving footfall to airport bars.

Stella Artois is tapping into people's growing appreciation (and desire) for unstructured, spontaneous moments. The brand is encouraging travelers to reclaim the 'wasted' time of flight disruptions as a gift: an unplanned invitation to slow down and find a moment of pleasure.

Britain's National Trust recently partnered with Nowadays On Earth and Pitch Studios to present Glitch, an augmented reality platform aiming to bring blossom trees to younger and more diverse audiences. By merging technology with ecological education in an immersive digital experience, the collaboration offers a new way for London residents to connect with nature.

Using AI, machine learning and LIDAR technology, Glitch allows users to visualize five different species of blossom trees in their local environment through their smartphones. The platform features cherry, plum, damson, apple and hawthorn trees, all native to Britain. Through a conversational interface with a 'cyberbug' guide, users answer questions about their neighborhood before generating and virtually placing trees in areas they believe need revitalizing.

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The collaboration addresses multiple converging challenges: declining biodiversity in urban spaces, limited access to green areas in cities, and the need to engage younger generations in conservation efforts. By adding a layer of play to the experience of learning about native flora, the National Trust and Glitch are creating an accessible entry point to gardening and environmental stewardship. As Nowadays On Earth points out, "If we're going to face the polycrisis head-on, we need more than urgency — we need imagination and tools that invite people to grow another world."

In what seems to be a world's first in sports marketing, ASICS has signed Felix the Samoyed as an official brand ambassador, acknowledging the role of dogs as exercise influencers. Felix, who has 1.2 million Instagram followers, will "champion his love of walks, runs and even zoomies." The move is backed by research showing that 65% of dog owners cite their pets as their primary motivation to get moving, surpassing the influence of family members, celebrities and personal trainers.

Additionally, ASICS' survey of 28,000 people across 14 markets revealed that dog owners are 31% more likely to meet recommended physical activity guidelines. They also boast mental wellbeing metrics that are 18% higher than those of non-dog owners. Professor Brendon Stubbs of King's College London, who analyzed the research, notes that dog owners average 210 minutes of exercise weekly, with 81% reporting that moving with their canine companion improves their mental wellbeing.

Beyond Felix's appointment, ASICS is inviting dog owners to nominate their own pets for a chance to become official 'Mind's Best Friend Ambassadors.' The brand is also leveraging the campaign for social impact; each post shared with #MindsBestFriend before 12 July 2025 will raise funds for mental health organizations, including Mind in the UK, Mind Us in the Netherlands and NAMI in the US.

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ASICS is recognizing something millions already know: dogs aren't just companions — they're facilitators of healthier lives. As consumers seek holistic wellness routines, dogs are a natural fit, innately combining movement and mood support.

Mind's Best Friend also builds on the trend of brands using virtual or non-human personalities (from animals to AI-generated characters like Imma and Lil Miquela) to sidestep influencer fatigue. Felix the Samoyed offers both algorithmic appeal and a dog's unfiltered joy and authenticity.

Newly launched, Philips' Fixables initiative addresses the limited repair options available to consumers. Rather than requiring customers to go through the hassle of sending products back for servicing, Philips is offering open access to 3D-printable replacement parts for select personal health products. The premise? If buying a replacement takes just one click, repairing a product someone already owns shouldn't be much harder.

Fixables is the result of a collaboration with 3D printer manufacturer Prusa Research and creative agencies LePub Amsterdam and LePub Milan. Philips sees the project as part of its wider circular business strategy, and as a response to people's growing frustration with electronic waste and throwaway culture.

At the core of Fixables is a digital library of 3D-printable parts. Users can download and print parts at home or through certified partners. The pilot kicked off in Czechia, with global access via Printables, an online platform for 3D printing owned by Prusa. Just one part is available at time of launch (a replacement comb for a beard trimmer), but additional parts will be added over time.

Since early April, it’s been tariff turbulence. But now? A 90-day truce. The US and China just agreed to dial back duties, with US tariffs on Chinese goods dropping from 145% to 30%, and China cutting duties on US imports from 125% to 10%. For now...

As prices surge and profit margins tighten, brands are turning tariffs into marketing moments — from pre-tariff flash sales to tariff price labeling. According to ThredUp, 59% of US shoppers are turning to more affordable options — like secondhand fashion — in response to Trumps' chaos economy. That number jumps to 66% among Gen Z.

Meanwhile, ‘buying local’ is taking center stage. Consumers' desire for locally-made products has evolved from a niche preference to an economic and political statement. Escalating trade tensions mean that the appeal of ‘local’ extends beyond authenticity, with provenance becoming a way for consumers to express both political values and cultural identity.

For brands, this shift necessitates a rethink of heritage and supply chain stories in ways that build economic resilience while appealing to increasingly discerning buyers. How will you cater to consumers who leverage their purchasing power as an expression of solidarity and defiance?

A concept bar by Suntory features a unique twist. Instead of ordering a drink by name — say, a Sidecar or a Paper Plane — visitors choose an emotion that's paired with an existing cocktail. Glass and Words, returning to Shibuya from May 2nd to 13th, offers patrons an immersive experience where words become the basis for customized cocktails.

Guests first step into the glass room, where rows of empty cocktail glasses wait on shelves, their coasters marked with descriptions of emotions. After choosing an emotion that resonates with their current mood, the guest brings their glass to a bartender, who prepares a cocktail to match and explains its ingredients. The experience simultaneously demystifies cocktail culture for newcomers while creating an emotionally resonant experience.

Following last year's completely sold-out debut, Suntory has doubled reservation slots, expanded drink offerings and incorporated phrases submitted by popular influencers. Priced at JPY 1,000, each visit includes one alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverage.

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Glass and Words aims to lower barriers for those intimidated by traditional bars while highlighting the versatility of cocktail crafting. "Many people are interested in bars but feel uncertain about stepping through the door," says Suntory. At a moment when face-to-face interactions continue to decline, the brand has created an experience with simple steps communicated in advance. For people who are entirely at home in digital realms but might worry about unfamiliar norms and social cues in IRL spaces, the concept offers both a framework and an accessible entry point.

In Spain, Lidl is taking a significant step in the battle against childhood obesity by removing child-targeted visual elements from its private label products with lower nutritional profiles. The supermarket chain has already redesigned packaging for over 50 items and plans to extend this initiative to more than 60 products by January 2026, proactively moving ahead of any potential national regulations.

The transformation involves replacing animated characters, playful names and bright colors with more subdued, product-focused designs. Notable examples include Capitán Rondo chocolate cookies, which have traded their pirate character for a simpler design; Ladrillos and Tubitos gummies, now showing realistic representations of the product; and chocolate milk that's swapped its cartoon dog for a more natural product image.

This initiative, part of Lidl's broader strategy to promote conscious eating, comes as childhood obesity affects one in three children in Spain. Framing obesity as a public health issue — not a personal failure — opens up new ways for brands to engage. If regulation hasn't already mandated the removal of 'fun' elements from less nutritious foods in your market, time to get ahead of the competition through self-regulation! How could your brand contribute to better long-term health outcomes?

BBC Maestro has unveiled a writing course that uses cutting-edge AI technology to recreate Agatha Christie, allowing the world's bestselling novelist to share her writing secrets decades after her death. The two-year project, involving nearly 100 professionals, combined human expertise with AI innovation to digitally resurrect the author. Actor Vivien Keene, selected after an 18-month casting process involving 150 auditions, provides the physical performance while AI technology transforms her appearance and voice to recreate Christie's likeness as closely as possible.

What sets the project apart is its meticulous attention to ethical considerations and authenticity. Created in full collaboration with Christie's family, the course draws exclusively from Christie's own recordings and writings. A team of leading academics and Christie scholars carefully analyzed her manuscripts, letters and interviews to extract her views on writing.

Far from eliminating jobs, this application of AI demonstrates how new technology can create employment opportunities: 100 people worked on the project, expanding BBC Maestro's typical production team to include specialists in period costume, hair and makeup design, visual effects experts who recreated Christie's appearance, and sound engineers who transformed Keene's voice into Christie's. This collaborative blend of human artistry and technological innovation points toward a future where AI amplifies creative work rather than diminishing it.

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The new course positions Agatha Christie not just as a literary icon, but as a mentor for 21st-century aspiring writers, allowing new generations to learn directly from one of literature's greatest minds in her own words. We've entered an era where influential figures can 'live on' as interactive educators. People want to learn from the greats, and now they can.

How Christie was brought to life feels respectful, not dystopian. Every decision — from casting to voice tech to visual nuance — appears to have been guided by integrity. In an age of deepfakes and digital cloning, that level of consideration aligns with a growing consumer expectation: if tech is going to replicate the dead, it better be meaningful, ethical and deeply crafted.

According to EY’s March 2025 Future Consumer Index, based on 20,000+ consumers across 26 countries, brand recognition alone no longer cuts it.

🚨 The loyalty lag
In a climate of shrinking wallets and endless choices, loyalty has become a luxury:

→ 88% say brand messaging doesn’t reflect their needs or values
→ 36% no longer factor brands into their purchase decisions
→ 54% only buy branded products if they’re discounted
→ 67% say private labels meet their needs just as well
→ 36% of those who’ve switched to private labels don’t plan to go back

⚡ Relevance > recognition
Consumers aren’t abandoning brands, they’re reprioritizing. What matters now is relevance, reliability and real value:

→ 48% would return if quality, taste or performance improves
→ 42% are skeptical of innovations that feel like shortcuts
→ 68% expect brands to take meaningful action on sustainability

🔍 What now?
This isn’t a loyalty collapse — it’s a relevance reset. To stay in the game, brands must shift from storytelling to signaling clarity. Prove your worth through visible quality, transparent pricing and sustainability with substance. Don’t just say your brand is better – prove it, consistently and clearly. In a market shaped by abundance and anxiety, the brands that solve real problems, deliver real value and stay in sync with shifting expectations are the ones consumers will return to.

Visa has launched Visa Intelligent Commerce, opening its payment network to AI developers building the next generation of shopping experiences. The program allows AI agents to securely find and buy products on behalf of consumers, transforming how people shop online. Working with tech giants like Anthropic, Microsoft, OpenAI and Samsung, Visa aims to create a trusted foundation for AI-powered commerce.

At the heart of this innovation are 'AI-Ready Cards' that replace standard card details with tokenized credentials, enhancing security while confirming an agent's permission to act on a consumer's behalf. The system puts users firmly in control, allowing them to set spending limits and conditions. Visa's experience with fraud management and data security underpins the technology, positioning the company as a trusted intermediary in the emerging AI shopping landscape.

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Visa isn't just enabling transactions; it's offering a trust infrastructure. As AI agents gain autonomy, consumers require transparent guardrails: spend controls, real-time oversight and dispute mechanisms. Services that provide confidence and clarity in automated decisions will set the stage for delegated convenience, where consumers define preferences once and trust agents to act on their behalf.

A barebones EV that will cost just USD 20K after a federal tax credit, the newly announced Slate truck — backed by Jeff Bezos — is creating a lot of buzz. Not just for its low price but also for how it challenges automotive norms. Here's how the vehicle aligns with four consumer trends:

SAVINGS BY DESIGN
In a market where economic uncertainty has consumers scrutinizing every purchase, Slate's no-frills approach to affordability is baked in:
💰Molded plastic bodies instead of costly paint jobs
💰 Manual windows and other simplified controls
💰 Bring-your-own-tech philosophy leverages devices people already own

UPGRADIA
The truck's modular design makes for unusual levels of ongoing customization. Drivers can adapt the vehicle to their personal style and changing needs or add more luxury when they've saved up for it:
✨ Transformation from two-seat pickup to five-seat SUV without specialized tools
✨ 100+ 'Slate Attach Points' accommodate a wide range of accessories
✨ Wrap kits starting around USD 500 enable affordable color changes

SECOND LOVE
Slate extends the concept of vehicle longevity by empowering owners to maintain and repair their own trucks:
🔧 A dedicated learning platform called Slate U provides step-by-step videos and tutorials
🔧 DIY-friendly design makes repairs accessible to non-mechanics
🔧 "You'll go from Slate novice to DIY master in no time"

MANUAL MODE
While most auto manufacturers have gone all in on touchscreens and automatic everything, Slate recognizes people are willing to sacrifice a bit of convenience for a lower price and mechanical simplicity:
🤟 Manual windows have an analog charm
🤟 Simplified systems reduce electronic failure points
🤟 Basic design elements favor function over (excessive) tech

What if the future of driving isn't smarter tech, but smarter trade-offs? Slate is betting drivers are ready to swap excess for agency. By stripping away legacy expectations and letting owners build up from zero, Slate speaks to consumers raised on IKEA, Roblox and iPhones with cracked screens — practical, hands-on and unafraid of a little hacking.

Fusing healthcare and residential architecture, traditional herbal medicine brand Saishunkan Pharmaceutical has unveiled Positive Age House, a home designed to enhance the body's self-healing capabilities. Developed in collaboration with building company Lib Work, the concept stems from Saishunkan's observation that Japanese people spend approximately two-thirds of their lives at home, making living environments crucial determinants of health outcomes.

Rather than relying on technology, Saishunkan has applied its expertise in traditional medicine to create living spaces that stimulate the body's innate recovery mechanisms. Key features include a circadian lighting system that adjusts color temperature throughout the day to maintain biological rhythms, textured 'ripple flooring' that stimulates foot pressure points, and deliberate floor height differences that compel residents to exercise their joints as they move from one space to the next.

WHY A HEALING HOME?

Healthspan over lifespan
People increasingly care less about just living longer and more about living well for longer — physically, mentally and emotionally.

Post-pandemic revaluation of the home
After forced time indoors, people realize their immediate surroundings deeply impact their mental and physical well-being.

Shift from passive to proactive health
Health isn't just about medicine or hospitals; it's about everyday lifestyle choices, like movement, light exposure, diet, and now, one's home.

More nature, less tech
While technology brands push smart homes, the Positive Age House represents a counter trend of returning to nature, focusing on sunlight, airflow, wooden floors, circadian lighting and natural materials. (Related: the ultrarich are unplugging from smart homes.)

According to new global research by Heineken, surveying over 17,000 people across nine* countries, adults now spend an average of 5 hours and 48 minutes a day on their devices. Behind the screen:

📈 59% say their phone use has increased over the past year
📉 Time spent socializing IRL has dropped 35% over the past 24 years
🔋 51% say their social battery is drained by online communication, rising to 62% among Gen Z
😔 62% admit they sometimes feel lonely, despite being constantly connected, 75% among Gen Z
📵 64% wish they could go back to a time when people socialized without smartphones

Aiming to grant that wish, Heineken launched its new campaign — Get Social, Off Socials — with an IRL event in New York City headlined by Joe Jonas. The activation dramatized what happens when people step away from social platforms: their social feeds go quiet, but their social lives light up.

The campaign also features creators like Dude With Sign, Lil Cherry and Paul Olima, turning the irony of empty feeds into a rallying cry for presence over posting. It builds on Heineken's long-term commitment to fostering offline connection — including its Boring Phone, Forgotten Beers campaign and a GBP 39M investment to revive 62 pubs in the UK.

💡 As screen fatigue deepens and IRL nostalgia rises, brands that help people disconnect digitally and reconnect meaningfully will tap into a powerful emotional and social undercurrent — and perhaps usher in a new kind of social capital.

* 🇺🇸🇬🇧🇪🇸🇻🇳🇿🇦🇧🇷🇩🇪🇮🇳🇦🇪