TrendWatching | MakeShift

Edition #18 | Your weekly inspiration fix • 5 - 11 October 2023

INSIGHT

Navigating the homebody era: innovating for indoor living

Some pandemic behaviors have become lasting fixtures: at-home-dining, DIY nail-care, homeschooling, hybrid work. These stay-at-home lifestyles have been cemented by new drivers: a cost-of-living crisis, new habits and a longing for simplicity (6 in 10 young people feel nostalgic for lockdown).

Brands can innovate for a new era of indoor living by drawing inspiration from campaigns that draw people out of the house, connect neighbors and offer tools for budget-friendly gatherings. Your take?

MakeShift is TrendWatching's free bi-weekly trend publication, bringing you the insights and innovations that will inspire you to create with meaning ❤️

Want MakeShift in your inbox? Subscribe now and join 100,000+ other trend enthusiasts!

Talk to us

Be sure to ping our editor, Galina Yordanov, if you're working on something we should feature on MakeShift.

INNOVATION

🇮🇩 Paint brand gives school canteens in Indonesia a fresh coat to stop kids from getting sick

A decade ago, entomologists at the University of Florida discovered that flies are repelled by the color yellow. Now, paint manufacturer Dulux Indonesia is leveraging that finding to help schools create a safer… read more

INNOVATION

🇨🇭 New jacket by Mammut uses recycled Nespresso capsules to keep wearer warm

What's a winter hike without a thermos of steaming hot coffee? Or a jacket made of recycled coffee pods...? Just released, the Extraordinary Jacket is a joint effort by Nespresso, outdoor gear… read more

INNOVATION

🇺🇸 Navajo-owned Bidii Baby Foods increases early childhood access to indigenous foods

Buying healthy food in the Naabeehó Bináhásdzo, or the Navajo Nation, is challenging. Spanning a territory larger than Ireland, the reservation counts just a dozen or so supermarkets, and people drive an average… read more

INSIGHT

Social media’s omni-channel expansion opens gateway to the real world

In today's shopping landscape, most buyers explore a minimum of three channels before making a purchase and (surprise 😉) over half of new discoveries are driven by digital channels. To keep up with consumers, brands must fuse digital and physical touchpoints.

Innovative formats like in-store media networks and TikTok’s recent ‘Out of Phone’ solution provide brands with unprecedented opportunities to extend their digital campaigns beyond smartphones, bringing user-generated content to screens in the real-world such as billboards, cinemas and airports.

From dupe culture to 'study with me' trends, brands can quickly and authentically connect with consumers both on and offline. Where will you leverage new channels of exposure to improve your traffic and loyal fan base? Supermarkets? Highways? Retail spaces? 🤳

Explore our trend CONTEXTUAL OMNIPRESENCE for more inspiration

TREND

INTERVENTION SEEKERS: Should brands moderate binge-watching?

This month, Netflix hit the one-year milestone for its ad-tier experiment, boasting a solid 15 million monthly active users. Now, it’s introducing binge ads for advertisers, a format that ‘rewards’ viewers with an ad-free episode after watching three in a row.

Netflix isn’t the only one looking to prolong couch time: From Meta to Microsoft, big tech has excelled (and profited) from locking users in. But, should platforms be restricting binge-watching instead of promoting it? The European Union says ‘Yes!’, urging platforms to shoulder responsibility for creating addictive products linked to mental health issues, particularly for kids and teenagers.

In the attention economy, consumers will appreciate tough-love brands that put their interests first. With legislation looming, are you ready to lead the pack or will you be caught in the binge-watching backlash?

THOUGHT STARTER

Calling all brave brands! 🔊

With only 30% of people willing to actively challenge harmful stereotypes, how might your brand lead by example? Can you provide the knowledge, skills and confidence to confront discrimination square on and heal divisions? 🤝

See 20+ other brands stepping up

INNOVATION

A pop-up café in Harajuku speaks in gestures

Located in Tokyo's Harajuku neighborhood, A Café Without Words operates a strict no-talking policy. Instead, customers are instructed to use gestures and creativity to order from a menu of 10 soft drinks, all tagged at JPY 800 each (USD 5.30). Unpredictability is central to the experience: some patrons will receive their chosen drink, other gestures may not have translated so well.

The non-verbal café transforms an everyday act into a surprising yet thoughtful journey, with customers encouraged to pause and reflect on the importance of spoken language during mundane tasks.

For brands that want to deepen connections with consumers: consider how your products or services can spark a moment of personal reflection (infusing some delight is a nice bonus). This could be particularly relevant for city dwellers looking to escape the incessant roar that is the backdrop to urban living.

INSIGHT

HERITAGE HEROES: Brands pave the way for a craftsmanship revival

Despite a concerning number of artisanal practices listed as endangered, the demand for handcrafted products remains. To help preserve endangered heritage skills, the UK and France have introduced apprenticeship programs. Brands like LVMH and Mii aren’t waiting for governmental support, initiating the establishment of long-term hubs that showcase and teach craft skills – while allowing the public to peek behind the scenes of a storied brand.

There’s an opportunity to innovate around craftsmanship. As an exercise, think of your flagship product and then consider what its artisanal equivalent would look like. Could you even use DALL·E 2 to add visuals to your ideas?

INNOVATION

🇬🇧 Lowering barriers to treatment, Daye introduces a tampon that tests for STIs

UK startup Daye has a new addition to its roster of GYN health services: an at-home screening kit for sexually transmitted infections. For easy, comfortable and accurate sample collection, Daye repurposed a product… read more

INNOVATION

🇳🇬 In Nigeria, Heineken marks its 150th birthday with custom-designed textiles by Dye Lab

In celebration of its 150th anniversary, Heineken has partnered with Nigerian apparel brand Dye Lab to release a series of limited-edition fabrics. The textiles feature various elements referencing Heineken: the brand's colors… read more

Talk to us

Be sure to ping our editor, Galina Yordanov, if you're working on something we should feature on MakeShift.

NEW | AI x TRENDS x IDEATION Webinar

8 April 2025