In this week’s Our Take, Apple is giving a voice to the lost voices with a stirring video to promote their new product, and we share some upcoming trends for 2024. Over in the UK, a new lifestyle directory is making luxury services more accessible and when it comes to extreme collabs, Prada and Red Bull are going above and beyond!
The Lost Voice
Apple’s new speech accessibility feature, Personal Voice, could offer a unique solution for people with speech loss.
The campaign champions this new feature as a tool of autonomy and personality – if you are at risk of voice loss or have a condition that can progressively impact your voice, Personal Voice is a way to create a text-to-speech tool that sounds like ‘you’. The short film that goes along with it follows a father reading his daughter a ‘Where the Wild Things Are’-esque bedtime story using his Personal Voice, and it proves a real tear jerker that reminds us there are so many simple things we take for granted.
We focus a lot on how technology disconnects us from each other with constant scrolling and lack of contact IRL. On top of that, there are genuine fears and uncertainties around the development of AI. But this development is a sure example of the incredible ways technology can support connection between people and both cultivate and maintain our sense of identity.
Turning Out For Trends
This week LSN Globals THE: FUTURE LABORATORY has released their future forecast for 2024 and we read it, so you don’t have to. The report revealed all the important trends that brands should be focusing on for the next year and showcased the brands that are doing it right. Here are our top 5 takes from the report.
1. Quality is Queen: Consumers are running on a tight budget forcing them to reconsider what they value. If a brand or product produces high level of value assurance, consumers are willing to pay the price.
2. Expert Influencer: A new age of ‘Expert Influencer’ is coming. Surface level content is not cutting it anymore with overconsumption being a large concern for social media users. Consumers are turning to these ‘Expert influencers’ who prioritise function over fluff and meaning over marketing. Having an opinion isn’t enough, influencers now need the knowledge to back it up. Brands need to make this change and offer value in their communication.
3. Money Moves: Brands need to be ready for the ‘Great Wealth Transfer’. As younger individuals begin to inherit wealth and become key spenders in markets, brands need to appeal to them. This wealth transfer will bring forward a shift in values and behaviours with transparency from brands being one of the key indicators of trust.
4. Embrace Immersion: Consumers are tired of old news formats and are now seeking new forms of stimulation and entertainment through immersion. Consumers want these high immersion campaigns to stimulate them across multiple platforms with visual aids being important.
5. Vying for Virtual: Consumers are now ready to leave the real world behind and take advantage of immersive technology. Brands that use augmented reality and virtual reality across their campaigns are highly favoured by consumers. Used by brands on platforms, such as Roblox, and Fortnite these virtual spaces are going to become even more important to how brands market.
Making Aspirations Accessible
When we heard about a lifestyle directory that offers accessible luxury services – needless to say, our ears perked. I Have This Friend is a new concierge platform that brings some of the finer things in life, usually reserved those with heftier wallets, to folks who are looking for a bit of luxe in their life.
Based in the UK, the platform has curated a collection of emerging chefs, photographers, stylists and everything in between, offering a chance for these up-and-comers to build their portfolio and experiences through a concierge service that links them to a community of users who want to discover unique services at a fair price.
From personal chefs to travel agents, I Have This Friend is an ingenious initiative that makes luxury services accessible, all the while celebrating emerging talents who are developing their craft.
The platform is due to officially launch soon, but this pioneering directory is already disrupting luxury lifestyle for the better.
Grubbs up – Raising the bar to infinity and beyond!
Red Bull are synonymous with extreme sports and are constantly raising standards to dizzying heights -from cliff diving to wingsuit flying. For the adrenaline lover, their activations and stunts are head and shoulders above the rest. In their latest stunt, American Brian Grubb performed a spectacular WakeBase act, completing the first ever wakeskate to BASE jump off a building in Dubai.
The incredible stunt saw Grubb wakeskating 94m across a rooftop infinity pool, towed by a drone, before leaping over the pool‘s edge and flawlessly transitioning into a thrilling 77-storey BASE jump and successfully landing on the beach below. The astonishing jump was made look even more impressive by the angles of the video captured, giving viewers an eagle eyed of the historic milestone.
As part of the stunt, Prada Linea Rossa also came into the fold, providing gear for the athlete. Not the first time the luxury brand coupled up with Red Bull to celebrate style, comfort and high-performance capabilities of their designs. A fashion and sport match making masterpiece.
An epic stunt and collaboration where both Red Bull and Prada put their best foot forward here by taking a project to the extreme!
Like the sound of it? Watch for yourself:
A 360° experience with Prada Linea Rossa and Red Bull through the eyes of Brian Grubb. Prada YouTube.