The Future 100 in 2022

The future
Trends and change to watch in 2022
a report by wunderman thompson intelligence

THE FUTURE 100 2
Foreword
Join us on a journey into the near future, where daily life takes place
in the metaverse and on a regenerative planet—and is packed with
health-infused experiences, and, more importantly, is defined by an
optimistic outlook. Welcome to “The Future 100: 2022.”
As the world enters the third year of a pandemic, confidence in the end of Finally, a new digital era is on the horizon as the metaverse evolves from a sci-fi
COVID-19 in 2022 is expressed by the World Health Organization’s chief, concept into a reality. Virtual worlds where people can gather, create, buy and
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesu—providing everyone works together. sell, socialize, live and work are becoming the new hangouts (see branded
virtual worlds, p81). Technology that allows for advanced avatars (p36), virtual
This year ushers in a resolute positivity that encourages playfulness and teleportation (p42) and NFT marketplaces (p154) is revolutionizing virtual
creativity—so much so that Pantone created a completely new color to define engagement. And the rise of digital possessions and ownership brings about
2022 (see unbounded optimism, p13). Brands and marketers are eager to a new direct-to-avatar retail model (p137). The metaverse is also disrupting the
provide joy in people’s lives by creating euphoric ads (p85) as they too ride physical world, forming liminal spaces (p18), and augmented reality is becoming
the optimist wave. the chosen medium for advertisers (see augmented ads, p93).
Health and wellbeing remain prominent across sectors—from drinks that Dive into “The Future 100: 2022” and discover 100 bitesize trends to watch out
supercharge the immune system (see liquid immunity, p98) to dedicated spaces for in the year ahead.
around the world offering an emotional outlet for those in need of a recharge
(see emotional health, p199). The physical and emotional tax of the last two
years is forging a holistic, sensitive and nuanced approach to wellbeing.
As lifestyles and businesses shift to become climate-friendly, being sustainable

is not enough. Brands, governments and communities are working together
for a regenerative planet and future. After all, 88% of global consumers believe Emma Chiu
companies and brands have a responsibility to take care of the planet and Global director, Wunderman Thompson Intelligence
its people. wundermanthompson.com/expertise/intelligence
Culture Tech & innovation Travel & hospitality Brands & marketing Food & drink
01 Building the metaverse 06 11 3D audio 28 21 Microadventures 50 31 Brandalism 74 41 Foraged cocktails 96
02 Microforests 08 12 Rise of the super apps 30 22 Travelportation 52 32 Co-creative platforms 76 42 Liquid immunity 98
03 The global K-wave effect 10 13 Carbon-neutral browsing 32 23 Mycological retreats 54 33 Superfollowers 79 43 Haute veganism 100
04 Unbounded optimism 13 14 Finite social networks 34 24 Green mapping 56 34 Branded virtual worlds 81 44 Cell-cultured coffee 102
05 Virtual genuinfluencers 16 15 Advanced avatars 36 25 Top three destinations 59 35 Headless brands 83 45 Net-zero alcohol 104
06 Liminal spaces 18 16 China’s tech crackdown 38 26 Meditative travel 62 36 Euphoric ads 85 46 Blue Zones diets 106
07 Sportsvolution 20 17 Carbontech futures 40 27 Academic adventures 64 37 Regenerative brands 87 47 Three hot new ingredients 108
08 Social media-tainment 21 18 Virtual teleportation 42 28 In-flight rejuvenation 66 38 New company manifestos 90 48 Accelerated maturation 110
09 Renewed intimacy 23 19 Cryptonomics 44 29 Boosting China’s travel 39 Dreamvertising 91 49 The new terroir 112
10 Metasocieties 25 20 Purification tech 46 economy 68 40 Augmented ads 93 50 Edible escapism 114
30 New age nautics 70
Beauty Retail & commerce Luxury Health Work
51 New beauty labels 117 61 Direct to avatar 137 71 Hypnotherapy 159 81 Prescription gaming 182 91 Metawork 203
52 Mineral skincare 119 62 Retail shapeshifters 140 72 Austere luxe 161 82 Male fertility startups 184 92 Chief impact officers 205
53 The demise of “normal” 63 Private domains 142 73 Crypto-elites 163 83 TikTok therapy 186 93 Rewilding the office 207
beauty 120 64 Virtual flagships 144 74 Long recovery spas 166 84 Metabolic brands 188 94 Crypto-artisans 209
54 Absurdist makeovers 122 65 Gen Alpha retail 146 75 Suburban luxe 169 85 Mental health pharmacies 190 95 Micropreneurs 2.0 211
55 Metabeauty 124 66 Department stores 76 Upending fakes 171 86 Audio healing 192 96 The shecovery 213
56 Acidic care 126 reformatted 148 77 Prescribing happiness 172 87 Antibody health 194 97 Gen Z workforce 215
57 Adaptive packaging 128 67 Digital twins 150 78 Extended stays 174 88 Next-gen mental 98 The great reskill 217
58 Microdose skin regimes 130 68 Big Tech bricks-and 79 Sonic luxification 176 wellbeing 195 99 The nomad economy 219
59 Inclusive haircare 132 -mortars 152 80 Superyachts of the skies 178 89 5G healthcare 197 100 Metaverse recruits 221
60 Robomanicures 135 69 NFT marketplaces 154 90 Emotional health 199
70 Retro retail 156
Culture
CULTURE THE FUTURE 100 6
The metaverse dominated headlines, screens and boardrooms in the second

half of 2021. Now brands and companies are rushing to prepare for this next
iteration of digital engagement.
Big Tech brands are setting their sights on the metaverse. Facebook unveiled
a massive brand pivot when it changed its company name to Meta in October
2021, after Mark Zuckerberg announced that the Meta’s future lies in becoming
a metaverse company. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in August that year
that Microsoft is working on building the “enterprise metaverse.”
Gaming companies began seriously carving out space for the metaverse on
their platforms in 2021. In April, Epic Games closed a $1 billion round of funding
Building the to support its “long-term vision for the metaverse.” Niantic, the game developer
behind Pokémon Go, raised $300 million in November to build what it describes
metaverse
as the “real-world metaverse.” Nvidia jumpstarted its “metaverse for engineers”
with the opening of Omniverse in August. Now, other companies are shelling
out to buy up game developers. Most recently, FarmVille creator Zynga was
purchased for $12.7 billion in January 2022, and Tencent purchased UK game
The race is on as brands rush to stake their claim on the metaverse.
developer Sumo Group for $1.7 billion in July 2021.
Even brands in industries that are not directly related to the creation of the
metaverse, such as law and wealth management, started anticipating its
growing value in 2021. In March, the Metaverse Group announced plans to
launch Metaverse REIT, a first-of-its-kind real estate investment trust for virtual
assets. Law firm Reed Smith released a legal guide to the metaverse in May,
covering legal issues ranging from intellectual property to privacy to competition
in what the firm calls “the biggest-ever industrial revolution the world has ever
seen.” And in June, Roundhill Investments and Matthew Ball launched the
Roundhill Ball Metaverse investment fund, which has holdings in companies
including Nvidia, Tencent and Roblox.
Why it’s interesting

Competition to create, define and own the metaverse has taken off. “There was
a space race in the 1960s, and now there’s a metaverse race in 2021,” Krista
Kim, digital artist and creator of the first NFT digital home, Mars House, tells
Wunderman Thompson Intelligence. “People are really scurrying to build the
new metaverse.”
Left: Horizon Worlds. Image courtesy of Meta

Right: Nvidia Omniverse for AEC, showing Leeza Soho by Zaha Hadid Architects
Microforests
Mini forests are springing up in urban environments, offering
inhabitants a new form of public space.
Heritage Forest. Image courtesy of Sugi

A rising focus on urban biodiversity sees communities around the world

planting native forests in public spaces, uniting people to protect the planet,
rewilding cities, and providing places for interaction. Cities are making room for
Microforests popped up in LA’s urban parks in October 2021 as part of the Park
microforests, allowing urban dwellers
Forest Initiative by the Los Angeles Parks Foundation. Mature trees, including to reconnect with nature and wildlife.
lush tipa and blue jacaranda, were strategically selected to provide cooling
shade in urban neighborhoods including Lemon Grove Park, Mar Vista
Recreation Center, Robert Burns Park, and Ross Snyder Recreation Area.
In the United Kingdom, a 240-square-meter “heritage” forest is being planted

in London’s Chelsea neighborhood to restore biodiversity and reconnect
residents with nature. A range of 630 native trees and shrubs will fill the plot
in a collaboration led by rewilding company Sugi, luxury fashion brand Louis
Vuitton, and estate management company Cadogan. “The forest will be a
green space for local neighbors to find quiet moments of respite and to take
in the joys of nature in a vibrant and busy city,” Sugi founder Elise Van
Middelem told Time Out.
Also in London, Islington council announced plans to appoint a tree specialist

for every housing estate at the end of October 2021. This initiative complements Indian company Afforestt creates dense microforests in parking lots and
similar green-space projects led by Islington Together, including gardening backyards using the Mayawaki Method. This involves planting native species
collectives and park groups. of trees close together, which can make the plants grow 10 times faster
than usual.
In January 2021, members of the Nelson Whakatu Microforest Initiative
prepared 100 square feet of land for a microforest in New Zealand’s Enner Why it’s interesting
Glynn hills. It is part of a community push to bring flora and fauna into urban Cities are making room for microforests, allowing urban dwellers to reconnect
areas to combat climate change. with nature and wildlife thanks to the seeding of new green public terrain.
SUGi Heritage Forest

In October 2021, Billboard launched its Hot Trending Songs chart, which ranks
songs according to how much Twitter conversation they are driving. In an
astonishing show of domination, 14 of the top 20 songs on the debut chart
came from K-pop acts, including boy band legends BTS, rivals Enhypen and
the Blackpink rapper Lisa. K-pop idols inspire fierce loyalty and their fandoms
are a global cultural force on social media (see Mobilizing Fandoms, “Future
100: 2021”). The K-wave, also known as Hallyu, is taking the world by storm.
K-pop stars have graduated to the A-list, gathering brand endorsements by

the dozen. Kai from Exo has partnered with Gucci and Blackpink’s members
The global
can reel off a host of collaborations with brands including Chanel, Celine,
Dior and Tiffany. Burberry has signed up girl band Itzy, while Blackpink singer
Rosé and rapper CL were the first Korean female artists to be invited to the
K-wave effect
Met Gala in 2021.
K-pop is just one of several Korean cultural exports building a global audience.
Korean culture is an increasingly potent global force, exerting The international popularity of Korean food and beauty brands is at an all-time
influence on everything from film to fashion to food to fandoms. high, with the latter exceeding $6 billion in 2020 according to data from the
South Korean government. Even the English language has succumbed, with the
Oxford English Dictionary adding over 20 Korean words for 2022, including
bulgogi (a delicacy of thin slices of pork or beef) and mukbang (livestream
broadcasts of people eating large amounts of food).
Perhaps most surprising is the seemingly meteoric success of Korean

entertainment, or K-drama, from 2020’s Oscar-winning film Parasite through
to the Netflix phenomena Squid Game and Hellbound. The latter is already
Netflix’s most watched original show, topping the charts in 80 countries
within 24 hours of its launch in November 2021. It has overtaken Squid Game,
which previously held the record and whose lead female protagonist, HoYeon
Jung, has been snapped up by Louis Vuitton for its stable of global brand
ambassadors, alongside K-pop giants BTS. Netflix is giving the K-wave a major
vote of confidence, investing $500 million in K-dramas in 2021, including
Bulgasal: Immortal Souls, released in December.
Korea’s rising star may seem to have come out of the blue but, as explained in
a recent BBC Culture piece, it’s the successful result of a long-term economic
initiative by the South Korean government to invest in so-called “soft power.”
Now the rise of K-culture is being honored with a dedicated exhibition. From
September 2022 to June 2023, London’s Victoria and Albert Museum will host
a celebration of Korea’s cultural impact on the world. Hallyu! The Korean Wave
is the first exhibition of its kind and has the backing of the Ministry of Culture,
Sports and Tourism in Seoul.

The accessibility and freshness of Korean popular culture has taken the global
stage, turning the nation’s exports into powerhouses across music, fashion,
entertainment and more. Brands can ride the K-wave, tapping into the currency
of Hallyu stars that now transcends borders.
Top: Noh Juhan, creator of Netflix’s Squid Game, with cast and crew
Bottom: Blackpink. Image courtesy of Spotify
Left: Korean musical artist Psy on Today 2012,

New York. Courtesy of Jason Decrow, Invision, AP, Shutterstock
Right: Tchai Kim Young-Jin Hanbok Collection, 2015,
modeled by Bae Yoon Young. Courtesy of YG Kplus
Pantone created a completely new color inspired by and encouraging creativity

for its Color of the Year 2022. Pantone 17-3938 Very Peri, a unique blend
of blues, violets and reds, “displays a spritely, joyous attitude and dynamic
presence that encourages courageous creativity and imaginative expression,”
the brand states.
British-Nigerian artist and designer Yinka Ilori and Lego unveiled a colorful
installation celebrating play and community. “Launderette of Dreams” was an
interactive and colorful presence in East London that encouraged children to
create, play, and share ideas.
Adobe Stock’s 2022 Creative Trends include “powerfully playful” themes for
Unbounded the year. “There is a primal need for play,” Brenda Milis, Adobe’s principal of
consumer and creative insights, tells Wunderman Thompson Intelligence.
optimism
Brands are projecting a progressive and positive outlook for 2022,
encouraging playfulness and creativity.
2022 is channeling a
creative playfulness that
symbolizes growth
and freedom.
“A year ago you kept hearing the word ‘resilience’ but how do you remain Paint company Dulux announced Bright Skies as its Color of the Year for 2022.
resilient when the pandemic is so long term and everything is so uncertain?” The airy and refreshing shade “perfectly captures the optimism and desire for a
fresh start that is the mood of the moment.”
In anticipation of the next year, Milis says that “brands are using playfulness
and optimism—there’s an incredible consumer appetite for it. It has an Why it’s interesting
underlying strength to it. There’s a sense of awe, wonder, inspiration and After an unpredictable two years, 2022 is channeling a creative playfulness that
creativity there—it really grounds it. The playfulness really comes from long- symbolizes growth and freedom. Colors and design directions are solidifying
term consumer exhaustion—needing a touch of relief, a touch of entertainment.” this energizing spirit that will undoubtedly trickle into ads and marketing.
Powerfully Playful image by Stocksy. Adobe Stock

Yinka Ilori and Lego’s “Launderette of Dreams.”

Meet the genuinfluencer—a term first coined by WGSN—who garners followers
Virtual by being relatable rather than aspirational.
genuinfluencers
Angie, a virtual influencer on Douyin created by Jesse Zhang, is setting new
beauty standards in China by celebrating her “imperfections.” Unlike other
virtual influencers, whose skin has been smoothed to perfection and whose
faces are perfectly symmetrical, Angie’s skin is sometimes dry or flushed, she
A new class of influencer is emerging.
gets acne and acne scars, her makeup creases and her teeth aren’t perfectly
aligned. Instead of posing in designer clothes, she wears simple white T-shirts
Douyin’s virtual influencer Angie, created by Jesse Zhang

and athletic shorts. “The reason I like Angie is that she is more realistic
than many people who are actually real,” Xiao Qi, a millennial living in the
southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing and one of Angie’s nearly 300,000
followers, as of December 2021, told CNN.
Yoox, an online luxury marketplace owned by Yoox Net-a-Porter Group, first

launched its virtual influencer Daisy in 2018 and is now shifting its strategy.
Yoox’s priority for Daisy in 2021 was to make her more relatable, Yoox brand
and communication director Manuela Strippoli told Vogue. “We’re moving away
from her initial image where she always seemed flawless and we’re humanizing
her by giving her likes and dislikes as well as flaws.” This includes developing
her voice, and having her engage more in social issues. “She has a point of
view, whether it’s on fashion or social causes. It’s important that she’s not
neutral,” added Strippoli.
Gen Z’s approach to brands is likely a significant contributor to this shift—the

vast majority prefer a brand that they can relate to and that shares their values.
In the United States, 73% of gen Zers want a brand that understands them and
76% want a brand that is accepting of a range of identities and experiences,
according to October 2020 findings from Wunderman Thompson Data.

Influence is shifting. “Being too aspirational is repellent now,” the Guardian
reported in August 2021. This is also filtering into the virtual realm, where
brands have an opportunity to craft their avatar influencers around core values
and relatability.
Douyin’s virtual influencer Angie, created by Jesse Zhang

Liminal spaces
Virtual venues and physical space are melding together,
giving way to new event locales.
Holiday Space augmented reality artwork by Kaws, 2020

Image courtesy Kaws and Acute Art
Alongside the rise of fully virtual venues and spaces, extended reality is Guinness World Record in July 2021. Borderless, also located in San Francisco,
informing physical spaces, elevating events to limitless interactions features music and mirrored walls that are reminiscent of a kaleidoscopic box
and experiences. and are “ultimately closer to entertainment than art,” according to the Wall
Street Journal.
Independent host Surreal launched in March 2021: a platform for hybrid events
that combines virtual experiences in physical spaces. Built with Epic Games’ For socialites looking to mingle between realities, digital platform Dezeen
Unreal Engine, the platform offers endless possibilities. Acting as a “digital twin” opened a virtual social club in April 2021—leading creatives met in the
to the physical environment, Surreal allows hosts and audiences to reimagine virtual rooftop bar for a panel discussion themed around the metaverse
experiences by integrating liminal interactions, and incorporate hyper-realistic and design.
3D avatars through a partnership with DNABlock.
The Royal Shakespeare Company used Unreal Engine to present Dream,
In New York City, High Line Art and westside cultural institution The Shed an interactive performance of live actors that brings the audience into the
collaborated to create The Looking Glass, an augmented reality installation of production for an almost game-like experience.
virtual sculptures located in the High Line park in July and August 2021. Visitors
could use the Acute Art app to view hidden interactive artwork. Why it’s interesting
Liminal spaces, which blend virtual and physical experiences, present brands
Captivating locals and international travelers, TeamLab’s Borderless exhibition with an opportunity to reinvent how physical experiences and bricks-and-
in Tokyo is the most visited single-artist museum in the world, setting a mortar spaces can look.
Left: Surreal conference. Image courtesy of Meta

Right: Dream by the Royal Shakespeare Company
In 2021, a slew of female athletes pushed back on inherent sexism in sport,

rejecting expectations that they should wear revealing clothing to compete.
Team GB pole-vaulter Holly Bradshaw was so dismayed by her official uniform

kit for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics—effectively a crop top and bikini bottoms—that
she negotiated the right to wear a modified Adidas rowing unitard instead.
Similarly, German gymnast Sarah Voss competed in a full bodysuit instead of a
leotard at the European Championships. Two of the German’s teammates, Kim
Bui and Elisabeth Seitz, later joined her in long leotards, taking a stand together
against sexualization in gymnastics.
Many women who participate in sports suffer objectification from fans,

commentators, and even coaches. Sexist uniform rules that put women in
unnecessarily revealing kit are now triggering widespread outrage and an influx
of global support. In July 2021 American singer-songwriter Pink posted a tweet
offering to pay an “improper clothing” fine imposed on the Norwegian women’s
handball team. The team was fined €1,500 after wearing shorts like their male
Sportsvolution
counterparts instead of bikini bottoms. In November 2021, the International
Handball Federation updated its rules around women’s uniforms.

Female athletes are uprooting outdated federation rules and
Gender divisions still deeply bifurcate sport but female athletes are now
challenging cultural norms in sports.
pushing back against inequality. Brands can help support and elevate their fight
to break down problematic gender barriers, seizing the opportunity to redefine
cultural norms and, in doing so, boost women’s participation in sport.
FourFront is “revolutionizing TV through TikTok,” Fast Company reported.

FourFront, which secured $1.5 million in seed funding in October 2021, is a new
Social
kind of content studio. It produces scripted narratives on social media that have
the look and feel of regular posts, featuring fictional characters who have their
own storylines, social media pages, and interact with followers organically. As
media-tainment
of October 2021, FourFront had reportedly garnered 1.9 million followers and
281 million views across its characters’ TikTok accounts. “We’re blurring the line
between reality and storytelling,” Ilan Benjamin, FourFront cofounder and CEO,
Plots that develop entirely on profiles, dramas that unfold in feeds, told Fast Company.
and fictional characters who chat with their followers. Is this the next
big thing in entertainment? This could point to a new kind of social media-based interactive entertainment
format. “Not only have we been creating this universe of characters on TikTok,
we’ve also been iterating with a new interactive format,” Benjamin said. “There’s
an evolution in entertainment happening from motion pictures, where audiences
can engage in what we call living pictures with characters who feel alive, who
live in our world, who are on social media, and react in real time to audience
engagements. That fourth wall is completely broken.”
Invisible Universe is another startup scripting entertainment specifically for

social media. CEO Tricia Biggio, a former senior VP of unscripted television
at MGM, calls it “the Pixar of the internet.” With the mission of creating what
the company calls “the next 100-year animated franchise,” Invisible Universe
develops original animated characters on social media in partnership with high-
profile celebrities, influencers and brands. Founded in August 2021 by former
Snap executive John Brennan and launched with $8 million in funding,
Invisible Universe has since released characters in partnership with Jennifer
Aniston and Serena Williams.

Storytelling is evolving, with emerging formats that are tailored for social
media feeds. As movie theaters struggle and TV viewership declines, the
entertainment industry is rethinking how it reaches and serves audiences.
Above: FourFront, courtesy of TikTok

Right: Invisible Universe
Renewed
intimacy Intentional dating is on the rise, according to Match. In its November 2021
“Singles in America” study, 62% of American singles said they are looking for
meaningful, committed relationships, while only 11% are dating “casually.”
After nearly two years of distance and isolation, a renewed
According to an April 2021 report from the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex,
desire for intimacy is shaking up dating culture.
Gender, and Reproduction, 44% of Americans say that commitment is more
important to them post-pandemic. Even younger consumers are looking for
e: committed relationships—81% of gen Zers want to be in a relationship within
Front, courtesy
kTok. the next year, Match findings revealed.
t: Invisible Universe.
New apps and platforms are helping facilitate deeper intimacy. Elate, an “anti-
ghosting” app, launched at the end of 2020 to encourage slower dating and
stronger emotional connections. In place of endless swiping, Elate users are
served 10 recommended profiles per day and are only allowed to chat with
three people at a time.
Raspberry Dream Labs

Raspberry Dream Labs is reframing cybersex experiences to form meaningful

connections. Its first project, Sensory Seduction, uses extended reality (XR)
to allow users to feel haptic pulses on their bodies, mimicking the sensation
of being touched. The experience is designed to offer an opportunity to
“explore your sensuality and engage your sexual accelerators through the
sensory stimulation.” The company has released a beta version of Raspberry
Dream Land, an XR social event platform offering a virtual space for “radical
self-expression, progressive arts and entertainment, social interactions and
virtual relationships.”

“We’re witnessing a sea change in dating attitudes and behaviors,” Justin
Garcia, executive director of the Kinsey Institute and scientific advisor at
Match, wrote in a December 2021 article for the Wall Street Journal. “How
we find and maintain intimate connections has changed over the past year…
Today’s singles are focused on seeking and nurturing close relationships with
mature partners over the long term,” he observed, calling the shift “a reset in
modern dating culture.”
Pictured: Raspberry Dream Land. All images courtesy Raspberry Dream Labs
The metaverse is offering a chance to create a world that is inclusive, ethical

and accessible. “Think about creating a new online society but doing it right
Metasocieties from day one,” Daren Tsui, CEO of Together Labs, tells Wunderman Thompson
Intelligence. Tsui is describing IMVU, the company’s 3D avatar-based friendship
discovery social network. The platform is designed to foster social presence
A digital reality that reflects the values and standards of our physical and authentic connections.
lives—or better versions—is in the making.
The evolution of tech points to a positive future for the metaverse: 88% of global
consumers believe tech can make the world a better place, and 78% agree it
can help create a more equitable society, according to a July 2021 survey by
Wunderman Thompson Data published in the “Into the Metaverse” report.
IMVU. Image courtesy of Together Labs

The race to create virtual worlds that nurture connections, collaboration and
discovery is on. Nowhere is a new social networking platform that places
people in 3D environments ranging from forests to an island in the sky. Jon
Morris, CEO of Nowhere, describes the platform as “the first online event space
where you can truly be present, whether feeling the raw energy of a virtual
performance or serendipitously vibing with a stranger you just met.”
Meta’s Horizon Worlds aims to be a “VR social experience” where explorers

play, build and create together. And Microsoft Mesh uses mixed reality to create
interconnected worlds that allow people in different physical locations to be
together in real-time via holographic experiences.

The metaverse is still in its infancy and the window of opportunity to build virtual
worlds and societies from the ground up is opening now.
Top: Nowhere’s Networking at Crane Gallery; exhibit by The Most Famous Artist
Bottom: Microsoft Mesh
Right: Meta’s Horizon Worlds
Tech & innovation
TECH & INNOVATION THE FUTURE 100 28
3D audio
Immersive listening ushers in the next
generation of audio experiences.
Across its product line, Apple is rolling out new spatial audio features, which
create immersive, multidimensional sound that mimics surround sound. At its
October 2021 Unleashed event, Apple announced that its new AirPods 3 and
MacBook Pro laptops will be equipped for spatial audio, after first unveiling the
functionality, powered by Dolby Atmos, for Apple Music in June 2021. “Apple
Music is making its biggest advancement ever in sound quality,” says Oliver
Schusser, vice president of Apple Music and Beats.
Sony introduced two new home speaker systems in 2021 with 360-degree
spatial sound mapping technology for an immersive listening experience.
Apple AirPods: third-generation spatial audio

Audio company Spatial unveiled its first suite of products in March 2021. The its North American debut. The exhibition, which first launched in Paris in 2016,
new startup creates immersive, interactive soundscapes for public spaces, features soundscapes of biodiversity across North America, Latin America,
including lobbies, retail stores, offices and even hospitals. The bespoke Kenya, Rwanda and Zimbabwe, recorded by soundscape ecologist Bernie
soundscapes are designed to have a specific emotional impact on listeners— Krause. Elle described it as “an exploration of sound: how we digest it, the ways
from encouraging relaxation and focus to destressing. Companies are in which animals express it.”
“fundamentally rethinking the future of work in this hybrid environment,” Spatial
co-founder and CEO Calin Pacurariu told Fast Company. “And they see sound Why it’s interesting
as a competitive advantage.” Social media platforms such as Instagram have driven a hyper-focus on visual
elements over the past decade. Now, especially as digital platforms mature and
In November 2021, Cartier brought its immersive audio experience, The Great engagement evolves, focus is shifting to multisensory elements—audio, in
Animal Orchestra, to the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, for particular—for a truly immersive experience.
Left: The Spatial experience

Right: The Spatial concept
Rise of the
super apps
China exports its super-app formula to eager neighbors.
Top: GrabPay's QR-scan service

Bottom: GrabTaxi
Even as China’s super apps come under a government anti-trust crackdown, their
progeny abroad are going from strength to strength. Super apps offer multiple
functions on a single seamless platform, from messaging to ecommerce to ride-
hailing to payments and financial services.
Indonesia’s Gojek started as a motorbike ride-hailing service to help people cut

through Jakarta traffic and now delivers everything from food to medicine to
masseurs. In 2021, in a deal valued at $18 billion, it announced it was merging
with Tokopedia, the country’s largest online marketplace, which also offers
fintech and logistics services. The combined entity, aptly named GoTo, has
more than 100 million active users, 11 million merchants, two million drivers and
revenue that represents 2% of Indonesia’s $1 trillion economy.
It’s not the only super app in the region. Singapore-headquartered Grab,
which calls itself the “Everyday Everything app,” started with ride-hailing
around Southeast Asia and swiftly added delivery, payments and financial
services, landing a digital bank license with partner SingTel in 2020. Grab
went public on the Nasdaq via the world’s largest special-purpose acquisition Why it’s interesting
company deal, raising $4.5 billion, at the end of 2021. Chinese tech giants invested early in Southeast Asian platforms and exported
many of the super-app concepts pioneered back home to their neighbors. As
GoTo and Grab boast marquee investors, including Chinese tech giants Alibaba, Chinese tech firms face increasing regulation, they are likely to look abroad
Tencent, Meituan and Didi Chuxing, as well as Facebook, Google, Sequoia, more than ever for growth opportunities.
SoftBank, Google, and Singapore government fund Temasek.
Indeed, consumers in many Southeast Asian countries appear readier than
In 2020, online commerce in Southeast Asia grew faster than in any other elsewhere for super apps that stitch together a plethora of services. According
region, according to Forrester. Online sales expanded 53% to $50 billion, led to Wunderman Thompson’s Future Shopper Survey 2021, eight out of 10
by grocery commerce, which registered growth of 97%. Total online sales are consumers in Thailand and Indonesia agree with the statement “I wish brands
expected to keep growing by double digits annually, to hit $143 billion in 2025. communicated with me seamlessly across different channels.”
Gojek and Tokopedia's GoTo GoCar

According to Cleanfox’s February 2021 report on email pollution, “if the internet
were a country, it would be the sixth biggest polluter in the world.” The report
also revealed that promotional emails are responsible for two million tons of
carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions annually in the United Kingdom.
In response, brands are overhauling their websites to lower the carbon footprint
of their online activity.
Amsterdam-based design studio Formafantasma redesigned its website in

February 2021 to be more energy efficient, with small images, basic typefaces,
and a logo created from standard Unicode symbols. The simple visuals
decrease the energy needed to load the site, reducing carbon emissions.
Volkswagen reconstructed its Canadian website for a more sustainable
Carbon-neutral
browsing experience in February 2021. The Carbon-Neutral Net online redesign
shrinks the brand’s digital carbon footprint by removing all color and replacing
photographs with mosaics created from low-data text characters. The project
browsing has significantly lowered the amount of CO2 generated by browsing. The site
produces an average of only 0.022 grams of CO2 per page view, compared
to the average website, which produces 1.76 grams of CO2 per page view,
Brands are redesigning their online experiences according to an assessment by digital carbon emissions calculator
to be less damaging to the environment. Website Carbon.

Last year we noted how the acceleration of digital habits has driven a
heightened awareness of data sustainability. Since then, brands have already
begun rethinking their digital touchpoints to align with consumers’ values. Now,
especially as the metaverse looms, sustainable practices in the virtual realm will
be more important than ever.
Volkswagen Canada's Carbon-Neutral Net online redesign

Social media has a bad rap, from promoting addictive behaviors and sleep
deprivation to causing anxiety and depression. And yet globally, in 2021, there
are billions of monthly active users on Facebook and Instagram, over 300
million monthly active users on Twitter, and, according to a September report
from the company, one billion monthly active users on TikTok.
A number of apps such as Social Fever, Offtime and Freedom aim to pry
eyeballs away from social media by limiting usage. But what if social platforms
had fewer, more curated posts instead? This is where Minus comes in. The
platform, created by Ben Grosser to challenge existing social network models,
only allows users to have 100 posts for life. Self-dubbed a “finite social
network,” the platform aims to raise the quality of content through limitations.
Similarly, Thursday is a dating app that is only live on one day of the week.
Finite social
Launched in May 2021, the company was created to counter online dating
fatigue. The app hopes to boost matches, conversations and dating
opportunities by limiting its usage to one day a week. Prior to launch, over
networks
100,000 curious singles had already signed up.

Social networks are channeling the concept of less is more. Companies are seeking to cut through the noise and endless stream
of online content by installing restrictive parameters that prompt new
behaviors—thus promoting a healthier and more mindful approach to the
future of social networking.
Companies are seeking

to cut through the noise
and endless stream of
online content by
installing restrictive
parameters that prompt
new behaviors.
Top: Freedom app blocked site screen

Bottom: Thursday dating app
Advanced
avatars
Photorealistic digital humans are moving from our screens to the real
world—make way for the next-generation avatars.
MetaHuman Creator by Unreal Engine. Image courtesy of Epic Games

Nvidia is preparing for a future where 3D avatars with conversational artificial

intelligence (AI) will operate in both the virtual and physical world. In a
November 2021 demo, the company announced the Omniverse Avatar platform.
“The dawn of intelligent virtual assistants has arrived,” said Jensen Huang,
founder and CEO of Nvidia. “Omniverse Avatar combines Nvidia’s foundational
graphics, simulation and AI technologies to make some of the most complex
real-time applications ever created.”
Epic Games’ Unreal Engine believes “digital humans are the future.” In April
2021, Unreal Engine started offering early access to the MetaHuman Creator,
which allows real-time creation of photorealistic avatars in minutes. The cloud-
based app can replicate intricate details of a person’s features, from
complexion and wrinkles to broken capillaries and scars.
In September 2021, California-based avatar-generating startup DNABlock

raised $1.2 million in seed funding to make the metaverse more diverse and
inclusive. “The metaverse needs to represent everyone,” Anthony Kelani, CEO
and co-founder of DNABlock, told Protocol. “This needs to represent the world.
And with avatars, specifically, you should be able to generate an avatar that
looks like you or like someone of color.”

Forget the blue avatars that took over our screens in 2009. In 2022, new-age
avatars will not only seem hyper-realistic, but also reflect the world’s diversity.
Left: MetaHuman Creator by Unreal Engine. Image courtesy of Epic Games

Right: Omniverse Avatar by Nvidia
Since late 2020, China has investigated and/or fined affiliates of its biggest
tech companies Alibaba, Tencent, JD.com, Meituan and Didi Chuxing for
monopolistic practices. A mega-IPO for Alibaba’s Ant Financial was halted at
the eleventh hour. In April 2021, Alibaba incurred a record fine of $2.8 billion for
imposing “forced exclusivity” rules on merchants.
The magnitude of the crackdown is unsurprising, considering that China is the

world’s most digitized country. Chinese tech companies play an outsized role
in almost every facet of citizens’ lives, collecting vast tracts of consumer data
along the way.
Some 70% of China’s population—989 million people— were online at the

end of 2020, almost all via their mobile phones. Of these, almost 80% were
shopping online, 86% were using mobile payments, and 94% were consuming
China’s tech
crackdown
A crackdown on technology is reshaping China’s economy and society.
online video, according to the China Internet Network Information Center. The US government and the European Union are also trying to curb the reach
Initially focused on antitrust, data security and cybersecurity issues, the of Big Tech by suing the likes of Facebook, Amazon and Google for anti-trust
crackdown has spread to societal concerns, from too much homework for issues, though these efforts will take longer to wind their way through courts.
young kids (solution: banning for-profit online tutors) to excessive gaming
(solution: strict time limits for minors) to obsessive fandoms. Why it’s interesting
For Chinese consumers as well as the brands that sell to them, the changes
“I think the issues that regulators in China are trying to address are clearly could mean more choice as rival tech ecosystems are forced to work with each
not unique,” Vey-Sern Ling, managing director of Union Bancaire Privée in other. For example, shoppers on Alibaba’s ecommerce platforms previously
Singapore and an expert on China’s Internet economy, tells Wunderman could not use WeChat Pay—owned by rival Tencent—for purchases. Similarly,
Thompson Intelligence. “But there is a lot more autonomy in China, much less shoppers on JD.com and Pinduoduo—part-owned by Tencent—could not use
time spent on discussion/consultation, and implementation is heavy-handed.” Alipay. These walled gardens are coming down.
Left: JD.com services

Right: Alibaba’s ecommerce platforms
Carbontech
futures
The world shift toward net zero ushers in a new boom in carbontech.
Climeworks Orca facility in Iceland

In the transition to net zero, the world urgently needs carbon-reduction

strategies. As innovations in carbon capture start to become less expensive,
a carbontech boom could be on the way.
Tech will be crucial for tackling emissions, as Jan Wurzbacher, founder of the
Swiss carbon capture company Climeworks, told Wired in October 2021: “We
have to mitigate, but that will not be enough; we will have biological solutions,
they won’t be enough, and so we need technical solutions.”
As innovations in carbon
In September 2021, Climeworks opened its biggest facility yet in Iceland. The
plant uses modular carbon dioxide collector units to filter carbon out of the air
capture start to become
and turn it into a liquid. Working with Icelandic company Carbfix, it then pumps
the liquid underground, where it reacts with Iceland’s native rock, turning the
less expensive, a
carbon dioxide into stone. Although the technology currently only sucks a small
percentage of carbon out of the air, the modular nature of the system means the
carbontech boom could
solution can be easily and economically scaled. be on the way.
Looking to the skies, Israeli startup High Hopes Labs is betting on large
balloons to trap carbon dioxide high up in the atmosphere where it freezes
almost solid, making it easier to gather. Having tested its cryodistillation
process with small balloons, the company is hoping to scale up its operation
within the next two years, capturing the same amount of carbon dioxide at a
lower cost than many on-the-ground solutions available today.
Once carbon has been captured, other brands are stepping in to use it in While carbon capture on a grand scale remains expensive, new projects are
their products, turning waste into valuable resources. Chicago-based Aether proving that costs can come down—and a nascent economy is emerging to
uses carbon dioxide to create diamonds, while Canadian sportswear brand capitalize on waste carbon. “Has the carbontech revolution begun?” asked the
Lululemon joined forces with biotech company LanzaTech in July 2021 to create New York Times in June 2021. As the drive toward net zero becomes the new
fabric made from waste carbon dioxide. normal, the appetite for these solutions is only set to grow.
Transforming communication and collaboration is at the heart of Varjo

Teleport VR. The headset, launched in October 2021 by Helsinki-based tech
manufacturer Varjo, uses the Varjo Reality Cloud platform, which allows for
photorealistic virtual teleportation.
Meta is also betting big on virtual reality (VR). “By 2030, the new generations
of Oculus will allow users to teleport from one place to another without moving
from their couch,” Mark Zuckerberg told The Information’s 411 podcast.
Microsoft Mesh uses mixed reality (MR) to create interconnected worlds where
the physical and digital come together. The selling point with Microsoft’s new
platform is that people in different physical locations are able to collaborate
Virtual and work in real time on the same project via holographic experiences across
different devices. “You can actually feel like you’re in the same place with
someone sharing content or you can teleport from different mixed reality
teleportation devices and be present with people even when you’re not physically together,”
said Alex Kipman, Microsoft’s technical fellow.
Technologists are opening up digital portals—making virtual London-based design practice Space Popular proposes an even more
teleportation a plausible reality. ambitious concept—a civic infrastructure that allows for virtual teleportation.
The idea was delivered in November 2021 at Dezeen 15 online festival, with the
two cofounders envisaging a “threaded network of virtual textiles that our virtual
selves pull aside to move between virtual environments.”

Distance is becoming less of an obstacle. As people spend more time working,
socializing and collaborating online, technology is paving the way for
teleportation into a new virtual dimension that offers more intimate, close-to-
reality in-person interactions.
Left: Alex Kipman and John Hanke. Images courtesy of Microsoft Mesh
Right: Varjo Teleport VR
Cryptocurrency has seen its share of ups and downs, but recent moves from
major financial and political players may be sanctioning the digital currency as a
legitimate and accessible payment option.
Cryptonomics
PayPal launched its cryptocurrency service in the United Kingdom in August
2021, letting British users buy, hold and sell digital currencies on the popular
epayments app. The UK launch marks the first international expansion for
Is cryptocurrency finally on the path to legitimacy? PayPal’s cryptocurrency product since it launched in the United States at the
end of 2020. “The tokens and coins have been around for a while,” Jose
Fernandez da Ponte, PayPal’s general manager for blockchain, crypto and
digital currencies, told CNBC, “but you had to be a relatively sophisticated user
to be able to access that. Having that on a platform like ours makes a really
good entry point.”
Eric Adams, the mayor-elect for New York City, announced in November 2021
that he wants to be paid in Bitcoin. Taking to social media, Adams signaled his
intention to make New York the “center of the cryptocurrency industry,” starting
by taking his first three paychecks in the digital currency.
Several countries are experimenting with nationally regulated digital currencies.

China is currently piloting a digital yuan, with plans to eventually roll out the
electronic currency for mass public use. Over the past year, the People’s Bank
of China has distributed several million dollars’ worth of the digital currency via
an app connected to six major state-owned banks, according to CNBC. Major
cities including Beijing, Chengdu and Shenzhen have joined the pilot program
in recent months, as have Tencent-backed WeBank and Alibaba’s Ant Group-
backed MYbank. China may even test the digital currency with foreign visitors
at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, CNBC revealed in April 2021.
In April 2021, the Bank of Japan (BOJ) kicked off its first phase of digital
currency testing, and this initial exploratory step will continue through March
2022. The BOJ will focus on testing the technical feasibility of issuing,
distributing and redeeming a central bank digital currency.
Also in April 2021, the UK finance minister Rishi Sunak told a fintech industry
conference that the UK Treasury and Bank of England had launched a joint
task force “to coordinate exploratory work on a potential central bank
digital currency.”

The wild west of cryptocurrency is slowly being regulated and legitimized,
opening the door to a future of digital economies.
PayPal cryptocurrency service in the UK

Purification tech
Innovative purifying technology is battling
greenhouse gases in public spaces.
AirBubble, presented at the COP26 United Nations

Climate Change Conference in 2021. Image by Naaro
A new wave of technological innovations are using biotechnology to purify air

spaces. As this tech develops, its functionality is being tested in public spaces,
aiming to mitigate the effects of air pollution.
Architecture and innovation firm EcoLogicStudio has revealed a project that

removes pollutants from the air. The AirBubble air-purifying eco-machine is
currently in use at a children’s play pavilion in Warsaw, Poland. It uses solar-
powered bioreactors and algae to remove pollutants and carbon dioxide
from the air, drawing on natural photosynthesis. The playscape’s surrounding
bioreactors ultimately keep its pollution levels within the World Health
Organization’s guidelines. EcoLogicStudio also presented the AirBubble at
the Glasgow COP26 United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2021.
A 3D-printed “intelligence forest” created by two Spanish studios, External

Reference and Onionlab, debuted at Expo 2020 in Dubai. The artificial forest
is made up of sustainable bioplastic polymer trees, composed of sugar and
pure.tech, a mineral compound that captures and breaks down greenhouse
gases. Microalgae designed for the exhibition produces oxygen through
photosynthesis, increasing its levels and decreasing levels of the surrounding
greenhouse gases, with the ultimate goal of reducing the effects of global
warming. The idea is that the artificial forest, implemented in a city setting,
could produce more oxygen than native flora and can be used to produce
biofuels and protein-rich food.

Heightened focus on air quality is opening the door to new technology and
devices, ensuring clean breathing in public spaces.
AirBubble playground by EcoLogicStudio. Photography by Maja Wirkus

Left: AirBubble playground by EcoLogicStudio. Photography by Maja Wirkus

Right: AirBubble presented at COP26. Image by Naaro
Travel & hospitality
TRAVEL & HOSPITALITY THE FUTURE 100 50
Travelers are finding unique ways to engage with nature locally for smaller,
shorter excursions, and some studies indicate that these microadventures are
as impactful on mental and emotional health as traditional getaways.
A study by the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California,

Berkeley, and the University of California, San Francisco, found that participants
who embarked on 15-minute walks each week “reported greater joy” and even
smiled more than those in the control group. The results, which are part of a
larger study, indicate that taking a long trip isn’t necessary to inspire awe: short,
simple excursions still have a positive effect on our mental health.
French travel brand Chilowé offers microadventures exclusively, encouraging

travelers to travel locally and in small groups. The company’s concept
emphasizes the travel possibilities that are close to home for French natives,
Microadventures offering sustainable and less expensive travel options.
In the United Kingdom, a one-night adventure company offers mini stays in

Avid travelers are finding local adventures remote locations. Much Better Adventures’ short excursions are designed for
a satisfying fix for the travel bug. people with busy lifestyles and a thirst for adventure. Hotel and resort chain
Best Western is promoting microadventures in the United Kingdom, advertising
unique getaways that last a maximum of 48 hours.
Where there is adventure, there is gear for explorers. US clothing brand M22
has expanded its lifestyle range to develop experiences for adventurous locals
near Lake Michigan. The brand offers microadventures curated to help travelers
escape everyday life and personalized to fit any mood. From surfing and
kayaking to hiking and nature walks, COO Nick Madrick wants the destination’s
branded escapades to “get people outside in the natural environment to
reconnect with nature and experience the local community,” as he told Travel
and Leisure.

When extreme adventure and traditional travel aren’t possible, microadventures
are proving popular, satisfying swaps for an outdoor escape. Brands are finding
ways to introduce this travel habit to consumers looking to satisfy their
wanderlust.
Left: M22. Image by Andy Noel

Right: Much Better Adventures
Travelportation
The digital world is offering immersive travel experiences
from the comfort of home.
Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Images courtesy of Xbox
Immersive technology gives

travel the potential to be
less cost-prohibitive,
more accessible and
more imaginative.
True teleportation may be a sci-fi fantasy (for now), but the sensorial Microsoft Flight Simulator, already compatible with Xbox Series X and S,
experiences of travelportation make it possible for travelers to immerse now offers a TCA Yoke Boeing Edition controller for the ultimate virtual flight
themselves in a physical destination without actually going there. experience. Players can control the pitch of their virtual aircraft with this one-to-
one replica of the control yoke of a Boeing 787, with additional Xbox buttons
Japanese airline group ANA Holdings and JP Games launched the Sky Whale and an audio jack for a seamless adjustment to the new console. Pre-orders
digital platform in May 2021. The platform hosts multiple digital worlds that were available from November 2021, with consumers scheduled to receive
consumers can travel between and shop in with friends and family, supporting their stainless steel controllers the following month.
an interactive, cultural travel experience. The platform features a Sky Park, Sky
Village and Sky Mall, and is partnering with companies in countries including Why it’s interesting
Australia, Austria, Canada, Hawaii, the Philippines and Singapore to connect This immersive technology gives travel the potential to be less cost-prohibitive,
users from around the world. more accessible and more imaginative.
Microsoft Flight Simulator. Images courtesy of Xbox

At Soltara Healing Center, an all-inclusive resort in Costa Rica, stays are

built around ayahuasca, a psychoactive tea, used under the guidance of
native Shipibo healers. Silo Wellness in Jamaica offers psilocybin-assisted
ceremonies that are individually tailored to the group or individual. And at
psilocybin wellness retreat MycoMeditations in Jamaica, guests can enjoy a
luxurious week-long trip with options for guided psychedelic ceremonies for
$10,500. MycoMeditations expanded its packages in June 2021 to include
Companions Retreats for friends and family, to “improve their mental, emotional
and spiritual health as a unit,” says Justin Townsend, MycoMeditation's CEO
and lead facilitator.
The practice is even making its way into mainstream pop culture. Gwyneth
Paltrow famously participated in a psychedelic retreat in the first episode of her
Netflix show, The Goop Lab. More recently, it was also the basis of Hulu’s show
Nine Perfect Strangers.
Douglas Gordon, CEO of Silo Wellness, told Bloomberg that his company’s
retreats reflect the changing notions of luxury. “Real luxury is being able to wear
Mycological
flip-flops to dinner,” he said. “It’s not necessarily black tie, you know? It’s about
an authentic experience. That’s the type of person we want to attract, someone
who puts value into experiences.”
retreats Why it’s interesting

Wellness tourism and luxury travel continue to overlap as luxury travelers seek
All-inclusive resorts are offering an unexpected draw: not just physical escape and creature comforts, but also a deep mental and
guided psychedelic trips. psychological reset.
Soltara Healing Center

In October 2021, Google announced the launch of three new environmentally

conscious options in Google Maps. Eco-friendly routing allows drivers to see
the most fuel-efficient routes rather than just the fastest, while lite navigation is
aimed at cyclists who don’t want turn-by-turn instructions to distract them from
the road. In the third initiative, Google has extended bike and scooter-share
information to over 300 cities globally, helping riders more easily find the micro-
mobility options available to them. Beyond Maps, 2021 has been a busy year for
Google’s sustainable travel-information offer. Worldwide flight searches now
come with emissions estimates, while hotel listings now feature sustainability
credentials and eco-certifications.
For upscale travelers, US-based Wild Nectar Immersive Travel Collection

launched in autumn 2021 with the goal of providing environmentally positive,
luxurious trips. It has created a unique Eco Score to aid destination decision-
making based on factors such as conservation, emissions, and betterment of
Green mapping local communities.
In a similar vein, Small Luxury Hotels of the World launched its new Considerate
Conscious consumers have new eco priorities Collection in October 2021. Working with the Global Sustainable Tourism
when planning trips and journeys. Council, the brand has selected the hotels in the collection for their exceptional
commitment to sustainability, such as increasing local biodiversity or improving
the wellbeing of local communities.
Transportation accounts for 24% of direct global CO2 emissions from fuel
combustion, according to the International Energy Agency’s “Tracking Transport
2020” report. Though lockdowns in 2020 and 2021 reduced these emissions,
the rebound has been significant enough for the International Transport Forum
to predict in 2021 that CO2 emissions from the sector will increase by 16% by
2050, versus 2015 levels. Growing awareness of this impact is leading transport
apps and travel companies to redesign their offerings, giving travelers more
planet-first options.

Not wanting to forgo travel altogether, travelers are looking to brands to help
them make more sustainable plans. Not only do services like this speak to
value-driven consumers but they also help to reduce choice fatigue. According
to Wunderman Thompson Data, 79% of global consumers say they are
interested in tips and advice from brands on how to live more sustainably.
Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary in Shaba, Bhutan, one of the Small Luxury

Hotels of the World’s Considerate Collection destinations
Arctic Bath in Harads, Sweden, one of the Small Luxury Hotels

of the World’s Considerate Collection destinations
Top three
destinations
The top three hot-to-trot destinations for 2022 offer
something for everyone: sustainable tourism, COVID-19
assurance for long-term stays and ecological marvels.
Ljubljana, Slovenia. Photography by Martino Pietropoli, courtesy of Unsplash

Valletta, Malta
For anyone looking for COVID-19 reassurance when traveling, Valletta, the
capital of Malta, is a good bet. The country boasts one of the world’s highest
vaccination rates—and the highest anywhere in Europe—with 81% of residents
fully vaccinated, as reported by the BBC in November 2021. In May 2021,
Reuters reported that the country had achieved herd immunity.
The Nomad Residence Permit, launched in June 2021, makes it a great option
for a long stay. The permit allows remote workers to live and work in Malta for
up to one year, with the option to renew.
Ljubljana, Slovenia
For eco-conscious travelers, the capital of Slovenia is the place to go as
Ljubljana was ranked European Best Green Capital for 2022 by European Best
Destinations. The city boasts more than 542 square meters of public green
space per capita and more than 200 kilometers of bike paths, which locals and
visitors alike can take advantage of thanks to a free-to-use bike-share scheme.
Slovenia is globally recognized for its sustainable tourism industry and is the
most-awarded destination by the European Commission for its sustainable
travel options.
Left: Ljubljana, Slovenia. Photography by Greenvalley Pictures, courtesy of Unsplash

Right: Valletta, Malta. Photography by Mike Nahlii, courtesy of Unsplash
Xishuangbanna boasts
the most intact
tropical ecosystem
in China, featuring
dense tropical
rainforests and
waterfalls, and is Xishuangbanna, China
home to a quarter of Xishuangbanna, located in Southwest China’s Yunnan province, was ranked
one of the top three regions to visit in 2022 by Lonely Planet. Each destination
the country's was chosen for its “topicality, unique experiences, ‘wow’ factor and its
ongoing commitment to sustainable tourism practices,” Lonely Planet states.
animal species. Xishuangbanna’s unique environment and “wow” factor are due in large part
to its botanical and ecological variety. Xishuangbanna boasts the most intact
tropical ecosystem in China, featuring dense tropical rainforests and giant
waterfalls, and is home to a quarter of the country’s animal species and one
sixth of plants.
Xishuangbanna, China. Image courtesy of Unsplash

Travel and navigation brands are incorporating apps for meditative practice to
soothe consumers during their travels.
Waze and Headspace are collaborating to make commuting less stressful.
Meditative Drive with Headspace, launched in October 2021, incorporates the meditative,
relaxing Headspace experience into the navigation app with five mood
travel
selections: Aware, Bright, Joyful, Hopeful and Open. Users can change their
in-app icons and car image to reflect their mood, change the navigation narrator
to Headspace’s director of meditation, Eve Lewis Prieto, and listen to meditative
music curated by Headspace on Spotify. Available in four languages, the
Meditative integrations are making every journey a mindful one.
integration is meant to help drivers “find more joy and meaning on the road,”
according to Waze.
The Avanti West Coast train operator in the United Kingdom will offer
app-based hypnotherapy for its passengers, to help them when feeling
overwhelmed, tired and more. Announced in October 2021, the 20-minute
sessions will guide listeners with tips for power napping, guidance for improving
productivity, and tools for confidence building. The hypnotherapy app
Clementine is free to riders on the West Coast Main Line services, because
the “onboard journey experience is as important as getting to the destination
itself,” according to an Avanti West Coast representative.
Delta Airlines will soon offer custom Peloton relaxation, meditation and
stretching classes on planes with seatback screens. Announced in
November 2021, the partnership aims to help passengers relax on their flights,
with sessions lasting five to 20 minutes taught by some of the fitness app’s
popular instructors.

Meditative apps for wellness are finding new space in the travel sector, giving
stressed and anxious travelers access to therapeutic sessions to ease their
minds during their journey.
Left: Waze and Headspace

Right: Clementine and Avanti West Coast
Academic
adventures
NASA scientists and culture connoisseurs are leading off-the-
beaten-path excursions for the ultra-curious traveler.
Adero Scottsdale’s Dark Sky Zone at the SkyTop Lounge

Expert-led experiences are popular travel offerings that hospitality groups and
informational brands are embracing, providing guests with unique and one-of-a-
kind experiences.
In August 2021, the NPR media organization launched NPR Travels, offering
immersive, educational trips for fans of the public radio service and those with
a taste for history, music, astronomy and more. Starting in 2022, expert-led trips
to destinations from Iceland to South America will host up to 24 people at a
time, featuring curated reading, listening, and recommendations from NPR
journalists. “These guided tours are an opportunity to connect with like-minded
people over their love of travel and NPR,” says Jane Scott, director of
consumer products.
Guests at the Adero Scottsdale can sip cocktails while stargazing from the
hotel’s SkyTop Lounge. Adero’s Dark Sky Zone experts, known as Star Dudes,
guide guests through the constellations via binoculars and high-powered
telescopes while guests indulge in “astro-cocktails.” Telescopes are also
provided to allow stargazing from individual rooms.
During 2021, guests at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa had the
opportunity to learn about any of the 80 constellations viewable from the hotel in
sessions led by NASA ambassador Edward Mahoney. NASA is stepping into the
hospitality company’s exclusive education space as part of the hotel’s broader
Stay, Learn and Play experience package—an out-of-this-world experience.

The hospitality industry is expanding its offerings, catering to academic
adventurers and turning to scientific and cultural experts to curate elite, one-of-
a-kind escapades.
Adero Scottsdale’s Dark Sky Zone at the SkyTop Lounge

In-flight
rejuvenation
Air travel channels spa-like comforts and
wellness recharges for travelers. Airlines are updating accommodations in the air, creating spaces of comfort
and rejuvenation for travelers to enjoy throughout their journey.
Singapore Airlines announced a new partnership with Golden Door, bringing the
top spa resort’s wellness retreat experiences to the skies. From January 2022,
fliers aboard the Los Angeles to Singapore route can view relaxing in-flight
meditation videos, take exercise courses, choose from new gourmet menus,
and even participate in sleep education courses during their 17-hour direct
flight. Golden Door’s goal, according to COO Kathy Van Ness, “is to affect every
single person inside that plane in a positive way.”
Singapore Airlines and Golden Door

Superbusiness minisuites, with doors for privacy and reclining chairs for ultimate Why it’s interesting
comfort, are gradually replacing traditional first-class seating. Qatar Airways has The journey is as important as the destination, and airlines are betting
offered Qsuites with closed-off spaces since 2017, and now Delta, China Eastern, on travelers’ thirst for comfort every step of the way with revolutionary
JetBlue, British Airways, Shanghai Airlines and Air China will offer similar facilities. luxury offerings.
JetBlue Mint suite

China’s outbound travel market was once the world’s biggest, peaking at 169
million trips in 2019. Chinese tourists were so ubiquitous that hotels in Hawaii
hired Mandarin speakers and London’s Marylebone train station debuted
platform announcements in Mandarin. Then COVID-19 hit and national borders
clanged shut. But China’s travel economy hasn’t exactly stalled. It’s just turned
more domestic—for now.
Despite periodic local lockdowns, the total number of domestic trips taken
between January and September 2021 rose 39% year-on-year to 2.69 billion
trips, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism reported.
Three things China is doing to boost its travel economy:
Boosting Premiumizing airports

Beijing’s starfish-shaped Daxing International Airport, the capital’s second
China’s travel
international flight hub, opened in September 2019. Designed by Zaha Hadid
Architects, it cost over $11 billion, features a central courtyard inspired by
traditional Chinese architecture and skylights for intuitive navigation, and is
economy
expected to eventually serve over 100 million passengers a year, rivaling
Hartsfield-Atlanta International Airport, the world’s busiest.
In China’s southwest, Chengdu Tianfu International Airport opened in
China’s travel industry gears up for a post-pandemic June 2021, with capacity of 60 million passengers a year, offering a second
future with new mega-airports, theme parks, international gateway to Sichuan province’s giant pandas and signature
and expanded duty-free shopping. spicy cuisine.
Enhancing duty-free shopping

Unable to fly to Paris, New York or Milan to buy the latest designer bag, luxury
shoppers are instead flying to the duty-free zone of Hainan island, known as
China’s Hawaii.
In July 2020, China tripled duty-free shopping limits and expanded eligible
categories in Hainan. In the year since, duty-free sales jumped 226% to $7.2
billion, according to Hainan Customs.
LVMH, Kering, Shiseido, L’Oréal and other global brands have all opened
stores here, and Hainan has become a test bed for stitching together physical
stores with elements of social commerce and livestreaming.
Hainan’s success in catering to pent-up demand for foreign luxury brands
has since inspired five metropolises—Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Tianjin and
Chongqing—to also start developing their duty-free offerings as “international
consumer centre cities.”
Encouraging a boom in theme parks

Just as international retail is rushing into China, so too are Western-style
theme parks. As national borders
Five years after Disneyland opened in Shanghai, Universal Studios opened
in Beijing in September 2021. The Beijing theme park, Universal’s fifth and
shut down, China’s
largest globally, has seven themed lands, including the first Kung Fu Panda Land
of Awesomeness.
travel economy has
The UK’s Merlin Entertainments is building three Legoland theme parks in
China. The 2023 Sichuan opening will feature local cultural elements, including a
turned toward the
panda-themed area, while the Shenzhen and Shanghai parks will open in 2024
and focus on China’s high-tech digital experiences and ancient water town
domestic market.
architecture respectively.

As national borders shut down, China’s travel economy has turned toward the
domestic market. That has pulled significant investment into travel retail and
entertainment within China, by both international and domestic partners, who
are betting on a long-term boost to domestic tourism as well as the return of
foreign visitors when borders finally re-open.
Since teen climate activist Greta Thunberg sailed across the Atlantic in 2019
to avoid flying on a greenhouse-gas emitting airplane, a growing cohort of
individuals and organizations have likewise turned to wind for a more climate-
friendly mode of transportation.
In collaboration with the Swedish government and research organizations,

Swedish shipbuilder Wallenius Marine is designing a transatlantic car carrier
that will be entirely wind-powered, in an effort to help clean up the automotive
New age trade industry. The Oceanbird carrier will have five steel wind sails and the
capacity to carry over 7,000 vehicles.
nautics TransOceanic Wind Transport, a cargo company founded in France, aims to

build and operate solely wind-powered cargo vessels. The company is in the
process of building four such vessels for global trade routes, with the ability to
Eco-conscious travelers are taking to the seas. carry 1,100 tonnes of cargo and reduce emissions by 90%.
The Oceanbird by Wallenius Marine and Alfa Laval

A new sporting challenge will help to accelerate the transition to cleaner water
technologies by promoting electric solutions. The E1 Series is the world's first
electric powerboat racing championship, set to take place at a series of coastal
locations around the world in 2022. Teams will compete in the Racebird, an
electric foiling boat that is inspired by nature. Alongside thrilling races, the
Series’ biggest impact will be its sustainable legacy. Organizers will leave
behind electric charging infrastructure in every city marina, as well as hosting
week-long festivals promoting sustainability.
E1 Series cofounder and CEO Rodi Basso tells Wunderman Thompson

Intelligence, “Just as the automotive sector is shifting towards electrification
and clean technologies, so must the marine industry, to prevent potentially
irrevocable damage being caused to such an important ecosystem for
our planet.”
For individuals, a new crop of organizations is making sailing more accessible.

Sailcoop is a French company that is setting up a sailboat cooperative;
customers can book trips from January 2022. By creating networks of nautical
professionals, passengers and shipowners, Sailcoop provides the opportunity
to travel locally or internationally by water, guided by private sailors.

Land and air travel no longer have the same sheen, as carbon emissions and
climate consequences grow by the day. Thoughtful electric- and wind-powered
nautical designs are making carbon-neutral transportation more feasible for
everyone, from businesses to competitive athletes to individuals who don’t own
their own boats.
Top: Sailcoop
Bottom: Oceanways, the world’s first zero-emisson submarine concept
E1 Series. Image by Mark Lloyd

Brands & marketing
BRANDS & MARKETING THE FUTURE 100 74
Climate activists are expanding their targets from the world’s biggest
corporate polluters to those who enable them, from governments to banks
and ad agencies.
Groups including Brandalism, Badvertising and Adfree Cities launched

organized, guerilla-style efforts in the United Kingdom around COP26, the
global climate conference hosted in Glasgow in November 2021.
In October, the anonymous Brandalism network also plastered more than 100
posters onto billboards and bus stops in 20 UK towns and cities, accusing ad
Brandalism
agencies Ogilvy, MediaCom and VCCP of helping to “greenwash” high-carbon
clients such as Shell, BP and British Airways, the Drum reported. Brandalism
had earlier criticized banks such as Barclays and HSBC for providing financing
to clients in the fossil-fuel business.
Vandalism for good hijacks ad space—exposing brands
and demanding they do better.
The New Weather Institute think tank has created “Badvertising,” a campaign
that labels the ad industry as “brain pollution” and calls for the government to
control high-carbon advertising.
Ford poster by Brandalism

“For too long, the advertising industry has escaped scrutiny for its role in the Local governments have not been spared. The European Citizens’ Initiative
climate crisis,” Robbie Gillett of Adfree Cities was quoted as saying in the Drum. Ban Fossil Fuel Advertising and Sponsorships is urging local councils to follow
“Whether it’s using the best creative talent to promote high-carbon products, Amsterdam in banning advertising and sponsorship for cars, airlines and fossil-
providing misleading greenwash for big oil companies or filling our public fuel companies.
spaces with energy-intensive ad screens, the juggernaut of polluting PR needs
to end.” Why it’s interesting
The ad industry itself has made serious efforts in recent years to reach carbon
Another common complaint is that ad agencies promote unsustainable net zero in its own operations. Activists say this isn’t enough and efforts pale in
lifestyles through conspicuous consumption during shopping festivals. comparison to the carbon footprints of some ad agencies’ biggest clients.
Posters by Brandalism
Co-creative
platforms
The next generation of digital platforms is putting creative
power in the hands of the user.
IMVU social network. Image courtesy of Together Labs

IMVU calls creativity "the

new status symbol" for the
next digital era.
Creativity is increasingly informed and powered by technology, setting the stage tells Wunderman Thompson Intelligence. “For them, customization and the
for the next era of digital platforms and creative influence. Digital tools have play element are part of the same thing—self-expression and exploration.”
“activated an entirely new world” of creativity—one where “creations can
transcend physical limitations,” Helena Dong, creative technologist and digital Snapchat believes that creativity is the driving force propelling the future
designer, tells Wunderman Thompson Intelligence. of digital engagement. As a user, “you’re not creating content that people
consume, you’re creating content that people then create with,” Carolina
72% of gen Z and millennials in the United States, the United Kingdom and Arguelles Navas, group product marketing manager at Snap Inc, tells
China believe that creativity today is dependent on technology, and 92% Wunderman Thompson Intelligence. “That’s really powerful. You’re putting
believe that technology opens up a whole new world of creation, according out a piece of content that everyone personalizes and has a personal
to Wunderman Thompson Intelligence’s research for “Into the Metaverse,” experience with.”
conducted by Wunderman Thompson Data in July 2021.
This momentum is spurred on by what she refers to as the snowball effect of
“For generation alpha and generation Z, customization and creation are intricate digital creativity. “The biggest opportunity with augmented reality (AR) is that it
parts of their gaming experience,” Keith Stuart, games editor at the Guardian, is a catalyst for other people to now create content with that AR experience

you’ve developed; then they are sharing it with their group of friends and their
group of friends are unlocking that and sharing. You’ve created a catalyst where
you’re scaling creation on your behalf.”
IMVU is a “next-generation social network” that revolves around creativity,

Daren Tsui, CEO of the social app and its parent company Together Labs, tells
Wunderman Thompson Intelligence. “There are over 200,000 creators on our
platform. Over the years we’ve amassed 15 million items in our catalog,” almost
all of which are user-driven, Tsui says. “We create 0.001%; everything else is
done by creators.” IMVU calls creativity “the new status symbol” for the next
digital era—dethroning influence and income. When users come onto the
platform, “making money is not the most important thing for them. It’s about
being recognized for their creations,” Tsui explains.

Online habits are evolving. As stated by digital fashion house The Fabricant,
in the digital world “people are not passive consumers, but creative agents
crafting their self-expression and curating their virtual identity.”

Social media apps are allowing users to monetize their content without using
third-party apps, creating new tiers within their creator communities.
Twitter launched Super Follows in September 2021—a new feature that allows
paying Tweeters to view subscriber-only content. It allows content creators to
tweet out exclusively to their Super Followers and at the time of writing is limited
to Twitter iOS app users in the United States who elected to test the feature.
Super Follows users can charge from $2.99 to $9.99 a month through payment
app Stripe, and can earn up to 97% of their subscription revenue after third-party
fees until they reach earnings of $50,000 across all Twitter monetization products.
After that, they can earn up to 80% of their revenue after third-party fees.
Twitter is also testing Professional Profiles for businesses. Since April 2021,
businesses with Twitter accounts have unique setups to display specific
information about their brand or company directly on their profile. The additions
include a verification badge, business category, and a section for broader
business information, such as hours or location.
Tumblr also launched a new subscription feature in September 2021, open to all
users in the United States. Its Post Plus offering allows creators to post only to
Superfollowers
subscribed followers, similar to Twitter’s Super Follows. Tumblr posters can
charge from $1.99 to $9.99 a month, and can paywall existing content, not only
new posts.
Digital creators are making money from their content with

new in-app subscriptions on social platforms. Why it’s interesting
Social platforms are evolving to offer more than entertainment in multimedia
content. Boosted features and incentives to attract, gain and maintain a
significant following are driving creativity and enhancing conversations for
creators and consumers on social media.
Left: Twitter Super Follows feature

Right: Tumblr Post Plus
Branded
virtual worlds
Does the future of advertising and marketing lie in gaming?
Top: Ralph Lauren Winter Escape on Roblox

Bottom: Nikeland on Roblox
skateboarding tricks, design their own Vans shoes and skateboards, and try on
virtual gear. Also in September on Roblox, Hyundai launched its Hyundai
Mobility Adventure. The space contains five “parks” where users can race, play
games, learn about Hyundai’s technologies, and take part in festivals.
Other brands are creating branded virtual worlds on their own platforms. For
CES 2022, Procter and Gamble invited visitors into a virtual world where they
could learn about the company’s full portfolio of products, play games, learn
about the company’s sustainability initiatives and more. BMW launched its
virtual world Joytopia in September 2021 as part of BMW’s participation in the
IAA Mobility 2021 international motor show. As well as being the backdrop for
BMW to present its vision for the future of mobility, Joytopia offered festival-
esque elements including an exclusive Coldplay concert. Japanese beauty
With the in-game advertising market set to grow by $3.54 billion between 2021 brand SK-II launched a virtual city in May 2021. Visitors can navigate a virtual
and 2025, according to a 2021 report by Technavio, brands are diving headfirst rendering of SK-II City to shop, learn about products, and even catch a movie in
into gaming with branded virtual worlds. the SK-II cinema.
Many brands are turning to established gaming platforms such as Roblox, “There’s something unique about the growth of gaming as a marketing
creating novel in-game branded experiences in the hope of engaging the platform,” Grant Paterson, head of gaming and esports at Wunderman
platform’s 46 million daily active users. Thompson, tells Wunderman Thompson Intelligence. “We talk about gaming
as being the nexus of a new consumer paradigm.”
Ralph Lauren announced the launch of its Winter Escape on Roblox in
December 2021. The holiday-themed virtual destination includes activities like Why it’s interesting
ice skating, toasting marshmallows, scavenger hunts, and shopping the Ralph For younger generations especially, gaming is replacing advertising channels
Lauren Digital Collection, available for purchase exclusively on Roblox. Nike such as print and television. “A lot of the traditional ways of marketing to young
unveiled Nikeland on Roblox in November 2021. The virtual world lets users people are gone forever,” Keith Stuart, games editor at the Guardian, tells
dress their avatars in virtual Nike gear and explore Nikeland’s arenas, fields Wunderman Thompson Intelligence. “Gaming is where they are.” Expect to
and buildings that are host to various mini-games. Vans World, launched in see more branded virtual worlds as companies and marketers tap into this
September 2021, is a virtual skatepark on Roblox where players can practice growing space.
BMW’s Joytopia virtual world

Decentralized technology and finance are paving the way for headless brands,
built by communities who collectively decide on products, assets and
messaging. Members who buy into these communities, often by acquiring
crypto tokens, earn the right to participate in brand decision-making and can
even take a share in financial success.
The term headless brand was first coined in a 2019 paper authored by the
strategy and research firm Other Internet, which describes these brands as
“self-enforcing, self-incentivized, contagious narratives that emerge and evolve
in ways that are unexpected and irrepressible.” The paper identified Bitcoin as
Headless brands the first iteration of a headless brand as it has no central authority, operating
and evolving in line with the decisions of a multitude of stakeholders. “A
headless brand is a meme,” say the paper’s authors, Toby Shorin, Laura Lotti
A new wave of consumer creators, powered and incentivized by and Sam Hart. “It belongs to no one, and can be remixed by anyone.”
decentralized organizations, are taking the reins of brand storytelling.
More recently, NFT-based marketplaces have emerged that formalize the trend
uniting culture, community and crypto. Metafactory, a self-described “factory
for headless brands” launched in 2020, aims to bring artists, consumers and
brands together in a partnership to create community-run fashion brands.
Artists (including Italian digital artist Van and Indonesian cryptoartist Twisted
Vacancy) submit their designs and members have a say, voting for their
favorites to be produced centrally by Metafactory. Brand members and
investors then share in the profits as well as enjoying exclusive NFT drops
and promotions.
The Bored Ape Yacht Club, which launched in April 2021, is a community of
owners of ape character NFTs. Crucially, owners are assigned the rights to their
ape character, allowing them to creatively commercialize their asset. Many

owners have already done so, spawning everything from branded craft beer
and skateboards to an animated YouTube series. As the New Yorker’s Kyle
Chayka explains, these “cultural creations can expand organically through the
efforts of many users while remaining recognizable, resulting in a kind of user-
generated mythology.”

“Are the Bored Apes a silly collectible or are they a decentralized competitor to
Supreme?” mused Twitter user @punk6529 in October 2021. It’s likely the latter,
if press reports that suggest the Bored Apes ecosystem is already worth $1
billion are accurate. For now, headless startups are perhaps most potent in
culture-led categories such as streetwear and music, but brands across the
board should keep a watchful eye on this trend that will see consumers grow
their stake in brand narratives.
Metafactory
Brands are filling their ads with uplifting and heartwarming moments, inviting
audiences to join them in joy and jubilation.
Crowded with dance videos, funny pranks and stunt trends, TikTok is a solid
source of joy—and a source of opportunity for brands seeking lighthearted,
authentic connections with their audience. According to a study by the
Flamingo Group, 73% of TikTok users said they felt happier after logging into
the app. Associating those positive emotions with a brand continues to be a top
strategy among marketers, as brands hone their marketing into positive spaces
and platforms.
Emotional intelligence was at the forefront of a Lexus campaign in October

2021. The ad, promoting the Lexus ES Self-Charging Hybrid, uses facial
recognition technology to read and adapt the ad to the consumer’s emotions.
The goal of the “Feel Your Best” campaign is to leave viewers feeling more
Euphoric ads
positive after their personalized experience.
Gap’s “All Together Now” 2021 holiday campaign focused on love, kindness,
Moments of joy are keeping spirits high and “modern American optimism”—one of the brand’s core philosophies.
in brand advertising and engagement. The campaign starred Katy Perry and ran to the tune of “All You Need is Love”
by the Beatles. Themes of unity, love and joy are consistent with the brand’s
optimistic marketing motif.
Target’s 2021 holiday update of its “What We Value Most Shouldn’t Cost More”
campaign featured a rendition of “Best of My Love” by The Emotions,
performed by the Black Pumas and Sofia Reyes. “This year’s holiday campaign
provides an opportunity for Target to connect with all of our guests while
helping them discover the joy that’s within reach every day throughout the
season,” said chief marketing and digital officer Cara Sylvester.

Consumers are seeking authentic, uplifting content, and brands are meeting
them on positive platforms, aiming to generate joy in their marketing strategies.
Themes of optimism and unity are important to consumers, and brands that
focus on those communal aspects are generating positive reactions from
Brands are filling their
customers and increasing engagement within their branded communities. ads with uplifting and
heartwarming moments,
inviting audiences to join
them in joy and
jubilation.
The Lexus ES “Feel Your Best” campaign

Regenerative
brands
Across industries, more brands are stepping up to commit to
regenerative practices, supercharging their sustainability goals.
PepsiCo regenerative farming

Regeneration goes beyond doing less harm to the planet, aiming to reverse This follows Walmart’s September 2020 pledge to become a regenerative
negative impacts by restoring and renewing resources—84% of global company, which includes a commitment to restore at least 50 million acres
respondents believe that we need businesses to drive regeneration, or it will of land by 2030.
not happen, according to Wunderman Thompson Intelligence’s 2021 report
“Regeneration Rising.” In response, brands across categories are pledging to Over the past few years Big Food has set the pace on regenerative farming,
become regenerative. with multinationals Danone, Nestlé and General Mills all revealing plans to help
some of their suppliers adopt regenerative techniques. In April 2021, PepsiCo
Looking to grow its farm-to-closet model, in September 2021 Californian announced an ambitious goal to scale such techniques across seven million
sustainable fashion label Christy Dawn launched The Land Stewardship, a new acres of land—equal to its entire agricultural footprint—by 2030.
program that focuses on regenerative agriculture. Via the initiative, customers
can invest $200, helping to convert a plot of land from conventional cotton Why it’s interesting
farming to farming using regenerative practices. When the cotton is harvested, Brands are acknowledging that doing less harm to the planet is no longer
they are reimbursed in store credit based on the yield of the cotton on the plot enough. Regenerating the world’s resources and repairing the damage accrued
they invested in. Christy Dawn customers thus have a real stake in making the over centuries is now the ultimate sustainability stretch goal.
company truly regenerative.
Big-name fashion brands are also investing in regenerative agriculture.

In October 2021, Ralph Lauren announced it was partnering with the Soil
Health Institute to launch the US Regenerative Cotton Fund. This followed the
appointment by Conservation International and global luxury group Kering of
the first seven grantees under their Regenerative Fund for Nature initiative,
getting their mission to transition one million hectares of land to regenerative
practices over the next five years under way.
Retailers are also getting on board with regeneration. Morrisons, the UK

grocery store chain, announced a partnership with McDonald’s, Harper Adams
University, and the National Farmers’ Union in October 2021. The collaborators
have launched the United Kingdom’s first school of sustainable food and
farming, ultimately aiming to transform the country’s farming practices.
PepsiCo regenerative farming

The US Regenerative Cotton Fund, a Soil Health Institute partnership with Ralph Lauren
Amazon wants to be the world’s best employer for its 1.3 million employees
around the world. In an update to its list of Leadership Principles, bringing the
total to 16, the company added two new entries in July 2021. The first, “strive to
be Earth’s best employer,” says that Amazon leaders work to “create a safer,
more productive, higher performing, more diverse, and more just work
environment.” The second, focused on scaling sensibly and responsibly, notes
“we are big, we impact the world, and we are far from perfect.” Andy Jassy,
who took over as CEO after Jeff Bezos stepped down, hopes to bring about a
new employee-first and responsible future for Amazon.
In response to the continued proliferation of work-from-home set-ups, which
New company triggered frustrations and lack of work-life balance for some, Google released a
wellbeing manifesto that includes relatable sentiments such as “It’s OK to put
manifestos
your family before your work” and “It’s OK to say you’re not OK.”

Companies are going through a rebrand—one that looks to update internal
Companies are updating their internal brand messaging to stay
policies to meet today’s needs and put employees first. The shift signals a new
culturally relevant and connect with the modern-day employee.
respect for employee wellbeing and happiness that demands a new level of
understanding and empathy from employers.
The commercial exploitation of dreams is becoming a reality, but not without

eliciting concern from the scientific community. Calls for regulation are placing
early adopters of dream incubation advertising in the spotlight. While
possibilities still run wild, the next wave of subliminal marketing is uncertain.
Dream incubation or targeted dream incubation (TDI) is a modern field of

science with ancient roots where sensory cues like sound are used to shape
or “prime” people’s dreams. In a clinical setting, TDI can be used to change
negative behaviors, like smoking. In marketing, it is being used to inspire
brand affinity.
Anheuser Busch has exclusivity to Super Bowl advertising sewn up, so in
Dreamvertising January 2021 Molson Coors found a very different way to target Super Bowl
fans. Using TDI advertising reminiscent of Microsoft’s Xbox “Made From
Dreams” campaign, Molson Coors collaborated with dream psychologist
Brands and advertisers are looking to guide our dreams. Deirdre Barrett of Harvard University to produce the Coors Big Game Dream
film and soundscape, designed to cause viewers to have pleasant dreams set
in mountain scenes—that just happen to sway people toward Molson Coors
products. The press release reads: “Coors Light and Coors Seltzer want to
ensure you’ll have a refreshing dream using the science of guiding dreams.”
Sounds pleasant enough in context, but Massachusetts Institute of Technology

neuroscientist Adam Haar believes these practices in a marketing context are
scary. While they are known to interfere with our natural nocturnal memory
processing, they also could pave the way to more sinister ends. For example,
back in 2018 Burger King had more devilish plans. Its “nightmare” burger for
Halloween was “clinically proven” to induce nightmares. Supported by 40
professional signatories from diverse fields of academia, Haar cowrote an
opinion piece for DXE, published in June 2021, that cautioned: “proactive action
77% of US marketers say

they plan to use dreamtech
for advertising purposes in
the next three years.
and new protective policies are urgently needed to keep advertisers from
manipulating one of the last refuges of our already beleaguered conscious and
unconscious minds: Our dreams.”

There is a growing appetite from brands to experiment with dream influencing
technology and techniques: a 2021 study by the American Marketing
Association found that 77% of US marketers say they plan to use dreamtech
for advertising purposes in the next three years. While there are no prohibitive
regulations in place, some consumers could perceive such techniques as
dystopian. Until we have a deeper scientific understanding, it’s perhaps best
that brands approach “dreamvertising” with caution.
Top: Xbox Series XS global launch events

Bottom: Burger King’s “nightmare” burger
Augmented reality (AR) is hitting the mainstream, and consumers are showing
a growing appetite for AR brand engagement. Currently, there are 1.5 billion
frequent users of AR, and this is forecast to hit 4.3 billion by 2025, according to
Augmented ads August 2021 research from Statista. And, notably, 70% of consumers say they
want to see more AR ads, according to a July 2021 survey from Ericsson.
Brands are leveling up digital advertising with augmented reality. Brands are embracing AR to engage digital consumer bases. In November
2021, Volkswagen launched AR ads embedded on Amazon boxes. By scanning
a QR code printed on the Amazon box, users can learn about Volkswagen’s
new 2022 Taos SUV through an AR driving experience.
AR Labs WPP partnership with Snap

In September 2021, Snap and ad giant WPP launched an AR partnership, AR

Labs, to deliver augmented marketing solutions for brands. AR Labs will also
develop a custom scorecard for WPP clients, which will be used to generate
more effective campaigns. In October 2021, Snap also launched a new creative
studio, Arcadia, to create AR ads and help brands develop AR advertising and
experiences—on Snapchat as well as other digital platforms. The studio has
already partnered with companies like Shake Shack, P&G Beauty and Verizon.
AR has a major role
Malls will soon have floating augmented ads. In July 2021, Brookfield Properties
partnered with The Aria Network to open up air space in malls to augmented to play in the future of
marketing
advertisements. The new deal will give Aria exclusive rights to the virtual air
space of Brookfield Properties, which encompasses over 150 million square
feet in 100 different locations. Aria will use the square feet from the deal to
create the ability for brands to advertise through augmented reality, which and commerce.
consumers can access through their phones
“AR has a major role to play in the future of marketing and commerce,” says
Sanja Partalo, executive vice president of strategic development and
partnerships at WPP.

The advent of AR ads is teeing up the next era of digital marketing and
advertising—for ads that consumers want to engage with.
Food & drink
FOOD & DRINK THE FUTURE 100 96
Foraged
cocktails
Sustainable cocktail offerings are taking
inspiration from the natural world.
Visit Sweden’s elderflower vinegar. Photography by Martin Vallin

Locally foraged ingredients are being used to create one-of-a-kind craft

cocktails and offer consumers a greater range of sustainable drink options.
In September 2021, national tourism organization Visit Sweden announced it

was expanding its rewilded tourism offering to the United Kingdom, the United
States and Germany. Building on Visit Sweden’s Drinkable Country program,
the new “Taste of Swedish Summer” campaign highlights 22 natural ingredients
that can be found in Sweden during the sunniest months, from spruce buds
to wild flowers, alongside food preservation methods such as pickling and
fermentation, and innovative recipes. In collaboration with Forsman & Bodenfors
and Mindshare, the promotion centers on local produce. Drinkable Country
encourages visitors to explore Sweden’s countryside as the “world’s largest
outdoor bar,” with local guides on hand at 14 nationwide locations to help
guests collect berries and greens to mix into their custom beverages.
Spirits company Hangar 1 has used damaged merlot and malbec grapes from
the 2020 Glass Fire in Napa Valley to make vodka. Distilled from fruit unsuitable
for wine, the 80-proof Smoke Point Vodka has a hint of anise and vanilla for a
different take on the spirit. The company is donating all proceeds from sales to
the California Fire Foundation.

Whether rewilded or repurposed, foraged craft cocktails are lifting spirits.
Local, self-sustained cuisine is minimizing waste and reforming menus as
contemporary innovators incorporate local flora into their craft.
Visit Sweden. Image by Niklas Nyman

In October 2021, LA-based children’s snack brand Bitsy’s launched Swish, an

immunity-boosting drink mix for children. Containing electrolytes, vitamin C and
zinc, the mixes are designed to be added to kids’ water bottles for a quick
immunity hit on the go.
Harnessing the power of the microalgae spirulina, Netherlands-based Ful Foods

launched its range of Ful Revive vitamin-rich drinks in the United Kingdom in
autumn 2021. The drinks’ distinctive blue color comes from the phycocyanin
natural antioxidant found in spirulina, which is renowned for its immune-boosting
properties. Alongside their health benefits, the brand also claims the drinks are
“climate active” thanks to the microalgae’s ability to absorb one and a half to two
times their weight in carbon and photosynthesize it, releasing oxygen.
US food and drinks brand Ocean Spray is also looking to health-first options.
Liquid immunity In November 2020 the company launched the B1U functional-beverage brand,
which includes a lemon and chamomile-infused water called I Need Immunity.
Going beyond beverages, the brand followed up in March 2021 with Ocean Spray
Wellness aficionados are quenching their thirst while Fruit Medley, a new line of dried-fruit blends with key benefits. The Immunity
supercharging their immune systems. Blend contains beta glucan, which has been shown to improve immune defense.
As continued focus on illness prevention drives growth in the global immunity-

boosting food market—set to grow at a CAGR of 8.2% from 2021 to 2028,
according to Stratagem Market Insights—immunity-assisting drinks are a new
focus for innovation.

With six in 10 global consumers looking to food and drink items to help their
immune system, according to Innova’s Consumer Survey 2020, brands have
good reason to create products that support overall health.
Left: Ocean Spray’s B1U functional-beverage brand

Right: Bitsy’s Swish is an immunity-boosting drink for kids
Haute veganism A swath of Michelin-starred restaurants and top chefs are going vegan, giving
vegetables the rarefied and gourmet status once bestowed on meat.
Vegan dining evolves from earthy-crunchy to exclusive.
Previously renowned for its duck, lobster and foie gras dishes, the three-
Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park reopened in June 2021 after lockdown
with a fully plant-based menu. “The future for me is plant-based,” said head
chef and owner Daniel Humm.
Geranium, a three-star-Michelin restaurant in Denmark, announced in

November 2021 that it would remove meat from its menu. Voted the second-
best restaurant in the world in October, the restaurant is refocusing on plant-
based and pescatarian dishes. “I feel like we need a clean slate,” head chef and
Mushroom dish at Eleven Madison Park. Photography by Evan Sung

co-owner Rasmus Kofoed told Berlingske. “We are waving goodbye to our
signature dishes and I think that is a big step.”
In June, Michelin-starred Gauthier Soho in London reopened with an all-vegan

menu. ONA, which stands for origine non-animale (animal-free origin), became
the first all-vegan restaurant in France to earn a Michelin star in January 2021.
And the three-Michelin-starred team behind SingleThread in California
announced plans in May 2021 to open a casual meatless restaurant.

Acclaimed chefs and restaurateurs are elevating vegan cuisine to a highbrow
fine-dining experience.
Left: Tonburi dish at Eleven Madison Park. Photography by Evan Sung

Right: Geranium. Photography by Claes Bech-Poulsen
In September 2021, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland said it had

produced a brew that smelled and tasted like regular coffee—all without
growing a single coffee plant. The coffee was lab-grown from cell cultures in
a bioreactor, with steel vessels filled with a nutrient-rich broth.
“The experience of drinking the very first cup was exciting,” VTT research team
leader Dr Heiko Rischer says. “I estimate we are only four years away from
ramping up production and having regulatory approval in place.”
Cell-cultured
coffee
Following meat and seafood, coffee could be
the next item grown in a lab.
Coffee produced in a bioreactor through cellular agriculture by VTT Research

The impetus for an alternative way to make coffee is similar to that for meat and
seafood: growing world demand that’s taxing the earth’s productive resources.
The global coffee market was worth over $102 billion in 2020, according to
Mordor Intelligence. The market—from whole bean and ground and instant
coffee to pods and capsules—is marked by fierce competition and innovation.
Rising coffee production and consumption worldwide have sparked concerns

about deforestation as well as river pollution from processing run-offs.
Traditionally coffee plants were grown under the shade of trees but, as demand
skyrocketed, coffee farmers began cutting down trees to create rows of higher-
yield coffee. Scientists warn that in the future climate change could also lead
to shrinking areas for coffee cultivation, particularly for high-end varieties in
countries like Ethiopia. Hence the search for an alternative cup of java.
Rischer says that more research on processing and formulation lies ahead, as
well as regulatory approval. “That said,” he adds, “we have now proved that
lab-grown coffee can be a reality.”

Scientists already know they can grow animal and plant biomass in labs. But
the process tends to be laborious and expensive, and still tends to evoke a
“Frankenfood” vibe among consumers. The first lab-grown meat—chicken
nuggets made by Silicon Valley company Eat Just—was approved for sale at
the end of 2020 in Singapore and hasn’t really taken off anywhere else since.
Coffee won’t have that baggage. The big test will be whether the brands that
commercialize lab-grown coffee can eventually meet a price point consumers
can swallow—on a daily basis.
Coffee produced in a bioreactor through cellular agriculture by VTT Research

Alcoholic brands are reinventing their processes to be more sustainable and

less wasteful to combat climate change. In addition to new carbon-neutral
distilleries such as Air Company and Bespoken Spirits, traditional spirits brands
are promising to do better for the planet with reformed operations.
Diageo opened its first carbon-neutral distillery in North America in September

2021. The operation will use 100% renewable electricity, zero fossil fuels for
production, and virtual metering technology by 2030. It will also support the
local community with 30 full-time jobs and even source 100% non-GMO corn
locally. The spirits giant announced plans in 2020 to achieve net-zero carbon
emissions by 2030 as part of its Society 2030: Spirit of Progress initiative.
Some of its distilleries, such as Oban and Royal Lochnagar, are already
Net-zero alcohol carbon neutral.
Air Company manufactures its alcohol from recaptured carbon dioxide (CO2)
Global distilleries are addressing climate and takes an extra pound of carbon from the air in the process. After launching
change by going carbon neutral. in 2020, the company won first place in the NASA CO2 Conversion Challenge in
August 2021.
Absolut Vodka announced in May 2021 that all production is on track to

function fully without fossil fuels by 2025. Declared carbon neutral back in 2013,
it is ahead of the game, boasting 85% renewable energy, sending zero waste to
landfills, and repurposing by-products either for fuel or food for farm animals.

As prominent spirits distilleries join the fight against climate change, the food
and beverage industry is lowering its production waste and carbon emissions.
Air Company's recaptured CO2 vodka

Blue Zones residents live longer and healthier lives compared to those in other
parts of the world, and signs collectively point to holistic, integrated wellness
habits as the main cause. Ikaria in Greece, Okinawa in Japan, the Ogliastra
region of Sardinia, Loma Linda in California, and the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa
Rica, have all been identified as Blue Zones. Research shows that people living
here are part of communities that focus on collective care, food in moderation,
and sustainable habits. Outsiders can now adopt the meals and practices that
make Blue Zones residents so healthy.
Bush’s Beans introduced a new Blue Zones line of organic plant-based

toppings for meals and soups in October 2021. Beans, which are considered
a “longevity food all-star” by the Blue Zones organization, are at the center of
the collaborative offering. Bush’s senior vice president of marketing, Stephen
Palacios, said this new product line “makes it easy for anyone, anywhere to eat
Blue Zones diets more like the longest-living cultures in the world.”
A neighborhood in Tucson, Arizona, has repurposed an abandoned school

Brands and communities are embracing Blue Zones as a community food hub, inspired by the collaborative nature of Blue Zones
lifestyles in the pursuit of health and wellness. communities. The Midtown Farm, a small-scale group, plants seeds and
harvests affordable food for the local community, which is predominantly Latino
and Indigenous. Using rainwater harvesting systems and collective workshops
to involve the community, the initiative is checking multiple boxes when it
comes to Blue Zones lifestyle habits.

Living life intentionally, with moderation and community in mind, has brought
Blue Zones lifestyles into the mainstream, as many around the world attempt
to adopt more holistic wellness habits. Due to heightened focus on health,
consumers are looking for healthy habits of collective care, and Blue Zones
diets offer a formula for that.
Bush’s Beans’ new

product line “makes it
easy for anyone,
anywhere to eat more
like the longest-living
cultures in the world.”
Bush’s Beans Blue Zones Zesty Black Bean organic plant-based meal toppings
Kernza
This climate-friendly grain, a sustainable, domesticated form of wheatgrass
Three hot new

developed and trademarked by the Land Institute, is making its way into
everything from beer to cereal. Unlike traditional wheat, which yields a single
harvest and needs to be replanted every year, Kernza is perennial—meaning
ingredients that a single seed will provide grain for years. It also nourishes the soil, reducing
the need for fertilizer for surrounding plants, and is a natural carbon capturer.
The latest ingredients hitting pantries in 2022 In September 2021, Patagonia Provisions released its third beer made with
are good for the body and the planet. Kernza, in partnership with the Hopworks Urban Brewery based in Portland,
Oregon. And General Mills-owned Cascadian Farm uses Kernza in its honey
toasted Kernza cereal.
Kernza. Image courtesy of the Land Institute

Peruvian gooseberry
Aguaymanto, also known as the Cape gooseberry or goldenberry, is a berry
native to the Andes with a bittersweet flavor. The fruit is gaining popularity for its
health benefits, which include a high content of antioxidants, vitamins A and C,
and minerals. Most recently, the berry has made its way onto the menu at the
Freehand hotel’s newest Latin American restaurant, Comodo, which opened in
New York City in October 2021.
Tea seed oil

Tea seed oil, which has been cultivated and used for centuries in Asia, is
the latest cooking oil to hit Western shelves. It is known as “the olive oil of
the East” thanks to its neutral flavor profile and high smoke point. Made from
the seeds of Camellia oleifera, a flowering plant native to East Asia, tea seed
oil is packed with antioxidants, omega-3s, minerals, and vitamins E, A, & B.
Yóu Yóu, a new brand launched in October 2021, is bringing the oil to the United
States—while preserving its heritage. Cofounder Anthony Chen told Well &
Good that it takes eight years to make one bottle of Yóu Yóu tea seed oil.
“We’re working with producers in the Hunan region who have literally been
doing this for generations.”
Left: Comodo at the Freehand. Photography by Gentl and Hyers

Right: Yóu Yóu tea seed oil
Accelerated
maturation
Why wait years to sample aged liquor
when it is possible in a matter of days?
Kingdom Supercultures
“From day one it was about

disrupting the industry,
but it was about disrupting
it for the better.”
Bespoken Spirits aims to upend the slow, wasteful and antiquated spirits New York-based biodesign company Kingdom Supercultures aims to use
industry with a sustainable new maturation process. Leveraging modern science to speed up the fermentation process in plant-based food, beverages,
technology, material science and data analytics, the Californian company and natural consumer goods. Founded in 2020 by Kendall Dabaghi and Ravi
meticulously tailors the aroma, color and taste of craft spirits in under a week— Sheth, the startup has already created new flavors of sauce that have been
the traditional whiskey maturation process takes years. snapped up by Michelin-starred restaurants including Eleven Madison Park and
Gramercy Tavern, and in October 2021 the company received $25 million in
The accelerated process has over 20 billion different recipes and is shaking up Series A funding.
the global spirits market, which is expected to grow in value from just over $143
billion in 2020 to nearly $209 billion in 2025, according to Research & Markets. Why it’s interesting
“From day one it was about disrupting the industry, but it was about disrupting Time-consuming processes such as alcohol maturation and food fermentation
it for the better,” Stu Aaron, who cofounded Bespoken Spirits with Martin are being upended by startups with ambitions to economize on time and
Janousek, tells Wunderman Thompson Intelligence. output, as well as explore new taste frontiers.
Bespoken Spirits
While climate change wreaks havoc on global agriculture, some brands are
seeing an upside to higher temperatures in traditionally colder climes.
Wine has seen strong growth in more northerly geographies, which are
The new terroir

increasingly able to grow highly esteemed grape varieties due to temperature
rises. Across Canada, new wineries are springing up, with production increasing
over 75% in the last 20 years according to figures drawn from the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations cited by Wine Industry Advisor.
Climate change is having a seismic impact on global agriculture,
In 2019, British Columbia-based CheckMate Artisanal Winery received a perfect
making previously fertile places untenable while also creating
score from wine writer, sommelier and author John Schreiner for its 2015 Little
new northern growth areas for crops.
Pawn Chardonnay—a Canadian first. The establishment of the winery was due
to the effects of climate change in the region, which have made it possible to
grow old-world grape varieties to a high standard.
The Morettino family’s Sicilan-grown coffee, served in antique Arabian coffeeware

Other crops are also travelling northwards. In December 2020, the New York
Times Magazine and ProPublica described changes in Russia, as warmer
temperatures turn previously barren eastern parts of the country into fertile land
for farming. Given that the country is now able to sustain crops such as
soybeans, wheat and corn in more areas, it is looking to become a top food
producer for the world.
Although not traditionally considered a cold climate, Italy is seeing new produce
pop up too. Sicilian farmer Andrea Passanisi is growing avocados on his
grandfather’s land, which was previously used to grow grapes. As the weather
has become too hot for grape vines, the land now provides the perfect
environment for fruit such as avocados, lychees and passion fruit. Committed
to sustainable practices at Sicilia Avocado, Passanisi is carrying on the tradition
of farming by working with the changing climate. In 2021, another Sicilian crop
finally began to bear fruit: coffee beans. The Morettino family had their first
successful harvest of coffee beans after 30 years of trying. The family’s ultimate
dream is to create a zero-km Italian coffee brand.

Climate change is forcing farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs to adapt and
embrace new crops that would have been impossible for them to grow even 10
years ago. New terroirs could forever change the way we think of the heritage
and provenance of food.
Top: Alberto Morettino

Bottom: Coffee plant in Palermo. Images courtesy of the Morettino family
Counter of Joy invited diners to “travel through your taste buds from the
mountains of China to the coastlines of West Africa, city bakeries of Turkey,
and country pastures of the British Isles.” From November 11 through
December 18, 2021, London diners could book the seven-course tasting
experience for a culinary trip around the world, prepared by Michelin-starred
chefs as part of the Great Feast festival at the Old Selfridges Hotel.
Londoners looking for a more approachable entry point into foreign food can
stop in at one of the American candy shops taking over the city. On London’s
famous Oxford Street, there are now nine mega candy stores specializing in
American sweets in less than a square mile, NBC News reports, with names like
American Candy Land and Candy Surprise, which opened in early 2021.
The Colombiana: A Rediscovery of Recipes and Rituals from the Soul of

Columbia cookbook, released in June 2021, transports readers and home chefs
to the South American country. Alongside traditional Colombian recipes, the
Edible escapism cookbook includes hosting tips, photography highlighting leading artists—from
ceramicists to textile makers to fashion and jewelry designers—and short
profiles of Colombia’s female food heroes for a truly transportive look into
In search of outlets for their wanderlust, travelers Colombian culture and dining.
are now turning to the kitchen.
With travel still not possible or appealing for many, people are opting to take
their taste buds for a trip, driving a wave of globally inspired eating experiences.
The Great Feast by Counter of Joy

Beauty
BEAUTY THE FUTURE 100 117
An increasing number of beauty brands are using packaging to clearly display

the sustainability of their production methods, to better align with consumer
expectations of environmental impact transparency.
In September 2021, a group of prominent beauty brands collaborated to

develop a system for tracking the environmental impact or sustainability of their
products. The brand-agnostic approach will give consumers a clear view of
the impact of the product they’re buying, with a labelling system that compares
items from companies opting into the initiative. Ultimately the brands—Unilever,
Henkel, L’Oréal, Natura & Co and LVMH—aim to support sustainability practices
and invite others to join the project to achieve full transparency across the
beauty sector.
New beauty Skincare and beauty brand Tata Harper has earned the Sustainable Forestry
labels
Initiative label for several of its products, which indicates that its packing
comes from sustainable and responsible sources. The packaging is also
recyclable—a clear indicator and perhaps a purchasing incentive for the
sustainability-focused consumer.
Beauty brands are rethinking labeling to offer transparency
about their products’ environmental impact.
Beauty brands
are displaying the
environmental impact
of their products on
packaging labels.
Skincare brand Cocokind also focused on creating transparency with its

packaging in 2021. It has introduced a fact panel on each product’s label to
break down details of the item’s sustainability and carbon footprint so that
consumers can easily visualize the environmental impact.

More beauty brands are displaying the environmental impact of their products
on packaging labels, opting for transparency in their sustainability practices.
Consumers are paying attention, indicating that these initiatives are important
to the market.
Left: The Henkel brand collaborated in the development of a brand-agnostic system to

track the environmental impact of beauty products. Right: Image courtesy of Unilever
Mineral
skincare
Niod, sister brand to The Ordinary, launched a skin serum with copper
peptides in September 2021. Copper peptides have wound-healing and anti-
inflammatory properties, play an essential role in skin growth, and also
stimulate collagen and elastin, alongside other benefits, making them a potent
Skincare gets elemental—brands are now taking
ingredient in skincare formulas.
inspiration from ancient Indo-Asian beauty rituals by
adding precious metals to their formulas.
Cult Polish pharmacy skincare brand Tolpa launched a face mask with
silver microparticles in July 2021. The mask is exfoliating, antibacterial,
and helps lighten hyperpigmentation. African Botanics released its Silver
Rescue Cream with colloidal silver—known for its antimicrobial and healing
properties—in May 2021.

After a tumultuous two years, consumers are looking for extra indulgence
in their self-care rituals and turning to mineral skincare for a dose of
luxurious pampering.
Left: Copper peptide serum by Niod

Right: Silver face mask by Tolpa
In March 2021, Unilever announced it was removing the word “normal” from
packaging and advertising across its beauty and personal care brands, in a
dedicated effort to become more inclusive. The move is an acknowledgment
of Unilever’s global influence and a reflection of evolving consumer values.
“With one billion people using our beauty and personal care products every
day, and even more seeing our advertising, our brands have the power to make
a real difference to people’s lives,” says Sunny Jain, president of beauty and
personal care at Unilever. “We are committed to tackling harmful norms and
stereotypes, and shaping a broader, far more inclusive definition of beauty.” In
addition to removing the word “normal,” the company also stated it would not
use excessive editing of models used in its advertisements.
Harry Styles, known for his gender-fluid aesthetic, launched new beauty brand
Pleasing in November 2021 with four nail polishes, a dual roller ball lip and eye
serum, and a facial serum. The brand, which features both men and women in its
advertisements, celebrates “the multitude of unique identities in our community,”
and is working to “dispel the myth of a binary existence,” Styles says.
The demise of Neutrogena unveiled its “For People With Skin” campaign in April 2021.
Founded in 1930, the beauty brand now aims to focus on combating inequality
“normal” beauty
in skincare, in relation to socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, and access to
health care. “We want to be there for all skin, and all people,” Kerry Sullivan,
then general manager of Neutrogena, told WWD.
Brands are radically redefining the beauty industry,

one word at a time.
A new inclusive lexicon is redefining the beauty industry, making room for more
individualized and accepting expressions and interpretations of beauty. The
concept of a one-size-fits-all beauty ideal has been thrown out the window—
and there’s no going back.
Images courtesy of Pleasing

Absurdist
makeovers
Beauty as self-expression is getting experimental.
Image from the first issue of Jackson Bowley’s Circus magazine

After a difficult few years for many, beauty consumers are seeking out
opportunities to play and experiment. Circus is a new kind of beauty publication
that is “not to be taken too seriously.” Announced in September 2021, it
celebrates the absurdity and playfulness of beauty. Dazed Beauty called it an
“unserious beauty platform for total weirdos.” It features avant-garde looks,
from the wacky, such as bedazzled teeth, to the silly, like acrylic toenail art,
to the clownish.
“Everything at the minute seems super serious,” Circus creator and editor-in-
chief Jackson Bowley told i-D. “I just wanted to create a publication that was
fun, simple and loud. That, and I wanted to create a beauty magazine that really
pushes how we see and what we can do with beauty imagery.”
The beauty looks in Schiaparelli’s 2022 spring/summer collection

digital presentation were “suitably surreal,” Vogue reported. Models wore
elongated gold-plated nail accessories, umbrella hats, and handbags
embellished with faces.

Consumers are approaching beauty with a newly liberated attitude of
uninhibited self-expression—picking up their makeup brushes not necessarily
to look “good” but to have fun, experiment, and test the boundaries of
their creativity.
Image from the first issue of Jackson Bowley’s Circus magazine

Gamers are customizing their avatars using virtual cosmetics, bringing new
forms of creativity and personality to gaming. Even in violent or action-centered
games such as Grand Theft Auto or Fortnite, players are turning to digital high-
Metabeauty fashion clothes and hair and makeup options for enhanced self-expression and
immersion. “By dressing your character how you want, it pushes the
imagination a little further,” Jo-Ashley Robert, Dead by Daylight’s associate
Gaming systems are introducing virtual beauty and real-world producer, told Vogue. “It’s only getting more popular.”
cosmetics to their realms, heightening user engagement and
opportunities for beauty brands and creatives. Traditional beauty brands including Nars Cosmetics and Gucci are creating
virtual makeup for players to use. Nars Cosmetics added 30 virtual products to
the Drest app in October 2021, displayed using virtual model avatars. Also in
October, Gucci Beauty added 29 virtual makeup products to Drest’s Beauty
Mode feature, with more than 40 potential combinations and links for users to
purchase the physical products in the app.
The Sims 4 Spa Day Game Pack got a beauty upgrade in September 2021.
Players can now add a High Maintenance trait, do yoga, meditate, and get
Players are turning to digital high-

fashion clothes and hair and makeup
options for enhanced self-expression.
facials, pedicures and manicures with new nail designs. At least 100 new skin-
tone swatches, hairstyles, and makeup options were included in the update.
3D digital artist Nathalie Nguyen photoshops alien-inspired digital beauty

effects and 3D nail art into her self-portraits, blurring the viewer’s sense of
reality. Using real objects and digitally rendered 3D makeup, Nguyen’s beauty
concept redefines what is real and highlights how we portray ourselves online
versus in real life.

Adaptation of digital beauty has evolved from CGI model Perl’s AI makeup line,
which we identified as an early indication of this trend in “The Future 100: 2019,”
to brands restaging their physical products for digital platforms. As gamers
continue to engage with metabeauty, brands will find opportunities to sell and
promote their beauty offerings in the metaverse.
Gucci Beauty added 29 virtual products to Drest’s Beauty Mode feature

Acidic care
Skincare brands are homing in on the benefits of these
top three acidic ingredients.
Acidic skincare is taking over beauty shelves, so we’re focusing on three acid-
based ingredients taking center stage for 2022.
Tranexamic acid
My Topicals skincare debuted its Faded brightening and clearing serum in 2021.
Faded relies on tranexamic acid to benefit sun-damaged or scarred skin; the acid
prevents excess pigmentation spots and melasma, toning skin for an even glow.
My Topicals Faded serum with tranexamic acid

Azelaic acid
In October 2021, the Bloomeffects beauty brand launched its Black Tulip Skincare
collection, which highlights azelaic acid as a key ingredient in the range’s eye
treatment gel. Azelaic acid helps to improve skin’s firmness, and reduces dark
circles, puffiness and crow’s feet.
Polyhydroxy acids
A new skincare line from Juvia’s Place, launched in September 2021, features
polyhydroxy acids in its exfoliating facial pads, which clarify the skin and add
glow. Johnson & Johnson released research in April that year highlighting that the
acid supports skin hydration, exfoliation and pigmentation control, even for those
with sensitive skin.

Acidic ingredients are the latest buzzword for skincare benefits and are already
popular additions to the beauty aisle.
Black Tulip Eye Treatment with azelaic acid by Bloomeffects

The beauty and wellness industries are rebranding to better accommodate

users with disabilities or limited mobility, making their product packing
more accessible.
Procter & Gamble unveiled an easy-open lid on several Olay Regenerist

moisturizers in November 2021, to assist consumers who had previously found
its products hard to access. The container lid now features winged sides and a
raised top, textured for better grip, labels with higher color contrast for ease of
reading, and braille text that reads “face cream.” Olay has shared the design
with the wider beauty industry, encouraging others to adapt the concept and
improve their own accessibility efforts across products.
Unilever designed the world's first adaptive deodorant package in March 2021.
Adaptive
The Degree deodorant brand collaborated with people with disabilities to
develop a genuinely accessible product concept. The design, which can be
used one-handed, includes a hook for storage, a magnetic cap for easy
packaging
replacement and braille labels. Christina Mallon, global head of inclusive design
Beauty packaging is being accessibly redesigned

for a wider range of users.
Easy Open Lid by Olay

and digital accessibility at Wunderman Thompson, spearheaded the design

concept. She tells Wunderman Thompson Intelligence: “Every consumer will
experience disability at multiple times in their lives but most product designs
don’t consider the needs of the disabled consumer.”
Also in March 2021, bath and body care brand Cleanlogic rebranded its
packaging to include braille across its entire product offering. A portion of all
Cleanlogic sales revenue is donated to organizations supporting the visually
impaired, including the American Foundation for the Blind.

“Brands must think about adaptive packaging in order to be truly customer-
centric,” Mallon says. Consumers are requesting more accessible packaging
across the beauty industry, and brands are consulting consumers and
rethinking product packaging to better serve users with disabilities.
Brands are rethinking product

packaging to better serve
users with disabilities.
Wunderman Thompson: Degree Inclusive

Microdosing has made its way into skincare. Beauty aficionados are
gravitating towards this popular new approach, applying smaller amounts
or concentrations of ingredients to the skin for long-term results without harsh
side effects.
Microdose The Wǒ skincare brand, for example, is built upon a range of products
skin regimes
packaged in what the brand calls “mono-dosed” amounts. The blister packs
contain enough product for just one application, allowing buyers to tailor their
routine to their skin’s day-to-day needs and only purchase as much as they
anticipate needing to use.
Skincare experts are taking advantage of effective ingredients
at the microlevel with a new less-is-more approach.
Subscription skincare brand Skin & Me connects consumers with
dermatologists who prescribe custom approaches at low dosage or
percentages as necessary. This makes microdosing approachable and easy,
and includes professional input.
Wǒ packages its skincare products in single-application blister packs

Spectacle Skincare’s Performance Crème delivers retinaldehyde, polyhydroxy

acids and vitamin C in a microdosed formulation. These small amounts don’t
sensitize the skin, thus maximizing their effects over time, even with consistent
use. Andre Condit, formulator and cofounder of Spectacle Skincare, tells
Wunderman Thompson Intelligence that beauty product users “need to think
of this more as a marathon, not a race. The skincare journey should be a slow,
steady pace over a lifetime.”
Skincare “boosters,” which have increased in popularity recently, are also

an applicable and popular form of microdosing. These lower-percentage
concentrations can be gradually added to everyday products such as
moisturizers, making them effective additions to basic routines. La Roche-
Posay offers a low-dose retinol serum at 0.3%, and Paula’s Choice offers a
vitamin C booster that can be added to moisturizers drop by drop.

Andre Condit says that the concept of microdosing skincare is being revisited
as the “best therapeutic way to deliver key nutrients, communicators and
cellular activators in a daily dose that is most bioavailable, best tolerated in all
skin types and least reactive.” Low-dose applications that achieve beneficial
results in the long term are attracting consumers seeking low-risk, high-reward
solutions to their skin concerns.
Spectacle Skincare’s Performance Crème comes in a microdosed formulation

Inclusive
haircare
Care for textured hair types, often excluded from mainstream hair
branding, is taking up more shelf space and selling fast.
The Pressed Roots hair salon in Dallas, Texas

Hair stylists and celebrities are embarking on an inclusive journey to make

haircare for all hair types effective and accessible. In a market that often
excludes textured hair needs, women of color are creating new space for
Afro-centric hair, introducing consumers to dedicated salons and curated
new product lines.
Pressed Roots in Dallas, Texas, which opened in October 2021 after a previous
incarnation in pop-up form, is dedicated to delivering professional blowouts
and hair treatments for customers with highly textured hair. Founder Piersten
Gaines, a graduate of Harvard Business School, launched the service for a
largely underserved market and told Wallpaper* that she is “challenging the
broader beauty and haircare industries that have excluded ethnic hair textures
for decades.”
Tracee Ellis Ross’s Pattern Beauty haircare line launched at Sephora in

September 2021, making it widely available. Pattern’s success challenges
the attitude “that Black haircare is a niche market,” Ross told InStyle.
Gabrielle Union’s Flawless products are now accessibly stocked by both

Walmart and Amazon. Flawless, developed with celebrity hairstylist Larry
Sims, comprises 12 nourishing, luxurious products designed for afro-textured
hairtypes and includes shampoos, conditioners, serums and more.

As brand narratives continue to focus on diversity and inclusion, new labels
are stepping up, creating space for authentic products curated by and for
Black entrepreneurs. Stores are stocking up on inclusive haircare products
and original new services are blossoming, ushering in inclusive care for
textured hair.


“No slip ups. No slow down. No small talk,” promises Clockwork, a San-
Francisco-based company that claims to offer the first robot manicure.
Robomanicures
Launched in March 2021, the nail tech startup also set up shop in New York’s
Rockefeller Center in fall the same year. Convenience and precision are at the
heart of Clockwork—in under 10 minutes, painted nails are complete. “Think of
Tech startups are disrupting the nail salon us as a fast-casual restaurant and a nail salon like a sit-down restaurant,”
by deploying robot manicurists. Renuka Apte, founder of Clockwork, told Allure. “They each have their own
place in people’s lives.”
Nimble is an at-home nail-painting machine slated to go to market at the end of

2021. The company’s Kickstarter campaign aimed to raise $25,000, and had
received over $1.8 million as of November 2021. Like Clockwork, Nimble’s
machine only takes 10 minutes to paint and polish the nails.

The express manicure option will soon be diverted to robots as tech startups
identify a growing appetite for salon and at-home convenience. As for the
business rationale, the global nailcare market is expected to reach a value of
$11.6 billion by 2027, according to figures published by Reportlinker in April 2021.
Clockwork in San Francisco offers robot manicures

Retail & commerce
RETAIL & COMMERCE THE FUTURE 100 137
Direct-to-avatar
From B2B and DTC to DTA—the latest business model sees brands
releasing digital products direct to screens.
Adidas and Karlie Kloss collaboration. Image courtesy of The Fabricant

In addition to business-to-business (B2B) and direct-to-consumer (DTC)

models, various fashion brands introduced direct-to-avatar (DTA) shopping in
2021. In December 2021, Nike acquired virtual sneaker marketplace RTFKT.
Three months earlier, Balenciaga released a collection of in-game clothing in
Fortnite. In the summer, Ralph Lauren launched a 50-piece digital wardrobe,
available to buy in social networking app Zepeto, and American Eagle debuted
its DTA apparel for Bitmojis. Gucci and The North Face started the year with a
collaboration on avatarwear for Pokémon Go. And digital fashion house The
Fabricant has partnered with brands such as Adidas, Puma and Tommy Hilfiger
to virtualize their clothes.
Luxury auto brands are also driving the trend. Maserati, Aston Martin and Tesla
launched virtual models of their cars in Tencent’s Game for Peace—the Chinese
mobile version of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds—between 2020 and 2021.
And Rolls-Royce unveiled its first virtual vehicle in 2020 for Tencent’s QQ Speed
mobile game.

The future of consumerism lies in virtual products, Kerry Murphy, founder and
CEO of The Fabricant, predicts. “People are going to start seeing value in digital
items,” he tells Wunderman Thompson Intelligence, “and realize that they’d
rather interact with a digital item, or have an infinite wardrobe of digital fashion
items but a very limited wardrobe of physical items.”
Puma, featured with digital fashion house The Fabricant

Puma. Image courtesy of The Fabricant

Few sectors have had a more turbulent couple of years than retail. The story of
Retail
2020 was one of deserted high streets, shuttered shops and plummeting sales.
Fast-forward to today, and retailers are burdened by disrupted supply chains
and labor shortages. These crises are hastening a realignment.
shapeshifters In times of uncertainty, adaptability is key. Enterprising retailers are

shifting gears, finding creative ways to diversify that go beyond the borders
Long-term challenges are forcing retailers to rethink their core offers, of their business.
with some diversifying into novel areas.
In July 2021, John Lewis Partnership—British parent company of retail brands
John Lewis & Partners and Waitrose & Partners—revealed plans to become a
private landlord. With the company posting the first full-year loss since it was
founded in 1864, for the period to January 2021, diversification is a crucial plank
in its turnaround strategy. A survey of its land portfolio identified excess space
that could be used for at least 7,000 homes. The properties, ranging from studio flat-pack furniture, the retailer is aiming to build the world’s biggest renewable
flats to four-bedroom houses, will be built on the partnership’s sites, meaning energy movement, making electricity from sustainable sources universally
householders could soon be living above a Waitrose supermarket or next to a accessible and affordable.
distribution center. By 2030, John Lewis Partnership aims to have 40% of its
profits coming from non-retail lines, principally financial services, housing and Why it’s interesting
outdoor living. In the new retail era, consumers no longer see brands as serving one core
purpose. People want deeper experiences with the brands they trust, so there
As part of its move to be climate-positive, Swedish furniture retailer Ikea is also are opportunities to capture new revenue streams. Diversification could be key
branching out, by selling renewable energy to households. In a swing away from to the bricks-and-mortar retail recovery.
Left: John Lewis & Partners

Right: Ikea Strömma sells renewable energy to households
Chat commerce (ccommerce, c-commerce or cCommerce) is sprouting

on messaging platforms. It is also known as private domain commerce, to
differentiate it from the public domain of brand websites or marketplaces such
as TMall or Amazon.
In China, WeChat—which has 1.2 billion monthly users—has been especially

successful in building relationships with luxury brands through livestreaming
and private messaging. Consumers spend an annual average of RMB 170,000
($26,550) via WeChat, according to a 2020 report by Boston Consulting Group
and Tencent Marketing Insight.
Guangzhou-based direct-to-consumer color cosmetics brand Perfect Diary
Private domains
combines savvy cultural partnerships and a premium look with low prices. It is
present everywhere its target gen Z audience plays, from the social media and
ecommerce platform Xiaohongshu (or Little Red Book) to short-video platform
Messaging platforms are becoming the next Bilibili to Douyin (as TikTok is known in China).
battleground for brands and loyalty.
Perfect Diary also invites consumers who buy on marketplaces to join its official
WeChat account or that of its virtual influencer Xiao Wanzi. This recruits
followers in groups of several thousand to offer them sneak peeks of launches,
and plays the role of a personal shopping assistant.
“Not only does Xiao Wanzi let you preview new products and deals, but you get
inspiration from the conversations of the entire chat group,” says Joyce Ling,
chief strategy officer of Wunderman Thompson China. “Even though it appears
a little ‘fake’ and like a show, it is literally a condensed version of the consumer
journey from awareness to purchase to loyalty.”
Brands are jumping on

these chat platforms to
Chat commerce is expanding beyond China. Vietnam and Thailand lead the build smaller but more
intimate, personalized
world in using Facebook’s chat functions for online retail, measured by the
volume of messages between merchants and customers, as reported in Nikkei
Asia in June 2021. In Thailand, global brands including Burberry, Louis Vuitton
and Chanel have launched official accounts on messaging app Line, engaging relationships with
consumers with custom stickers, livestreamed fashion shows and digital ads.
Line Shopping, the commerce arm of the chat platform, boasts over seven
groups of consumers.
million users in Thailand alone, Lertad Supadhiloke, head of e-commerce at
Line Thailand, told the Bangkok Post in July 2021.

As people increasingly converse on WeChat, WhatsApp and Line, brands are
also jumping on these chat platforms to build smaller but more intimate,
personalized relationships with groups of consumers.
AI bot Xiao Wanzi chats with consumers about Perfect Diary cosmetics on WeChat
Today, 81% of global consumers agree that a brand’s digital presence is as

important as its in-store presence, a July 2021 Wunderman Thompson Data
survey found. This is prompting brands to enhance their ecommerce storefront
prominence and create virtual flagship stores.
Samsung opened a virtual replica of its flagship New York City store in
Decentraland in January 2022. In July 2021, luxury brand Fendi opened a
360-degree digital flagship based on its 57th Street store in New York City,
offering visitors virtual tours and access to its latest collections. Hermès has
rolled out digital flagships in Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and Thailand.
Beauty brands are also upping their digital storefront impact. Lancôme debuted
its first temporary virtual flagship in Singapore, in summer 2020. The Lancôme
Advanced Génifique #LiveYourStrength virtual flagship offered 3D shopping
experiences, consultations and educational events, and included a “discover
zone” where visitors could take a personality test, designed by psychologist
Perpetua Neo, to find their strength. The L’Oréal-owned skincare brand has
since introduced virtual pop-ups for Australia, Korea and the United States.
Virtual flagships In April 2021, Nars opened a digital flagship store, immersing visitors in a 3D
shopping experience.
Digital flagship stores are taking over ecommerce storefronts. Why it’s interesting
According to predictions from eMarketer, the global ecommerce market will
grow from $4.89 trillion in 2021 to $5.42 trillion in 2022. Virtual flagships are
becoming the new storefront to entice shoppers and enhance a brand’s overall
digital experience.
Fendi’s 360-degree digital flagship on 57th Street in New York City

Born between 2010 and 2025, generation alpha—gen Z’s younger siblings—are
already making waves in the retail world.
Genderless shopping
Brands and retailers are eschewing traditional gender categories in favor of
gender-neutral products and lines. PacSun launched a new gender-neutral
Gen Alpha retail children’s clothing brand, PacSun Kids, in June 2021, followed by its own
gender-neutral label, Colour Range, in September and its first gender-free kids’
clothing store two months later. In October 2021, California became the first US
Three ways in which generation alpha are state to enforce genderless retail, thanks to a new law requiring large stores to
driving the next era of retail. have gender-neutral sections for toys and childcare. “The segregation of toys by
a social construct of what is appropriate for which gender is the antithesis of
modern thinking,” says Democrat assembly member and the law’s co-author
Evan Low.
PacSun Kids gender-neutral clothing. Photography by Chris Martin

Inclusive aisles
Brands and retailers are also widening their offerings to be more inclusive
of a range of physical and mental abilities. JCPenney launched children’s
clothing with adaptive features in July 2021, and partnered with adaptive
fashion marketplace Patti & Ricky to expand its range of adaptive accessories
for kids. In June 2021, Headspace, Sesame Street and Penguin Random
House joined forces to launch Monster Meditation, a six-book series to “help
children learn the fundamentals of mindfulness, meditation, and social and
emotional learning.”
Sustainable play
Toy brands are leaning heavily into sustainability to appeal to younger
generations. In May 2021, Mattel launched a program that lets families give
back their old Mattel products so the materials can be reused to make new
ones. And Lego unveiled its first prototype brick made from recycled plastic
in June 2021.

Following in their older siblings’ footsteps, gen alphas are cementing the key
retail ethics that gen Zers pioneered.
Patti & Ricky collaborated with JCPenney to make children's clothing with adaptive
features. Photography by Alexis Buatti-Ramos/Hyphen Photography
The latest department stores are more town squares than retailers, reflecting a
shift in the retail landscape from big-box luxury to community microcosm.
Beales, which closed all of its UK stores in 2020, has reopened three locations
under new ownership—and is looking beyond retail. The top floors of the Poole
branch will be turned into a “health village” run by the National Health Service,
with dermatology, orthopedics, ophthalmology, and breast cancer screening
departments, as well as counselling rooms for those suffering from long COVID.
A new concept department store is reinventing a location formerly occupied

by legacy British retailer Debenhams. Called Bobby’s, the new store opened
in the UK town of Bournemouth in September 2021 and houses a beauty hall,
Department an art gallery and ice-cream and coffee parlor, alongside shopping and local
artisans, in place of floors filled with clothing, accessories and homeware.
Future plans include a hairdressing salon, dental services, a microbrewery,
stores and even a smokery.
reformatted
“I don’t ever see a big department store chain emerging again,” Beales’ CEO
Tony Brown told the Guardian. “We will see small local chains popping up with
eight or 10 stores. The model will change dramatically over the next couple of
years. People want something more localized.”
Retailers are rethinking the traditional department store model.

It’s clear that the traditional department store format is no longer working. We
reported the death of the luxury department store in “The Future 100: 2020,”
following a string of closures and bankruptcies among big, long-established
names. Now, the next generation of department stores are having to rethink
and adapt.
Beales department stores in the UK repurposed the Poole storefront as a “health village”
for the National Health Service
Digital twins
Retail stores and factories are being cloned for the virtual world,
to promote familiarity and efficiency.
BMW and Nvidia are partnering to create a digital twin

of the carmaker’s factory in Regensburg, Germany
Retailers are also opening digital twins of existing stores to promote familiarity
and more natural navigation for shoppers. In March 2021, Burberry launched
a digital replica of its flagship store in Ginza, Tokyo. And Coach collaborated
with virtual store developer Obsess to clone its New York Fifth Avenue flagship
store. “The digital showroom enables wholesale buyers to experience our new
collections each season without having to fly in to see products in person,
reducing the carbon footprint of our business and speeding the buying
process,” explains Giovanni Zaccariello, senior vice president of global visual
experience at Coach.

Digital twin stores are innovating the retail sector, with the promise to
solve logistical issues for the real-world and replicate the in-person
shopping experience.
“In the future, every single factory and every single building will have a digital
twin that will simulate and track the physical version of it,” Jensen Huang, CEO
of Nvidia, told Time in April 2021. Huang’s vision of the metaverse is “ultimately
about the fusion of the virtual and the physical worlds.” Currently, Nvidia and
BMW are partnering on a digital twin of the carmaker’s factory in Regensburg,
Germany, allowing the teams to virtually plan and play out new workflow
logistics before implementing these changes at BMW’s physical facility.
Tech companies are making it easier to create digital twins. In November 2021,
Amazon unveiled the AWS IoT TwinMaker, a service that conveniently and
speedily generates digital duplicates of real-world systems for businesses.
Microsoft’s Azure Digital Twins allows for the creation of buildings,
infrastructure, and even entire cities, with the aim of driving “better products,
optimized operations, reduced costs, and breakthrough customer experiences.”
Left: Burberry Ginza virtual store in collaboration with Elle Digital

Right: Coach cloned its New York Fifth Avenue flagship store with Obsess
Amazon plans to open department stores, as reported by the Wall Street

Journal in August 2021. The intent marks a continued foray into physical retail,
following the opening of its first cashierless grocery store in 2020, the launch of
its first Amazon 4-Star store in 2018, and the purchase of Whole Foods in 2017.
The stores will expand the retailer’s footprint, reportedly feature Amazon-owned
clothing brands and household items, and function as return and customer
Big Tech bricks-

service centers.
Google turned heads in June 2021 when it opened the doors to its first ever
and-mortars
physical store, located in New York City. More showroom than traditional retail
outlet, the store sells all of Google’s products, from Nest to Fitbit, and includes
a “workshop space” reserved for sub-brand events such as photography
Tech giants are moving off screens in their latest consumer push. lessons with Pixel, cooking demos with Nest, YouTube concerts and more.
Apple is also banking on physical stores, expanding its retail operations in the
United States, as Deirdre O’Brien, senior vice president of retail and people,
told Reuters in June 2021. Part of this strategy will include doubling down on its
pre-pandemic strategy of in-store events and experiences beyond shopping.

Big Tech has its sights set on physical retail, which could further cement the
growing crossover between IRL and URL shopping.
Google's first physical store in New York City

NFT
marketplaces
Brands are finding new revenue streams in Companies are growing their revenue in this new digital frontier. Where
the evolving non-fungible-token sector. consumers are looking to collect and trade, artists and brands are ready to
create and mint non-fungible tokens (NFTs)—and all parties are meeting in
emerging forums in the metaverse.
Sotheby’s is the first auction house to launch a marketplace dedicated to

NFTs. Announced in October 2021, its Metaverse is backed by celebrities and
supports numerous digital artists that it has worked with during the past year.
Managing director Sebastian Fahey told Hypebeast that Sotheby’s plans to
use its “expertise and curation to the burgeoning world of art for the digitally
native generation.”
Series 4 Glitchbox from Sotheby's Natively Digital NFT collection

In the same month, cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase announced it was

launching an NFT marketplace, and opened an early access waitlist for
interested investors. The Coinbase NFT platform will include “social features”
supportive of the “creator economy”—people who make money from creating
videos and online content.

As major brands and industries continue to invest in NFTs and participate
in their trade, the metaverse is evolving in its potential for revenue and
opportunities. Brands who take advantage of this uncharted territory may
find new dividends in these developing marketplaces.
As major brands and
industries continue to
invest in NFTs and
participate in their
trade, the metaverse is
evolving in its potential
for revenue and
opportunities.
Left: MoonCat from Sotheby's Natively Digital NFT collection

Right: Yuga Labs’ Bored Ape Yacht Club from Sotheby's Natively Digital NFT collection
Retro retail
The latest high-design stores are turning back the
hands of time with nostalgic interiors.
Superette’s Sip ‘n’ Smoke cannabis dispensary. Photography by Alex Lysakowski

Superette’s newest cannabis dispensary in Toronto was designed to resemble a

retro grocery store. Its vibrant colors, punchy graphics, and what Dezeen called
“pop art aesthetic” are evocative of mid-century retail branding and design. In
August 2021, the company opened Sip ’n’ Smoke, an express kiosk with a
similar look inspired by old-school cafeterias.
The interior of Los Angeles grocery Wine & Eggs, opened in 2021, was partially
inspired by public schools. Saturated hues of blue and yellow feature
throughout the space and branding, complemented by bright green. Rounded
wood shelving and displays call to mind building blocks, and the blue-and-
green checkered floor is made from commercial-grade vinyl composition tile
(VCT). “I love VCT because it actually feels both playful and reminiscent of our
childhood in public schools,” Adi Goodrich, who created the interior, told
Dezeen.
Creative agency Saint of Athens designed a jewelry store, opened in August

2021 in Mykonos, Greece, that nods to the splendor of luxury swimming pools
in a bygone era. The interior is decked in light-blue tiles with red-and-white
striped accents. “Soft blue, a color reminiscent of urban pool luxury of the ‘60s,
furniture made from metal, vintage elements and custom blue terrazzo displays
constitute a retro yet modern, Wes Anderson kind of universe,” agency founder
Nikos Paleologos told Dezeen.

The past two years saw people turning to nature-inspired design to create a
sense of comfort and stability. Now, the latest store designs are opting for
kitschy, playful interiors that offer a nostalgic escape.
Superette’s Sip ‘n’ Smoke cannabis dispensary. Photography by Alex Lysakowski

Luxury
LUXURY THE FUTURE 100 159
Hypnotherapy Luxury hotels are expanding their wellness treatments from thermal body
Healing hospitality is awakening to the potential of hypnosis. mapping and sleep coaches to hypnotherapy.
The Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong appointed hypnotherapist Christine

Deschemin in June 2021, rolling out workshops for relaxation and to improve
eating habits, and offering a bespoke service of tailored hypnotherapy
sessions. In spring 2021, the Belmond Cadogan Hotel in London introduced
a complimentary sleep concierge service in partnership with hypnotherapist
Malminder Gill. The hotel provides its rooms with a meditative recording by
Gill designed to send guests to sleep, and a motivational recording to get the
mornings going. One-to-one consultations and focused hypnotherapy sessions
are also available.
Hotel wellness programs are

deepening their spiritual
healing offering.
The Spa at the Four Seasons New York Downtown launched its Resident Healer
Program in 2018, noting that guests are seeking spiritual wellness, not just a
traditional spa experience. Residents appointed in previous years include sonic
alchemist Michelle Pirret and crystal healer Rashia Bell. In December 2020,
Nicole Hernandez, also known as the Traveling Hypnotist, joined as resident
healer, offering unique hypnotic journeys that can help relieve anxiety and
overcome fears and phobias. Hernandez’s unique Time Traveler program can
even delve into past life regression to enhance present life.

Hotel wellness programs are deepening their spiritual healing offering,
graduating from crystals and tarot card readings to hypnotic journeys that claim
to improve health, habits and mindfulness.
Left: The Spa at the Four Seasons New York Downtown Resident Healer Program
Right: Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong
During China’s 2021 National Day holiday, a market in Shanghai became

the center of a social media frenzy. Thousands descended on the Wuzhong
wet market in the former French Concession to buy fruit, vegetables and
eggs—but these basic foodstuffs were encased in Prada-branded wrapping
and carrier bags.
The high-low pop-up celebrated the launch of Prada’s fall/winter 2021

campaign “Feels Like Prada.” This could be seen as a successful marketing
campaign—selfies abounded and stallholders ran out of bags and wrap—or a
sign of gentrification, or, as Zhu Tianhua, an assistant researcher at Shanghai
Academy of Social Sciences, told Sixth Tone, “a kind of consumerism of daily
life.” However it is viewed, the campaign struck an appropriately austere chord
Austere luxe
at a time when the world continues to grapple with crises from COVID-19 to
climate change to yawning economic inequity.
Luxury brands are recalibrating in the face of China’s In mid-2021, Chinese President Xi Jinping, after a months-long crackdown
“common prosperity” policy. on the country’s biggest technology firms, announced a new “common
prosperity” policy, urging businesses and entrepreneurs to narrow the
country’s wealth gap.
The government pledged to lift more workers into the middle class and make
basics such as schooling, housing and health care more affordable. Some
of China’s biggest billionaires have since agreed to donate billions of dollars
to charity.
Outside China, there are also signs of a bling backlash. In November 2021, a
Vietnamese minister was pilloried on social media after a video showed him
being hand-fed gold-plated steak in London at the Knightsbridge restaurant of
Nusret Gokce, a celebrity chef also known as Salt Bae.
Kim Kardashian, the queen of conspicuous consumption, appeared at the Met

Gala 2021 not in customary glitter and gloss but fully encased, face and all, in a
clingy black sheath.

The personal luxury goods market rebounded in 2021 to €283 billion, up 29%
from the trough of 2020, according to Bain & Company’s “Luxury Study 2021.”
That rebound was driven by China, which now makes up 21% of the global
market. But the pandemic has provoked a reassessment of what luxury means.
“The emergence from the COVID crisis comes as a renaissance for luxury
brands,” says Claudia D’Arpizio, lead author of the Bain study. “Where once it
was all about status, logos and exclusivity, luxury brands are now actors in
social conversations, driven by a renewed sense of purpose and responsibility.”
Prada’s “Feels Like Prada” fall/winter 2021 campaign. Photography by David Sims
Crypto-elites
There’s a new way to signal your social status with
the emergence of desirable and, crucially, ownable digital
assets in the shape of NFT characters.
Gutter Cat Gang Pigeon avatar

From star athletes to rappers to tech entrepreneurs, the rich and famous are
snapping up NFT characters. NBA star Steph Curry paid $180,000 for Bored
Ape Yacht Club character #7990. Former boxing champ Mike Tyson has a Cool
Cat, while tech entrepreneur Alexis Ohanian owns a Pudgy Penguin. Ohanian
also invested in a $280,000 CryptoPunk for his wife, tennis legend Serena
Williams. Not bad for a CryptoPunk—in 2021, rare versions have sold at
Christie’s and Sotheby’s for upwards of $7 million. Even finance giant Visa is
getting in on the action, acquiring a mohawked CryptoPunk for $150,000. Once
acquired, it is of course de rigueur to use your NFT as your social media avatar.
The market for NFTs exploded in 2021, and these communities of limited-edition
character avatars have proliferated in tandem. The avatars, which feature Crypto-investor Cooper Turley, aka Coopahtroopa, related on an episode of the
animated character headshots in profile, are usually generated by algorithms WAGMI podcast how a CryptoPunk NFT he bought for $300 is now worth half
to a theme, with different colors, hairstyles, clothing or accessories—some a million dollars. He also noted that the “social capital that comes from owning
of which may be rare or even unique. Alongside apes, punks and penguins, the punk is so much higher than any amount of money. You’re going to get
prospective buyers can also choose from cats (Gutter Cat Gang), dogs (The lifetime benefits from having it. You get entry into a very exclusive club of
Doge Pound), ducks (Sup Ducks), aliens (Lonely Alien Space Club) and all kinds collectors and holders. I think that the cachet of just holding something like that
of “ladies” (Fame Lady Squad). is something that’s never going to go away.”
While NFT avatars at their most basic are a “flippable” asset with genuine Why it’s interesting
market value, they are also a way to underline both wealth and status, marking Whether NFT characters have long-term staying power is so far unclear, but
any owner as a paid-up member of the crypto-elite. Alongside their asset, perhaps more interesting is the wider trend toward virtual status signifiers.
investors gain access to valuable social and networking opportunities with their Wunderman Thompson Intelligence’s “Into the Metaverse” report identified a
fellow owners via memberships to exclusive Discord or Telegram channels. strong consumer appetite for virtual ownership. Virtual possessions seem to
So intense is the urge to get behind the virtual velvet rope, there are already have the same symbolic value and convey status in the same way as real-world
rental and fractional ownership models for those who can’t afford to own their luxury cars or watches do. As we head to the metaverse, it seems unequivocal
own character. that our avatars will be the focus of significant investment.
Left: Gutter Cat Gang Dog avatar

Right: Gutter Cat Gang Cat avatar
SpottieWiFi avatar
Spas and wellness resorts are promoting new treatments for long COVID,
extending the stay of their guests to allow full recovery.
At RAKxa medical spa outside Bangkok, a new COVID-19 health rejuvenation

program is growing in popularity. The group offers a three-day holistic operation
to restore lung capacity using hyperbaric chambers of concentrated oxygen,
blood ozone infusions and chest-muscle strengthening exercises in an Olympic-
grade gym. Services are tailored to each guest’s needs.
The SHA Wellness Clinic on the coast of Spain started offering a seven-day
post-COVID program in May 2021. Guests are tested upon arrival and then
given a course of treatments based on the results. The assessment includes a
stress test, carotid ultrasound and bloodwork, the results of which could lead to
treatments ranging from reflexology to Watsu therapy to “brain
Long recovery
photobiomodulation” that stimulates and regenerates brain cells.
The Lanserhof resort in the Austrian Alps offers a two-week retreat claiming to
spas cure the effects of long COVID. Traditionally an upscale, expensive destination
These revitalizing resorts mean it when

they invite guests to “stay a while.”
for detoxifying body treatments, it has devised this new offering to include
personalized energy cuisine, a chewing trainer, healing massage, breathing
therapy, urinalysis to identify infections or kidney problems, and personal
training sessions, depending on the patient’s symptoms.

After a period of pause in travel and hospitality, resorts are reframing their
offerings to a new wave of consumer wellness needs. Extended stays for
medical wellness and rejuvenation are breaking the mold in hospitality.
Left: The SHA Wellness Clinic offers a seven-day post-COVID program

Right: RAKxa wellness and medical retreat
The Lanserhof Resort in the Austrian Alps. Photography by Alexander Haiden

As luxury shoppers decamp to sprawling second homes and vacation

destinations, designer brands and high-end retailers are following their path
from city centers to suburban outposts.
Gucci opened a store in Oak Brook, Illinois in fall 2021, as well as its first
permanent store in the Hamptons in the summer of 2021. Dior has a new shop
in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Louis Vuitton opened up in Plano, Texas, while
Hermès opened a store in Detroit, Michigan—its first in the state—in June 2021.
Demand for vacation and suburban shopping historically hasn’t been high or
consistent enough to warrant permanent stores, but that’s starting to change.
“It used to be that our market was too small, but now everyone wants to be
here permanently,” Angi Wang, a commercial broker in Aspen who works for
the real estate firm Setterfield & Bright, told the Washington Post. “They’re
clamoring to get in, to the point where we honestly don’t have any space left.”
Suburban luxe Why it’s interesting

Luxury brands are shifting their focus away from urban hotspots. “The
pandemic has decentralized luxury retail,” Milton Pedraza, chief executive of
Are the suburbs the new luxury shopping destination? market research firm the Luxury Institute, told the Washington Post. “It seems
like everyone has moved to the suburbs or to their vacation homes—so that’s
where the stores are going, too.”
“The pandemic
has decentralized
luxury retail.”
Top: Hermès store in the greater Detroit area

Bottom: Louis Vuitton store in Plano, Texas
Artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technology are being used to catch and
ultimately upend luxury fakes circulating in the secondhand market.
In April 2021, three luxury giants, LVMH, Prada Group and Richemont, joined
forces with a united vision to protect the authenticity and trustworthiness of the
industry. The pact formed the Aura Consortium—a new global system using
blockchain technology to authenticate luxury goods, from sourcing to the sale
transaction and even through to the resale market. In October 2021, Group
OTB, which owns a mix of high street and luxury brands including Diesel and
Marni, joined the Aura Consortium as a founding member.
AI-powered luxury authenticator Entrupy bills itself as the “first and only on-
Upending fakes
demand authentication solution for high-value goods,” and has a reported
accuracy rate of 99.1%. The New York-based company, launched in 2016,
employs deep learning to compare images to determine a genuine luxury item
Counterfeit goods could soon be consigned to the past. versus a fake.
Trade in counterfeit products was valued at $464 billion in 2019, reports the
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and according to a
study by Certilogo the online counterfeit market hit an all-time-high during the
pandemic, growing 5% between May 2020 to April 2021. This coincides with
the rising popularity of the secondhand market, which is forecast to reach $77
billion by 2025 according to ThredUp.

Luxury resales will remain popular, particularly among the growing cohort of
conscious consumers. Leaders in luxury and tech are creating faster solutions
to identify fakes and protect the authenticity of luxury brands.
Prescribing
happiness
A booster shot of happiness? Now, that’s luxury!
Dior Spa Cheval Blanc Paris’s Happiness Shots offer 30- to 45-minute
concentrated “bursts of pleasure.”
Luxury brands are launching modern vehicles for emotional wellness,

presenting consumers with original, indulgent offerings for physical and
emotional uplift.
Dior Spa Cheval Blanc Paris, which opened in September 2021, is offering
Happiness Shots to guests. These concentrated treatments are 30- to
45-minute “bursts of pleasure,” indulgence or efficacy that can be combined
with other treatments so that guests can personalize their experience to the
fullest. The shots can be added to massages, micropeeling, microabrasion
services and more.
Estée Lauder launched a new luxury fragrance range developed to evoke a

range of positive feelings. Catering to consumers from different locations
around the world, the eight variations were crafted using neurosensory studies
on the emotional effects of each fragrance, which were found to evoke feelings
such as “positivity and joy” or “calm and happiness,” according to the brand.

Whether in a spa or at a bricks-and-mortar shop, luxury brands are meeting
consumers at every corner with more than their usual product or expected
service. Focusing on positive emotions and physical wellness, luxury brands are
determined to ensure their consumers leave feeling objectively better than when
they arrived.
Estée Lauder’s luxury fragrance collection. Image courtesy of Facebook

Antsy travelers are discovering unique destinations that provide a new kind of
getaway: long-term stays for large groups. Resorts are offering extended stays,
introducing a lifestyle reset rather than a quick trip.
The island of Ithaafushi offers luxurious stays for guests and 24 of their closest
friends. For $85,000 a night, travelers can take over the entire island for a
completely private, long-term getaway. Part of the Waldorf Astoria Maldives,
the private island has beachfront views, bungalows, a spa, gym, water sports,
a personal chef—the works—not to mention a personal concierge available 24
hours a day.
Travelers seeking a fairytale experience can now rent the entire Castello di
Extended stays
Reschio in the Umbrian hills of Italy. For €290,000, guests can bring their friends
and family to stay in a minimum of 11 rooms (there are 36 rooms in all). The
all-inclusive price covers meals, drinks and musical entertainment alongside the
Long-term getaways are turning into luxurious escapes sloping olive groves, vistas and vineyards. With anything up to the entire hotel at
for extended family and friends. their disposal, guests can enjoy the spa, cooking and art classes, horseback
riding and more during their stay.

Travelers searching for exciting new venues want to bring their loved ones
along, so resorts are repurposing their expansive premises into luxurious
hideouts where guests can congregate with extended family and friends.
Travelers are now taking advantage of getaways that everyone can enjoy, and
relocating for long-term relaxation.
The private island of Ithaafushi, part of the Waldorf Astoria Maldives, offers luxurious
stays for guests and 24 of their closest friends
Sonic
luxification
Luxury brands from fashion to auto are investing in audio hardware,
luxifying the listening experience.
The Louis Vuitton portable Horizon Light Up speaker,

modeled after the brand’s Toupie handbag
Audio will be a key

channel for luxury brands
moving forward.
Louis Vuitton is dipping a toe into audio tech. The designer clothing and every new iPhone, it is now nudging iPhone users to purchase increasingly
accessories brand released a portable speaker in July 2021. The Horizon Light high-end headphones. Since releasing the first generation of AirPods in 2016,
Up speaker, which rings in at nearly $3,000, is loosely modeled after the brand’s starting at $159, Apple has progressively stepped up both function and price—
Toupie handbag—complete with the signature LV pattern. peaking with AirPods Max, which were released in December 2020 and sell for
$549. At the end of 2020, Apple stopped including free headphones with iPhone
Mercedes-Benz is the latest luxury automaker to partner with a high-end audio purchases altogether.
company. The car company announced that it will add Dolby Atmos speakers to
its top-of-the-line models from summer 2022. Why it’s interesting
The premiumization of audio is underway. Audio will be a key channel for
The evolution of Apple’s listening devices over the past five years offers a luxury brands moving forward—and a crucial element to consider when crafting
perfect case study: where Apple once included free corded headphones with luxury experiences.
Mercedes-Benz will add Dolby Atmos speakers to its models from summer 2022
With air travel predicted to soon return to pre-pandemic levels, the industry
must reduce carbon emissions. Incremental changes are no longer enough
and new solutions are needed.
Could airships reclaim the skies? Airships are positioning themselves as

sustainable upscale alternatives to passenger flights and sky cruises, and
some experts say they could revolutionize air travel in the coming decade.
Airships present a distinctive luxury travel experience. Their large and

comfortable cabins, lounges, fine dining areas and panoramic windows
offer immediate advantage.
Luxury travel company Ocean Sky Cruises is already planning airship

expeditions to the North Pole for 2024. With tickets marketed toward “true
Superyachts of
pioneers of the world,” the company will make history by being the first to land
an airship on the North Pole. The 38-hour journey will include wildlife spotting
opportunities, views of the aurora borealis, and onboard cocktail experiences.
the skies Also tapping into the luxury market is Israel-based aviation company Atlas LTA.
Its luxury aircraft give passengers an elevated sightseeing experience from
Airship travel is back, reincarnated as a low-emission bird’s-eye view observation decks.
luxury alternative.
British manufacturer Hybrid Air Vehicles is behind Airlander, the world’s first
hybrid aircraft. Its latest iteration, fitted with hydrogen fuel cell-powered electric
motors, can be configured with luxurious seating, and offers floor-to-ceiling

windows for an uninterrupted view.
Airships offer wider eco-potential too. Airlander’s owner aims for it to perform
short-haul intercity flights by 2025 and is also positioning the craft as a freight
solution. Similarly, French company Flying Whales is developing a fleet of
airships as an eco-solution for air cargo transportation. The fleet will reach
isolated, difficult-to-access locations around the world while maintaining a small
environmental footprint.

A new class of airships offers sustainable voyages that don’t compromise on
luxury. These high-end, low-impact experiences could herald a new golden era
in luxury aviation.
Top: Ocean Sky Cruises

Bottom: Airlander, the world’s first hybrid aircraft, by Hybrid Air Vehicles
Right: Flying Whales
Flying Whales is developing a fleet of airships for cargo transportation

Health
HEALTH THE FUTURE 100 182
An emerging class of techceuticals is pressing play on the future of health

management. Doctors are prescribing video games and virtual reality (VR)
to treat conditions such as brain fog, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD), depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
In November 2021, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the VR
Prescription
therapy EaseVRx as a prescription treatment for chronic back pain. In October
2021, the FDA also approved a VR-based treatment for children with the visual
impairment amblyopia, also known as lazy eye.
gaming In April 2021, digital therapeutic company Akili Interactive partnered with Weill
Cornell Medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, and Vanderbilt University
The newest way to administer medication? Via a screen. Medical Center to evaluate the EndeavorRx video game as a treatment for
COVID-19 patients experiencing brain fog. Originally created to treat ADHD in
children, EndeavorRx made history in June 2020 as the first ever prescription-
strength video game approved by the FDA. Akili Interactive states that after
following the recommended dosage of 25 minutes of play per day, five days
per week for one month, one in three kids “no longer had a measurable
attention deficit on at least one measure of objective attention.” In May 2021,
the company secured $160 million in funding to expand its prescription
gaming portfolio.

Does the future of medicine lie in gamified technology? Michael Phillips
Moskowitz, digital nutritionist and founder and CEO of AeBeZe Labs, thinks
so. Digital content has “tremendous curative potential,” he tells Wunderman
Thompson Intelligence. “Digital therapeutics are going to be the next emerging
vertical in pharmaceuticals.” Expect to see more prescription content and
digitally administered medication.
Left: AppliedVR’s EaseVRx prescription treatment

Right: EndeavorRX by Akili Interactive
For a long time, women have been the focus of failing fertility. Now biotech
startups are starting to target men, offering sperm analysis and freezing—
services designed for those delaying having children for career reasons, as well
as those who simply want to freeze their sperm as insurance against injury or
waning fertility.
Boston-based startup Legacy sells home kits for sperm analysis, and partners
with sperm-freezing centers. It has raised $20 million in funding from backers
such as Y Combinator and Bain Capital Ventures. Founder Khaled Kteily said he
got the idea after he spilled hot tea on his lap in a car, suffering second-degree
burns and causing him to fear for his future fertility. Kteily envisions a wide
range of candidates for sperm freezing, including soldiers about to be deployed;
Male fertility
same-sex couples who plan to use a surrogate; and transgender people who
want to preserve their fertility before they transition. “We see this as something
that every man might do as they go off to college, and investors see that big
startups picture,” Kteily told TechCrunch.
Dadi, launched in 2019 in Brooklyn, boasts a temperature-controlled kit to

Biotech startups are now targeting fertility solutions at men. transport sperm from home to lab and has raised $10 million in venture capital.
Others, such as Los Angeles-based Yo and London-based ExSeed Health, use
devices attached to smartphones to analyze sperm at home.

Employers who have been covering egg freezing for female employees might
similarly start looking at sperm freezing as a health benefit. Low male fertility is
also considered a canary in the coal mine, and early sperm analysis may also
offer clues about overall health.
Biotech startups are

starting to target men,
offering sperm analysis
and freezing.
Legacy sperm analysis home kit

TikTok therapy
Gen Z are turning to TikTok for mental health advice.
Images courtesy of TikTok

Mental health professionals are taking to TikTok to offer guidance to an anxious

generation. Therapists use quippy videos with pop music and dances to answer
questions about stress, trauma and therapy, and offer lists of ways to express
emotions healthily—attracting millions of followers and views.
Licensed doctoral therapist Courtney Tracy’s TikTok account, @the.truth.doctor,

where she addresses everything from intergenerational trauma to healthy ways
to express rage, had 1.7 million followers as of December 2021. Licensed
trauma therapist Micheline Maalouf offers tips in the form of self-soothing tools
and signs of unresolved trauma to her 1.1 million followers.
In early December 2021, the TikTok hashtag #mentalhealth had 21.6 billion
views, #therapy had 5.3 billion views, #therapytiktok had 447.5 million views,
and #therapistsoftiktok had 357.6 million views.

TikTok is gen Z’s preferred app, with usage beating out Instagram and
Snapchat. For a generation markedly open about mental health, gen Z are
legitimizing the app as a source of bite-sized insight, education and
professional counsel.
@the.truth.doctor. Images courtesy of TikTok

Slow metabolism is not the cause of middle-age weight gain, according to a

study published in August 2021 by Science, which revealed that the rate of
metabolism remains stable between ages 20 to 60 years old. The findings cast
new light on the link between gut health, energy levels and digestion. Now
wellness startups are helping consumers to optimize, promote, and even hack
their metabolism with healthy boosts that are easy to digest.
UK-based soft drink brand OhMG launched a range of magnesium-enriched

waters in May 2021. Magnesium can help to reduce anxiety, aid relaxation,
Metabolic and regulate the nervous system, as well as contributing to energy-yielding

metabolism. Prebiotic soda startup Mayawell launched in 2020 and uses
brands
organic, hand-harvested active agave, shown to boost metabolism, strengthen
the immune system and improve digestion.
Influential figures in the wellness industry are also lauding metabolic health.
Metabolic health is the latest metric for health-conscious
Gwyneth Paltrow swears by Dr Will Cole’s intuitive fasting program, which aims
consumers to monitor and boost.
to recharge metabolism and reset gut health. Paltrow’s wellness company Goop
also sells Metabolism-Boosting Superpowder.
Metabolism monitoring is becoming the new health metric, as trackers in this

space increasingly gain attention. Lumen, launched in May 2020 after raising
over $17 million in funding, promises to “hack your metabolism.” New York-
based Levels created a biowearable that monitors and maximizes metabolic
fitness for users to live a “longer, fuller, healthier life.” Helsinki-based Veri is
another biowearable startup, founded in 2020. Its wearable device tracks blood-
sugar levels and pairs with Veri’s app, which acts as a “metabolic compass.”

Research has shown that only 12% of Americans are considered metabolically
healthy, according to a 2018 study by the University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health. As health becomes a prominent
focus for everyone, metabolic brands are launching into the market to monitor
overall wellness needs for health-conscious consumers.
Left: OhMG offers a range of magnesium-enriched waters

Right: Levels created a biowearable that monitors metabolic fitness
Mental health
pharmacies
Customers can now find band aids, medication
and therapy sessions all in one place.
Top: CVS Health connects customers with licensed therapists

Bottom: Image courtesy of Aetna
The Walgreens Find Care program began in March 2021, offering virtual therapy
sessions with licensed therapists, and currently also helps to coordinate
appointments for customers seeking therapy. Thanks to the brand’s partnership
with Mental Health America, customers can also schedule online mental health
screenings with teletherapy companies BetterHelp and Sanvello.
Convenience models are Walmart, which acquired MeMD in May 2021, offers virtual mental health care
revolutionizing access to mental in addition to its counseling services with Walmart Health. In June 2021, Rite
Aid also started offering teletherapy sessions in 10 states: Delaware, Idaho,
health treatment. Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia
and Washington.

These convenience models are revolutionizing access to mental health
treatment. Aligning counseling services with more traditional medical treatments
In the United States, 65% of people aged 18 to 34 have had mental health and supplies will reshape the way consumers consider their mental health
concerns for themselves or for friends and family members since the outbreak needs, closing the gap between physical and mental health care.
of COVID-19, according to Aetna’s 2021 “Mental Health Pulse Survey”. This
reflects a steep increase in symptoms of anxiety or depression in 2020 and
2021. To meet the need for help, convenience giants including CVS, Walgreens,
Rite Aid and Walmart are offering mental health services to their customers via
virtual, app, and in-person appointments.
CVS Health began connecting licensed therapists to customers aged 18 and

over in January 2021 via its CVS MinuteClinic providers. Customers can seek
assessments, referrals, and even private consultations and counseling at select
CVS pharmacies. Originally available in Texas, Pennsylvania and Florida,
services have now expanded to New Jersey. CVS plans to expand its in-person
and telehealth counseling services to cover 34 locations.
Walmart and MeMD

Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) has become a well-known

term across the music, wellness and relaxation industries. Consumers are now
turning to ASMR, sound and audio for selfcare and physical wellness benefits.
Sona is a new music therapy app for anxiety that launched at CES 2022. “We're
on a mission to validate music as medicine,” Sona founder Neal Sarin tells
Wunderman Thompson Intelligence. All music is created in-house by curated
composers and Grammy-winning engineers using a proprietary composition
process that increases alpha brain waves to help listeners relax, Sarin explains.
In October 2021, audio-experience startup Spatial partnered with Catalyst by

Wellstar and the nonprofit digital streaming platform HealthTunes to utilize the
Audio healing
restorative power of sound for healthcare workers. Together, the platforms will
design a sound sanctuary that employs scientifically based MusicMedicine,
creating a space where frontline hospital workers can pause in their work days
Wellness seekers are tuning into audio platforms and sound to reduce stress and anxiety. Spatial COO Darrell Rodriguez told Fast Company
technology to achieve relaxation and mental restoration. that “immersive sound has potential as a therapeutic tool” and that the
company “wants to have a social impact.”
Audio app Dipsea uses audio that combines soothing, calming sounds and
erotic stories to help guide its listeners to sleep. Dipsea’s extensive Sleep
library offers users a plethora of audio options for sleep aid, relaxation
benefits, and even to improve libido. Sexual wellness apps such as Kama and
wellness brands like Maude are also utilizing audio erotica as an additional
platform benefit.

Heightened audio is more than just audio branding: it’s a new space for healing.
As audio’s impact grows in spaces for selfcare, healing and wellness, brands
are incorporating sound offerings to satisfy consumer wants and needs.
Dipsea combines soothing sounds with erotic stories to guide listeners to sleep
As COVID-19 variants continue to infect people around the world, medical

institutions are scrambling to determine whether antibodies are the key to a
universal vaccine or treatment.
Medical concierge services are measuring COVID-19 antibodies as an added

perk for patients. Those with access to high-end medical offices around the
world are seeking reassurance by counting antibodies “like calories,” according
to the New York Times. Locations offering these services include My Concierge
MD in Beverly Hills, Sollis Health in Manhattan, and Montecito Concierge
Medicine, a private provider in Montecito, California.
Breakthrough research published in November 2021 by the University of North

Carolina and Duke University showed potential for the treatment of COVID-19
and its variants using isolated antibodies. The study suggested that an antibody
identified as DH1047 can both prevent and fight the infection after a person is
Antibody health diagnosed. The research is a path to the design of a universal vaccine that
could work against a wide variety of variants.
COVID-19 patients are counting their antibodies like calories, and AstraZeneca announced the inauguration of a separate division for vaccines
research is under way for antibody treatments. and antibody therapies in the same month. The new division will focus closely
on the company’s COVID-19 treatments, combining the research, development
and manufacturing of antibody treatments, and addressing future variants of
COVID-19. Positive results from the antibody treatment trials show potential and
more research is under way.

As research on antibody treatment shows promise, medical services may
continue to home in on the benefits of measuring, monitoring and maintaining
COVID-19 antibody levels for their patients.
Next-gen mental
wellbeing An increase in mental health referrals for children has led to online platforms
and social apps having to recognize their impact on young users and redirect
efforts and platform abilities to offer adequate protection.
A mental health emergency among children is sparking reformed
platform restrictions and limitations for apps and online games.
In the United Kingdom, mental health referrals for children almost doubled to
200,000 during the pandemic, according to the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
Urgent referrals in particular rose sharply from 5,219 between April and June in
2019 to 8,552 in 2021.
#kidsoftiktok. Image courtesy of TikTok

In the United States, experts from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the
Children’s Hospital Association, and the American Academy of Child and
Adolescent Psychiatry deemed the mental health crisis among kids a national
emergency “inextricably tied to the stress brought on by COVID-19 and the
ongoing struggle for racial justice.” Their data indicates that emergency
department visits for mental health rose by 24% from 2019 to 2020 for children
between the ages of five and 11, and by 31% for those aged 12 to 17.
Some platforms are reconsidering their strategy. In September 2021, work

on Instagram Kids was paused to allow a refocus on input from parents,
policymakers and experts before building out the reformed platform. Meta,
which owns Instagram, anticipates building this separate, adless platform for
kids aged 10 to 12 with only age-appropriate content, allowing full parental
supervision and requiring parental permission to join.
Also in September 2021, ByteDance introduced a youth mode to TikTok for

kids in China, limiting those under 14 years old to 40 minutes a day on the app,
and falling into line with the Chinese government’s video game restrictions
for children under 14. The previous month, the Chinese National Press and
Publication Administration had announced new rules restricting gaming for
children under 18 to Fridays, weekends, and holidays between 8pm and 9pm.

The substantial impact of social media and gaming on young children is
evident, and governments and parents are demanding protection for kids
online. Tech companies are responding with refocused strategies to protect
the mental wellbeing of younger generations.
Top: Images courtesy of TikTok

Bottom: Instagram announces work on Instagram Kids has been paused
Telemedicine in China and other Asian markets has gone from basic video
consultation to providing comprehensive medical services akin to physical
ones. While the previous 4G network could lead to latency and unstable
connection, restricting the locations where patients could use telemedicine, the
application of 5G has improved the quality of video consultation, remote patient
monitoring, and, ultimately, even remote and robotic surgery assistance.
As early as January 2020, China’s ZTE and China Telecom providers deployed
China’s first 5G remote diagnosis of COVID-19. The technology connected
5G healthcare doctors at West China Hospital, part of Sichuan University, as the central node
to remotely diagnose and treat COVID-19 patients at two dozen other hospitals,
Shenzhen-based ZTE said.
As China rolls out its 5G infrastructure faster than the rest of the
world, healthcare is one of the first sectors to benefit. In Guangzhou, a city located in a region dubbed China’s Greater Bay Area
because of its similarity to Silicon Valley, the Guangdong Second Provincial
General Hospital is using 5G to collect, transmit and monitor patient data. Chen
Xiaofang, a nurse at the hospital, appeared in an Associated Press (AP) video
report in November 2021 demonstrating how she uses a smartwatch to monitor
procedures such as intravenous infusions, saying “we are now able to save a lot
of time.” According to the AP report, some 10,000 devices and sensors at the
hospital are 5G-connected and collect health data such as electrocardiograms
in real time, for hospital staff to monitor.
In June 2021, CUHK Medical Centre, in partnership with Commercial Group

HKT, announced it was the first private hospital in Hong Kong to deploy 5G,
allowing medical images such as those from endoscopies, ultrasounds, CT
scans, and other high-resolution images to be transferred in real time for remote
consultation.

Chinese patients can already book appointments, receive lab reports and
scans, and get basic advice from doctors on smartphone apps such as Ping An
Good Doctor and Tencent’s WeDoctor. The advent of 5G means they will soon
be able to do much more. “The end point is that we can do everything virtually
online … and then doctors can practice anywhere in the world, the patient can
access the doctors anywhere in the world,” Kenneth Chung, CEO of clinic
operations for IHH East China, a private hospital chain, told CNBC.
HKT has partnered with CUHK Medical Centre to bring 5G technology to the hospital,
enabling live remote consultation with participants at different locations
Emotional health
Recharge zones for emotions are emerging
in public spaces around the world.
Dwight White. Image by Jaylen Prater, courtesy of Pinterest Havens

Public spaces for mental health and emotional wellbeing are popping up as the
stigma around addressing mental health begins to dissolve.
A public art space in Madrid allows visitors to address and visualize the status of
their mental health. La Lloreria (the Crying Room) seeks to banish taboos around
mental health issues, reserving space for the deliberation, acknowledgement,
and artistic visualization of emotional wellbeing. In October 2021, Spanish prime
minister Pedro Sanchez announced a €100 million ($116 million) mental healthcare
drive, indicating a greater public focus on mental health in the country.
Social media brand Pinterest launched Pinterest Havens in October 2021,

aiming to create “an online and offline space for community-driven inspiration.”
The company also commissioned Havens: Invest in Rest, a physical installation
in Chicago featuring a mural by local artist Dwight White, physical Pins of
relaxing imagery, immersive art, and community programming to combat
burnout and encourage viewers to focus on their emotional wellbeing.
In October 2021, the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City opened the
Mandala Lab, a cultural healing space designed to encourage emotional
wellness and inspire connection through Buddhist principles. Visitors can
explore the complexity of their emotions, address them and transform them.
Executive director Jorrit Britschgi said the space was designed to “empower us
to face today’s challenges: to widen our imagination, understand and manage
our emotions, enrich our capacity for empathy, and connect with others.”

Are these emotionally charged spaces the playgrounds of the future? Room set
aside to connect, rest and meditate is being molded into public areas grounded
in community.
The Rubin Museum of Art’s Mandala Lab. Image by Rafael Gamo

The Rubin Museum of Art’s Mandala Lab. Image by Rafael Gamo

Work
WORK THE FUTURE 100 203
Metawork Virtual offices are taking over as the shift to remote and hybrid work is likely
here to stay. Microsoft is set to launch Mesh for Microsoft Teams in 2022,
Teleportation, holograms and roaming enabling mixed reality for users, with the option to attend meetings as
avatars—the future of work has arrived. customized avatars and collaborate on projects through shared holographic
experiences. Mesh for Microsoft Teams also gives companies the option to
build immersive virtual environments and Microsoft describes the feature as
“a gateway to the metaverse.”
“As a company whose focus is on productivity, on knowledge workers, it’s

something that customers are really asking us for, and it’s coupled with the
vision of mixed reality that we’ve been working on for 12 years,” explains
Microsoft technical fellow Alex Kipman. “It’s all coming together.”
Meta introduced Horizon Workrooms in August 2021. By connecting through

virtual reality (VR), coworkers can collaborate and create together in the same
virtual workspace. “Meet teammates across the table, even if you’re across the
Mesh for Microsoft Teams. Image courtesy of Microsoft

The way we connect, live

and work is transforming
thanks to the metaverse.
world—and transform your home office into your favorite remote meeting room,”
Horizon Workrooms promises.
Building branded virtual workspaces are gaining popularity. Wunderman

Thompson launched a virtual conference hub at CES 2022. Breakroom by
Sinespace, a “new social hub for remote teams,” launched in April 2020. The
company can also set up a branded office within 24 hours. Gather launched
the following month, and aims to make “virtual interactions more human.”
Kumospace and gen-Z startup Branch operate in similar ways to Gather,
focusing on heightening organic interactions using virtual rooms that mimic
physical environments, where users’ avatars can move around and interact.

The way we connect, live and work is transforming thanks to the metaverse.
The future of work will foster a hybrid setup for many, leading with virtual
workspaces that generate new forms of creativity, collaboration and immersion.
The Wunderman Thompson Metaverse in collaboration with Odyssey

Chief impact
officers
A new C-suite position is rising in popularity: the chief impact officer.
Taco Bell named Lil Nas X as the chain's first CIO

Corporate C-suites are adding chief impact officers (CIOs) to their boardrooms,
with the role designed to showcase a brand’s community and societal impact.
A former Taco Bell employee himself, Lil Nas X was appointed as the fast-food
chain’s first CIO in August 2021. The honorary position coincided with the
artist’s “Montero” record release and supports Taco Bell’s scholarship program
for young creatives. Lil Nas X has appeared in ad campaigns for Taco Bell’s
breakfast menu and is “leveraging his deep-rooted history to create an
impactful experience for all Taco Bell team members,” the brand states.
The Duke of Sussex started a new position in March 2021 as the CIO of Silicon
Valley startup BetterUp. The coaching and mental health platform says that its
missions to “unlock the potential in people everywhere necessitates innovation,
impact and integrity.” The role includes strategizing product decisions and
charitable contributions, and the duke advocates publicly for mental health.

Consumers have demanded more from brands in recent years, enforcing
executive engagement and integrity. CIOs serve as a company’s public-facing
leader, embracing charitable causes and ensuring brands are impacting
communities and consumers in positive ways.
Taco Bell named Lil Nas X as the chain's first CIO

Employees at Nuveen, an investment company headquartered in midtown

Manhattan, can help harvest honey on their lunch breaks on a terrace
surrounded by high-rises. The company installed two beehives as part of a
$120 million renovation concluding in 2021, hiring a beekeeper to care for the
bees and give employees lessons in honey harvesting.
Springdale Green, a new development in Austin, Texas, is reimagining the

office with bird blinds and hammocks, and surrounded by native plants and
woodland. The office is “more outside than inside,” Philip Mahoney, executive
vice chairman at commercial real estate company Newmark, told the New
York Times.
Rewilding the
Employees who work at the Victor Building in Washington—recently renovated
by Brookfield Properties—can pick herbs such as parsley and basil from
rooftop vegetable gardens before heading home to cook dinner.
office Uber’s new headquarters in San Francisco, opened in March 2021, features a
major design element to provide fresh air: 180 14-foot-tall glass panes open and
Garden plots, beehives and bird watching—the latest office perks shut throughout the day, counteracting stale recirculated air and bringing some
are upleveling biophilic design. of the outdoors in.

“The overarching trend of the past five years has been the hotelification of the
office,” Lenny Beaudoin, an executive managing director at CBRE, told the New
York Times. Over the next five years, expect to see this shift to the “outdoor-
ification” of the office as companies bet on nature as the future of office design.
The Victor Building hosts a garden of herbs and vegetables

that employees can harvest to cook with
CryptoTwitter is alight with excitement over digital autonomous organizations

(DAOs). In simple terms, this is a digitally native community or organization
that could potentially represent the future of work—your next employer could
be a DAO.
Strictly speaking, a DAO is a community-led digital organization that runs on

blockchain technology. It is managed not by a CEO or board of directors but by
lines of code that define its operations, known as a smart contract. In practice,
many DAOs are not yet fully autonomous and so the term is also used
colloquially to refer to digital organizations in general. These are more like online
collectives that have common interests and goals, and are often centered
around a Reddit group or Discord server.
Crucially, DAOs also have built-in treasuries linked to cryptocurrency, which

means members can earn tokens in return for their contributions. A new breed
of crypto worker is already being drawn to DAOs as an alternative to the
corporate nine-to-five.
Crypto-artisans In September 2021, community builder and consultant Rafa Fernandez posted
a long-form piece on the Web 3.0 publishing platform Mirror about his decision
The Web 3.0 economy is providing an alternative to corporate to quit his dream job at a tech startup to work for a DAO. Fernandez is not the
employment in the form of digital autonomous organizations. only one and participation in the DAO economy is growing fast. According to
DeepDAO, a platform that tracks the industry, there were 1.6 million members
and token owners in December 2021, a number that had swelled by 356,000
from the previous month alone. In another signal of this explosive growth, a
established in 2014, plans to dissolve its corporate structure and transition to a

DAO model in 2022.
DAOs have their challenges. Community insiders acknowledge there’s much

to figure out, from gaining clarity on legal status to resolving conflicts.
Nevertheless, the combined lure of community, flexibility and shared purpose
are so far proving strong.

While not every company will want to copy the DAO model, nor will it be
universally appropriate, there are interesting lessons to learn from this new
model in terms of community, culture building and worker empowerment. In
budding DAO service economy is emerging, with companies such as an era of employee activism, many want to shape the place they work to fit
Opolis offering DAO workers access to healthcare plans, payroll, and other their values, as Julia Rosenberg, cofounder and CEO at Orca Protocol,
shared services. recently explained at the Mainnet conference: “If you disagree, you have
the opportunity to effect change, which is not something that exists in
From an employee’s point of view, DAOs have a lot to offer. They are digital so centralized organizations.”
there are no physical headquarters or geographic boundaries—both already
outdated notions for many gen Zers. DAOs have little to no hierarchy so there
are no bosses either. Instead, they offer members the ability to collectively
influence decisions and share in profits. Above all they offer a readymade
community of likeminded, passionate, and highly invested people all pursuing
the same goal.
“At the core of it, it’s just a group of people that really care about something,
and they want to work on it together,” Anne Connelly, who teaches blockchain
and social impact at Boston University, explained to the WBUR radio station.
This raises the question: could traditional companies morph into DAOs? The
answer is that it’s already happening. ShapeShift, a crypto-trading platform
Left: ShapeShift
Right: Mirror. Image courtesy of Twitter
Toward the end of 2021, a record number of Americans had left their jobs. In
April that year, the number of workers who quit their jobs in a single month
broke an all-time US record and the figure has climbed steadily since, with
more than 4.4 million American workers quitting in September alone. According
to Microsoft’s global Work Trend Index, published in March 2021, 41% of
people around the world were likely to consider leaving their jobs within the next
year, rising to 54% of gen Z. The Washington Post dubbed the shift the “great
reassessment of work.”
So where are workers going? Many are leaving for higher-paying jobs, whether
that’s retail and service workers taking entry-level positions or mid-career
professionals switching jobs. As of December 2020, resignations among
Micropreneurs
managers were 12% higher than the previous year, according to workforce
analytics company Visier.
2.0 Others are pursuing passions or side hustles full-time. Microsoft’s research
revealed that 46% of people were planning to make a major career pivot
or transition. And British workers are going freelance in droves. April 2021
Americans are reassessing their work lives, driving data from freelancer platform PeoplePerHour found that almost one in five
an unprecedented wave of resignations and career pivots. freelancers had become self-employed as a side hustle alongside an employee
position, and nearly two-fifths of those began freelancing in the past 12 months.
Jake Kenyon decided to turn Kenyarn, his Providence, RI-based hand-dyed-

yarn side hustle, into a full-time career in January 2021, after quitting his job as
a speech pathologist.
The pattern follows a nascent trend that first grew legs in the initial months
of the pandemic in 2020, with workers quitting their desk jobs to pursue
passion projects full-time. Now the trend has snowballed into a nationwide
reassessment of work that is precipitating the next era of employment.

If 2020 had consumers reassessing their lives and values, 2022 and beyond
will see them taking action to bring their work more in line with these values.
Employees are scrutinizing what they want from a career and a workplace,
potentially bringing about the “end of the workplace as we know it,” according
to Business Insider.
Jake Kenyon’s Kenyarn side hustle turned into a full-time career

The shecession saw women worldwide drop out of the workforce in significant
numbers; a loss which has not yet been reversed. Now a host of industries,
from financial services to hospitality, are also facing an unprecedented battle
for talent. Workplaces that optimize for women will build relevance, not to
mention significant competitive advantage. So, one year on, what are
workplaces doing to build the shecovery?
The biggest transition, of course, is the shift to flexible working, adopted by

businesses from Spotify to Facebook to American Express. Flexible options are
appealing for women juggling work and home life, though some commentators,
including Bank of England economist Catherine Mann, have warned of work-
from-home stigma that could ultimately end up costing women if men don’t
take up remote work in equal numbers.
Looking ahead, normalizing flexible work options in company culture will be

imperative to mitigate inequity. To that end, British construction firm Multiplex
introduced a new formal flexible working policy in October 2021 aimed at
making its workplace more attractive for women. The Multiplex Flex initiative
The shecovery
To combat the shecession, global workplaces are stepping up
initiatives that optimize the workplace for women.
Workplaces that optimize

for women will build
relevance, not to mention
significant competitive
advantage.
offers a range of options including four-day weeks, remote working, and time off The report also notes that female leaders spend more time on employee
in lieu of overtime pay. PwC is also committed to ensuring remote workers don’t wellbeing, but such efforts are often overlooked. Further, while women are
lose out. The Big Four accounting firm announced in fall 2021 that not only is it statistically more likely to devote time to diversity, equality and inclusion
embracing permanent remote work, it also pledges to monitor raises, pay and initiatives than their male equivalents, less than a quarter of companies
bonuses for remote staff compared to their office-based counterparts, and act surveyed formally recognize this work. Bucking that trend is LinkedIn, which has
wherever it sees a lag. pledged to pay the chairs of its employee resource groups $10,000 annually, as
well as developing a non-financial rewards system to recognize contributions.
Women who remained in the workforce throughout the pandemic have faced a This follows a similar commitment by Twitter in 2020.
different challenge. The “Women in the Workplace 2021” report from McKinsey
& Co and LeanIn.org found the gap between women and men who report Why it’s interesting
feeling burned out has doubled since 2020. The survey of 65,000 workers The shecession is likely to affect businesses for years to come, highlighting the
in North America also reports that one in three women has thought about urgent need for employers to act now. Those companies that choose to adopt
downsizing her career or leaving work altogether, compared to one in four policies that value the work of women and caregivers as well as employee
earlier in the pandemic. wellbeing will be best placed to weather the storm.
Images courtesy of Multiplex

Fashion brands are turning their recruitment efforts to younger pools of

applicants, looking to diversify their talent pipeline and maintain entry-level
applicants for long-term employment.
In September 2021, French luxury brand LVMH announced its plan to recruit
25,000 employees under 30 by the end of 2022. The brand’s gen Z hiring binge
indicates a focus on young, global talent and a desire to broaden and diversify
recruitment across the company. LVMH also emphasized a desire to recruit for
the long term, and from a wider pool of applicants, not only those from
prestigious universities or affluent families.
Clothing brand Hollister announced the appointment of its first chief gaming
scout in October 2021. Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf, 18, the Fortnite world champion
with an impressive 4.9 million Twitch followers as of November 2021, is
designing gamer-inspired clothing, catapulting the surf and beach brand into
a new space. Bugha will also lead Team Hollister, a new division aimed at
developing up-and-coming streamers, placing the brand in the center of the
gaming universe and attracting a new wave of teens to its products.
Gen Z workforce Why it’s interesting

Gen Z’s youthful market insight is in demand. Hiring young recruits for long-
term positions benefits brand recruitment efforts while also satisfying gen Z and
Brands refocus their recruitment strategies to attract gen Z
millennial desire for adequate training and career advancement. A focus on
employees for the long term.
long-term success from brands is attracting high-caliber applicants early in
their careers.
Hollister appointed Fortnite World Cup champion Kyle “Bugha”

Giersdorf as its first chief gaming scout
The great reskill

Reinvention is the name of the game for
the next generation of employees. Business is changing—and required employee skillsets are changing with it.
As the digital revolution races on, brands are realizing that the fastest and
most effective way to keep pace is to upskill their existing workforce. Where
specialized college or graduate degrees may once have been a prerequisite,
companies are now encouraging employees to learn as they go.
Rachel Carlson, cofounder and CEO of Guild Education, predicts that this will
give rise to a new formula for education—one that may even supplant a college
degree. Carlson told the Masters of Scale podcast that the “four and 40,” which
previously saw the majority of employees go to school for four years, then work
for 40, is “dead” and supplanted by a new model. “What’s now is the every
four,” said Carlson. “You’re going to have to learn some sort of new skill every
four years.”
Guild Education
Levi Strauss & Co announced a new company-wide digital upskilling initiative

for its employees in May 2021. The keystone of the initiative is the Machine
Learning Bootcamp, an eight-week, full-time, paid program that offers
employees training in digital skills such as coding and machine learning.
Graduates of the bootcamp will either return to their current job with new skills
or will join the company’s strategy and AI team.
Verizon invested over $200 million in employee learning and development

programs in 2020, offering training in topics like data science, 5G technology
and artificial intelligence. By the end of 2021, Verizon had equipped 100,000
employees with digital skills “to ensure team members are ready to keep pace
with ever-changing demands of building the future.”
Walmart employees can earn a high school or college degree for $365 (or $1
per day for a year), through a partnership with Guild Education. From April 2020
to April 2021, Walmart said the program saw a 93% spike in both high school
and college graduates.

Traditional career trajectories are being reinvented, replacing specialized
degrees with practical education and on-site reskilling.
Images courtesy of Guild Education

The days when work was done solely at the office already seem like history.
Pandemic-induced lockdowns forced companies around the world into
arrangements that broke traditional working habits. With this came a surge
of remote workers, some of whom became digital nomads for the first time,
choosing to work in new cities, states, or even new countries.
Unfortunately for these digital nomads, social safety nets such as health
insurance have historically only been available within their home countries
and are therefore off limits to those working across borders and in
different jurisdictions.
Now, in response to their growing numbers, a new economy is emerging that

caters to these administrative, financial and logistical needs.
Insurer SafetyWing offers cover for remote workers regardless of location.

Having fortuitously launched in early 2020, the company’s Nomad Insurance
The nomad covers remote workers in the event of unforeseen health problems or travel
complications. After raising $8 million in 2021, SafetyWing is looking to launch
economy
additional products that offer access to remote doctors and remote pensions.
Also looking to provide peace of mind to global citizens, Insured Nomads is

a US-based insurtech company that provides coverage for everything from
As the world awakens to the possibilities of working remotely,
medications to cybersecurity to telehealth appointments. Having launched just
a new economy is springing up to cater to digital nomads.
before the pandemic, the company has added new offerings that address the
ever-changing needs of global workers. In April 2021, the brand launched new
A new economy is
mental health counseling services alongside other benefits such as 24/7
emerging that caters to emergency evacuation assistance.
digital nomads’ Self-storage solutions for nomadic workers are also on the rise. Launched at
administrative, financial the end of 2020, Stuf is a startup that transforms unused basements and similar
spaces into self-storage locations. Unlike traditional warehouse storage facilities
and logistical needs. that tend to be located on the outskirts of cities, the company identifies smaller
inner-city footprint spaces that are more convenient for those with transient
lifestyles who want to access their items more frequently. The startup currently
has four locations across Los Angeles, the Bay Area, Washington DC and New
York, with a further 4,000 locations in the works for 2022.

The future of work is borderless. As ingenious companies step up to iron out
the complications that accompany a transient lifestyle, digital nomads will
continue to grow in numbers and financial clout.
Insurer SafetyWing offers coverage for remote workers

The metaverse virtually recreates pretty much all aspects of life, and
recruitment is no different. “In the coming years, companies of all kinds are
increasingly going to be re-orienting towards a hybrid model of virtual and
physical work, production, commerce and communications,” Grant Paterson,
head of gaming and esports at Wunderman Thompson, explains. “The
dual forces of converging technologies and emerging consumer behaviors
in virtual places makes the cultivation of a ‘virtual pillar’ critical for many,
if not all, businesses.”
Nike filed seven trademark applications in October 2021; they include use of
“downloadable virtual goods” and “retail store services featuring virtual goods.”
In the same month, the company started recruiting virtual material designers to
Metaverse
sit within its digital product creation team. The job spec describes the role as
helping to “build the future of Nike Footwear materials” and ignite “the digital
and virtual revolution at Nike.”
recruits In November 2021, British television broadcaster ITV posted a position for a
metaverse creative within its new Metavision initiative, which “looks to combine
From virtual material designers to creatives across the board, the worlds of gaming, entertainment and advertising.” The role involves creating
companies are hiring for a metaverse workforce. metaverse brand activations from concept stage to execution.
“Is it time to hire a chief metaverse officer?” Vogue Business mused in an

October 2021 article that noted the rise in augmented retail, virtual venues and
digital possessions. Partnering with external tech and games companies has
been the trend of the past year; now brands are seeking out talent of their own
to accelerate the technological offerings of the metaversee.

Remember when social media became mainstream and companies
scrambled to hire social media leads? Recruiting talent to help build offerings
around the metaverse will be reminiscent of that hurry to hire, and maybe
even more urgent.
Nikeland on Roblox is the company’s first step into the metaverse

ABOUT WUNDERMAN THOMPSON INTELLIGENCE CONTACT
Wunderman Thompson Intelligence is Wunderman Thompson’s futurism, Emma Chiu
research and innovation unit. It charts emerging and future global trends, Global Director of Wunderman Thompson Intelligence
consumer change, and innovation patterns—translating these into insight [email protected]
for brands. It offers a suite of consultancy services, including bespoke
research, presentations, co-branded reports and workshops. It is also EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
active in innovation, partnering with brands to activate future trends within Emma Chiu
their framework and execute new products and concepts. The division is
led by Emma Chiu and Marie Stafford, Global Directors of Wunderman EDITOR
Thompson Intelligence. Emily Safian-Demers
For more information visit: WRITERS

wundermanthompson.com/expertise/intelligence Marie Stafford, Chen May Yee, Elizabeth Cherian, Sarah Tilley,
Carla Calandra, Jamie Shackleton, Safa Arshadullah
About The Future 100
Wunderman Thompson Intelligence’s annual forecast presents a snapshot of SUB EDITORS
the year ahead and identifies the most compelling trends to keep on the radar. Hester Lacey, Katie Myers
The report charts 100 trends across 10 sectors, spanning culture, tech and
innovation, travel and hospitality, brands and marketing, food and drink, beauty, CREATIVE DIRECTOR
retail and commerce, luxury, health and work. Shazia Chaudhry
COVER
Raspberry Dream Labs
FONTS USED
Lust Didone; Helvetica Neue (TT)
©2022 Wunderman Thompson Intelligence. All rights reserved. The contents of this
report cannot be replicated, extracted or hosted without consent. Sharing of this
report is permitted only via link to the original report download page on intelligence.
wundermanthompson.com, unless explicit consent is otherwise granted.

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The future

Trends and change to watch in 2022

a report by wunderman thompson intelligence

As lifestyles and businesses shift to become climate-friendly, being sustainable

The metaverse dominated headlines, screens and boardrooms in the second

Why it’s interesting

Left: Horizon Worlds. Image courtesy of Meta

Heritage Forest. Image courtesy of Sugi

A rising focus on urban biodiversity sees communities around the world

In the United Kingdom, a 240-square-meter “heritage” forest is being planted

Also in London, Islington council announced plans to appoint a tree specialist

SUGi Heritage Forest

K-pop stars have graduated to the A-list, gathering brand endorsements by

Perhaps most surprising is the seemingly meteoric success of Korean

Why it’s interesting

Left: Korean musical artist Psy on Today 2012,

Pantone created a completely new color inspired by and encouraging creativity

Powerfully Playful image by Stocksy. Adobe Stock

Yinka Ilori and Lego’s “Launderette of Dreams.”

Meet the genuinfluencer—a term first coined by WGSN—who garners followers

Virtual by being relatable rather than aspirational.

Douyin’s virtual influencer Angie, created by Jesse Zhang

Yoox, an online luxury marketplace owned by Yoox Net-a-Porter Group, first

Gen Z’s approach to brands is likely a significant contributor to this shift—the

Why it’s interesting

Douyin’s virtual influencer Angie, created by Jesse Zhang

Holiday Space augmented reality artwork by Kaws, 2020

Left: Surreal conference. Image courtesy of Meta

In 2021, a slew of female athletes pushed back on inherent sexism in sport,

Team GB pole-vaulter Holly Bradshaw was so dismayed by her official uniform

Many women who participate in sports suffer objectification from fans,

Why it’s interesting

FourFront is “revolutionizing TV through TikTok,” Fast Company reported.

Invisible Universe is another startup scripting entertainment specifically for

Why it’s interesting

Above: FourFront, courtesy of TikTok

Raspberry Dream Labs

Raspberry Dream Labs is reframing cybersex experiences to form meaningful

Why it’s interesting

The metaverse is offering a chance to create a world that is inclusive, ethical

IMVU. Image courtesy of Together Labs

Meta’s Horizon Worlds aims to be a “VR social experience” where explorers

Why it’s interesting

Apple AirPods: third-generation spatial audio

Left: The Spatial experience

Top: GrabPay's QR-scan service

Indonesia’s Gojek started as a motorbike ride-hailing service to help people cut

Gojek and Tokopedia's GoTo GoCar

Amsterdam-based design studio Formafantasma redesigned its website in

Volkswagen reconstructed its Canadian website for a more sustainable

Why it’s interesting

Volkswagen Canada's Carbon-Neutral Net online redesign

Why it’s interesting

Companies are seeking

Top: Freedom app blocked site screen

MetaHuman Creator by Unreal Engine. Image courtesy of Epic Games

Nvidia is preparing for a future where 3D avatars with conversational artificial

In September 2021, California-based avatar-generating startup DNABlock

Why it’s interesting

Left: MetaHuman Creator by Unreal Engine. Image courtesy of Epic Games