Lifestyle & Culture

Temperatures are rising. What does that mean for how we design and inhabit cities?

A new class of on-demand services is elevating pet care.

Hookup culture evolves thanks to a new class of apps helping users find deeper, lasting connections.

Reframing the workplace to work better for women.

Coming of age in a climate emergency has made generation Z unapologetically outspoken and impatient for change.

Lessons from China's trend-setting commerce market for the rest of the world.

What's happening with NFTs? We look at who's buying them, new brand activations and what they spell for the future of retail.

A new era of employment points to a future of reinvention for the workforce.

Reunion and reconnection are the themes for the upcoming months, and brands are toasting to optimism and human interaction.

A deep dive into how social media use is evolving in the Middle East.

User engagement is diversifying and brand opportunities are growing. What does this mean for the social platform's future?

Using soothing sounds to heal physical pain is growing louder in wellness circles.

The sports industry embraces virtual athletics.

From Bumble to Instacart, the baby boomers have entered the chat.

The meta-space race is on as competition to create, define and own the metaverse takes off.

We are poised on the brink of a regenerative future.

Brands get political.

Is this the end of binge culture?

A list of the top five recent activations in sonic branding.

Is snackable short-form content the next big thing in entertainment?

Digital masterpieces are setting new standards for luxury.

Welcome to the metaverse.

The rise of the multispace.

Are voice-based networking apps the future of social media?

What does an office look like in the era of remote work?

Is gaming the next social media?

Cities are being redesigned around nature.

A list of the top five recent innovations in material science.

The workplace of the future will be designed for homey comfort.

A list of the top five recent advancements in augmented lifestyles.

Brands are opting for pared-back visuals, reflecting a collective turn away from excess consumption.

The car is being elevated into an extension of the home.

This year's Super Bowl ads projected messages of humor, hope and unity.

Employees are holding their employers accountable, demanding they honor company values.

Consumers are looking to brands and wellness practitioners to help them breathe a little easier.

Budding entrepreneurs are creatively kick-starting new businesses—and the economy.

Digital dating gets a mindfulness makeover.

Meditation apps are migrating to streaming platforms, bringing a dose of mindfulness to the entertainment industry.

Gen Zers are repurposing the gap year, trading in travel for service work, interim jobs and internships.

Trends Shaping Culture and Economies

The suburbs get a boost from pandemic weary masses.

How did our predictions from last year fare? Highlights from culture, technology and travel.

The travel and hospitality industries are shifting gears to accommodate a new type of visitor: the 9-to-5 worker.

Businesses and organizations are redesigning their services to prioritize outdoor space.

Luxury services are offering private format leisure activities.

With education systems floundering, big brands are stepping in. Are co-branded diplomas the future of education?

Generation Z are calling on brands, governments, and leaders to help them build a better normal.

Zero touch spaces offer a taste of normality whilst keeping us safe, but brands need to consider compensating for the sensory loss

The pandemic has thrown gen Z dreams and ambitions up in the air as economies shrink and the world becomes a more dangerous place.

Technology is fuelling fandoms into a force beyond entertainment.

The traditional 9-to-5 work format is evolving.

The future of sports promises a new era of opportunity for brands.

Borderless and mixed reality projects are pushing the boundaries of entertainment.

Passionate Gen Zers are finding ways to host protests in the digital world.

Beauty enthusiasts are throwing caution to the wind, embracing a playful aesthetic full of vivid hues and glittering adornments.

Designers and urban planners are rethinking city living.

Live experiences are returning—along with audiences who can spectate from the safety and comfort of their cars.

From local bars to music festivals, cultural locales are being recreated in the virtual world for next-level digital socializing.

Creativity is flourishing under quarantine.

In a time of crisis, the easy gloss of celebrity is taking a backseat as we witness the rise of the everyday hero.

A special edition update of our annual "The Future 100" report.

Finding solace in spirituality.

A generation just starting to spread its wings is finding those wings clipped.

The pandemic is upending the language of advertising.

Finding connection in a distanced world.

As the pandemic continues, the connections between human and planetary resilience are becoming more evident.

Lifestyle, tourism and wellbeing offerings set up shop in the digital realm.

Emma Chiu, Global Director of Wunderman Thompson Intelligence, shares how the outbreak of Covid-19 has impacted large gaming events

From UV lamps to self-cleaning water bottles, the future of design has hygiene at its heart.

In a world rife with uncertainty, fear and anxiety, people are looking to offset panic with positivity.

What does social distancing portend for the future of cultural experiences?

As daily life turns inward, the home now encompasses entire worlds, from the office to the gym and everything in between.

Brands are working with Gen Z to build a better future.

A glossary of the words that will define 2020.

The ads from Super Bowl LIV echo a cultural desire to reflect on our progress at the turn of the new decade.

Across industries, documentaries are being elevated as premier content for a class of truth-seeking consumers.

Plagued by congestion and pollution, urban hubs are banning cars to make the city of the future more livable and human-centric.

Brands are contributing to a carbon-positive future.

Unlikely heroes are reviving the classic cinema experience.

Wunderman Thompson Intelligence’s annual report of 100 trends to watch in 2020.

How did our predictions from last year fare? Highlights from culture, technology and travel.

Calming, confident and classic: Pantone unveils the Color of the Year 2020.

Creators are turning back to analog formats to cut through the digital noise.

Dubbed the "single positivity" movement, the value proposition and cultural understanding of single lifestyles is expanding. 

New services are saturating the market and jostling for position as the next battle of the streaming wars heats up.

By integrating health and wellbeing, a wave of funeral services is breathing new life into the taboos surrounding death.

The gaming industry tackles toxicity.

The future of beauty tech is upon us.

Who is generation Alpha?

The latest wave of elite expeditions is shifting luxury travel standards from sumptuous to scientific.

Architects are designing a healthier living environment for wellness-minded consumers.

From film festivals to museums, cannabis evolves from an experience-enhancing ingredient to a full-on experience.

Architects and designers are reimagining the community of the future.

The prescription for a healthier lifestyle may be as simple as a stroll in the park.

Newly emerging avenues for entertainment invite audiences to be a part of the story.

Brands are looking beyond traditional channels and developing new formats to engage audiences.

Esports streamers with millions of generation Z fans are the next frontier for brands.

The London Design Festival is a platform for designers to illustrate the emotional impact and power of design to drive change.

Platforms are fostering more comfortable opportunities for sharing in the name of authenticity and mental health.

New outlets are emerging to satisfy millennials' caregiving impulses.

Cities are increasingly answering the call to combat climate change.

Another day, another apology.

No more excuses—brands champion solutions that actively benefit the environment.

Global contenders in the ride-hailing space take on Silicon Valley.

When grabbing a coffee takes patrons to another planet.

Classic art and digital creation merge to redefine modern artistry.

How are the lives of singles evolving?

In a mature social media landscape, a wave of new platforms is emerging to offer multidimensional engagement.

Family structures are changing. Do brands need to keep up?

Do singles have more spending power?

Make way for The Single Age: a paradigm shift in adulthood uncoupled.

High-profile politicians are taking their global influence to the silver screen and beyond.

Meet generation Z, the next generation of Super Creatives.

Modern heroes, big brands, new rules.

A new generation of talent is armed with digital-native culture, Western influence and Chinese pride.

Is the future of luxury travel in the journey, not the destination?

The Barbican's latest exhibition questions the concepts of humanity and creativity in a digitally steeped world.

Floristry's new guard is elevating the botanical medium into an acclaimed métiers d'art.

Not so long ago, the words "brand" and "China" would have looked odd together. No longer.

The gleeful absurdity of 'Camp: Notes on Fashion' offsets a climate of cultural discontent and consumer anxiety.

The Innovation Group presents a video recap of Future 100, our forecast of trends to watch in 2019.

Storytelling moves from passive entertainment to active participation with the help of digital innovation and alternative formats.

Astrology goes mainstream.

The future of gaming

No longer simply a diet, veganism is growing into a fully-fledged lifestyle that informs everything vegans touch.

A new breed of hybrid spaces is reimagining city life for modern urbanites.

Wellness is no longer an exclusive, top-shelf luxury reserved for those who can afford it.

Publishing platforms are expanding from URL to IRL with programming and activities to enhance content and attract new audiences.

Google doubles down on design, mining neuroscience to reveal how sensory design elements affect mental and emotional states.

Worry, worry everywhere. From concerns over privacy and wellbeing to an impending environmental crisis, anxiety is abundant.

Cutting-edge responsive systems are tailoring travelers' environments to their emotional states.

Blood banks, smashing rooms and political fire were all present at a heated SXSW this year.

The Virtual Cinema at SXSW explored new storytelling mediums through the lens of VR, AR and mixed reality.

Winter is coming. But before the final season of Game of Thrones airs on April 14, fans gather at SXSW to "bleed for the throne."

Alcohol is falling out of favor with tastemakers and health-conscious gen Z consumers.

Brands play it safe for Super Bowl LIII.

As brands in Asia rush to make emotional connections with hyper-digital savvy millennials, some embrace a return to cultural roots

How did our predictions from last year fare? Highlights from health, lifestyle, and luxury

Brands are evolving into more mindful and civic entities as they introduce new measures that prioritize employees.

The term "looking good" is up for debate as a subculture of experimental artists redefine what is considered beautiful.

Peak Uber has arrived.

With aging generations set to outnumber their younger counterparts, designers are turning their attention to old age.

With millennials increasingly opting for petrenthood over parenthood, brands across categories are prioritizing pets.

Coworking spaces that have revolutionized the traditional 9-to-5 are turning their attention to the full-time job of parenting.

Ikea is predicting the future of homes with their newest ventures.

Hotels are moving beyond their transient roots in an effort to create meaningful, lasting impact.

The Future 100: 2019

Asia's bling era is giving way to a new wave of luxury hotels embracing historic architecture and local heritage.

With Netflix's Roma tapped for a Best Picture Oscar in 2019, Silicon Valley is cementing its Hollywood takeover.

Our world is in flux, but good design can help create a better future.

The future of sustainability will focus on regeneration, with pioneering brands at the heart of the effort.

Urban healing spaces are turning selfcare into the newest daily indulgence.

Tokyo-based art collective Teamlab propels digital art into a new era: one that is interactive, imaginative and a lot of fun.

Brands are getting up close and personal with their consumers, offering new opportunities to open up about intimate topics.

As we look to a future where water could become a luxury, beauty brands are squeezing it out of their products for a green future.

Major brands are rendering natural and organic attributes the norm as these products are given more shelf space and bargain prices

Motherhood is being rebranded, eschewing the soft and passive in favor of the candid and bold.

What does it mean to be a man in 2018?

Chinese creatives are bringing the "Instagram Experience" to Weibo and WeChat, with their own cultural spin and motivations.

Instagram Experiences 2.0—creativity and sharing, with meaning.

From refugee-hosted meals to political dinners, the culinary industry is using food to raise awareness about hot-button topics.

A host of new streaming platforms and creative partnerships usher in the next age of content.

Young women in Kuala Lumpur tell the Innovation Group what it means to be young, Muslim and female today.

In a quieter, more consolidated year, big tech dominance, diversity and influencer scrutiny were among the key themes at Cannes.

Following a wave of Korean retail and beauty trends, Brand Japan is now also seeking growth abroad.

The observance of Ramadan brings a seasonal uptick in spending by British Muslims, who are growing in influence as consumers.

Publishers are creating new entertainment channels as a compelling new content - and revenue - stream.

The good, the bad and the ugly sides of social media are unpacked as research questions whether social media is healthy.

Virtual reality pushes the format of storytelling and finds its place in the entertainment industry at Tribeca Film Festival.

A new exhibition at the V&A explores the complex relationship between fashion and nature.

The growing concern over material waste's effect on the environment has prompted designers to tackle ethical consumption.

Who runs the world? Girls who are financially literate. A new project aims to help young women close the gender pay gap.

A new brain-training running track immerses athletes in complete darkness for a mindful workout.

A Chinese mobile payments leader is making it fun to donate to charity.

Influencers and high-profile female execs are leading a new positive dialogue about what it means to have a career, and be a mom.

Milk Makeup, the innovative beauty brand, is tapping into a desire for more earth-friendly products by becoming 100% vegan.

The gaming experience is being reinvented to explore the complicated emotions of childhood and adolescence.

Understanding the world's fastest-growing group of travelers and what it means for your brand.

The latest routine to muscle its way into your wellness plan is not sound healing or meditation, but simply catching some shut-eye

Japanese retailer Muji has announced a venture into the hotel industry in China and Japan.

From wet concrete to baby powder, the latest additions to the fragrance markets are tapping an altogether more playful spirit.

From our homes to our healthcare, Amazon is seeping into every aspect of consumer lives. What's next?

As the sun sets on the SXSW conference for another year, we round up some of the themes that emerged.

Is the next wave of influencers digital?

Brands compete to highlight female achievement by marking International Women's Day.

Google continued its big push into the realm of voice technology in 2018, taking over an entire house at SXSW.

Promising startups are on a mission to save the world at SXSW.

Instagram is changing how restaurant design spaces, making them irresistibly picture-worthy.

Women speak candidly about hot flashes, sleep deprivation, and reduced libido—untabooing the inevitable menopause life stage.

From Bitcoin Buckets to delivery drones, fast food moves into fast innovation.

From joints to a lifestyle movement: the rise of the cannabis economy

A roundup of key ads from this year's Super Bowl.

Enhancing the cinematic experience—with food as the protagonist.

Every relaxation of the one-child policy in the past has not had much impact.

A new report from the Innovation Group London explores the lifestyles and attitudes of British women aged between 53 and 72.

How did our predictions from last year fare? Highlights from marketing, food & drink, beauty and retail.

In today's climate, representation in media goes beyond the screen.

Brands are closing the gap between how fathers are portrayed, and how they want to be seen.

Streaming platforms are becoming increasingly niche, responding to viewer pressure in a decentralized media landscape.

Our annual forecast of 100 trends to watch in the coming year.

The annual conference promised a brave new world—though not without its perils.

New programs from Google and the BBC use voice to steer storytelling with digital assistants.

Xennials: the in-between generation redefining growing up.

Entertainment is slowing down in a bid to combat the stresses of daily life and help people relax.

Women's issues are getting a creative spin as they're brought to the forefront.

A new exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art takes stock of a century of fashion design.

With readership on the decline, beauty magazines try a new foray: retail.

A celebration of today's most cutting-edge scientific ideas and discoveries.

Exploring the changing face of young Muslim women in Southeast Asia's dynamic, connected economy.

Brand America

In the UK, auto brands are beginning to contend with an electric future.

Brands and designers were on hand to showcase cutting-edge design thinking.

The future of shopping in an immersive, mixed-reality era.

With brand museums on the rise, 29Rooms is the latest pop-up for the Instagram generation.

Dinner theatre is undergoing a modern revival with a host of immersive, multisensory dining experiences.

No longer a taboo topic, sex-related brands are seeking to reinvent the retail experience.

With advanced audio technologies becoming more accessible, sound is offering new sensory experiences.

Ford reinvents the showroom to sell "mobility," rather than cars.

Companies are exploring innovative ways to package food as a "mood enhancer" for the wellness era.

Merged finance apps are the latest development as financial services try to catch up with millennials.

The West Village will soon get its newest resident: a pop-up restaurant from Cheetos.

MIT uses artificial intelligence to turn images of food into recipes.

Can tech products with fewer features help consumers log off?

Cards Against Humanity is offering a satirical "For Her" version of the company's popular card game.

I wanted to create an urban space where people could go to reboot.

How will employers reach generation Z job applicants?

Dating app Bumble has created a physical space, bringing its digital brand to life.

A host of events are emerging that combine a group experience with a drive toward health and wellbeing.

Trends in luxury packaging can indicate broader cultural shifts that brands should be attuned to.

Doula culture is having a moment among millennial moms rejecting the traditional norms of motherhood.

The world's fastest-growing religious group is making its influence felt across consumer categories.

Interactive experiences dominated this year at the 56th edition of Milan's Salone Del Mobile.

At a festival exploring urbanization, Ikea positioned itself as a leader in urban space.

The future of wellbeing, from the consumer to the business of health.

"Reclaim, recycle, renew" was a mantra for many brands at Salone Del Mobile this year.

These days, technology is looking less like itself—instead, it's beginning to resemble everyday furniture.

Our preview of what's in store for Milan's upcoming design week.

Brands took a critical look at technology's role in the future at a slightly subdued SXSW.

Media adapts to a generation that is, in some ways, finding its financial footing.

A generation of athletes is leveraging its star power and building its own platforms to call for change.

Campaigns around the world are tapping into female empowerment through sports.

From re-opened museums to street corners, the arts are becoming a kind of therapy.

Women-led brands challenge the notion that condoms should be branded exclusively with male buyers in mind.

The entertainment industry is becoming more inclusive in its portrayals of neurodivergent characters.

New lifestyle branding for vitamin supplements reinvigorates a staid consumer category.

The New York Toy Fair offered a microcosm of trends in children's products.

From kitchens to footwear, recycled plastic is showing up in more mass-market products.

Welcome to The Privacy Era.

An auto brand boosts its creative bona fides with a new space dedicated to innovative design.

Is gaming the new Hollywood?

From experiences to interiors, high-end hotels are infusing hospitality with wellness in an effort to stand out.

We may soon find out what people would do if their incomes were taken care of. What would this mean for companies?

The field of competitive video gaming is turning toward mobile as its platform of choice.

Fifty years since the inception of CES, "consumer electronics" doesn't begin to describe the full scope of the event.

The company showed off advances in volumetric capture, VR live streaming, and "merged reality."

Carnival has announced a wearable device to enhance the customer experience on its cruise ships.

A look back at our top lifestyle, food+drink and health predictions for 2016.

A look back at our top culture and travel predictions for 2016.

This year's edition explored urbanization, comfort and 4D design.

Instant Games, India's gaming market, where "consumers" came from.

With mental health issues on the rise, consumers are turning to products that offer a sense of comfort.

Airbnb goes beyond lodging to position itself as a 360-degree experience brand.

The Innovation Group has launched our annual forecast of consumer trends to watch in the coming year.

Women-only networking and event spaces are emerging around the world as hubs for entrepreneurship.

An immersive political house of horrors arrives in Brooklyn.

Our double-length report offers a road map for brands that want to connect with the future female consumer.

Emerging luxury brands are launching pared-down collections for customers tired of excess.

September's New York Fashion Week reflected growing industry attention to diversity and social issues.

Hangzhou, China is rapidly emerging as a new center for technology and tourism.

Dating apps are betting that users are ready to swipe right on their new BFF.

Chatbots are revolutionizing the travel industry and simplifying life for travelers.

A new music festival makes space for the emerging stars of experiential tech.

The 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio will push new limits of innovation for the world's biggest sporting event.

Brexit is said to be driving bargain-hunting luxury shoppers to Britain, but for how long?

Retailers are updating their definition of 'nude' to include women of color.

The 15th Venice Architecture Biennale explores the future of domestic environments and the politics of architecture.

Crystals have gotten a hip makeover and are showing up throughout wellness culture.

Packaging innovations across beauty, fragrance, food and beverage, fashion and more.

Entrepreneurs and artists are responding to our culture's chronic devaluation of sleep.

Our take on the essential trends emerging at Salone del Mobile this year in Milan.

This year in Milan, fashion brands moved further into furniture and homewares.

In Milan, high-end design companies are turning their attention to the youngest market.

In Milan this year, brands are partnering across sectors to create multisensory experiences.

The Innovation Group will be in Milan at Salone del Mobile, a highlight of the global design calendar.

The Promise of Cuba

We're headed to Austin to present on the future for brands in Cuba, Gen Z and gender, and food trends.

Hydrao is a new smart shower head that gently helps consumers conserve water.