–As megabrands take Milan Design Week, PepsiCo says it’s committed to hiring more designers, and the brand has released “prestige” bottles by New York designer Karim Rashid. Via Dezeen.
–Art marketplace Paddle8 is an early case study into marketing to the luxury millennial consumers of the future, writes Fast Company.
–The Innovation Group has announced a partnership with WWD for our forthcoming future of retail report—details on PRWeb.
–While landlines have been out of fashion for personal use for years, the trend is now spreading to “chic businesses,” the New York Times says.
–“The on-demand economy is growing, and not just for the young and wealthy,” says Harvard Business Review.
–“The stunning Allumette is the first VR film masterpiece,” gushes Wired, reporting from the Tribeca Film Festival.
–In Mexico, smart jewelry is being used not for message notification, but to protect women from violence, writes Fusion.
–As Western brands cater more directly to Muslim women, a debate has erupted in France over their role. Via New York Times.
–A writer for The Atlantic chronicles the true extent of financial distress in middle-class America, speaking from personal experience.
–Can a new brand of indulgent vegan cheeses make a play for mainstream American palates? Via Bloomberg.
–Travel price comparison site Kayak is adding searches for restaurants, tours and activities to its offering, writes Skift.
–The New York Times Magazine looks at the Minecraft generation, or “how a clunky Swedish computer game is teaching millions of children to master the digital world.”
–Americans spend more than four times as much on marijuana as they do on Oreos—and other revelations from a report released on America’s unofficial cannabis appreciation day. Via Ad Age.
–Digiday offers a reality check on VR and retail.
–It turns out, people are more likely to order junk food from a human than a tablet. What judgment? Via Science of Us.
–We’ve heard about chatbots being used for commerce—but are they a vehicle for entertainment and storytelling? Fast Company spends a week talking to one.
