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Herbar’s skincare combines adaptogens and ageless beauty

Herbar campaign. Photography by Nuno Vieira

Berlin – Adaptogens are natural ingredients that can help regulate the body’s response to stress and inflammation. Founded by Catarina Oliveira and Rui Liu, Herbar brings the versatile qualities of adaptogens to skincare. Its first product, the Face Oil, uses the tremella mushroom for detoxifying and hydrating, the reishi mushroom to reduce inflammation, and da zao (Chinese jujube dates) for blemishes, acne and scars.

As well as its use of adaptogenic ingredients, Herbar’s visual aesthetic also stands out. The founders gave artists Laura Le Gal and Lea Woo creative freedom to create visuals in response to a bottle of the brand’s Face Oil, resulting in a 1960s-inspired illustration and a jewellery box full of natural ingredients in soft focus. An accompanying ad campaign stars Oliveira’s grandmother and her best friend, promoting the brand’s ageless approach to beauty.

As their naturally occurring beneficial properties become better understood, mushrooms are becoming the next beauty sensation in the Western market.

Strategic opportunity

Don’t neglect older consumers, who often feel overlooked by brands. Beauty brands should look to celebrate people of all ages in campaign and advertising imagery

Fox launches a bourbon to bring a tv character to life

Truthteller 1839 Straight Bourbon Whiskey

US – To celebrate the launch of its forthcoming musical drama Monarch, Fox Entertainment is launching an official bourbon whiskey inspired by one of its lead characters. The bourbon, Truthteller 1839, is named after the character of Albie Roman aka ‘the Texas Truthteller’, played by country music singer Trace Adkins and who also features in an episode of the show.

The launch ties in directly with the show’s premiere, available to order exclusively from the online alcohol store ReserveBar. In addition, a pop-up store in New York opened over the weekend of the premiere, which allowed fans to get closer to the show, featuring other partnered items including Allen’s Boots, Union Western Apparel and Fret Zealot Music.

While we’ve seen tv tie-in products before, this launch taps directly into the Home Eatertainment trend, that sees consumers looking to elevate the at-home drinking experience – adding a personal touch that brings viewers closer to the characters on-screen.

Strategic opportunity

Lean into storytelling trends with merchandise lines and product partnerships that allow fans to immerse themselves in the world of a new show

Nigeria bans white models and British accents from ads

Nigeria – Taking assertive action to promote home-grown talent and stimulate inclusive economic growth, the Nigerian government is banning the use of white models and British accents in advertisements. The new law will come into force on 1 October, with a grace period for existing ads to run out their current campaigns.

British models and voiceover artists have long been over-represented in Nigeria’s advertising industry, with Britons accounting for almost half of talent in Nigerian commercials two decades ago, according to Steve Babaeko, president of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria. It’s currently standard practice for Nigerian brands to use foreign faces for campaigns, while international companies import existing global campaigns.

Babaeko notes that there has been ‘some kind of renaissance’ among Nigeria’s young population, leading to a backlash against the overuse of foreign talent in campaigns. In a country of over 200m people, there is now a strong desire to bring greater visibility to home-grown talent.

We continue to track how diversity in advertising is good for business, linked to both positive public perception and increased stock value.

Unity is Strength by Akinola Davies Jr and Ibrahim Kamara for Kenzo, Nigeria. Photography by Ruth Ossai

Strategic opportunity

Win loyalty and market share among local audiences by tapping into local talent networks when launching regional advertising campaigns, rather than replicating global efforts

Stat: Families are cutting the cord on linear tv

The rise of streaming and the fall of linear tv continues apace, according to a small survey by advertising platform Future Today. Almost two-thirds (62%) of families surveyed for the report say they no longer have access to linear tv, while 90% say they rarely watch it at all.

While linear tv viewership is falling, television remains a firm favourite among entertainment options, with 98% of households saying they love watching it. The report notes that television remains a powerful advertising platform, although the emphasis is shifting towards ad-supported video-on-demand (VOD) services.

This shift is especially notable in households with children. ‘Kids are the CEO of the streaming household. If a message resonates with them, they are vocal about it to their parents, influencing purchases and brand equity,’ says Vikrant Mathur, co-founder of Future Today.

As the streaming revolution continues, look to our Local TV Market for the emerging regional alternatives to global streaming giants that are building highly engaged new audiences.