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New rum brand Sawai adds to culturally diverse alcohol trend

Sawai identity by Studio Drama, UK

UK – Sawai is a newly launched rum brand inspired by South Asian tea-drinking culture and is the latest brand to follow the culturally diverse direction in alcohol trends. Named after the Hindi word for one-and-a-quarter of strength and intelligence, Sawai connects the spices used in traditional Indian Chai teas to those associated with spiced rums.

Sawai uses ethically sourced Assam tea, while the rum’s other all-natural ingredients include cinnamon, cloves, star anise and green cardamon. Sawai’s branding references India’s long tea history with a design that recalls images of 19th-century tea chests and old-school rum barrels, while Hindi is also prominently displayed on much of the drink’s packaging.

Stories of legacy and tradition have long been popular narratives in the spirits sector, but often from a Western viewpoint. Alcohol brands have an opportunity to thrive when they embrace non-Western ingredients and perspectives, and create products that explore diverse heritage.

Strategic opportunity

Drinking culture is increasingly based on discovery. Consumers want to be excited by new ingredients, but they are also keen to embrace diverse drinking histories, cultures and traditions

Charles de Gaulle airport refresh embraces opulence

Terminal 1 in Charles de Gaulle Airport designed by Hugo Toro and Maxime Liautard. Photography by Karel Balas, France

Paris – For a refresh of its Terminal 1, Charles de Gaulle airport enlisted architects Hugo Toro and Maxime Liautard to create a new luxurious lounge, conducive to stress-free travel and wanderlust.

Passengers travelling through Charles de Gaulle airport can enjoy elevated comfort in the newly refurbished terminal. Designed as a place where time is suspended and everything is synonymous with wellbeing, luxury and an invitation to travel, the lounge is inspired by Ernest Hemingway’s short stories, A Moveable Feast, immersing visitors in early 20th-century Paris, with nods to the Belle Epoque, the Roaring Twenties and the Orient Express.

To that effect, the designers chose sustainable, distinctive and luxurious materials that wouldn’t usually be used in a commercial airport, from green Guatemalan marble to hammered brass. Along with the new space, the airport is introducing high-end services such as a concierge and a restaurant designed by Alain Ducasse.

Where the air travel sector is largely betting on cost-efficiency and convenience, the Parisian airport chose a different path – bringing back humanity and re-igniting the joys of travel with this luxurious public-facing infrastructure.

Strategic opportunity

Take cues from this project, which sets the Parisian airport apart by bringing a moment of delight and comfort to the stressful travel experience, leaving visitors with a better memory of both the journey and the destination

Oxfam to host catwalk show during London Fashion Week

UK – Sponsored by eBay, the charity Oxfam is hosting another edition of its second-hand fashion catwalk show during the upcoming London Fashion Week, taking place on 17–21 February 2023.

At the event, entitled Fashion Fighting Poverty 23, the charity will send 40 looks down the runway. Celebrity stylist and Oxfam’s independent fashion adviser Bay Garnett curated the presentation with a mixture of pre-loved designer items, vintage finds and second-hand high-street clothing. Looks will be shown on personalities instead of models, and styled to suit each individual on the catwalk.

Oxfam’s retail director Lorna Fallon says: ‘This ‘reflects the joy of finding unique, affordable clothes and the vast choice in our shops.’ Each item of clothing from the event – some 80 pieces – will be sold in a week-long auction on the site, with all the money raised donated to Oxfam.

The show is timely; consumers are increasingly aware of the negative impact clothes production has on the planet and are becoming more concerned about how to shop sustainably.

Fashion Fighting Poverty 23 by Oxfam sponsored by eBay, UK

Strategic opportunity

Fashion consumers are looking to brands for guidance and leadership in becoming more conscientious consumers. They are drawn to sustainable efforts that feel intuitive, fun and celebratory

Stat: LinkedIn expects the Great Reshuffle to continue in 2023

Kaleidoscopic Home by Tin & Ed for Ikea’s Everyday Experiments at Space 10

US – More than six in 10 American workers are thinking of leaving their job in 2023, according to a new report from LinkedIn, driven by job volatility among younger generations.

As 2022 drew to a close, LinkedIn and CensusWide gauged the professional prospects of 2,000 US-based workers, revealing that recession isn’t set to affect the labour market’s fast turnover. Gen Zers, who entered the workforce during the pandemic, aren’t fazed by decreasing job stability. ‘They’re in an experimental phase where they’re still figuring out what they want out of a job,’ explains Karin Kimbrough, chief economist at LinkedIn. ‘But they’re more passionate about finding a job that aligns with their personal values, and they’re confident that switching jobs will help them get there.’

Other drivers pushing Gen Z and Millennials to switch jobs include higher compensation, better work-life balance, clear career paths and flexible working, stressing the benefits employers should focus on to retain young talent.

To stay ahead on what’s next in the workplace, RSVP to our Work States Futures online trend preview and explore our dedicated series.

Strategic opportunity

As many employers consider pulling back on remote working policies, use these lessons to gain an edge and provide benefits that will make your workplace attractive to young workers