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Louis Vuitton’s new book aims to capture Paris’ Olympic spirit

Louis Vuitton City Guide Paris and City Guide Paris Sport Edition, France

France – As Paris gears up for the 2024 Summer Games starting on 26 July, a new book aims to capture the city’s Olympic spirit. Louis Vuitton has released the 2024 edition of its City Guide along with a special Paris Sport companion. This boxed set encourages readers to discover Paris with an athletic twist.

The guide features insights from French fencer and Olympic hopeful Enzo Lefort, who moved to Paris aged 16 from Guadeloupe to join an elite sports training programme. Lefort shares his perspective on the city’s vibrant sporting culture.

The Paris Sport edition goes beyond the usual curated listings. It profiles neighbourhoods to uncover their athletic identities, introduces local sports figures and highlights popular sports gear. The volume also includes engaging anecdotes and Olympic trivia, such as the story of Japanese runner Shizō Kanakuri, who holds the record for the slowest completion of a marathon – officially recorded as more than 54 years.The book also has details about the Roland-Garros tennis balls and the crafting of sporting trophies in France.

Available in French and English, the box set can be purchased at Louis Vuitton boutiques and Parisian department stores Le Bon Marché and La Samaritaine. A digital version allows accessibility to both locals and visitors, showcasing how brands can offer total lifestyle curation as revealed in Luxury States: New Codes of Luxury 2024-2025.

Strategic opportunity

Consumers seek brands that offer cross-sector cultural taste-making. Offer events, pop-ups and products across music, art, design and cuisine to enhance your brand's cultural relevance

Beyond Meat introduces new Sun Sausage for health-conscious consumers

Sun Sausage by Beyond Meat, US

US – Beyond Meat has launched Sun Sausage, a ground breaking plant-based product that doesn’t mimic traditional meats such as beef, pork or chicken. This new product features whole food ingredients such as spinach, bell peppers, brown rice and red lentils. Available in Pineapple Jalapeño, Pesto, and Cajun flavours, it is sold exclusively at Sprouts Farmers Markets across the US.

This innovation comes amid Beyond Meat’s financial struggles, including eight consecutive quarters of declining revenue. CEO Ethan Brown expressed optimism for 2024, hoping that the heart-healthy Sun Sausage could revitalise the company's fortunes. A spokesperson highlighted that the product aims to ‘raise the nutrition bar’ for the entire plant-based category.

Sun Sausage has earned certification from the American Heart Association’s Heart-Check programme and the American Diabetes Association’s Better Choices for Life initiative, reflecting its health credentials. This launch is timely, as plant-based meat and seafood sales saw a decline for the second consecutive year in 2023, according to the Good Food Institute’s State of the Industry report. As revealed in Future Food Tech 2023: Elevating Plant-Based Dining, businesses need to stop replacing meat and instead offer new and distinctive experiences.

Strategic opportunity

Food manufacturers should focus on new flavour pairings and whole food health products, rather than mimicking meat, to retain the attention of consumers and continue to expand the plant-based sector

Foresight Friday: Alice Crossley, senior foresight analyst

Photography by The Future Laboratory

Every Friday, we offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, senior foresight analyst Alice Crossley discusses Refy’s community trip to Mallorca, Unplugged’s European expansion and David Beckham’s latest wellness venture.

: Cosmetics brand Refy’s latest campaign spun the influencer trip on its head by taking its community members on a branded jaunt to Mallorca. Co-founder Jess Hunt accompanied the group, bringing them to a branded beach club and wine bar and gifting them Refy products. Burnt out by influencer culture, people are turning to their peers and expert influencers for content instead. Refy’s campaign is a masterclass in creating authentic social content.

: Digital detox retreat company Unplugged has added a cabin in Spain to its portfolio, which includes locations in Australia and the UK. In our Teens, Tech and Tapping Out report, we explored how the next generation is grappling with their relationship with technology. Digital detox holidays could be a key solution.

: David Beckham has co-founded health and wellness company IM8, set to launch later this year. IM8 aims to revolutionise health with products developed alongside NASA’s former chief scientist Dr James L Green. Could Beckham become the new face of Longevity Lifestyles?

Quote of the Week

‘The villa is an extension of the Refy world and I’m just so excited to be able to give back to our community for all they’ve contributed to Refy and bring them on this journey with us!’

Jess Hunt, co-founder, Refy

Stat: The majority of AI decision-makers keep changing their initial plans

AI imagery by The Future Laboratory, UK

US – Honeywell has unveiled its latest findings from the Industrial AI Insights global research study, highlighting significant trends in AI adoption within the industrial sector. Despite only 17% of AI decision-makers having fully implemented their initial AI plans, more than 90% are discovering new use cases during various stages of AI deployment.

The study reveals widespread enthusiasm for AI’s potential, with 94% of surveyed leaders planning to expand their AI investments. ‘AI is at a pivotal moment,’ stated Kevin Dehoff, Honeywell’s chief strategy officer. ‘With gen AI and advanced analytics, industrial AI is set for exponential growth, offering vast revenue and employee satisfaction opportunities.’

Key benefits identified by AI leaders include enhanced efficiency and productivity (64%), improved cybersecurity (60%) and better decision-making (59%). Additional benefits such as increased work flexibility, job satisfaction and workplace safety were also noted.

Challenges remain, with 37% of respondents citing a lack of understanding of AI among their C-Suite and 48% struggling to secure necessary resources. For more insights on how AI will change employment and workplaces, head to our Work States Futures macrotrend report.