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Nike and Dazed re-imagine sport culture with new Dazed Maxx magazine

Courtesy of Dazed Maxx

Global – Nike and Dazed have launched Dazed Maxx, a 54-page print special spotlighting sport subcultures and Nike athletes, including National Football League (NFL) player Bijan Robinson, breakdancer Sunny Choi and skateboarder Tobey McIntosh.

The collaboration marks the first-ever sports issue of Dazed, blending print, digital and real-world experiences. The partnership celebrates the potential of hidden sport subcultures and is an opportunity for Nike to launch its new Air Max Dn8.

Available for free at Nike stores across the US and online via Dazed Digital, the launch is supported by three city-specific events in New York, Atlanta and Los Angeles on 10 April. Hosted by local personalities like New York’s Marz Lovejoy, the founder of the biking community And Still We Ride, and Atlanta’s culture pioneer Chilly-O. Each event will bring to life the grassroots communities featured in the magazine.

‘Dazed Maxx is a totally unique celebration of the people and communities shaping the future of sport,’ says Sophie McElligott, chief marketing officer of Dazed Media. Jamie Knowles, Dazed’s managing director North America, adds: ‘We are pioneering a new way for brands to embed themselves authentically within youth culture – moving beyond advertising into true editorial storytelling.’

For more insights on how brands can tap into sports culture and communities, read our Game-Changers: The Future of Sports Fandom macrotrend report.

Strategic opportunity

Change your influencer strategy to spotlight grassroots leaders and niche communities. Subcultures are tomorrow’s mainstream – partnering with them early enables your brand to grow alongside them

Off-Broadway classic uses AI to break the language barrier

US – New York’s longest-running play, Perfect Crime, is harnessing AI to welcome non-English speakers into the theatre. Audiences at The Theater Center can now access live translations in over 60 languages by scanning a QR code, plugging in headphones and following the performance in real time.

The system, powered by Silicon Valley start-up Wordly, transcribes and translates the play’s dialogue within seconds – a move designed to attract more global theatre-goers.

‘A lot of people don’t go to the theatre because it’s not accessible to them,’ Catherine Russell, the play’s lead and general manager, told Semafor. ‘If they don’t understand English well, they don’t see it as an option.’

The tool is free for visitors and has already proved popular, with 25–30 people using it across eight weekly shows. While AI lacks the nuance of human interpretation, says Russell, ‘the essence of the show remains’.

Our macrotrend report The Synthocene Era analysed how innovative brands are already using instant translation and the opportunities it represents for the future of human intelligence.

Fusion, Leipzig, Germany

Strategic opportunity

Instead of viewing accessibility as compliance, treat it as a growth lever. Removing language barriers can open up entirely new customer segments and revenue streams

Stat: Gen Z and Millennials power health and wellness industry growth

Ministry Does Fitness, London

US – According to recent Bank of America (BofA) data, Gen Z and Millennial consumers are driving a significant surge in wellness spending, helping to insulate the industry from broader economic downturns.

Despite overall consumer pullback in discretionary spending, spending at fitness centres rose 7% year on year in February, marking the largest increase in 19 months.

This generational shift towards healthier lifestyles is boosting the wellness market, with Gen Z spending 2.8 times more on fitness than Baby Boomers, and Millennials spending three times as much in the past year.

‘We believe there is an ongoing generational shift towards healthy habits, which is supportive of wellness stocks. Younger demographics including Gen Z and Millennials are increasingly prioritising healthy ways of living and spending increased time and income on fitness, activity-based leisure and wellness-focused discretionary items,’ the bank said.

Longevity Lifestyles are not just about living longer but about living better – something younger consumers are increasingly attuned to. Our Millennials and Gen Z Now and Next: 2024–2025 reports unpack each generation’s current attitude to health and wellness.

Strategic opportunity

Appeal to Gen Z’s and Millennials’ wellness values by co-creating with fitness brands, launching community exercise or wellbeing events, and borrowing from athletic aesthetics to inject energy and purpose into branding, content and campaigns