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BMW rebrands motorcycling as digital detox

Throttle Therapy by BMW and AGMC, UAE

UAE – BMW Motorrad and its UAE dealership AGMC have launched Throttle Therapy, a series of 10-second videos positioning motorcycling as a form of digital detox.

Created by Serviceplan Middle East, the minimalist films target overstimulated, high-pressure professionals. Account director Laith Al Emailat explains: ‘They work subliminally, like someone whispering ‘log off’ directly into your dopamine loop.’

Each video features immersive, slow-motion shots of riders gliding through wide desert landscapes, accompanied by ambient sound and minimal text. The visuals are designed to evoke calm, stillness and escape – contrasting sharply with the constant buzz of digital life.

Directed by Saleh ElGhatit and produced by Bigfoot Films, the campaign embraces brevity. ‘We had to distill everything into 10 seconds,’ says ElGhatit. ‘Any longer and they’d defeat their own purpose.’

By stripping away the distractions of modern cars, AGMC hopes to reposition motorcycles as a tool for presence, clarity and mental reset in a car-dominated landscape.

In our analysis of Digital Detox Destinations, we previously highlighted how, with the aim of finding a solution to the incessant bombardment from our digital devices, consumers are turning off their screens to reconnect with nature.

Strategic opportunity

Brands don’t need to re-invent their products to meet rising demand for mindful living. Instead of focusing on performance, reframe existing offerings as experiences that evoke emotion, presence and clarity. What if your brand was judged by how it makes people feel, not just what it delivers?

Chanel launches its first dedicated Arts & Culture magazine

Chanel, France

UK – Marking 100 years in the UK, Chanel has unveiled Arts & Culture magazine Vol 1, a print publication spotlighting its recent collaborations with artists and institutions.

Produced by Chanel’s Culture Fund and led by Yana Peel, president of arts, culture and heritage, the magazine underlines the brand’s long-term commitment to cultural storytelling and craft. We previously highlighted how leading brands are evolving into cultural eco-systems in our New Codes of Luxury macrotrend report.

The debut issue features a tactile mix of paper types and future-focused contributions from global creatives. Stocked in 20 cities including London, Seoul and São Paulo, the magazine supports independent bookshops and re-affirms Chanel’s commitment to shaping the creative industry

Following Loewe’s recent fanzine, this move signals luxury’s renewed investment in collectable print formats, offering an analogue counterpoint to digital saturation.

Strategic opportunity

Partner with independent stockists to launch collectable print formats that embed your brand in cultural communities and build long-term creative equity

Stat: Global support for corporate LGBTQ+ Pride faces new challenges

Misterb&b, Silver Pride and Les Audacieuses et les Audacieux, France and US

US – Global support for brands actively promoting LGBTQ+ equality is weakening, according to Ipsos’ 2025 LGBT+ Pride Report.

Across 23 countries, approval has dropped from 49% in 2021 to 41% in 2025, while opposition has crept up to 23%. In the workplace, just 38% of people across 26 markets back employers taking explicit steps to celebrate LGBTQ+ employees, while 39% remain neutral.

Gender and generational divides persist: 17% of Gen X men strongly oppose LGBTQ+ inclusive brand activity, compared to just 7% of Gen Z women. Young men, meanwhile, are diverging from their female peers and becoming more in synch with older males; 59% of Gen Z women support LGBTQ+ people being open about their sexual orientation/gender identity with everyone, compared to just 38% of Gen Z men.

The report concludes that amid a re-assessment of DEI initiatives in many regions, it’s more impactful than ever for businesses to be bold. This supports insights from our Resilience Branding report, which examined how progressive businesses are choosing to re-affirm their commitment to inclusion by adopting new language rather than retreating.

Strategic opportunity

Rather than seasonal Pride campaigns, invest in year-round grassroots initiatives, mentorship programmes and workplace inclusion schemes. Embed inclusivity into operations to build trust and resilience as performative allyship faces rising consumer and employee scrutiny