LSN : News : 18 : 07 : 25

Alzheimer’s awareness ad turns the loading icon into a metaphor for memory loss

Alzheimerfonden, Sweden

Sweden – Alzheimer Foundation’s latest campaign harnesses a universally frustrating digital metaphor – the buffering or loading icon – to evoke the heartbreak of memory loss. As faces in sentimental family photos glitch and freeze mid-load, viewers are transported into the experience of Alzheimer’s, where a loved one’s image or name can abruptly disappear.

The ad was developed by Stockholm agency, Kid, and will appear on national television, social media and donated digital billboards. It emphasises a clear and pressing message: dementia causes memories to be stolen in pieces, and unlike buffering videos, there is no quick remedy.

The campaign combines emotional impact with a call for awareness and support in a country where the number of people living with dementia is set to double by 2050 (source: Linköping University).

This work taps into themes explored in our The Synthocene Era: Trend Tracker report, which explored how digital cues and machine logic are increasingly intersecting with human emotion. By reimagining a simple tech symbol as a powerful storytelling tool, the campaign reflects how technology can be used to express human experiences and foster empathy in a world where the artificial and emotional are becoming ever more entwined.

Strategic opportunity

Use powerful, everyday metaphors to communicate your brand’s purpose. When messaging is grounded in real-life moments it can deliver long-lasting emotional impact to individuals

Foresight Friday: Rose Coffey, senior foresight analyst

Every Friday, The Future Laboratory team offers an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, senior foresight analyst Rose Coffey dives into print media reboots, intergenerational communication and the haulification of vintage fashion.

: Five years after folding, Love magazine – once known for its rule-breaking fashion spreads – is relaunching independently this September. Music to my ears! Even better, the new iteration promises a more global take on the intersection of fashion and culture.

What’s especially interesting is its shift from observer to orchestrator. ‘Today the role of a magazine should be more about creating the moment, as opposed to being on the outside, reporting on these moments,’ said creative director Juan Costa Paz (source: Business of Fashion).

As explored in our Future Forecast 2025: Pop Culture & Media, this reflects a wider shift from commentary to cultural production in publishing with magazines behaving more like brands, broadcasters and experience engines.

: In Dazed this week, writer Yawen Yuan unpacked the ‘haulification’ of vintage fashion. Using The RealReal as a case study, she puts forward that secondhand shopping – once positioned as slow and sustainable – now mirrors the same dopamine-chasing dynamics as fast fashion. In light of the fact that 88% of resale spending is now happening online (source: ThredUp), Yuan illustrates how secondhand platforms have gamified vintage shopping through likes, filters and flat-rate shipping.

: And finally, a thoughtful campaign from Tesco Mobile and BBH London caught my eye. It highlights the widening gap between parents and their digitally fluent kids, with nearly half of parents saying they struggle to understand the slang Gen Alpha use online.

The campaign decodes this digital language to help adults not only join the conversation but to recognise when it’s time to have a bigger one about digital safety.

Tesco Mobile, UK

Quote of the week

‘If you’re going to start a magazine in 2025 pretending it’s still the 90s, it’s not going to happen. It’s a very different world. Magazines today need to feel alive. Magazines need to be like a living, breathing organism’

Juan Costa Paz, creative director, Love Magazine (source: Business of Fashion)

Stat: F1 fans are increasingly embracing zero-alcohol choices

F1 The Movie, Courtesy of Apple TV+ Press, Global

Global – A new study commissioned by Heineken reveals a cultural shift among Formula 1 fans, with growing demand for moderation and zero-alcohol options. According to the research, one in four sports fans is cutting back on alcohol or choosing non-alcohol alternatives, with F1 followers leading the charge. Conducted by Nielsen in 11 countries, the survey shows that 56% of F1 fans regularly opt for alcohol-free beverages, compared to 43% of the general population.

This trend reflects a wider evolution of the F1 audience, which has become more diverse, values-led and sustainability-conscious. With women and Gen Z audiences playing a bigger role, the demand for inclusive experiences and responsible enjoyment is growing. Through long-term sponsorships and the success of Heineken 0.0, alcohol-free options are now seen as aspirational, not a compromise.

For brands, this shift presents an opportunity to embrace moderation as a cultural value – and to define what it means to enjoy watching sports within a wellness-driven landscape. Discover more insights on the rise of no-alcohol outings in our Sober Social Fix report.

Strategic opportunity

As sober sports watching grows, consider how to reimagine VIP suites, fan zones and corporate boxes that put alcohol-free enjoyment at the centre, where mocktail menus, adaptogenic drinks and nootropic-infused beverages are available