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AI-generated images of animals in plastic help WWF-Korea raise awareness about pollution

WWF, Animal Trash Fashion, South Korea

South Korea – WWF-Korea has launched Animal Trash Fashion, a powerful out-of-home campaign using AI to starkly illustrate the devastating impact of plastic pollution on wildlife, without harming any animals.

This innovative campaign, developed with Cheil Korea as part of the No Plastics in Nature initiative, features striking video billboards depicting animals such as sea turtles and seals entangled in plastic waste, framed within a fashion film narrative to highlight how litter directly harms wild animals.

Displayed prominently in Seoul’s Gwanghwamun area, the 20m x 60m full-screen visuals aim to raise awareness ahead of the United Nations' meeting on plastic pollution in Geneva in August 2025 and to bring about meaningful action.

‘With AI, Animal Trash Fashion depicts the dire reality of the plastic crisis, in which 79% of globally produced plastics are being thrown away,’ said Park Minhye, executive director of WWF-Korea, in a press release. ‘Our work will be a step toward raising public awareness on plastic pollution.’

In our Subversive Sustainability Ads microtrend report, we analysed how brands are opting out of binary messages of climate doom and hope. Instead, they use rebellious creative direction to cut through the noise.

Strategic opportunity

Consider how your brand can communicate its sustainability efforts in a fresh, impactful and non-traditional way to move beyond generic green messaging to truly resonate with an audience that is desensitised to conventional appeals

Rixo launches pre-loved resale platform

Photography by Cottonbro Studio

UK – British fashion brand Rixo is expanding its circular ambitions with the launch of Rixo Pre-Loved, a resale platform where customers buy and sell second-hand pieces.

A decade after its founding, the company is formalising its commitment to ‘future vintage’ by giving shoppers a chance to rehome past favourites from Rixo and to purchase rare archive pieces and garments, including those from the wardrobes of founders Henrietta Rix and Orlagh McCloskey.

Rixo is offering generous seller terms, including the option to receive resale earnings as cash or 110% in-store credit. Previously, customers could resell preloved garments to the King’s Road Rixo store in London.

In Rebranding Resale, we unpack how upscale marketing initiatives, luxury partnerships and circularity-led retail concepts are redefining how resale communities shop for pre-loved pieces, both online and in-store. Rixo’s Resale platform, which is only available in the UK, not only speaks to consumers’ New Codes of Value but also builds a community among customers.

Strategic opportunity

Rethink resale as a brand-builder. Introduce curated edits, founder storytelling and generous incentives to turn second-hand shoppers into loyalists and extend the emotional value of your products beyond the first sale

Stat: Global business travel spending hits historic high

Photography by Sheila Condi

Global – Business travel is set to reach a record £1.18 trillion ($1.57 trillion, €1.36 trillion) by the end of 2025, according to a new report from the Global Business Travel Association despite mounting economic headwinds.

Growth is forecast at 6.6% year-on-year, slowing from earlier double-digit gains, with factors such as trade policy uncertainty and inflation weighing on momentum. An increase to 8.1% in 2026 is expected, although the long-term path remains tied to geopolitical stability.

Together, the US and China make up 58% of global business travel spend. India, South Korea and Turkey are emerging as fast-growth markets, while Spain and the Netherlands lag.

Travel spending by those in sectors such as professional services or financial services have surpassed pre-pandemic levels, while spending by workers in manufacturing, which currently accounts for nearly a third of the market, is at risk because of ongoing trade tensions.

Traveller sentiment remains resilient, with 86% deeming trips worthwhile. Mobile-first payments are gaining traction, with 64% using digital wallets.

For more insights, explore our reports about the Travel & Hospitality sector.

Strategic opportunity

Invest in mobile-first, seamless travel experiences to capture fast-growth markets and meet rising expectations as business travel spending continues to surge