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Dolmio gets saucy in bold World Pasta Day campaign

Dolmio, World Pasta Day, photography by Sophie Harris-Taylor, UK

UK – To mark World Pasta Day, Dolmio stripped things back with a cheeky new campaign by creative agency T&P.

Running in London and Manchester, it was shot by acclaimed visual artist Sophie Harris-Taylor. The out of home and social campaign features pasta which is artfully styled as body parts to highlight the food's ‘nakedness’ when left un-sauced.

Dolmio’s accompanying research reveals that 44% of Brits think it’s ‘criminal’ to eat plain pasta, with half saying that it's their ultimate comfort food. It also spotlights new pasta trends for 2025, from Gen Z’s love of hot honey to growing tastes for truffle, miso butter and kimchi.

‘Pasta is nothing without its partner in crime – a tasty sauce,’ said Hana Hutchinson, European brand director at Mars Food and Nutrition. ‘It’s not just World Pasta Day – it’s World Pasta Sauce Day!’

LS:N Global has been tracking how sex and pleasure are being used in campaigns through raw, inclusive and confrontational visuals since our Unrefined Intimacy design direction in 2021. More recently, our Innovation Debrief 2025: Mischief Marketing spotlighted the brands using bold, humorous campaigns to cut through the noise.

Strategic opportunity

Create campaigns that make people pause, laugh and then think. Visual ambiguity, unexpected metaphors and surreal storytelling that blurs humour and cultural commentary can provide brands with intellectual and viral value

Nike launches neuroscience-based footwear to boost athlete focus and presence

Nike, US

US – Nike has introduced Mind 001 and Mind 002, the first neuroscience-driven footwear designed to help athletes lock in their mindset pre- and post-competition.

The shoes are engineered to heighten sensory awareness through 22 independent foam nodes that act like pistons and gimbals, transmitting the texture and feel of the ground to the foot. This tactile feedback is designed to boost focus, calm and presence. Mind 001 is a mule for easy on/off comfort, while Mind 002 is a sneaker that anchors the foot and amplifies sensation. Both designs are informed by mobile brain and body imaging research, in which Nike studies nervous system responses, brain activity and cognition in motion.

These launches mark the debut of the Nike Mind platform, a decade-long initiative led by Nike’s Mind Science Department. The platform develops products and services to help athletes prepare, train, compete and recover more effectively, translating neuroscience insights into wearable performance technology.

The release reflects a broader shift in fashion and performance wear, as outlined in our Wellbeing Wear report, where garments and accessories are increasingly designed to support mental and physical wellbeing. Beyond style and function, these innovations empower users to manage stress, enhance focus and protect against environmental or cognitive challenges.

Strategic opportunity

Beyond functional Wellbeing Wear, brands can leverage how individuals respond to sensory cues in footwear to personalise performance and recovery, and tailor product recommendations, workouts or mindfulness exercises to a person’s neural and physiological patterns

Stat: Listening to music beneficial to brain health and dementia prevention

Nothing Ear (a), UK

Australia – Listening to music could be a simple yet powerful tool in protecting long-term brain health, according to new research from Monash University in Melbourne.

The study, which tracked more than 10,000 participants aged 70 or over for an average of 4.7 years, found that those who regularly listened to music had a 39% lower risk of developing dementia, while those who played an instrument saw a 35% reduction. Music engagement was also linked to a 17% lower incidence of cognitive impairment, with participants showing improved day-to-day memory and overall cognition.

In our coverage of Web Summit Lisbon, we identified the health and wellness industry’s growing interest in the healing power of sound frequencies. This new study further positions music as a powerful health and wellness tool for supporting cognitive health and emotional wellbeing in later life.

Strategic opportunity

As sound emerges as a tool for cognitive longevity, health and wellness businesses should look to develop adaptive soundscapes and wellness experiences that use music’s neurological power to enhance memory, focus and brain health