LSN : Daily Signals : 20 : 05 : 26

Finch rejects wellness clichés with animated campaign about everyday survival

Whatever It Takes To Get Through The Day by Finch

Global – Gamified self-care app Finch has launched its first brand campaign with an animated musical film celebrating the strange coping rituals people rely on during difficult times.

The campaign, entitled Whatever it Takes to Get Through the Day, avoids aspirational wellness and optimisation tropes in favour of darker humour and relatable behaviours, from comfort-TV marathons to eating handfuls of cake. Created by boutique studio Weirwork alongside animator Kirsten Lepore and effects house Mathematic, the film combines playful visuals with themes of burnout and emotional survival.

‘I think a brand that’s willing to be honest about how people really feel, and how people really engage with their app, is better set up to break through and actually speak to their audience,’ said creative director Kevin Weir.

The campaign reflects a growing shift away from perfection-led wellness marketing towards more candid and emotionally honest portrayals of self-care.

As analysed in our New Codes of Value report, consumers are increasingly seeking emotionally rewarding experiences and brand relationships that feel less transactional and more relational, leaving customers feeling better post-purchase than before.

Strategic opportunity

Move beyond polished wellness narratives and design experiences and products for emotional realism, centred on simple everyday self-care and comfort routines such as watching soothing videos, listening, resting and moving the body

Why the countryside is becoming hospitality’s new luxury hotspot

UK – Nobu Hospitality is expanding beyond its urban luxury model with plans to open its first UK countryside retreat in Rutland, England’s smallest historic county.

The new development, Nobu Woolfox, will combine a hotel, spa, restaurant and branded residences across a 185-acre rural site in partnership with the existing wellness-focused Woolfox Members Club, founded in 2020 near Stamford.

The site will feature lake-view suites, wellness facilities, landscaped grounds and branded residences, located within 2–3 hours of London, Cambridge, Birmingham and Manchester by train.

‘We have the opportunity at Nobu Woolfox to create a special countryside retreat experience – one that offers all the hallmarks of Nobu, but in a setting defined by nature, tranquillity and a sense of escape,’ said Trevor Horwell, CEO of Nobu Hospitality.

Known for city-centre destinations including London, Rome and New York, the brand is repositioning luxury around nature, wellness and slower living, reflecting a wider shift towards farm- and forest-based longevity retreats for high-performance guests – a movement we have previously identified in Country Wellness Clubs.

Nobu Woolfox, UK

Strategic opportunity

Consider new operating locations in countryside settings near major cities, targeting urban consumers seeking wellness-led domestic escapes centred on nature and restoration

Stat: Could a shorter working week reshape public health?

Photography by Sommart Sopon, Thailand

Global – Working longer hours may increase the risk of obesity, according to new research presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul, adding to growing scrutiny of the health impact of modern work culture.

Analysing data from 33 OECD countries between 1990 and 2022, researchers found that nations with longer annual working hours – including the US, Mexico and Colombia – recorded higher obesity rates. The study found that reducing annual working hours by 1% was associated with a 0.16% decrease in obesity rates, with researchers pointing to work-related stress, sedentary lifestyles and lack of time for exercise as possible contributing factors.

In the UK, more than 200,000 workers have reportedly switched to four-day working patterns since the Covid-19 pandemic, while about 200 companies have adopted the model (sources: Office for National Statistics, 4 Day Week Foundation).

As explored in The Future Laboratory’s Work States Futures macrotrend and longevity research, consumers are increasingly prioritising preventative health, balance and long-term wellbeing – placing growing pressure on employers to design healthier, more human-centred workplaces.

Strategic opportunity

As an employer, how can you reduce sedentary lifestyles? Build movement into working culture through flexible morning start times, walking meetings, shorter meetings, active office design and partnerships with local fitness studios, gyms or wellness classes