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Casetify and Tamagotchi bring the Kidult Craze to tech accessories

CASETiFY x Tamagotchi collaboration, Global

Global – Casetify has partnered with Tamagotchi on a global accessories collection that repositions the nostalgic digital pet as both a collectible and a lifestyle symbol. The collaboration, launched in May 2026, marks 30 years since Tamagotchi’s original debut in Japan in 1996.

The collection includes phone cases, charms, straps, earbuds pouches and luggage, as well as a limited-edition functional Tamagotchi device designed to sit between usable technology and collectable object.

As well as resonating with consumers who grew up with the originals, the Casetify and Tamagotchi collaboration appeals to Gen Z and Gen Alpha customers who are discovering legacy brands through social media, collectibles culture and character-led merchandise.

As the Kidult Craze continues to shape consumer culture, brands have the opportunity to build play into the customer experience, using nostalgia and collectability to create moments of delight, self-expression and emotional connection across generations.

Strategic opportunity

How can your brand re-imagine loyalty, retail and product experiences through the lens of play? Explore ways you can reward exploration, creativity and participation to foster deeper emotional engagement

Audible re-imagines retail as immersive audio discovery space

US – Audiobook entertainment service Audible has opened Audible Story House, a permanent public space in New York dedicated to audio storytelling. Spanning more than 6,000 square feet across three floors, the venue re-imagines the bookstore for the audiobook era, replacing shelves with interactive Story Tiles representing more than 300 titles.

Visitors can browse genres, taking tiles to listening stations or tapping them against a smartphone to stream via the Audible app. The space also features six listening environments and a staffed Listening Bar, where Story Tenders offer personalised recommendations.

For brands, the concept highlights how digital-first platforms are creating physical spaces centred on discovery, immersion and human curation. The move reflects a broader shift we identified in our Luxury Listening Rooms report, where sonic activations operate as community hubs and temporal expressions of brand identity.

McQueen Reverb by Alexander McQueen, UK

Strategic opportunity

Use sound as a navigational layer for discovery with sonic cues, spatial audio and voice curation guiding consumers through products, replacing visual browsing with immersive, intuitive and emotionally led exploration

Stat: Americans report decline in everyday fun

PAGEBREAK Book Retreat, Photography by Max Pittman, US

US – Nearly half (48%) of Americans feel their lives lack fun, according to a new survey of 5,000 adults conducted by Talker Research and commissioned by restaurant and entertainment business Dave & Buster’s.

More than half (52%) believe having fun is harder today than it was a decade ago, with cost (57%), personal schedules (34%) and work commitments (31%) identified as the biggest barriers.

Watching tv remains the dominant leisure activity (77%), followed by seeing friends and family (69%) and dining out (59%).

Respondents also linked fun with reduced stress and stronger social connection, reinforcing how experiences are increasingly viewed as emotional wellbeing tools. Healthy hedonism, joy and social connection are becoming key wellness values for young consumers, as unpacked in our New Gen Z Wellness Consumer report.

Strategic opportunity

Reposition fun as preventative wellness infrastructure by designing emotionally restorative experiences that deliver social connection, stress relief and low-effort escapism