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This meditative playlist soothes climate anxiety

Vattenfall Spotify playlist, Europe

Europe – European energy company Vattenfall is tapping into people’s eco-concerns with a Spotify playlist centred on climate progress.

The company’s Super Soothing playlist communicates the progress it is making to become fossil-free – with the double aim of reducing people’s worries about climate change. Each track on the playlist dives into a different technical aspect of how Vattenfall is innovating through environmental projects, exploring developments such as hydro-power and turning transport electric.

Taking inspiration from the rise in sleep meditation apps, the concept is a novel way for an energy company to target a wider audience about its green ambitions. ‘This is a way for us to reach new target groups in new channels, with a message of the work we do every day to be able to become fossil-free,' says Carole Lindmark, global brand director at Vattenfall.

By tuning into a specific cause of anxiety via a platform that’s widely used, this project provides a different take on the daily rituals we identify in the Modern Meditation Market.

Dissolvable bodywash sheets are a real Plus

Plus, US

US – Plus is an innovative bodycare brand offering waterless, foam sheets as a sustainable alternative to plastic-bottled soaps.

Created by the founders of Starface acne stickers, the brand is launching with single-use body wash sheets. Once removed from their dissolvable wrapper, users run each sheet under water to activate the cleansers, turning the sheet into a foam that's used in place of shower gel. Plus’s formulations primarily rely on responsibly sourced wood pulp, which means the brand also avoids parabens and sulphates, ingredients that some consumers wish to avoid, despite being conventionally included in bodycare products.

In turn, the wash sheets use about 38% less water during manufacturing than traditional bottled soaps, according to the brand. As well as reducing water and plastic waste, Plus minimises carbon emissions during the shipping of its products, as the sheets require significantly less space than bottled containers.

For more on how cosmetics brands are shunning water-based formulations, read our microtrend Waterless Beauty.

The Vinylly app tunes into love matches

US – Vinylly is a dating app connecting users based on their music preferences.

Offering a more personal way to meet new people, the platform pairs potential matches based on their music streaming data, beginning the process by prompting users to pair their Spotify account to their Vinylly profile. As users stream music, an in-built algorithm responds by connecting users with similar tastes. Users can also listen to the songs and playlists recently listened to by their matches. Profile biographies are also focused on people’s music interests, with fields such as past music purchases and concert preferences.

In this way, the app offers a focused point of difference to other dating platforms. Rachel van Nortwick, founder of Vinylly, explains: ‘Discussing music is a way to say: ‘Tell me who you are without telling me who you are.’ And with Vinylly, we use your music streaming data to take it one step further.’

While we’ve previously considered the ways that visual-first mediums such as Instagram can facilitate romantic connections, this app indicates future potential for audio-based dating platforms.

Vinylly dating app

Stat: Virtual reality to augment home entertainment

While at-home virtual reality (VR) entertainment remains a relatively niche market, a new study by YouGov reveals growing consumer interest.

When asked whether they would use the technology in various activities, nearly two in five (37%) of respondents noted a high interest in playing video games using VR. Interestingly, nearly the same percentage of consumers said they would be interested in watching a VR movie with family or friends (34%).

This interest in VR movies was most prevalent among consumers in Mexico (50%), the UAE (47%) and Asia-Pacific region (44%). The figures suggest a significant opportunity for the film industry, with many consumers likely to feel anxious about returning to cinemas, but still interested in watching films with others, during the inter-Covid period.

For other ways in which mixed reality technology is enabling people to stay connected from a distance, explore Fulfilment Furnishings.