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Pastel branding softens this chronic pain platform

Leva by That Thing, UK

London – Designed to be a more empathetic online space for chronic pain support, Leva uses visual cues and soft colourways to promote its more accessible yet personalised approach to pain management. Uniting the fields of physiotherapy, psychology and medication, Leva combines health expertise with nurturing support and realistic, home-based care strategies for people seeking treatment for back, joint and nerve pain, in palliative care or undergoing cancer treatment.

Its emotionally intelligent branding, created by agency That Thing, seeks to avoid conventional medical cues. It achieves this through a pastel colour palette, various typefaces and stylised animations that communicate information in a friendly and personable way. By implementing this identity, Leva draws on the visual styles we identify in Soft Aid. Joe Weir, co-founder of That Thing, says: ‘Leva presented a great challenge: how do you create a brand that mixes a real caring humanity with expertise and rigour? We knew it couldn’t feel too soft, but it couldn’t feel too clinical either.’

With many consumers dealing with persistent pain on a daily basis, such services are essential in ensuring that people feel supported in a sensitive and relatable way.

Strategic Opportunity

As people recognise the need for continuing mental and physical support, there is growing demand for anti-clinical healthcare. Draw on empathetic language and aesthetics to humanise your products and services

Plot’s retro energy targets modern drinkers

Plot Wines, US

Canada – Inspired by its founders' shared love of funk and disco music and low-intervention wines, micro-winery Plot Wines seeks to subvert traditional wine branding and labelling with playfully nostalgic design cues. Purposely selected to shatter stuffy stereotypes around wine, the branding follows a new generation of winemakers seeking to modernise and demystify the sector for Millennial and Generation Z audiences.

In this vein, Plot Wines’ founders, who met while DJing, have opted for a visual identity that combines vibrant colours with retro typography. The name Plot refers to the changing roster of wine plots the brand uses for its growing seasons. Each vintage’s labelling follows suit, with icons that are a nod to the different vineyards that produce its new wines each year.

Communicating the pleasure of eating and drinking well through energetic and playful design, Plot introduces the aesthetics of our Frivolous Foods design direction into the world of wine.

Strategic Opportunity

Use packaging to break away from tradition. Specifically, sectors or brands defined by old customs can connect with young consumers through fresh or sleek branding that makes their products more accessible

Burger King augments loyalty for the crypto era

US – One of the last major fast food chains to offer a loyalty programme, Burger King is partnering with investment app Robinhood to offer customers a chance to win millions of dollars worth of cryptocurrencies if they join the BK Royal Perks programme.

Customers spending more than £3.72 ($5, €4.37) at Burger King can be eligible to win a number of cryptocurrencies from a pool that includes up to 20 Bitcoins, valued at £949,270 ($1,271,202, €1,110,439) at the time of writing. In a drive to scale up its loyalty programme quickly, Burger King has made it simple for winning customers to claim their prize – all they have to do is join the BK Royal Perks scheme. ‘The primary prizing offered is Dogecoin, a few lucky members could receive a full Ethereum or Bitcoin,’ Burger King explains in a release.

As global restaurant chains seek to build more intimate connections with their consumers, digital-first loyalty programmes present an opportunity to engage new audiences. Through BK Royal Perks, Burger King is appealing to Crypto-cliques – communities of digitally savvy consumers that are more receptive to digital brand experiences.

Burger King in partnership with Robinhood, US

Strategic Opportunity

Loyalty programmes are changing. Companies should consider exploring emerging technologies such as cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to meet the expectations of next-gen consumers

Stat: Big screens continue to dominate global streaming

Dell, global

After 18 months in which global consumers took to streaming TV, films and games as relief from the pandemic, research from streaming analytics company Conviva reveals that video streaming consumption continues to grow in popularity, even as the world opens up.

According to Conviva's Q3 2021 State of Streaming report, big screen viewing on smart TVs, connected TVs and games consoles accounted for almost three-quarters (73%) of all video streaming consumption during the quarter. This figure rises to 82% in North America but is just 14% in Asia, where desktop and mobile viewing is more common, reflecting a nation that is potentially viewing on the go.

With these figures in mind, advertisers should capitalise on the viewing habits of global consumers, making sure to retain brand visibility via big screen mediums. While the popularity of big screen formats in the US indicates an interest in communal viewing platforms in home environments, it also points to brand-led streaming opportunities, something we explore in Luxtainment.

Strategic Opportunity

Brands across sectors should seize opportunities to offer shoppable advertising or interactive content that connects families watching big screens at home