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Saatchi & Saatchi launches Voting is Hot AF campaign to inspire young voters

Voting is Hot AF by Saatchi & Saatchi, UK

UK – Saatchi & Saatchi has unveiled its latest creative initiative, Voting is Hot AF. The campaign is aimed at motivating young people to participate in the general election on 4 July.

A study conducted for the initiative has revealed that voting makes someone more attractive, according to 40% of 18–24-year-olds. Moreover, 52% of young people consider regular voters to be more intelligent and 35% said voters are more trustworthy. The vibrant, visually arresting campaign reimagines the voting X as a symbol of attraction and uses iconography and slogans like ‘Get polled,’ ‘Giving AF is hot AF’ and 'Talk turnout to me'.

‘Finding the right message, at the right moment to influence real behaviour change is when advertising is at its most powerful,' said Franki Goodwin, chief creative officer of Saatchi & Saatchi. 'It’s been extremely interesting mining dating and internet culture to find a real-world upside to young people engaging in politics.’

For more insights, inspiration and instructions on how to implement this Design Direction into your business, head to our Graphic Activism report.

Strategic opportunity

Embrace bold, fun and creative marketing campaigns that stand out and resonate with your consumers. Use playful designs, language and cultural trends to capture attention, drive engagement and connect with your target audience

Fable Studio wants to be the Netflix of AI

US – Emmy award-winning start-up Fable Studio has announced Showrunner, a platform allowing users to generate animated content using artificial intelligence.

Under the initial roll-out, users will be able to watch AI-generated series and write, voice and animate episodes, with control over dialogue, characters and shot types. Users can currently join a waitlist for a free test version of the platform.

‘The vision is to be the Netflix of AI,’ Fable Studio’s chief executive Edward Saatchi told The Hollywood Reporter. ‘Maybe you finish all of the episodes of a show you’re watching and you click the button to make another episode. You can say what it should be about or you can let the AI make it itself.’

Fable’s technology has been criticised over concerns that the integration of AI in Hollywood could undercut the value and demand for crew members and talent.

In our Artificial Intelligence topic on LS:N Global we’re tracking all the latest updates in consumer-facing, AI-driven tech to ensure you’re ready for an AI revolution.

Photography by CottonBro, Russia

Strategic opportunity

Companies should collaborate with creatives to develop AI technologies, ensuring fair compensation and balancing human input with technological advancements to optimise creativity and innovation

Foresight Friday: Emily Rhodes, creative foresight analyst

The Open Kitchen by Deliveroo, UK

Every Friday, we offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, creative foresight analyst Emily Rhodes marks the start of Pride Month, unpacking the challenges facing the community, as well as the causes for celebration.

: A new report titled Laws on Us documents legal developments affecting LGBTI people in 193 UN member states. Findings are bleak, with one-third of the world continuing to criminalise consensual same-sex sexual acts. With half the global population partaking in an election this year, the stakes are high

: With pride month becoming increasingly commercialised, brands must be careful not to be tokenistic with their campaigns. One brand who got it right is Deliveroo, launching The Open Kitchen in collaboration with Queers in Food & Beverage to mentor aspiring LGBTQIA+ chefs in London. The initiative aims to increase representation in commercial kitchens across the UK, where 64% of LGBTQIA+ hospitality workers surveyed say it’s not talked about enough within their business

: The LGBTQIA+ community has also been gaining more representation in entertainment with the success of queer dating shows. BBC’s I Kissed a Girl highlighted important issues such as biphobia and attitudes towards the word 'Lesbian', and Netflix announced the return of The Ultimatum: Queer Love and a new same-sex dating show The Boyfriend in Japan. It’s great to see increased visibility and normalisation of queer relationships in mainstream media, not only during Pride Month

Quote of the Week

‘In 2024, half of the global population will head to election polls. History has shown us multiple times that the advances our movements have made worldwide are often just an election or a downturn away from being reversed’

– Julia Ehrt, executive director, ILGA World

Stat: Pinterest charts a revival of hosting and tea parties

Gohar World for Gucci Vault. Photography by Adrianna Glaviano, US

Global – Pinterest predicts a summer of elegant tea parties and dazzling dinner soirées, based on shifts in searches on the image-sharing platform.

The company has released the Pinterest Summer 2024 Trend Report, highlighting emerging aesthetics across fashion, beauty, home decor and food. As users get ready for summer, trending searches point to hedonism and maximalism, with searches for ‘dopamine décor’ increasing by 280% since 2023.

Pinterest’s global user base also expressed high interest in food-focused entertaining and in hosting intimate gatherings with family and friends. Strikingly, searches for ‘dinner party’ have increased by more than 6,000% compared to last year. Pinterest suggested that the new season of Netflix’s Bridgerton is one of the factors driving this trend and has spiked interest in ‘high tea food ideas’ (+177%), ‘afternoon tea party ideas’ (+165%) and ‘floral tea party’ (+160%).

At LS:N Global, we charted the revival of traditional arts de la table with a modern twist in our Topline tableware microtrend.

Strategic opportunity

Whether opting for intimate food-focused gatherings for your next event or developing products and services catering for at-home entertainment, can your business tap into the revival of hosting?