LSN : News : Stat: Brands must master immersive, social gaming to engage Gens Z and Alpha

The North Face explores identity and belonging in short film with Amira Patel

Belonging by The North Face, US

UK – The North Face has released a short film following Amira Patel on a formidable trek to the Annapurna base camp trek in the Himalayas.

Patel is the founder of The Wanderlust Wome n, a hiking and adventuring collective for Muslim women that aims to build women’s confidence in outdoor spaces.

Entitled Belonging, the six-minute short follows Patel and a group of all-female guides and explorers trekking through Nepal. The journey isn’t easy, and Patel shares her physical and emotional struggles and triumphs with the camera as they explore the mountains and Nepalese landscape.

The film taps into the Mass Movement trend we reported on in 2023, where walking groups, running clubs and other collective activities saw a sudden rise in popularity post-pandemic, but told through the lens of an under-represented group within the outdoor activity sector.

‘I hope from this trip, it gives other women the confidence to step out of their comfort zones,’ Patel tells the camera.

In our Identities topic on LS:N Global we track the latest directions in diversity, inclusion, women futures, evolving masculinity, spirituality, neurodiversity, ability and disability.

Strategic opportunity

Tap into new audiences through authentic collaborations with community leaders such as Amira Patel to show how your products are designed for ordinary people

Bolt invites kids to design human-centric future cities on a playmat

Little Big Playmat by Bolt

Finland – Urban planner Lior Steinberg and Bolt, the shared mobility app, have joined forces with 37 children in Helsinki to re-imagine the conventional city playmat, traditionally laden with roads and parking spaces, into a human-centric urban landscape. The innovative project, The Little Big Playmat, is a response to the pervasive influence of car-centric urban environments on children’s play experiences.

The playmat is accompanied by a series of short videos in which kids aged 5–13 reflect on the future of cities, urban mobility and climate action, among others. The Little Big Playmat counters the unspoken yet pervasive message that private vehicles should be the top priority in city design. Instead, it highlights elements that reduce emissions and pollution while promoting healthy lifestyles such as ample green spaces, accessible public transport, protected cycle lanes and shared mobility hubs.

Bolt, known for its commitment to advancing shared mobility, released the design as open-source, urging manufacturers to produce and distribute the mats widely.

For more insights on eco-conscious Future Spaces, head to our Equilibrium Cities macrotrend report, in which we analyse how citizens’ demand for a more receptive and equitable built environment will allow future urban generations, nature and businesses to thrive.

Strategic opportunity

As explored in Alphas Now and Next: From the Sandbox to Roblox, the climate crisis will shape this generation’s education, careers and family lives. Explore opportunities to innovate children’s play experiences by re-imagining traditional toys to reflect more sustainable and human-centric environments

YouTube’s Multiview feature amplifies Coachella festival experience

Anitta’s debut at Coachella shone a spotlight on favelas, sparking a social media frenzy, US

US – YouTube’s Multiview feature, renowned for enhancing sports viewing, will now extend its reach to the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. The platform will offer live coverage from up to four festival stages simultaneously, a first-of-its-kind experience. With multiple performances unfolding concurrently across the festival grounds, the objective is to provide a cohesive viewing experience, allowing users to monitor each act and toggle between audio feeds.

Commencing on 12 April 2024, YouTube will stream live performances from six Coachella stages. Streaming live concerts has become a focal point for various platforms, with Hulu also venturing into this domain by featuring events like Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo. Unlike sports multiview features offered through subscription services, YouTube’s Coachella coverage will be accessible free via its app.

In addition, YouTube plans to offer exclusive merchandise, interviews and behind-the-scenes content on its YouTube Shorts platform. Viewers can catch up on missed performances through YouTube’s Coachella channel, which will repeat daily live-stream line-ups and provide on-demand highlights. The platform’s new feature along with social media advances in live-streaming are redefining neo-patronage, a topic we explore further in Digital Fandom Market.

Strategic opportunity

Today’s entertainment audience doesn’t want a one-size-fits-all experience. Instead, brands need to consider how they can, independently or through media partnerships, create hyper-personalised, phygital moments to keep consumers engaged

Stat: Brands must master immersive, social gaming to engage Gens Z and Alpha

Insatiable Sweep Mini Game in NARS Sweet Rush Roblox experience

Global – Livewire’s 2024 Next Gen Attention report reveals that Gen Alpha and Gen Z are more welcoming of brands in gaming than older generations.

Surveying 1,801 gamers across the UK, the US and Australia, the March 2024 study found that 76% of Gen Alpha and 54% of Gen Z enjoy branded moments in games.

Young gamers increasingly seek immersive experiences, with interactive moments (65%) and playable experiences (69%) on the rise through characters, skins, world-builds, interactive billboards and rewarded videos.

Gen Alpha are the most committed gaming generation and are significantly more likely to purchase after seeing a brand in-game (65%) than Gen Z (45%) or Millennials (40%).

The report also reveals that Gen Alpha are looking for a social connection from gaming, whereas Gen Z and Millennials are happier passively watching online gaming content.

In Why Gaming is Your Next Brand Touchpoint we explored the potential for brands to connect with consumers through gaming culture, an increasingly important strategy as Gen Alpha’s spending power increases with age.

Strategic opportunity

Consider sponsoring an in-game event, tournament or challenge for your next branded gaming experience to foster a sense of community and socialisation among your customers