News 09.07.2025

News

Pattern Beauty re-unites the Girlfriends cast in its first tv commercial, a human-powered AI chatbot is transforming women’s safety in Jordan and how TikTok is reshaping luxury discovery.

Pattern Beauty brings authenticity and curl culture to tv with first-ever commercial

Pattern Lounge, US

US – Tracee Ellis Ross has launched Pattern Beauty’s first ever tv commercial, a 60-second spot that blends humour, nostalgia and a celebration of textured hair.

The ad re-unites the Girlfriends cast – Golden Brooks, Jill Marie Jones and Persia White – from the early 2000s sitcom in a playful hair bar, where Ross, as Chief Curltender, mixes personalised ‘hair cocktails’ such as Thirst Trap and Coiltini for each curl type. The engaging film presents Pattern Beauty’s complete product range, from conditioners to hair styling tools, while emphasising the versatility of its formulations.

More than a demo, the spot feels true to Ross herself: comedic, confident and community-focused. It balances fun with meaning, using friendship and familiar faces to deliver a deeper message about self-expression and textured haircare.

By showcasing a range of hair types, the ad reinforces Pattern Beauty’s core mission as a brand created by women with textured hair for women with textured hair. It positions haircare as a meaningful ritual rather than a simple routine. The brand’s entry into television feels both strategic and timely – a joyful, inclusive re-imagining of what modern haircare can be, and a reflection of the industry’s broader movement towards innovation, representation and functional beauty solutions for underserved audiences.

Tapping into the wellness-led shift in beauty, the campaign also aligns with the findings of our Future Forecast 2025: Beauty macrotrend report, which highlights the evolution of the textured haircare market.

Strategic opportunity

As underserved consumers expect brands to increasingly understand and respond to their individual needs, those that feel genuine and real – such as Pattern Beauty – will stand out by making inclusion a clear part of their offer and not solely their marketing

The Messenger bot quietly transforming women’s safety in Jordan

Photography by Rahime Gül, Middle East Photography by Rahime Gül, Middle East

The Middle East – A discreet digital tool is offering life-saving support to vulnerable women in Jordan. Darb Alaman – meaning ‘Safe Pathway’ in Arabic – is a human-led chatbot developed by ActionAid Arab Region (AAAR), which operates within WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.

Purpose-built for women in high-risk situations, Darb Alaman offers discreet, confidential access to information, legal aid, counselling and protection services via familiar social media platforms. Designed for users with limited digital literacy, the chatbot mimics a personal profile, allowing women to engage intuitively and without providing any identifying personal details. Crucially, messages are received by trained social protection officers within a secure, vetted network.

Since its launch, Darb Alaman has recorded nearly 40,000 digital views and over 2,200 unique visits, with a 4,000% rise in content engagement this year alone. Most users are young women under 35 (source: Service95).

Darb Alaman is a rare example of how, away from the gimmicks and novelty, AI can be used for good when rooted in local realities. Our SXSW London 2025: The Pursuit of AI Optimism report further reveals how AI can be deployed to go beyond dystopian fears and help create a better world.

Strategic opportunity

Prioritise AI solutions that solve real safety, access or wellbeing challenges over attention-grabbing brand activations

Stat: Study finds TikTok is reshaping luxury discovery

Photography by Porapak Apichodilok Photography by Porapak Apichodilok

Global – A new study in the US, UK, France and Italy, commissioned by TikTok, reveals a structural shift in how consumers discover luxury, increasingly driven by creator-led content on social feeds. 

Some two-thirds of first-time luxury buyers say their initial interest was sparked by social media, with TikTok emerging as one of the fastest-growing discovery platforms. 

Rather than polished advertising, users are engaging with user-generated content (38%) and creator videos (32%), with 26% waiting for creator reviews before committing to a purchase.

As highlighted in our New Codes of Luxury report, creators are no longer just influencers – they’re trusted curators shaping real-time buying decisions. This behavioural shift is also affecting resale, with one in four luxury shoppers saying TikTok’s trend cycle influenced their second-hand purchases.

With Gen Z and Millennials projected to control 60% of luxury spending by 2026, TikTok is redefining how the next generation connect with, evaluate and buy into luxury.

Strategic opportunity

Embed creator partnerships into your product discovery strategy to spark interest among first-time buyers and stay relevant within fast-paced, social-first trend cycles

Previous News Articles
AI-generated images of animals in plastic help WWF-Korea raise awareness about pollution

News

AI-generated images of animals in plastic help WWF-Korea raise awareness about pollution

WWF-Korea has launched Animal Trash Fashion, a powerful out-of-home campaign using AI to starkly illustrate the devastating impact of plastic pollu...
Sustainability : Design : Advertising
Rixo launches pre-loved resale platform

News

Rixo launches pre-loved resale platform

British fashion brand Rixo is expanding its circular ambitions with the launch of Rixo Pre-Loved, a resale platform where customers buy and sell it...
Retail : Fashion : Sutainability
Stat: Global business travel spending hits historic high

News

Stat: Global business travel spending hits historic high

Business travel is set to reach a record £1.18 trillion ($1.57 trillion, €1.36 trillion) by the end of 2025, according to ...
Stat : Statistic : Global Travel Market
Axe gamifies fragrance sampling with arcade-inspired bus stop activation

News

Axe gamifies fragrance sampling with arcade-inspired bus stop activation

Axe is making fragrance sampling fun again with a new campaign for its Cherry Fizz body spray.
Advertising : Fragrance : Retail
New wearable tracks hydration levels in real time

News

New wearable tracks hydration levels in real time

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have developed a non-invasive wearable that continuously monitors hydration levels in real time.
Wearable Technology : Healthcare : Hydration
Stat: Online resale is booming in Britain

News

Stat: Online resale is booming in Britain

Online resale is booming in Britain, with pre-owned shopping now worth £4.3bn ($5.8bn, €5bn) annually and is set to rise to £4.8bn ($6.4bn, €5.5bn)...
Retail : Fashion : Technology
Prada’s 2025 Qixi campaign turns Shanghai’s bridges into a stage for love

News

Prada’s 2025 Qixi campaign turns Shanghai’s bridges into a stage for love

Prada’s campaign for the 2025 Qixi Festival – often referred to as Chinese Valentine’s Day – reimagines China’s legendary love tale through an...
Luxury : Fashion : Chinese Folklore
M&S tracks plastic’s afterlife with invisible UV packaging tags

News

M&S tracks plastic’s afterlife with invisible UV packaging tags

M&S : Sustainability : Retail
Stat: Britons are increasingly turning to biohacking through wellness supplements

News

Stat: Britons are increasingly turning to biohacking through wellness supplements

According to a July 2025 YouGov poll, one in five Britons (21%) have taken a wellness supplement in 2025 – pointing to the rise of personalise...
Health And Wellness : Supplements : Stat
Ocado’s Shopping List Stories campaign finds emotional value in the weekly shop

News

Ocado’s Shopping List Stories campaign finds emotional value in the weekly shop

Ocado is reframing grocery shopping as an emotional experience with Shopping List Stories, a new campaign by Uncommon Creative Studio.
Food And Drink : Supermarket : Branding And Advertising
You have 2 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN