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Nike has unveiled Project Amplify, a "powered footwear system" designed to make running and walking easier for everyday athletes. The system combines a lightweight motor, drive belt and rechargeable battery that integrate with a carbon fiber-plated running shoe. According to the company, the technology augments natural ankle and lower leg movement, helping people maintain a 10- to 12-minute mile pace with less effort. Testing data from over 400 athletes suggests the system can help runners shave up to two minutes off their mile time, with some describing the sensation as making uphill terrain feel flat.The technology draws clear parallels to electric bikes, which transformed urban commuting and recreational cycling by making them more accessible for a broader audience. Nike developed Project Amplify in partnership with robotics company Dephy, conducting extensive testing at the Nike Sport Research Lab. Participants logged over 2.4 million steps across nine hardware iterations. The first-generation product isn't intended for competitive runners seeking marginal gains, but rather for people who want to extend their walking commute, add more movement to their daily routine or simply enjoy running for an extra mile or two. The shoes can be worn with or without the robotics system attached.TREND BITEAugmentation technology is moving from workplace exoskeletons into consumer products that enhance everyday activities. While Skip integrated a battery-powered knee brace into Arc'teryx hiking pants to reduce joint strain, Nike is embedding power directly into footwear to make running more accessible. This shift reflects a broader opportunity: rather than pushing people to perform at elite levels, brands can use technology to lower barriers to participation. The question for businesses isn't whether augmentation will become mainstream electric bikes already proved that model works but which everyday activities could benefit from a similar assist. As populations age and sedentary lifestyles increase, products that make movement easier and more enjoyable could reshape expectations around physical activity while creating entirely new categories of sports and recreation equipment.
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
Dutch bike subscription company Swapfiets launched "Bike Buddies" during this year's Amsterdam Dance Event, offering festival-goers safe accompaniment from DGTL parties to a nearby ferry between midnight and 7 AM.
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
McDonald's UK has launched the World Menu Heist, temporarily adding eight sought-after items from international markets to its domestic lineup. (And no, the heist timing couldn't have been better ) The temporary menu selection spans seven countries, from Japan's Garlic Black Pepper McNuggets and Indonesia's Choco Caramel Pie to Poland's Sour Cream Black Pepper McShaker Fries. Rather than simply announcing the additions, the chain orchestrated a months-long campaign framing the launch as a cheeky theft operation, complete with leaked packaging details, secret coordinates to sampling locations, and heist-themed in-restaurant experiences.The rollout builds on years of social media chatter from UK customers expressing envy over menu items available elsewhere. By packaging the initiative as a "flavor relocation" rather than standard product expansion, McDonald's is tapping into fan demand while adding theatrical flair. The campaign developed by Leo UK invited followers to join an Instagram close friends group to participate in the fictional heist, then amplified the concept through partnerships with LADbible and immersive activations before a mass launch featuring television spots and outdoor advertising.TREND BITEIn an era marked by protectionism and polarization, McDonald's World Menu Heist offers a refreshing counter-narrative: celebrating difference as delicious rather than divisive. By framing international flavors as coveted contraband that needs to be "gotten before we have to give them back," the campaign injects limited-edition urgency.At its core, this campaign taps into a powerful contemporary consumer tension: the paradoxical desire to be both local and global. People crave the comfort of the known (and what could be more familiar than the Golden Arches), but also want to feel worldly and in on something special. Younger audiences, raised on TikTok food reviews and mukbangs, see food as a way to explore. And when actual travel is too expensive or otherwise out of reach, flavor tourism becomes the next best thing.
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
After five years of spotlighting the environmental toll of plastic soy sauce droppers (including with its Light Soy lamp), creative studio Heliograf has developed Holy Carp!, a home compostable alternative made from bagasse plant pulp. The innovation arrives as South Australia moves to ban the ubiquitous fish-shaped containers, which serve their purpose for mere minutes but persist in the environment for centuries.Working alongside industrial design firm Vert Design, Sydney-based Heliograf created a dropper that's filled fresh in-store rather than pre-packaged in a factory. The shift to point-of-sale filling enables the use of more readily compostable materials while giving restaurants flexibility to choose which sauces to offer. The design breakthrough came from an unexpected source: the designers had been working with plant pulp for their lamp packaging, and ultimately found the solution to the soy fish problem "inside one of their own boxes."TREND BITESingle-use packaging represents 40% of global plastic waste, and nearly one trillion single-use sachets are consumed annually. As plastic bans proliferate and consumer scrutiny intensifies, brands face mounting pressure to replace convenience packaging with sustainable alternatives that don't compromise on function or experience. Holy Carp! demonstrates how designers can preserve the familiar joy of an existing format while eliminating its environmental footprint a model that extends to countless categories where small plastics dominate.
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
Tired of dodging pedestrians and inhaling exhaust fumes on the same old city routes, young runners in the UK are heading for the hills. Airbnb and Strava have joined forces this autumn to spotlight a growing travel pattern they're calling "run-cations" countryside escapes built around scenic trails rather than urban sightseeing. The partnership offers curated stays in five trending rural destinations, complete with popular running routes pulled from Strava's community data and complimentary treats from local bakeries for anyone who completes a run or books an Airbnb in the area.The collaboration responds to commissioned research showing that three-quarters of Gen Z runners have planned or are considering a countryside running getaway, and 56% admit feeling bored by their usual urban routes. Strava reports that Gen Z now makes up a third of athletes on its platform, a figure that's jumped 30% in the past 18 months. And nearly a quarter of UK runs logged on the app happen with other people. Rather than chasing personal bests, many are using these trips to disconnect from screens and reconnect with friends in wide-open spaces from the ancient woodlands of the Forest of Dean to the chalk hills of the South Downs.TREND BITEThis partnership reflects growing recognition that time in nature delivers measurable wellness benefits, particularly for a generation grappling with screen fatigue and urban burnout. Research continues to demonstrate that spending time outdoors can improve mental health, with some studies finding that proximity to green spaces correlates with biological markers of youth.As consumers increasingly seek awe-inspiring experiences that combine physical activity with natural environments, brands that facilitate access to transformative outdoor moments whether through curated rural stays or community-driven discovery of running routes can help people cultivate the sense of restoration and belonging that urban environments often fail to provide. Could your brand create pathways that turn brief escapes into opportunities for genuine renewal?
Category:
Marketing and Advertising