may ‘19 - happen · may ‘19 innovation in action: the insider’s guide to the insights and...
TRANSCRIPT
www.happen.com
May ‘19
Innovation in action: the insider’s guide
to the insights and ideas impacting your
world. Spotted by the people who make
Happen, happen.
Source
May 2019 Edition
This month, personalisation is made more equal. From Gatwick’s
mobile assistants for the visually impaired to skincare products
that work with women’s cycles, more brands are focussing on
inclusivity, accessibility and tailor-made for all.
Automation is also enabling tailor-made to happen faster - Creator’s
robo chef in San Francisco slices and dices every element of your
burger before your eyes, and crafts it to your bite. Elsewhere we’re
seeing veganism go mainstream with materials like orange peel
transformed into garments at H&M, and the beef-free Impossible
Whopper coming to Burger King.
Source
Adidas
100% recyclable trainers
The sports brand has engineered its
Futurecraft.Loop running shoe from one
material and no glue, making it easy to
recycle. When a consumer has worn the
shoe out they can return it to Adidas to
be washed, ground down to pellets and
melted into new shoe parts. The model
will be rolled out in major cities before
wider distribution in 2021.
http://bit.ly/2Wei0sl
Image: Adidas
Source
Gatwick
Digital accessibility assistants
The airport is making its accessibility
measures fit for the modern age, with a
free 24-7 guide a phone call away. Blind
and visually impaired passengers can
use their phone’s camera to allow the
helper to guide them, read flight
information or help them find their
baggage. Easyjet is funding the six-
month trial, which works via Gatwick’s
own app.
http://bit.ly/2XYCHJ9
Image: Unsplash
Source
Trim-It
South London’s Uber for barbers
The on-demand economy just moved
into the male grooming sector. The
startup’s drivers double up as barbers -
consumers book a slot in-app, then hop
in the back of one of Trim-It’s van for a
cut. 24-year-old founder Darren
Tenkorang grew up visiting Afro-
Caribbean barber shops, and wanted to
give young black millenials that same
skill level but with added convenience
and speed.
https://bbc.in/2vrX0Tn
Source
Fever-Tree + Caffè Nero
Espresso cocktails go alcohol-free
The espresso martini has some
competition in a non-alcoholic alternative
from Fever-Tree and Caffè Nero. The
collaboration will see Fever-Tree Indian
Tonic Water or Fever-Tree
Mediterranean Tonic Water and Ginger
Syrup poured over ice and topped with a
double shot of espresso, bringing some
excitement and drama back to the coffee
shop setting.
http://bit.ly/2J4Eicd
Image: Unsplash
Source
Royal Mail
Zero-emission delivery
Royal Mail has surprised Stratford,
Cambridge and Sutton Coldfield
residents with the trial of its e-trike - a
zero-emission, semi-solar-powered
pedal vehicle. Given two million people
in London are living with illegal air
pollution according to data gathered by
the London Atmospheric Emission
Inventory, it’s a welcome change.
http://bit.ly/2WgZUWO
Image: Royal Mail
Source
H&M
Vegan clothing goes mainstream
The Swedish fashion retailer is adding
vegan pineapple leather and orange silk
to its Conscious Collection, under the
moniker Conscious Exclusive. The line
includes animal print cowboy boots
made using pineapple leaf waste
(Pinatex), and dresses crafted from a
silk substitute made from orange peel.
The sustainability measures prove the
circular economy is possible at the
highest production levels.
http://bit.ly/2WaVAbC
Image: H&M
Source
Mattel
Pictionary just got harder
AR is enabling factory workers to carry
out repairs and fix potentially
catastrophic faults with minimal
expertise. It is also transforming the way
we play Pictionary. Mattel’s Pictionary
Air requires players to draw in the air
with a light-up stick, with the image only
visible in an app. The approach is
designed to increase offline interactions
through play, and looks ridiculously fun.
https://cnet.co/2DH73Z2
Image: Mattel
Source
Diageo
Popular beers go plastic-free
The brand is completely removing
plastic packaging from its suite of beers,
including Guinness, Harp, Rockshore
and Smithwick. Plastic rings and shrink
wrap will be exchanged for 100%
recyclable and biodegradable cardboard
in the UK and Ireland, with other
markets following suit in 2020. The
result? An annual reduction in plastic-
use of 400 tonnes.
http://bit.ly/2vwcxSa
Image: Unsplash
Source
BrewDog
Hot desking with a cold brew
This unusual motto is the impetus
behind the launch of craft beer company
BrewDog’s remote working initiative. Six
of its pubs in London, Sheffield and
Edinburgh will be kitted out with printers,
pens and paper, and for £7 a punter can
also enjoy unlimited coffee and a pint of
punk IPA. How this - and the
establishments’ noon opening hours -
will impact productivity, remains to be
seen.
http://bit.ly/2V61uOH
Image: Unsplash
Source
Choose Water
Paper trumps plastic
An Edinburgh startup is set to launch a
plastic-free, biodegradable water bottle
that promises to break down in a matter
of months. The alloy cap is fairly
standard, but the bottle itself is made
from recycled paper and lined using
sustainably-sourced, natural materials.
The company is taking its ethically-
minded ethos a step further by funneling
funds from every sale to the charity
Water for Africa.
http://bit.ly/2IPaZv3
Image: Choose Water
Source
Coca-Cola
Caffeine competition steps up
The soft drink giant will launch Coca-
Cola Energy in Spain and Hungary later
this year. It’s pushing the naturally-
derived contents of the drinks - including
80mg of caffeine, guarana extracts and
B vitamins - as part of a wider effort to
broaden its remit in a health-conscious
market. A zero calorie and sugar-free
version will launch alongside it.
http://bit.ly/2IUfG6S
Image: Coca-Cola
Source
Weetabix
High-fibre, low-fat muffins
Weetabix is expanding its to-go
breakfast products with a cereal-muffin
hybrid collaboration with Kara. Rich in
fibre and low in saturated fat and salt,
the muffins come in apricot and oat or
apple and raisin varieties. The company
is hoping to build on the success of its
On The Go drinks range, which is the
number one breakfast drink in the UK.
http://bit.ly/2IONItf
Image: Weetabix
Source
Babybel
Classic snack gets an upgrade
Babybel has launched a string cheese-
style snack that comes in a spiral shape,
ready to be unfurled by tiny hands.
Babybel Mini Rolls (Spirolls in the UK)
have a similar format to fruit rolls, but
are made with the same cheese
Babybel’s classic brand uses. The
company is targeting Gen Z and their
parents by using convenient and
nostalgia-inducing formats.
http://bit.ly/2GMxVYw
Image: Babybel
Source
Burger King
Plant-based patties
The unthinkable has happened: plant-
based meals are coming to the fast-food
burger chain. The ubiquitous Whopper
will get a meat-free cousin in the
Impossible Whopper, a patty made from
soy protein, potato, coconut and
sunflower oil and heme, and devised by
neuroscientists to look, taste and feel
like real beef. The high-fibre alternative
will be rolled out in the US this year.
http://bit.ly/2J40hAd
Image: Burger King
Source
Heinz + Creme Egg
A pairing for the ages? Unlikely
Heinz launched a Cadbury Creme
mayonnaise in time for Easter, and it’s
safe to say any child delivered this by
the Easter bunny would have been
somewhat confused. Responses to the
limited run have been mixed, with many
not knowing what to do with the blend of
mayonnaise, mustard, Cadbury creme
egg filling and chocolate chunks. Either
way, Heinz, have made up for the
confusion in headlines.
http://bit.ly/2LhHMuO
Image: Heinz
Source
Creator
Robo-chef helps staff re-engage
A fully automated burger experience
launched in San Francisco last year - for
$6 a meal. Slated as the ultimate kitchen
tool, slicing and dicing is carried out
fresh to order for each customer. The
restaurant shows how workers can
actually benefit from future automation.
All Creator employees get 5% time,
meaning they can spend this time doing
whatever they like, from reading to
learning online.
http://bit.ly/2VETxzp
Image: Unsplash
Source
Café X
Robo coffee to go
Automation is increasing at every level
of the service industry - with popular
chains enabling everything from
payment to pre-ordering in-app.
Removing almost all need to speak to a
human, Café X in San Francisco goes a
step further. A giant robot arm mixes
drinks, with orders made via kiosks. The
stands are designed for high-traffic
places, with plans to open more in
airports and commercial buildings.
http://bit.ly/2LdESr1
Image: Café X
Source
Dirty Lemon
Skin smoothing smoothie
Taking ingredient transparency to the
next level, Dirty Lemon distills
everyone’s favourite buzzwords into
drinkable form. On the roster are
tumeric, charcoal, collagen and now
retinol - a vitamin A-based anti-ageing
serum typically applied straight to the
skin. Given retinol creams often cause
inflammation to the skin, the drink could
prove a runaway success.
http://bit.ly/2vvFGww
Image: Dirty Lemon
Source
Amareta
Personal care gets personalised
Hormone fluctuations frequently cause
monthly skin flare-ups for women. And
the impact of pregnancy, breastfeeding
and menopause can be much greater.
Amareta has designed its skincare
range specifically to work in-tune with
these changes in a woman’s cycle and
lifetime.
http://bit.ly/2DE93kY
Image: Amareta