ISSUE #5
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One of the best ways to get to a zag is through culture. �In the fifth issue of Culture Bleats, a curation of the latest global trends and cultural moments across Asia Pacific, we dive into Ye’s GAP collab, Japan’s loneliness epidemic, LGBTQ+ communities in the gaming world, welcoming George Jetson to the world, the meaning of quiet-quitting your job, �and much, much more…
Enjoy, BBH
LUXURY HAS THEIR EYES �ON CRYPTO COMMUNITIES
WHAT IT IS
Luxury brands like Tiffany & Co, Gucci, and �Tag Heuer are gunning for crypto communities like CryptoPunk and Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) with their latest collaborations.
Tiffany x CryptoPunks released NFTiff, a limited collection that transforms your NFT into a bespoke, physical pendant for 30 ETH. Whereas Gucci and Tag Heuer expanded its crypto payment options to include ApeCoin, BAYC’s native token, to the joy of the BAYC community.�
OPPORTUNITY TO ZAG
Tiffany, Gucci, and Tag Heuer have shown that they truly understand the real power of NFTs - its communities. Rather than continuing to mint new, superficial NFT projects, look at exciting and engaged existing communities instead?
“NORMAL OR
MEAT?”
WHAT IT IS
Think plant-based is for the niche? Think again.
Consumers are growing a taste for the environment and Burger King is leading the charge. 1 in 3 Burger King burgers sold in Belgium is meat-free, and Burger King is looking to push their plant-based initiative to the next level. By making Burger King in Austria 100% plant-led.
A courageous move by the chain famous for their flame-grilled beef, melted cheese and bacon, the majority of BK Austria’s menu will be vegan by default, unless if customers specify otherwise. �
OPPORTUNITY TO ZAG
Fast food chains have been slowly incorporating vegan items into their menu to cater for shifting consumer tastes. But Burger King Austria bit the bullet to make an actual pivot in their business, helping them to drive conversations and position meat as an option, not the norm. That’s what we call putting your money where your mouth is.
PRIVATE PLANE PROBLEMS TURN
CELEBRITIES INTO CLIMATE CRIMINALS
WHAT IT IS
What do Taylor Swift, Jay-Z and the Kardashians have in common? Well, according to data collected by internet sleuths, they’re among the celebrities racking up the most CO2 emission thanks to their prolific use of private jets.
Taylor Swift tops the list with 170 flights in the first 200 days of the year, releasing 8.3K tonnes of carbon emissions into the atmosphere. �
OPPORTUNITY TO ZAG
When we think of celebrities, we often think of endorsements and hoping that their positive traits would rub off on our brand. ��Given that celebrities are under scrutiny more than ever before, could we go against the grain to call out their bad behaviour for disproportionate attention?
DUMPSTER DIVING
FOR YEEZY GAP
WHAT IT IS
Kanye West is making his fans prove their devotion by diving into dumpsters.
His latest Yeezy Gap collection was launched at a series of dumpster-style pop-ups. Instead of the usual retail displays, Ye stripped GAP of all its usual shopping experience; clothing rails, shelves, hangers and even walls. ��Fans dove into oversized black bulk bags in bins to seek their favorite drops - each of them labelled with relevant size and style codes.
OPPORTUNITY TO ZAG
There are drops, then there are Kanye x Gap drops. Kanye successfully created fresh conversations around yet another collab with Gap. What other new experiences could you create to drive buzz for your launches?
ANTI-ASPIRATIONAL
LIFESTYLES
WHAT IT IS
The age of carefully curated lifestyles has given rise to an opposing force - anti-aspirational living. Think Y2K, barebone digital experiences of the 2000s, to proudly owning your love for Saizeriya. Partly driven by the revival of retro-cool, the trend is also propelled by the rising fatigue of living an overly curated, polished, instagrammable life.
Instead, people are now owning their own low-brow indulgences with pride.
OPPORTUNITY TO ZAG
Low-brow tackiness is now having its moment. Value brands, stop hiding behind discounts. �With the growing pride for low-brow indulgences and the looming recession, it’s now your time to shine. �Luxury brands, how can you look beyond your polished veneer to engage audiences?
THE EVILS OF
BEAUTY OVERSTIMULATION
WHAT IT IS
Open up TikTok or Instagram and it’ll seem that �the entire world is having a perpetual hot girl summer. �From facial filters that sharpen our features with just a swipe, to algorithms that constantly push beautiful faces to the feeds of users. Beauty overstimulation is battering self esteems. ��What’s worse? �In the past, audiences could rationalise that they can’t look Gigi-Hadid-gorgeous because they don’t have access to the same glam squad. Now? It’s making audiences feel like they’re falling short even by normal standards. ��OPPORTUNITY TO ZAG�We are living in a world where our “beauty detectors” are on overdrive. Studies have shown that it takes someone to rate the beauty of a face and make comparisons all within 150 milliseconds. Over time, we foresee this trend driving an even stronger reevaluation of beauty content, products, and services. What are some of the impossible beauty standards propagated by your brand on social?
JAPAN’S �LONELINESS EPIDEMIC
WHAT IT IS
Need a non-judgemental listening ear, or even just someone to go through the most challenging hours of your life with?
In Japan, you can rent someone to do nothing with you. Shoji Morimoto, a 37 year old in Japan has been renting out his time since 2018. To date, Morimoto has since fulfilled about 3,000 sessions and amassed almost 240k followers on his Twitter account. His unique service has gotten so popular that it has inspired a Japanese drama, Rental Nan mo Shinai Hito or “Rent-a-Person Who Does Nothing”. �
OPPORTUNITY TO ZAG
The loneliness epidemic is being felt across Japan. So much so, they’ve even appointed a Minister for Loneliness in 2021 to help people who have been feeling stressed and lonely.
With socialisation and human connection being such a core psychological need, how can brands show up for a group of audiences who feel increasingly isolated?
HOW TIKTOK IS CHANGING �HOW PEOPLE SIGN
WHAT IT IS
The rise of deaf communities on TikTok and the restrictions of having to sign for a 9:16 screen have driven new ways to sign, and we’re seeing the shifts in the American Sign Language.
From the popularisation of more gender neutral sign languages like “Parents”, (instead of “Father” and “Mother”) to the invention of tighter versions of signs such as “Dog” (so that it’s 9:16-friendly).
�OPPORTUNITY TO ZAG
How can your brand show their support for people with disabilities and engage their communities on social?
OLD, GENDER SPECIFIC SIGNS FOR “FATHER”, “MOTHER”
NEW GENDER NEUTRAL SIGN FOR “PARENT”
OLD, WIDER SIGN FOR “DOG”
NEW, TIGHTER SIGN FOR “DOG”
BEREAL,
FOR REAL?
WHAT IT IS
BeReal is a filter-free, ad-free (for now) and algorithm-free app that prompts you to share just one moment of your day, everyday, with your friends. Some even call it an antidote to Instagram.
While the app started out with good intentions, one question comes to mind: Do we really need to contentify every facet of our lives? BeReal wants its users to well… be real. But the harsh reality is that it only drives audiences to curate their everyday, adding pressure to their daily lives.�
OPPORTUNITY TO ZAG
We’re seeing audiences being bogged down by the tedium of ultra-curated living, and it’s uncertain whether BeReal will truly escape its entrapment.
One thing is clear - polished, pretentious content is out. What does this mean for the hyper competitive influencer world and brand deals?
GOOD NEWS FOR
THE GAYMERS!
WHAT IT IS
A new generation of queer players and game developers are helping to shape a safer future for its community.
Twitch recently hosted its second annual global award ceremony which celebrates queer video gaming and geek culture. We’ve also got more and more games letting players create characters that reflect their gender preferences and pronouns. Such events and in-game developments are helping gamers explore their queerness in safe spaces. �
OPPORTUNITY TO ZAG
Pride events and other legitimised queer experiences in the gaming world send a powerful message of support and welcome to the massive community. ��How can your brand help uplift LGBTQ+ gamers?
PROACTIVE
WHAT IT IS
It’s a known fact that as people were cooped up in their homes, the pandemic led to a steep rise in unhealthy eating habits and eating disorders. And Pinterest decided to do something about it. Last summer the social network banned all ads with language and imagery related to weight loss, and all ads that idealised or denigrated certain body types.
The positive results for taking a stand are in. �In its Global Body Neutrality Report, Pinterest revealed that global searches containing the term 'weight loss' dropped by 20% from July 2021 to May 2022.
OPPORTUNITY TO ZAG
Proactive steps such as this is a stern reminder of the power that media platforms and brands have over consumers. What good can your brand use their power for?�
WELCOME TO THE WORLD, �GEORGE JETSON!
WHAT IT IS�Remember the Jetson’s? ��The 1962 cartoon set in the future have been seeing a strong resurgence in popularity on social.
Fans who remember the show from their childhood have been speculating on the upcoming birth of the character, George Jetson, sending the Internet on a frenzy of memes.��OPPORTUNITY TO ZAG�Sometimes we’re so focused on creating the next new big thing, that we forget that a zag can sometimes be found in the past. ��What icons in your brand’s history could you revive to drive conversations and excite your community? ��Source
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ROUND UP:�OUR FAVORITE INTERNET MOMENTS
BURBERRY'S FIRST SIKH MODEL
Burberry’s autumn winter collection is garnering a lot of positive attention, with its move to feature four year old Sahib Singh in the iconic label’s official imagery. Hurrah to representation and inclusion!
QUIET QUITTING
The antithesis to “hustle culture” is here. There is a growing number of young working professionals who don’t necessarily associate overachieving at work with personal fulfillment, and it’s called “Quit Quitting”. Who’s in?
LITTLE MISS MEMES
ICYMI, there’s a new meme format taking over social media. A 2D character is being used to express general angst and frustration about the world and/or themselves.