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In this week’s \Brief: The first IVF kangaroo embryo marks a breakthrough in conservation efforts; Amsterdam considers implementing a program to educate expats about Dutch culture; Miami Beach creates a fake reality show to keep rowdy spring breakers away. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gNdyg7Vk #IVF #amsterdam #expat #languageexchange #tourism #mindfultourism 

In this week’s \Brief: A global radio platform offers an alternative to AI-powered music recommendations; Neko Health secures $260M to expand its body-scanning clinics; A new Luxembourg water tower doubles as a habitat for birds and bats. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gqkjnChZ #spotify #radio #bodyscan #healthtech #rewilding #wildlife

In this week’s \Brief: A haptic vest from Inxects lets users "feel" environmental stress; The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. invests in smart fragrance tech that prevents nose blindness; A new program in Washington, D.C., distributes robotic pets to lonely seniors. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gy9Qc7s6 #climate #environment #fragrance #loneliness #robotics 

In this week’s \Brief: Australia commits over $42 million to improving the lives of the autistic community; Walmart teams up with NAVER Z (ZEPETO) to sell physical clothes through an immersive virtual environment; Young people in London trade swipes for more sophisticated supper clubs. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gD84mfyr #autism #immersiveretail #metaverse #walmart #offline

In this week’s \Brief: PlayStation’s new tech lets players smell their way through games; Gen Z swaps smartwatches for classic retro timepieces; Indonesia invests $28 billion in free meals for school children and pregnant mothers. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gFAvRHtY #playstation #smartwatch #indonesia 

In this week’s \Brief: South Australia bans junk food ads on public transport to combat rising obesity; A free app from Brazil simplifies writing and publishing in 40 Indigenous languages; Tokyo aims to boost birthrates with free daycare for all preschool-aged children. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gbCa7xmq #junkfood #amazonas #indigenous #tokyo #birthrate 

TBWA\Worldwide is ADWEEK's Agency of the Year 2024 — for the 4th time since 2018. 🏴☠️ Backslash is proud to be the cultural intelligence unit that powers the brilliant work of 11,000 pirates around the collective. Special shoutout to our 330+ Trend Spotters who continuously share insights that help us turn cultural blur into business opportunity. Agency of the Year? Sure. Agency of the decade? Maybe. Agency of the future? Definitely. 🚀

In this week’s \Brief: A new Calm Tech Institute certification champions mindful, distraction-free tech products; Tokyo aims to boost fertility rates with a four-day workweek for government employees; A lollipop-like device lets users taste nine flavors in virtual reality. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/g_sGGzbX #distractionfree #tokyo #fourdayworkweek #vr

If you think luxury travel is about relaxation and indulgence, think again. Once in search of 5-star hotels and lavish spas, today’s high-net-worth travelers are increasingly opting for extreme or offbeat adventures that the masses can’t touch. Think sailing through the glaciers of Greenland, meeting tribal communities in Papua New Guinea, or being immersed in a made-up fantasy world with unique characters and unexpected twists. As Tom Marchant, co-founder of Black Tomato, puts it: “It’s about the thrill of the unknown, the exclusive access, and the luxury of immersion into a world that feels entirely different — an antidote to the everyday.” For a deeper dive, download our ‘Future of Luxury’ report here: https://lnkd.in/gcraaiuu

🟨 New report: 'Future of Luxury' ⬛ Luxury is a familiar concept that's grown increasingly difficult to define. Once marked by tangible qualities like price, craftsmanship, or scarcity, the essence of luxury is becoming more and more about that which defies practicality and exceeds our reach. It’s a quest for cultural cachet, escapism, protection, and even immortality. With the global personal luxury goods market on track to see its first slowdown since the Great Recession, the time to question the old #luxury playbook is now. Our latest report with 180 Luxe and TBWA\CULT outlines clear opportunities for disruption, unpacking the often messy relationship between tech and tradition, heritage and novelty, ethics and pleasure. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/gcraaiuu