Since launching an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, Russia has bombarded cities across the Eastern European nation and displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians. The war, Europe’s largest since World War II, has sparked global backlash against Russia and ally Belarus, with penalties including sweeping economic sanctions, ejection from most international sporting events,…
As purpose-drive marketing becomes increasingly appropriated as a key component of a brand’s positioning in culture, it must be complemented with experiential marketing to actualize itself. In turn, experiential marketing activations must become more meaningful–in other words, have a deeper purpose than just a fun or memorable experience. A recent study from Razorfish and Vice…
(TrendHunter.com) The ‘Hives’ bricks have been designed by Mutina in collaboration in Konstantin Grcic as an architectural building material that would provide designers with a wide range of ways to create….
A Harris Poll study shows that people are most concerned about losing touch with reality.
Fancy like Applebee’s? Although that may not sound like a five-star date night to some, the concept was enough to spur a viral movement thanks to a song written by Walker Hayes and an accompanying TikTok dance choreographed by Hayes and his 15-year-old daughter, Lela. The song, “Fancy Like,” jumped to No. 1 on the…
Last year, publishers across the media industry saw their digital advertising revenues reach record-breaking heights, the result of a culmination of factors–some obvious, others more discrete–that had been years in the making. As in other sectors, the pandemic served as the primary catalyst for this transformation, fast-tracking years of innovation in a matter of months….
Ad Age spoke to executives from six Ukraine-based agencies about their experience during Russia’s invasion and how they are fighting back
Reddit reached its first ever global enterprise partnership agreement, with IPG Mediabrands. The companies said the partnership–which will be led by Reddit’s global agency development team–will benefit clients of Mediabrands agencies and help Reddit to bolster its global advertising business. Reddit reached its first ever enterprise partnership agreement last March, inking a pact with Omnicom…
Standing up for plastic: Self-rising chair foretells a rise in the use of recycled plastic
Ever since the 1950’s plastic has been a key material in design. However, for the past decade the industry has been misdirected to discuss reducing the use of plastic – when focus should in fact go to increasing its recycling rate. Therefore Fortum, a forerunner in recycled plastic compounds, has developed a self-rising chair made of recycled plastic. By picking itself up without robotics, the chair represents plastic’s comeback as a sustainable material.
To demonstrate what recycled plastics can do, Fortum has developed a chair made from Fortum Circo® recycled plastic produced from post-consumer plastic waste. The self-rising Virén Chair is inspired by Lasse Virén, a Finnish long-distance runner who fell in the middle of the 10,000-metre final in the Munich Olympics. The odds were not in his favour, but he got up, won gold, and set a new world record.
“The story of Lasse Virén – and especially his legendary win in the Munich Olympics – is still inspiring for many of us. Our ambition was to honour comebacks, progression and resilience through the Virén Chair and to show what can be achieved with recycled plastics today. Furthermore, the Virén Chair pays respect to Finnish design with characteristics of plastic furniture developed in the 1960s by Finnish designers,” says Jussi Mälkiä, Brand Manager at Fortum.
The chair has been developed together with a variety of professionals from engineers to physicists and researchers. Fortum’s creative partner behind the idea is TBWAHelsinki and the prototype has been 3D printed together with Maker3D.
“Honoring the running legend Lasse Virén was very present at all stages of our design process. We wanted the chair to reflect his legacy with a design that is both aerodynamic and organic and takes its inspiration from running motion. When taking a closer look at the chair and more specifically the legs, one can distinguish a form of a runner preparing to take off from the starting line”, explains Umberto Onza, Lead Designer of the chair from TBWAHelsinki.
Fortum as a forerunner in creating recycled plastic compounds
By 2019 only 9% of the plastic waste ever generated had been recycled, and in 2019 only 14% was collected for recycling (source: UNEP). The real problem lies in the deficient waste management systems, not the plastic material itself.
“Plastic is in many ways a superior material that is hard to substitute. The consumption of plastic is growing globally all the time; the discussion around plastics should instead focus on how to increase recycling. We should make sure that the value of the material is preserved by recycling the plastic and converting the waste into reusable material whenever possible,” says Anniina Rasmus, Brand Sales Manager at Fortum Recycling and Waste.
Fortum wants to expand the use of recycled plastics by developing recycled plastic compounds. In this process the qualities of the recycled plastic are enhanced so that the compounds can be used for products that are more technical and challenging in terms of production, of which the Virén Chair is a good example.
“The Virén Chair is made from Fortum Circo® recycled plastic compound reinforced with cellulose fibre to strengthen the material and reduce its carbon footprint. The carbon footprint of Fortum Circo® recycled plastic is about half that of virgin plastics. The added cellulose fibre, originating from renewable sources, also absorbs carbon, further reducing the carbon footprint of the material,” Rasmus points out.
Longtime exec of the Publicis shop joins WPP-backed agency’s leadership team
Visa has a new top marketer in Frank Cooper III, a marketing veteran who most recently worked at BlackRock.
Cable group is focusing on genre programming to enable viewers to more easily find content that interests them.
The group is looking into the Chinese-owned video site for the harms it may pose to younger users.
When people are losing their lives to save their country’s freedom, entertainment such as sports feels insignificant and yet it has become one of the sanctions against Russia that it will feel for years to come following its invasion of Ukraine. The sporting sanctions of the last week have been widespread, led by the International…
Bickerstaff.734 is now focused on helping the Ukrainian army and economy. In his own words, founder and creative director Ilia Anufrienko shares his story.
A+E Networks is kicking off 2022’s upfront season with a presentation urging marketers that “Every Person Counts,” and not just the audiences within the legacy age demos that they have traditionally sought. That key theme continues A+E’s shift from transacting on legacy demos like adults 18-49 and 25-54 to total audience metrics that the company…
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, many gaming and esports brands have taken a public stance, whether through condemnations or donations. Events have been postponed and partnerships with Russian and Belarusian companies broken off. Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has used Twitter to call on all game developers and esports platforms to…
The EV unit will be called Ford Model e, while Ford Blue will handle internal combustion engine vehicles in a reorganization aimed at increasing profit margins and ensuring that both powertrains succeed.
Against a backdrop of Black creatives reshaping the entertainment and marketing industries, spirits brand Martell collaborates with actor and recording artist Janelle Mon?e for a campaign that celebrates–and elevates–Black culture. In collaboration with creative agency Players Paris, the latest installment of its ongoing “Soar Beyond the Expected” campaign, Martell pairs Mon?e with brand ambassador Ms….
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