FLY HIGH!
Raising the bar is both a matter of pushing our thoughts beyond what is banal and stereotypical and imagining future scenarios that may radically impact our lives. Trying to reflect on profound questions and find creative answers that overcome what is taken for granted, may stimulate human intelligence. This is the purpose of Ermenegildo Zegna, whose last campaign encourages people to rethink the idea of masculinity and reflect on the true sense of mankind. Dreaming about life on a new planet is a way to keep flying high too: a dream made more concrete by Warith Zaki, a Malaysian designer, who proposed a sustainable way to allow life on Mars, by using local bamboo to construct buildings. After reading about these innovative examples, do you feel more inspired to leave a mark and anticipate the latest market trends?
QUESTION #4 Shall we really abandon our deep&real doubts for light&virtual beliefs?
Sustainability has no univocal meaning: we would like to suggest to read disrupting stereotypes. So, as far as high fashion is constantly trying to propose the unexpected-designers are more and more socially involved, let just think about Gucci Cruise’s collection, reflecting on abortion and women’s freedom. This year’s Paris Couture Week is a great source of examples. Sustainability becomes the possibility to give women more space, by Maria Grazia Chiuri, Dior’s creative director, that reflects on the concept of dress as primary architectural space occupied by our body and closes her fashion show with a model wearing a dollhouse dress.
But also, sustainability as change: more than half of the models who walked the runway for Valentino were not white colored, making it one of the most diverse shows and proving the steps that some brands are doing towards a better inclusivity. Furthermore, sustainability as unconventionality: in “Hypnosis”, Iris van Herpen uses unusual materials and technology to create kinetic works of art that vibrate and sparkle.
Under this perspective, the endpoint is the denial of fashion in the name of sustainability: Laura Kraup Frandsen refused to present a collection at her graduate show at Royal College of Art as a protest against overconsumption, claiming that “there is no fashion on a dead planet”.
QUESTION #3 Why do not try to build a future empowered by human intelligence?
Human intelligence has to negotiate with #AI every day. If we reflect on artificial intelligence, anyway, can we escape from the most obvious deterministic options (a way to become immortal? a proxy in favor of robots? etc.)… In fact, we can analyze the #AI issue from 4 alternative and strategic viewpoints: the 4 scenarios figured on the basis of 2019-20 TREND MONITOR FORECAST will help.
So, #AI can be read as a mean to #FACE reality (scenario 1) and the #DARK! we live in: see for example Ai-Da, a humanoid robot that has presented her own original artworks at a University of Oxford’s exhibition, with its audacious modalities to perform, lighting up what is ordinary.
Artificial intelligence offers a solution to #RETREAT perspective too (scenario 2): Triton2, giving indications to swimmers while they practice in order to improve their performance, reduces the involvement required by integrating coaches’ suggestions. Besides, Baidu #DARES (scenario 3) with his AI system, able to clone human voice in less than 4 seconds, setting the limits a bit further. And #AI can be intended as a solution to #REJECT (scenario 4) the beauty standards imposed by society, as people, thanks to an Adobe research project in collaboration with scientists from UC Berkeley, will be able to detect edited media and discover if a picture was manipulated using Photoshop.
QUESTION #2 Are we ready to fall in love with our tech assistant?
How much are we willing to delegate to technology?
A report released in May 2019 by #McKinsey&Company, outlines a future based on electric, shared, autonomous and more connected vehicles. However, the point of view of #JeffreySchnapp, invited to talk to MUDEC in Milan, on June 11th at 7:30 pm, as part of the #Meet theMediaGuru around Mobility project, moves in the opposite direction of the latest technological trends. In fact, he sustains that future mobility needs to be based on walking, the fundamental and essential form of human mobility. Technology should provide just an help in this direction, to amplify this activity especially in the cities. Which option is going to be the solution to enlight #DARK times?
QUESTION #1 Do we want to be forever connected?
If you are among the ever-growing number of people who don’t want to stay forever connected, these smartphones can be a good solution. Substituting your smartphone with a feature phone, can be the way to limit the time spent online, that in the last two years reached two hours a day. With an autonomy from two to three days, these phones offer only the possibility to call and send text messages.
Different designs and functionalities, from the Battery-less phone that collects energy through antennas able to capture radio signals, to the Light phone, designed to be used the least possible, they are all conceived for people looking for a balance.
The fast development of this market proves an ever-growing need for people to get disconnected, to #REJECT the techno stress coming from the constant use of smartphones.
The Future is a Poetic Challenge.
Georges Amar, engineer and professor of design and innovation at the Ecole de Mines ParisTech, former director of research and development of the Parisian public transport company Rapt, and author of the book Homo Mobilis, came to speak about the future of mobility at the Leonardo da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology in Milan as a part of the #MeettheMediaGuru lecture series. He claimed that we are now leaving the era of “fixed life” and entering the era of “mobile life”, calling it a major paradigm shift and a revolution of space and time. “Mobility is becoming a way of life” he said.
#Meet #babatrendmonitor #mobility #future
OUT OF THE #DARK!
On Feb 5th at Accenture Innovation Center in Milan, Giulia Ceriani has introduced the main findings from our international trend watching Forecast 2019-20 (12 countries worldwide monitored, 9 market categories). This year’s leading theme is #DARK!: we have identified 8 main trends for a brave new world which is not yet in focus, and requires concentration and ability to rule the consequences of the upcoming future.
To know more about baba’s scenarios and research activity: baba@babaconsulting.com
To have a flair of 2019-20 #DARK! trends follow this link
#DARK! TREND MONITOR® 2019-20 FEB 5TH, 2019 PRESENTATION
On Feb. 5th, in Milan, we are going to present the Trend Monitor® Forecast edition 2019-20!
The presentation will be @Accenture-ACIN piazza Gae Aulenti 8, Milan, at 5 pm.
Speakers: Giulia Ceriani (CEO baba), Alessandro Diana (Accenture Interactive Lead Italy, Central Europe, Greece), Maria Mazzone (CPG e Retail Lead di ACIN Milano).
For info and registration (mandatory):baba@babaconsulting.com
We will introduce the main findings from our international trendwatching (12 countries worldwide monitored, 9 market categories), in order to help your brand to face up #DARK! times.
Stay tuned and be ready to face the #DARK!
#DARK #forecast #TrendMonitor #babaTrendMonitor #babaConsulting #trendresearch #anticipation #innovation #future #GiuliaCeriani #Milanoevents
WILL #DARK! BE AN OPPORTUNITY?
We live in #DARK times.
A messy turnover that makes difficult to trace a line between risks and challenges, urging us to wonder on what will be next in our society and how to get the best from it.
Our tool to divine is not a crystal ball, but an advised market research approach aimed to prevent and orientate.
Anticipation is a key lever for future proof brand’s achievements.
baba is going to discuss these issues, and the main consequences of future orientations, in the Trend Monitor® 2019-2020 Forecast report.
Power, indulgence, exception and mechanized are just some of the keywords of the next year’s trends, that will drive the market and our research job consequently.
Stay tuned and prepare to face the #DARK!
NOV. 22nd 2018 – TRANSMEDIA BRAND FICTION: A SUCCESSFUL STORY
What have in common Spiderman, an alien and Mickey Mouse?
Saying that all of them move on JSM’s rhythm is a too-much-simple answer, but that’s a start point!
On Nov. 22nd baba CEO’s Giulia Ceriani will take a lecture on Transmedia brand fiction, analyzing and explaining how a brand’s multi-channel communication can be strongly built on narrative junctions: their clever connection through different shapes and media could certainly help to reach awareness, longevity and intensity, and moreover can be observed and studied to strategically anticipate the subsequent brand’s moves.
As you have already understand the speech will be supported by examples taken from the 2017-18 TIM adv campaigns, with a semiotic and expert eye on them.
The talk takes its place within the workshop “Transmedia Branding. Narrazione, esperienza, engagement” by DISPOC, Siena Univerisity.
The appointment is settled at Siena University, Dipartimento di Scienze Sociali, Politiche, Cognitive – via Roma 56.
See you on Thursday, Nov. 22nd, 11.30 a.m!
Meanwhile… let’s have Just Some Motion!
TREND MONITOR® 