 |
|
|
|||||
A Los Angeles-based startup is bringing an unexpected twist to the fertility industry with a social impact model typically seen in consumer goods. Cofertility's Split program allows women to freeze their eggs for free when they donate half of the retrieved eggs to families who cannot otherwise conceive. This innovative approach transforms the traditional egg donation process, which has historically been criticized for commodifying women's bodies and reproductive capabilities.For people who want to preserve all of their eggs for their own use, the company also offers a 'Keep' program at a cost, while still providing community access and preferential storage rates. Cofertility recently secured Series A funding of USD 7.25 million. The capital will fuel expansion of Cofertility's proprietary platform, which handles everything from matching donors with recipients to managing the complex fertility journeys of its members.TREND BITEWith the average age of first-time mothers continuing to climb in developed countries, demand is growing for life-stage flexibility and reproductive agency. Meanwhile, healthcare is evolving from transactional to relational. Today's consumers especially Millennials and Gen Z increasingly expect healthcare solutions to reflect their values.Cofertility is tapping into those broader cultural shifts by moving fertility from a medicalized, often opaque and costly journey, to something more values-driven, community-oriented and transparent. Through no-cost options via the Split model, it democratizes access to egg freezing historically an expensive and exclusive option while building an emotionally powerful value exchange around helping others. The platform isn't just about eggs it's about empowerment, equity and agency.
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
In larger than life projections on Shanghai's SuHe Haus building, Night Bloom reimagines climate narratives through Chinese Sign Language and Visual Vernacular (the latter is a sign-based storytelling method using expressive movement). The one-off performance, which took place on 29 March 2025, featured three deaf dancers portraying a blend of climate themes and deaf expression. Sudden storms and wilting plants represented exclusion, for example, while flourishing gardens symbolized hope and renewal. The art piece was co-created by British artist Cathy Mager and Shanghai deaf performer Hu Xiaoshu, and developed through a yearlong collaboration between deaf communities in China and the UK.Reaching beyond artistic expression, Night Bloom highlights how deaf communities are navigating both the climate crisis and communication barriers. During extreme weather events, for example, deaf individuals often receive warnings too late due to the absence of sign language alerts. The project also questions whose voices are heard in climate discourse research shows that marginalized communities, including people with disabilities, are disproportionately impacted by climate change, yet are often not afforded a say in the decision-making that directly affects them. Night Bloom aims to highlight these challenges while raising awareness of sign language as a critical tool in climate communication.Bringing art into public spaces isnt new. But Night Bloom leverages eye-catching aesthetics to surface a powerful message and spark conversations. What urgent message does your brand need to communicate? And could a familiar format deliver it in an unexpected, impactful way?
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
A troubling trend has emerged on clothing resale platforms like Vinted: women who post photos of themselves wearing items see better sales but risk harassment and having their images posted on misogynist forums. Vienna-based startup Minimist aims to tackle the issue with generative AI.As reported by Brutkasten, Minimist is developing a tool that lets sellers showcase clothing on realistic AI-generated models instead of their own bodies. After uploading an image of the item, users receive a professionally rendered photo featuring a lifelike avatar preserving anonymity while maintaining visual appeal.The feature will be part of a broader suite of recommerce tools aimed at streamlining clothing resale. Initially targeting consignment, vintage and second-hand stores, Minimist is currently testing automatic background removal and lighting enhancements to help sellers produce polished, high-quality product photos.
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
Global sports brand PUMA is elevating the early morning run from a personal habit to a communal adventure with its new 5 AM High Drops activation. Launching in Boston, Tokyo, London, Mexico City and other major cities through April and May, the campaign rewards dedicated dawn runners by leaving free pairs of the latest PUMA running shoes at elevated locations along city streets.The initiative transforms the solitary ritual of pre-dawn running into a gamified, social experience. Participants need to check PUMA's local Instagram channels at 5 AM to discover the secret "high drop" locations, then be among the first to reach those spots to claim their prize: a pair of Deviate NITRO 3 or Forever Run shoes. The scavenger hunt element turns routine runs into micro-adventures, and those crack-of-dawn drops make for highly shareable moments: story and badge of honor rolled into one.PUMA's customers aren't just buying products; they're seeking peak experiences and moments of self-transcendence in everyday life. By celebrating those who "re-arrange their lives to chase the runner's high," PUMA aligns with that desire and with a fast-growing cohort of people who view physical exercise as foundational to their identity and emotional resilience.
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
California-based startup Sparq aims to radically change how drivers interact with their vehicles. Its flagship product is a compact device that plugs into a car's OBD-II port, typically located near the driver's seat. Like existing OBD-II scanners, it retrieves a range of diagnostic data points. But while most of those tools cater to gearheads, Sparq makes a vehicle's data easy for anyone to understand and act on.After debuting at the Los Angeles Auto Show in late 2024, Sparq expanded its capabilities in March 2025 to include full conversational AI support. Through an app, drivers can now communicate with their vehicles using voice commands, text, images and even recordings of troubling sounds. The app generates a general health score for the car and offers cost estimates if repairs are needed.The technology addresses a core imbalance in automotive care: most drivers lack access to or fluency in technical information related to their cars. Sparq translates complex diagnostics into plain English, transforming how consumers interact with software-heavy vehicles. Its 'Timelapse' feature compiles a car's complete service history with predictive maintenance prompts, while 'Glovebox' digitizes ownership documents and links them to specific issues.Sparq's approach illustrates how AI can serve as an equalizing force, providing transparency in markets where information asymmetry historically disadvantaged consumers. For brands across sectors, it's a cue to build tools that move expertise out of silos and into users' hands.
Category:
Marketing and Advertising