new.now.next | #7

your essential edit of what's shaping culture, brands, content & conversations this week

I’m excited about the curation of this weeks newsletter particularly some of the standout campaigns but also the up and coming trends in the next section - as always I love to hear from you so do keep reading and please tell me if there are any topics, thoughts or areas you’d like me to get into in upcoming editions. Ok, here we go…

new - discoveries

Sequins, Wellies & Burberry: A Love Letter to British Festivals

Obviously, I’m obsessed. I’ve been to Glastonbury eight times - it’s my most beloved, magical place. Burberry’s new campaign perfectly captures the essence of Glastonbury: hazy, hedonistic, grainy handheld campaign shots. Sequins and wellies. Check shirts tied around waists and mud - lots of mud. I’ve worn vintage Burberry at Worthy Farm, and this campaign gets it because it’s rooted in place, not just product. Cast with icons old and new (hello, Alexa Chung, the ultimate festival goer), it doesn’t just reference culture - it integrates into it. This is exactly what brand campaigns should do: play on connection in this case, it’s music and how it unites us. I only wish I were there this year, dancing in Shangri-La and watching the sunrise at Stone Circle with my friends.

Image: Alexa Chung for Burberry

Pride, A Little Less Colourful

Pride hasn’t disappeared this year - it just feels like it’s become a little more muted. After years of rainbow logos, it seems as though brands are shifting gears. Instead of loud declarations, we’re seeing more thoughtful gestures: J.Crew quietly collaborating with a floral artist, Vans teaming up with Queer Surf for a community-led capsule, and a general pullback from the big splashy statements that have defined corporate Pride in the past.

Media coverage is increasingly focused on why brands are stepping back, and whether that’s a sign of progress or retreat. I think it marks a move toward a less performative era of LGBTQ+ brand work. But let’s be clear: the answer isn’t just fewer rainbows, it’s more responsibility for brands.

There are still plenty of collections see here - but what I want to see is fewer limited-edition tees and more long-term allyship. Pride doesn’t need another tote bag. It needs action, investment, and activism and education.

Poetry Camera
A brand I love: Poetry Camera takes a photo of you and generates a poem instead of a picture using Claude AI. A sweet, screen-free pause with soul - and the kind of delight I’d love to see more AI brands playing with.

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now - what everyone is talking about

Taking cues from album rollouts

In a past Substack, I mentioned Bon Iver’s launch that came with a tin of salmon. Now, I’m hooked on how Lorde is doing it. Karma Bertelsen’s recent post on LinkedIn nailed it: the best album drops are starting to feel like brand campaigns.

Lorde’s latest rollout is all about pacing, visuals, and world-building. From strategic reveals to layered storytelling, it’s quietly brilliant. One detail I loved:

“Seed your narrative early, even if fans don't realise it yet.”

Lorde’s TikTok on 9 April showed her walking through Washington Square Park - just a moment, until it became the location for the surprise pop-up and video shoot weeks later. It was a carefully planted story, unfolding in real time.

LITERALLY - what’s in your bag?

I came across this on The Outlanders IG, and it’s SO cool. Coach’s site now lets you virtually test the size of bags by adding curated objects, from books to bananas, notebooks, even tech products. It’s playful and unexpectedly engaging.

Curious about the tech behind it, I asked Nick (my husband and the smartest front-end dev I know) how hard it would be for other brands to implement something similar. He said, “This is a great example of how you can be creative and impactful with user experience. It’s about a brand prioritising this over more direct sales-driven elements.” He added, “The creativity lies in using simple imagery in a way that resonates with what’s trending. Choosing a Mac over just any laptop is a subtle detail, but it elevates the experience and aligns with aspirational values.”

Product pages are often underutilised, but they’re prime real estate for creating a fun, interactive experience that keeps customers engaged.

(If you want to see more about what Coach have been up to lately I include the brand in this prev newsletter )

Image: from the Coach website - product pages

Birthdays & Anniversaries: No Longer Just Cake in the Office

There’s been a shift - brands are now celebrating their anniversaries with customers in a much more immersive way. I’m deep in this world myself, as we get ready to celebrate Papier turning 10 this summer. While I can’t reveal all our plans just yet, we’re using this milestone as an opportunity to drive brand love and community engagement for the rest of the year.

I love the way that Loewe marked 10 years of their iconic puzzle bag with a special Puzzle10 collection also includes re-editions of the most iconic Puzzles from the past decade, as well as a new edition celebrating the bag’s legacy. This capsule collection is a deep dive into the brand’s history, with editions inspired by the Arts & Crafts movement with William Morris and collaborations with the estates of Joe Brainard and Ken Price.

Then there’s Gaia Drinks, who recently invited customers to celebrate their 5th birthday with a two week mix of events and engagement, mirroring how Damson Madder celebrated their own 5th with similarly thoughtful brand activation for their birthday pop-up. The trend for celebrating anniversaries is growing, and I’m eager to dive deeper into when brand birthdays should- and shouldn’t - be celebrated.

Image: Loewe 10th Birthday of their Puzzle Bag

Clean and Clever: Enter The Dry Cleaner Pop up

Last week, I wrote about Merit’s pop-up dry cleaners for their Uniform campaign, and now Ouai has launched their own Dry Cleaners too. As I mentioned in my previous article, “They are embedding the product into a broader lifestyle story, making it both aspirational and essential.”

Both brands are stacking their product messaging into the pop-up theme, amplifying it across social media, partnerships, and PR efforts. It means that they not only showcase the product in a relevant, experiential way but also deepens the connection with their audience through an integrated approach. They also brought in their retail partners and launched the product first with Sephora on their app and then on their own site - a cool move to build excitement with their key stockist.

Image: The Ouai instagram

Next - shifts, predictions on the horizon

Hear Here: It’s All About Listening Lounges

Listening bars - intimate spaces designed for music exploration and exceptional curation - are having a moment. Originating in Japan in the 1920s, these spaces offer a place to truly experience music, away from the noise of nightclubs and into carefully curated, meditative environments. With a resurgence globally, listening bars (I imagine) will become a unique trend in brand activations.

Valentino recently recreated a listening bar in their Madison Avenue store. Yoto brought a family-friendly listening lounge to life at the Sydney Writers Festival with a zone created in their signature fruit punch orange, offering an immersive experience with their players for families.

And this is just the beginning - expect more audio-focused spaces to pop up as brands look to create deeper connections with their audiences through sound and storytelling. PS: Highly recommend Public Records if you’re in NY it’s the perfect spot for Sunday brunch.

Image: Public Records, Brooklyn

PS: Highly recommend Public Records if you’re in NY it’s the perfect spot for Sunday brunch.

The New Phone Holder: Quiet Design for Parents

Move over, Rhode lip gloss phone case - Tommee Tippee is redefining practicality with its StayPut Pocket, a sleek phone case attachment that keeps your baby’s soother clean and accessible, wherever life takes you. This is proof that a tech-free life isn’t always the goal; seamless integration is.

Designed in understated, minimal colours, the StayPut Pocket is part of a broader shift away from the brash, over-saturated family content of recent years. Parents no longer have to choose between functionality and aesthetics. For the chaotic mum who’s lost one too many pacifiers, this innovation feels like a true game-changer—showing that thoughtful design can meet real-life needs and make for a great PR moment, too.

Tommee Tippee has really been stepping up their game recently, and I suspect the results are partly thanks to their work with Good Culture Inc, a strategic yet creative agency.

Image: Tommee Tippee StayPut Pocket

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Other Things I’ve been consuming:

• This episode of Deerick Gee Radio with Jamie XX from the end of last year - I’ve never connected that a DJ set opens a window into the world of things that. I’m in my audio era.

• I’m obsessed with homemade granola - shout if you’d like me to send a photo of the recipe I’m using.

• Deiji Studios Cotton Sets

• HELP: I’m in a reading rut - any fiction recommendations greatly appreciated.