04 October 2023

Hi folks,

Wally the emotional support alligator tried to score big at a Philly baseball stadium this week, but they threw him a curveball and denied him entry. The world can be a tough place for a baseball-loving gator. 

Scroll down to read about charge rage, stressed states, and big billboards.

Stats to power your week

📈 The number of Americans who report tracking their spending (+22%), screen time (+20%), and exercise (+11%) have all climbed in the last two years. Americans seem to be especially focused on their goals right now, perhaps as a reaction to events over the past few years – or maybe Covid has normalized tracking apps. GWI USA

🖼️ AI-generated art can be a controversial topic, but it may be accepted in some places more than others. 43% of game buyers in the UK say AI tools can produce “real” art, compared to 26% of book buyers. An AI-created cover might work for the next Call of Duty, but probably not for the next Sally Rooney. GWI Zeitgeist

🤳 The number of EV owners has grown 83% since 2021, but infrastructure is now struggling to keep up. Limited charging points are causing “charge rage” at UK motorway services, while the cost of repairs is driving up insurance premiums.  GWI Core

🥐 So it seems the way to an employee’s heart is through their stomach. The office perk most likely to lead to job satisfaction is free food, just above free social events. Be careful though, a potluck gone terribly wrong is not the way to go. GWI Work 

🏈 Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce might one day be regarded as one of the all-time great crossovers, introducing Swifties to football and vice versa. For now only 4% of female Gen Z and millennials follow the Kansas City Chiefs, but trust us, we’ll be keeping an eye on this number… GWI USA

What’s on our radar

Things are moving fast for ChatGPT. OpenAI has confirmed that the chatbot can now access up-to-date information and it’s also rolling out the ability to see images. Applications of these new features have been both entertaining and useful. 

A new study has found that people who work from home are actually helping the planet and there are environmental benefits to working from home. In the ongoing debate about the future of work, this is a part of the conversation to watch. 

Proust would be proud – the nostalgia trend has entered the world of fragrances. Millennials and Gen Z are going after old and cheap perfume, with Y2K and 90s fragrances having a moment in particular. 

NFTs may still end up being a good way for brands to activate loyalty programs – as Louis Vuitton is doing with its latest moves on Discord.

Virtual influencers have been heralded as the future ever since Lil Miquela burst onto the scene, but recent campaigns in China suggest some momentum in the area. A few postcodes over in cyberspace, Lex Friedman interviewed Mark Zuckerberg in one of the most impressive metaverse tech demos yet.

Lex is also one of the podcasters trialing new AI tech allowing his words to be translated into different languages, with the potential to drastically increase his global reach. But will people prefer the machine voices or MrBeast-style dubbing?

Latest addition to the Shein haul: a luxury purse? Known for selling budget-friendly and unbranded apparel, the retailer appears to have ventured into the high-end market.

Chart of the week

Stress is growing in the USA, with the number who’ve experienced it in the last 12 months growing 29% in the last three years. There’s likely a number of factors at play, with people still adjusting to their post-pandemic lives and coming to terms with what they lost.

As for the most stressed state of all, that honor goes to Iowa. Clearly it’s not just the politicians who get worked up during caucus season.

Local lowdown

Nigeria’s billboards

Over half of Nigerian consumers discover brands through billboards and/or posters, putting them ahead of every other country in the world. And given the size of some of them, it’s little wonder. 

Not only does the country have the largest 3D digital billboard in Africa (larger than the display at Piccadilly in London), it also has the world’s largest billboard full stop, on the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos. 

The billboard, known as “OneiNFINITY”, had its first paid campaign earlier this year, with two companies adorning the front and back of a poster roughly the size of a 12-storey building.

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