The commodification of ‘hygge’ – a Danish concept that refers a sense of cosiness and contentment – is enabling people to easily acquire items that contribute to their domestic delight. 

, for instance, is a subscription service that delivers themed packages each month designed to destress Brits. Yet while receiving a chocolate hedgehog or woollen throw may provide a fleeting moment of bliss, this kind of consumerism isn’t sustainable.

Enter ‘lagom’, a Swedish way of living that emphasises taking only what you need from the planet without sacrificing the things you love. IKEA is hoping to pioneer this lifestyle in the UK through its 

 project, which offers participants a £500 voucher to spend on goods that will help them live sustainably, as well as advice on how to be more eco-friendly.

Of course, once people have everything they need to be snug at home, they don’t want to have to leave for anything. Thankfully, digital services available via phones, laptops and TVs mean they don’t have to. Between 

 on streaming services, it’s never been easier to bunker down for an entire weekend, never seeing another human being.

Denmark is commodifying and exporting 'hygge', an untranslatable concept that’s roughly understood as a sense of cosiness and contentment. With mental health issues on the rise worldwide, monthly subscription box HyggeBox is aiming to bring this sense of calm to stressed out Brits.

HyggeBox: packaged cosiness for stressed out Brits

The Danish concept of hygge was everywhere in 2016, but 2017 looks set to be defined by ‘lagom’ – a Swedish way of living that revolves around only taking what you need. IKEA is introducing Brits to this idea through Live Lagom, a project that encourages a more sustainable lifestyle at home.

IKEA Live Lagom: teaching Brits to live sustainably

Unilever has unveiled Wonder Wash, a product aimed at providing a better, quicker clean for the growing share of people doing quick-cycle washes. Many people are doing more frequent laundry with smaller loads and are looking for innovation to facilitate quicker cleaning.

Unilever develops detergent for quick washes

With Australian society having a hot-and-cold relationship with sexuality, The Hook Up podcast dares to discuss elements of modern romance and sex as it is truly experienced by Australian Gen Zers and the growing LGBTQ+ community in the country looking for a safe digital space.

Why The Hook Up unfilters sex talk for Aussie Gen Z

Economic challenges, marketing saturation, changing relationship patterns, and the move towards digital interaction have diminished the vibrancy and engagement usually associated with Valentine’s Day and White Day – one example of Korean and Japanese people’s fatigue surrounding ‘Day’ marketing.

Does the decline of White Day prove people are getting tired of ‘Day’ marketing?

With their formative years hindered by pandemic lockdowns, it’s no wonder why Gen Alphas found comfort in online communities. On the gaming platform Roblox, Southeast Asian Gen Alphas advocate for their beliefs – from politics to religion – in a way no other generation has before.

Why Roblox became Southeast Asian Gen Alphas’ social podium

Furniture company Dowel Jones champions Australian-made furniture and embraces authenticity amid new market dynamics. The brand’s pillars of durability, timeless design, and emotional resonance effectively negotiate what it means to do functional design in the modern day.

How Dowel Jones puts fun in functional Aussie furniture

Research suggests that Gen Zers are becoming less active during a critical, habit-forming period of their lives. While many Zers are more health-conscious than other generations were at their age, there remains an opportunity to support young people’s mental health by improving access to exercise.

Gen Z activity levels prompt mental health concerns

Disillusioned with the state of the housing market, Gen Yers are giving up on their goals of homeownership and focusing on making their rentals their own with renovations. This is a signal of changing attitudes towards major life milestones and the troubling economic state of play.

Gen Yers are renovating rentals instead of buying homes

As Gen Zers and Yers come to terms with not having it like their parents did, they're turning to crypto and 'financial hacks' to make things work. Amid a decline in trust in traditional financial institutions, brands have an opportunity to help young adults manage their finances in new ways.

Gen Z and Y are trying to hack home ownership

Once aspirational and teeming with tenants, Japanese complexes on the outskirts of cities are now being abandoned – except by the elderly and the recluse. To usher in new life and youth in these areas, Muji started a renovation project that upgrades yet preserves these heritage neighbourhoods.

How Muji helps battle loneliness among Japanese tenants

A new, globally connected generation is shaking up the ways in which they celebrate Holy Week, with travel becoming a central tenant of how people mark their faith. As Filipinos balance the secular and the sacred, what do new rituals tell us about the future of travel during religious holidays?

What's driving new travel rituals around religious holidays?

Technology is becoming increasingly central to interior design, yet while flashy gadgets used to be spotlit within kitchens and living rooms, many people are looking for less intrusive integrations. How can brands tap into the sometimes conflicting desires for simplicity, style, and functionality?

How is home tech blending into the world of interiors?

Dazed and IKEA have partnered on a collaborative zine that delves into the meaning of home for young people. The zine will be exclusively launched at Milan Design Week, showcasing the importance of relatable and authentic depictions of homeownership amid housing market challenges.

Dazed and IKEA court young homebuyers 

As Gen Zers turn away from dating apps, Hinge has released an ad aiming to recapture their hearts with a lighthearted way of championing the app's success in building lasting matches. Another iteration of its ‘Designed to be Deleted’ campaign, the ad taps a growing desire for meaningful connections.

Hinge ad levels up its 'designed to be deleted' position

Adult sleepovers are on the rise as a popular way for friends to bond and relax in a safe and comforting environment. The trend taps into kidulting behaviours, as people increasingly seek out nostalgic activities that feel nurturing and safe amid the chaos of everyday life.

Adult sleepovers signal interest in mindful socialisation

A survey has found that adults in the US are struggling to stay afloat, with the majority of adults living paycheck to paycheck. As inflation continues to threaten financial security, people are searching for brands and products that can provide holistic solutions and financial education.

Ongoing inflation impact is entrenching financial stress

Conversations around toxic masculinity are influencing every element of social life, and classroom culture is no different. The topic of how to support positive masculinity became a central talking point during the annual NEU conference, highlighting the complex challenges facing today's teachers.

Teachers deal with positive masculinity vs the manosphere

China’s young people are abandoning their retirement plans as low pay and a difficult labour market hurt their future prospects. Gen Zers and Yers are looking for financial support and education as their optimism dissipates and an uncertain and potentially difficult future looms.

Disillusioned Chinese Gen Zers abandon retirement plans

Burger King is celebrating its 70th birthday. To mark its seventh decade of flame-grilled success, the company has released an ad campaign challenging ageist stigmas. As ageing changes, campaigns that address stereotypes in fresh ways are landing with older audiences that want new, true narratives. 

Burger King busts taboos to celebrate its 70 fiery years

In an ageing country with fewer kids per capita than ever, South Korean adults are willing to spend money on the kids that do exist in their lives, driving a booming childrenswear industry. What’s shaping Gen Alpha’s fashion choices in their formative years, and what should brands watch out for?

Why are so many South Korean Gen Alphas wearing luxury clothes?

Praised as an edgy blend of Jack Ryan and Girls, spy dramedy Mr. and Mrs. Smith reinvents the aughts-era Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt film by highlighting Gen Y relationship anxieties. Its success speaks to younger generations' hunger for bold and subversive storytelling.




Mr. and Mrs. Smith spotlights Gen Y malaise

Ongoing financial pressure is putting strain on Britons’ love lives, with dating, divorce, and even staying single becoming more expensive, and the future they imagined looking different with their budgets. How can brands support people in their romantic lives during the cost-of-living crisis?

How is financial strain affecting Britons’ love lives?

Japanese fitness group Sogo Fitness has exploded in popularity, attracting a young clientele by blurring the lines between group workouts and social clubs. People are looking to make connections where they build healthy habits, and group fitness is becoming a go-to social activity for many.

Sogo Fitness offers socialisation for healthy Japanese

Faced with rising living costs and changing views on monogamy, people are ripping up the wedding rulebook and redefining what it means to get married. What other factors are impacting people’s attitudes toward weddings? And what can brands learn from this shift in celebrating milestones as a whole?

How are attitudes to marriage and weddings changing?

Why are China’s youth giving up their hard-earned credentials to become ‘full-time children?’ How did rest become an act of rebellion? How has the pandemic affected shopping habits in China? This Cultural Snapshot uses local stats to explore the behavioural norms shared by people in China in 2024.

A Cultural Snapshot of China: 2024

Pet wellness is becoming increasingly popular as our canine companions become family members to their pet parents. Human-grade dog skincare brand Floof is at the forefront of this fast-growing industry, helping pet parents improve the overall health and wellbeing of their fluffy friends.

How Floof puts wellness first for Gen Y pet parents

Offering an alternative to those escaping hook-up culture, Hinge succeeds by prioritizing meaningful and consistent connections. The app holds loyal users through conversation-stirring prompts, helpful filters, and an anti-swipe algorithm that urges conscious intention over temporary validation.

How Hinge captures the hearts of long-term daters

In 2021, IKEA opened its largest branch in the world, right in the heart of Metro Manila. Despite reeling from the effects of the pandemic, its successful run is a masterclass in how brands can capture the tastes of the minimalist, sustainability-minded Filipino homeowner.

How IKEA designs curated spaces for Filipino minimalists

The number of millionaires and billionaires is rising in Southeast Asia, marking the region as a centre for wealth creation and economic boom for locals and international visitors alike. What trends and behaviours are unfolding with the influx into this new high-earning market?

Why are HNWIs flocking to Southeast Asia?

Baby registry site Babylist has launched a wish list function for children’s birthdays and holidays that parents can send to friends and family. By helping parents simplify their kid’s presents and their shopping lists, the brand offers a clever way of keeping people in its ecosystem for longer.

How Babylist’s Wishlist helps parents get organized

Urban youth in Vietnam are feeling increasingly disillusioned by the promise of social mobility due to a housing crisis and the effects of ‘flex’ culture, leading them to redefine their adulthood. What does this mean for brands looking to engage with Vietnamese Gen Zers?

Why adulthood looks different for Vietnamese Gen Zers

Chinese personal care brand Hi!Papa has gained success by filling a vacuum in the market between all-in-one infant/baby products and teen/adult skincare and cosmetics. How did it tap into the broader kids’ skincare and cosmetics trend, and what can brands learn from this?

How Hi!Papa invites Chinese kids into playful skincare

A survey has found that Americans want authentic depictions of work and family in TV shows and movies. Amid the rising inflation and cost of living, people are connecting with honest on-screen portrayals, creating an opportunity for brands to provide positive representations in mainstream media.

US adults want work-life balance depicted on screen

As young Muslims in Southeast Asia adopt growingly religious lifestyles, online dating platforms that cater to Islamic teachings are gaining traction. The platforms differ in various ways from conventional dating apps, as many expect marriage out of them, also known as the ‘taaruf’ process.

Why Muslim Southeast Asians are turning to halal matchmaking apps

Sexual wellness has entered the mainstream, making lovers refocus on self-care, health, and sensuality. With vibrators and lube being stocked in Boots, Sephora, and even John Lewis, the commercial success of this approach is clear – but how exactly did it happen, and how can brands capitalise?

Sexual healing: how wellness took over the bedroom

The 2024 Generational Snapshot of Generation Y in the Asia-Pacific region explores how a move towards purposeful living and stable life has Gen Ys spending with more intention, taking care of their health and overall wellness, and enjoying the freedom that comes with not having children.

2024 APAC Gen Y Snapshot

The birth rate in South Korea is at an all-time low, but the quality of private ‘sanhujoriwon’ (postpartum care facilities) has never been higher. What is driving the emergence of these ‘boutique’ centres in the East Asian country, and what can it tell us about broader wellness trends?

Mothers are getting luxe treatment under Korean custom

No country anywhere in the world offers women the same career opportunities as men, according to a new report from the World Bank, which accounts for the impact of childcare on the labour market. Women are looking for employers to acknowledge and account for gender-specific issues in the workplace.

World Bank report signals need for more maternity leave

'Climate grannies' are emerging as activist leaders in environmental spaces, offering guidance and experience in direct political action. Armed with free time and income, Boomers are increasingly becoming an activist generation, looking to provide leadership to their young counterparts.

'Climate grannies' signal politically active retirements

Facing turbulent economic times, many couples are navigating new terrain when it comes to spending and saving. Canvas8 spoke to Scott Rick, a marketing professor at the University of Michigan, about how people can better handle their finances without risking their relationships.

Scott Rick on the future of finances in relationships

More and more Gen Alpha gamers in Southeast Asia are finding support and community via online games, creating multiple opportunities for brands looking to join the fun. Savvy marketers have begun partnering with popular Twitcher streamers and YouTubers, tapping into the gaming community's idols.

Why games are the new social media for Southeast Asian Gen Alpha

DTC razor brand Billie has launched a campaign celebrating 'unexpected reasons to shave' – looking to reframe shaving body hair as a choice rather than an obligation. As norms around women's body hair change, many are reevaluating the positives and negatives of their relationship with shaving.

Billie's 'reasons to shave' reframes shaving as a joy

Single-person households are on the rise around the world. But what are the unique emotional and practical needs of those who live alone compared to those who live with friends, family, or strangers? And how can brands best speak to this emerging yet significant minority?

How is the rise of solo living influencing interiors?

Step aside The Sims; there's a new life simulator in town. Paralives might seem lighthearted on the surface, but deeper inspection reveals how the game offers a sense of agency that can help players navigate milestone anxiety, providing them with a much-needed escape from reality.

Paralives enables players to play out their ideal lives

Minimalist styles dominate the global furniture market, led by Swedish brand IKEA, which Japanese brand Nitori wants to challenge. In their current battleground, Southeast Asia, Nitori attempts to get ahead by tapping into locals’ preferences for more practical and convenient living.

Why Nitori builds utilitarian spaces for SEA homemakers

Post-pandemic, people have re-evaluated their romantic relationships and many are turning to ethical non-monogamy (ENM), especially Gen Zers and Yers. As open relationships challenge preconceived notions of love, how can brands in the sex, love, and dating game create safe spaces for polys to play?

How ethical non-monogamy is redefining romance

A report has found that teachers across the US are staying away from political and social topics because they fear parental reprisals. As more restrictive legislation begins to affect classrooms across the country, teachers are trying to avoid conscription to the culture war. 

US teachers self-censor in response to political issues

After opening up to foreign workers to address an ageing population, a record number of foreign employees have entered Japan. However, there's a significant lack of regular interactions between Japanese citizens and foreigners, causing social friction and further polarising society.

Japanese locals and foreigners are living divided lives

Home Buddies, the Facebook group-turned-company reshaping Filipino homes, has mastered the art of organising communities online. The mammoth user-led group has become a safe space for Filipino home enthusiasts to share their living spaces, home design tips, and shopping recommendations.

How Homes Buddies gathers a village of home designers

British adults who are providing support to their parents, children, and even grandchildren are in a precarious spot as the cost of living crisis places strain on their finances. How are members of Gen X coping in their role as multigenerational financial anchors, and how can brands help them out?

How is the cost of living crisis impacting Gen Xers?

Gen Yers may feel like they’re redefining what it means to be in one’s 30s and 40s, but are their youthful appearances and attitudes solely a result of consciously avoiding traditional ageing? Or have economic structures made the typical markers of adulthood a financial impossibility?

How economic woes led to an extended youth for Gen Y

Mondial's Deep Sea Funeral features an eco-friendly urn that sinks to the ocean floor before dissolving and a virtual grave marker to pinpoint the 'burial' site. The service provides a poignant goodbye and enables people to stick to their eco values by reimagining rituals around death.

Deep Sea Funeral offers a eco-farewell in Japan's oceans

EasyPaisa has launched a service that helps Pakistani women understand the Nikahnama – the Islamic marriage contract. Through the 'Audio Nikahnama' option in its mobile banking app, EasyPaisa attempts to bridge a knowledge gap and respond to the demand for tech empowering marginalized communities.

EasyPaisa unpacks marriage contracts for Pakistani women

Older Chinese individuals are breaking away from traditional norms and exploring the tender world of modern dating. Their quest for companionship is marked by an openness to building relationships, increasingly facilitated by digital platforms like dating apps and livestreaming channels.

How China’s older adults navigate the world of modern love

A village south of Paris has banned the use of mobile phones in public areas, citing a need to raise more awareness about the adverse effects of screens on our lives. In this context, brands have an opportunity to help educate but also provide light-hearted commentary to ease anxieties.

French village bans use of mobile phones in public

The market for engagement rings for men is booming as people look to more expansive models of masculinity. This trend speaks to a wider challenge to the traditionally gendered roles assigned within heterosexual partnerships, as well as eroding expectations of rigidly masculine style choices.

The sales of men-focused engagement rings are booming

A mass exodus is underway in Nigeria as young people and those within the tech and creative fields attempt to escape an array of political, security, and economic problems at home. What exactly is driving the ‘japa’ phenomenon, and can anything be done to address the motivations of these emigrants?

How the Japa phenomenon hurt Nigeria’s creative capital

Retirement specialist Just Group has published research showing that some Gen Xers are spending the equivalent of a full state pension on care for elderly relatives. With Gen X stressed by financial support from older and younger generations, there are opportunities to help them feel supported.

Gen Xers stretched by care costs for relatives

A study has revealed the increased use of AI in online dating for more optimized profiles and messages. It suggests an emerging tension between people wanting this help for themselves but fearing overly artificial connections, mirroring the broader AI dating discourse online.

AI generates distrust in the online dating world

China’s top developers face scorn from the nation as they file for corporate default, leaving homeowners-to-be far from the promised land. As the Chinese youth are caught between a housing crisis and long-standing expectations of home ownership, they have resorted to living in ‘refined poverty.’

Young Chinese people resort to ‘refined poverty’ amid housing crisis

Bearing a rising cost of living and the financial burdens of their parents and children, Indonesians are now managing their finances at much younger ages. As they brace themselves for this double whammy, Gen Z-focused app Whiz aims to empower them – one less lonely financial journey at a time.

How Whiz helps young Indonesians bond with family and finance

The Instagram page Real Housewives of Clapton serves as both a satirical commentary and a cultural barometer of the UK’s creative class. In a time where social cohesion is strained, and markers of adulthood are shifting, how can hyper-localised meme pages help build a sense of community?

How RHOC captures East London’s creative class

A survey has found that South Korean society is becoming more polarised as people increasingly only communicate with those who hold similar views. With concerns rising over possible consequences, healthy discourse needs to be fostered to help bridge these gaps.

Echo chambers deepen ideological division in South Korea

A report published by The Commonwealth Bank of Australia highlights generational differences in wealth, with Boomers remaining financially secure amid inflation due to homeownership, reduced spending, and government support. This is in contrast to Gen Yers, who appear worse off post-pandemic.

Australian Boomers insulated from financial hardship

BeReal once dominated the charts of app stores in 2022, but its glory days are ending in the western parts of the world. Meanwhile, the platform has rebirthed itself in Japan, captivating young Gen Z users thanks to the respite it offers against the norms of its society.

How BeReal relieves Japanese Gen Zers from social curation

Blending the warmth and cosiness of a home with an upscale dining experience, supper clubs give home chefs a chance to test the waters and kickstart their careers. By providing Indians a platform to forge meaningful connections, they nurture camaraderie and belonging in a heavily digitised India.

How supper clubs are birthing a new genre of cosy restaurants in India

Home and Relationships

The ‘fear out missing out’ has been replaced by the ‘joy of missing out’ for many people, with 80% of Americans claiming they’ve lied to avoid leaving the house, and 72% of teens and Gen Yers saying they’d prefer to stay in on a Saturday night. While some are looking to cut their spending or enjoy a little ‘me-time’, others are embracing the simple pleasures of home – scented candles, soft blankets and Netflix binges among them.