As COVID-19 shut down inessential retail and entertainment venues across the UK, many people channelled their leisure time towards nature – and in varied ways. With lockdowns and social distancing set to persist into 2021, how can brands help facilitate connections with the natural world?

TikTok singalongs are usually associated with modern music, but old-timey sea shanties are taking the platform by storm under the hashtag #ShantyTok. The nautical trend caters to people’s desire for therapeutic cultural moments, letting users band together and flex their creative muscles.

The Office for National Statistics in the UK has uncovered evidence that Britons are, perhaps unsurprisingly, lonelier than they were in spring 2020. After months of lockdowns and social restrictions, brands that strive to keep people connected against all odds have become vital lifelines.

International tourism virtually ground to a halt in 2020, leaving countless would-be jet-setters stuck at home. Yet at the same time, many people took the chance to re-evaluate how and why they travel. Could sustainability concerns reshape the ways that Britons plan their holidays post-pandemic?