Trend Taster: Jell-O furniture edition
In this week’s edition of the Trend Taster, we round up the snackable trends, stats and insights from around the world, including:
Are you ready for this jelly?
Gen Z Snapchat shoppers
AI tarot readings
Honeycomb bricks to cool homes
Revolutionizing emergency call tech
Are you ready for this jelly?
Attention '90s kids: Jell-O is bringing back the jiggly fun with its new Jelly Collection, a line of inflatable furniture inspired by iconic Jell-O moulds. This playful and bold furniture comes in four colours—red, yellow, green, and orange—each representing a classic Jell-O flavour. Perfect for adding a touch of whimsy to your home or dorm, these chairs are available on Amazon for a limited time at $30.
Gen Z Snapchat shoppers
A new EMARKETER reveals a significant shift in consumer behaviour, with creator-driven shopping on the rise across all social platforms. Gen Z leads this trend, with 82% reporting purchases influenced by creators. Surprisingly, Snapchat outperforms TikTok and Instagram in driving creator-inspired sales: 86% of social shoppers saying Snapchat content led them to make a purchase. This emerging pattern highlights the growing impact of influencer marketing, particularly on younger demographics.
AI tarot readings
AI tarot readings are emerging as a popular trend on social media, with users turning to virtual fortune tellers and tarot chatbots for insights into love, finances, and self-improvement. Platforms like TikTok are flooded with AI-generated mystics offering "life-changing" predictions, reflecting the rise of nu-spiritual practices in the digital space. While this tech-driven spirituality offers convenience and creativity, users should stay mindful of potential biases and scams.
Honeycomb bricks to cool homes
Brikoole, a new passive cooling system that integrates directly into building walls, offers an energy-efficient alternative to air conditioning. Inspired by termite mounds and traditional windcatchers, it cools air through ventilation holes, a honeycomb mesh, and a water system, reducing indoor temperatures by up to 6°C. With climate concerns on the rise, innovations like this, designed by two Malaysian students, could play a crucial role in reducing energy use and carbon emissions.
Revolutionizing emergency call tech
Prepared, an AI-powered platform, is revolutionizing emergency calls by providing dispatchers with real-time GPS locations, text and image support, and even video calls. With over 5,500 emergency call centres in the U.S., many still rely on outdated landline technology and struggle to locate callers, this technology aims to reduce response times and save lives. The company has raised $27 million in a Series B round led by Andreessen Horowitz. The company plans to use the funding from their Series B round to further develop their technology and expand their reach.
