Trends & Artefacts: tokenmaxxing edition
In this week’s edition of Trends & Artefacts, we round up the snackable trends, stats and insights from around the world, including:
Jell-O Turns Stadium Noise Into Jiggles
Finnish Supermarkets Listed on Tripadvisor
Phone-Free Events Surge 567% Globally
Explainer: tokenmaxxing
Compact Cameras Outsell Supply in Japan
Jell-O Turns Stadium Noise Into Jiggles
Jell-O has built a crowd-energy meter for sports arenas. The JELL-OMETER uses plate-sensing technology to convert fan sound pressure into a visibly shaking mould of Jell-O, rated in "jiggles" from one to ten. Trialled at a New York hockey game, it is already heading to more stadiums. When a legacy food brand becomes a live data tool, what does that tell us about how brands stay culturally relevant?
Finnish Supermarkets Listed on Tripadvisor
A Finnish grocery chain has listed its stores on Tripadvisor, framing the weekly shop as a food tourism destination. Each K-Supermarket is run independently, stocking local honey, craft beers, and regional produce, with 50,000 to 60,000 lines sourced from small producers across the group. If a supermarket can become a travel experience, what does that say about where authenticity in tourism is heading?
Phone-Free Events Surge 567% Globally
Eventbrite data shows phone-free events grew 567% globally between 2024 and 2025, with the UK leading at 1,200% growth and attendance up 1,441%. Formats range from locked-pouch raves to silent reading nights, with 49% of Gen Z and Millennials saying they want live experiences to feel less curated. When opting out of visibility becomes the most sought-after feature of a night out, what does that mean for the experience economy?
Explainer: tokenmaxxing
Engineers at some tech firms are competing to consume the most AI tokens, treating volume as a proxy for productivity — a trend dubbed "tokenmaxxing." A Meta employee even built an internal leaderboard ranking colleagues by token use before taking it down two days later. When the metric becomes the goal, how do organisations distinguish between AI activity and AI value?
Compact Cameras Outsell Supply in Japan
Zoom-enabled compact cameras are topping Japan's best-seller charts, with several models sold out entirely. Sales data from Yodobashi suggests demand is outpacing what smartphones can offer, particularly for optical zoom and physical controls. When dedicated cameras sell out despite smartphone ubiquity, what does that signal about where people feel technology has stopped serving them? #trends
