Oatly’s marketing offer, Xiaomi’s car launch, The Beatles x AI and Unilever no longer on a mission

Oatly’s offer to big dairy

A life cycle assessment carried out by Oatly revealed its Barista Edition milk has a 44-76% lower impact on the environment when compared to cow’s milk.

By 2029, Oatly aims to reduce its climate footprint per litre of milk by 70%, and all production facilities will meet “future factory” criteria, putting sustainable and efficient practices at the forefront of its initiatives.

To highlight the work the brand is doing to lower its carbon footprint on several products in the US, it has launched ads appearing in the New York Times, LA Times, Washington Post and on billboards in Times Square and Hollywood. However, next to each Oatly ad will be a blank space, reserved for the dairy industry.

To redeem the free advertising, dairy brands need only visit a dedicated microsite, answer the same questions Oatly did to receive their climate certification and the brand will cover the cost of the ad slot.

It launches at a time when, despite Gen Z largely gravitating away from dairy, many brands are opting to shut down their plant-based ranges but is also a clever way for Oatly to showcase their re-commitment to non-dairy alternatives and how it can be sustainably farmed.

Unilever: Purpose is pointless

In 2019, under the stewardship of Alan Jope, Unilever embraced the purpose agenda with a requirement that all brands, from Knorr Stock Cubes to Marmite, should stand for something. It set the tone for a rush to purpose across the marketing sector – as others followed suit, citing evidence that consumers demanded that their relationship with brands went beyond the transactional. Consumers wanted their mayonnaise, for example, to align with their values. 

Fast forward four years, and Jope has been deposed by unhappy shareholders who grumbled he took his eye off the ball, depressing their returns in the process. And in his place is new CEO Hein Schumacher, who is seemingly putting profit before purpose. 

He said that for some brands, at least, a social mission “simply won’t be relevant, or it will be an unwelcome distraction.” Adding: “I believe that social and environmental purpose is not something we should force fit on every brand.”

Have we hit peak purpose? There is no doubt that a correction is taking place. Several factors like economic and political uncertainty, consumer cynicism and reputational risk are conspiring to concentrate minds.

If Unilever truly believes in saving the planet in some way, it should focus its collective mind internally on positive change, not the virtue signalling consumers have come to detest.

The Beatles x AI

Love them or loathe them, The Beatles have always been a byword for trendsetting. And it turns out even after a 40 year hiatus and two band members down, they’re still at it. 

Their final track, Now And Then features all four Beatles and now the music video, directed by three-time Oscar winner Peter Jackson, has given fans unseen footage of the legendary band’s early days.

Now And Then was initially written and recorded by John Lennon in the late 1970s and later developed by the other band members, including George Harrison, in 1995.

Limited technology meant they were unhappy with the sound quality and did not release the single. However, new audio restoration technology, pioneered by Jackson, allowed Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr to finish the song more than four decades after the first recording with AI, allowing for vocals from John Lennon and drums from George Harrison.

There have already been almost five million streams of the audio version of Now And Then on YouTube and it’s predicted to go straight to number one. 

It’s a scary thought that we could see new music from bands who have lost members but hearing The Fab Four back together for the first time since the 70s is pretty special. 

Xiaomi launches a car?

Chinese smartphone and appliance maker Xiaomi has announced a new operating system as it looks to develop its ecosystem with the imminent release of its own car, due to be launched next year.

The new system, called HyperOS, is set to reach consumers when Xiaomi’s latest phones, wearables and TV sets begin sales in China this month. 

The company said the core of its new system is “formed by Linux and Xiaomi’s self-developed Xiaomi Vela system.” The only mention of Android was that HyperOS allows for a “more stable frame rate and lower power consumption” compared to the stock version of Android.

Xiaomi also touted HyperOS’s processing speed and security, and listed a number of ways in which a smartphone, car and laptop could easily share content and access each other’s cameras on the new system.

This is a really interesting step by a smartphone maker. Most smartphone manufacturers would look to create an operating system that could be paired with a car brand already in production, like VW or Mercedes, what Xiaomi are doing is creating their own car and embedding their own system within it. 

Whether the Xiaomi car is a motoring success is TBC, but seeing a brand pivot to create a new approach to tech is something to watch.