Case Study
Gender Agnostic Innovation in Alcohol
The client is a global player in the alcohol industry with a large portfolio of products. Trends research was observing a shift in how young people perceive and represent their gender identity. While many products were available to help signal traditional masculinity and femininity, there was little at that time to address the new spectrum of gender identity.
What does gender agnostic mean? Does this really change the ways young people consume and socialise? How have the rituals of getting together, dating, and mating changed, and how could innovation harness that?
As the challenge was multi-faceted, a longitudinal approach was selected.
Centred around Immersive HD, the research used self-created video journals to document different activities where drinking was involved.
To understand tensions between groups and gender identity, a debate based on Ethno-Methods was integrated at the end of the process.
Together, the material was used as a basis for strategic thinking with the client.
20 different concepts for innovation, including product and communication, were developed as briefs for R&D and design.
Our own creative team helped with the visualisation of the innovations to ensure consistency between the research and the signs, symbols and visual language in play.
The strategic insights were summarised into a reference document — a ‘Gender Bible’ — for future reference within the company.