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European fashion outlet platform Otrium has launched Ovatars, an AI-powered modeling system designed to give unsold clothing items a second shot at reaching consumers. The initiative addresses a persistent challenge in fashion retail: how to effectively showcase single-SKU items that don't typically warrant expensive model photography shoots.The system works by photographing unsold items in basic format, then digitally placing them on seven AI-generated models that represent diverse styles and customer segments. These virtual avatars with names like Ava (The Minimal Muse) and Zion (The Street Prodigy) allow Otrium to create product detail pages, lookbook visuals and animated advertisements for inventory that might otherwise languish in a warehouse. Early results suggest the approach delivers tangible business benefits: conversion rates have jumped 15% to 50%, while model photography costs have dropped 40%. The Amsterdam-based company, which partners with over 300 brands and serves 4 million members across Europe, developed the technology with digital agency DEPT.TREND BITEAs brands grapple with mounting overstock challenges exacerbated by unpredictable demand patterns and shortened fashion cycles the ability to cost-effectively showcase every item becomes crucial for waste reduction. Otrium's Ovatars highlight how AI can solve immediate business problems while supporting sustainability goals. As generative AI tools become more sophisticated and accessible, expect similar applications to emerge across retail categories where visual presentation drives purchase decisions. Could your brand use AI to breathe new life into overlooked products or underperforming inventory?
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
South African game developer Nyamakop has crafted an unusual title with Relooted, a side-scrolling heist game that transforms cultural repatriation into compelling gameplay. Players assemble diverse crews from across Africa to liberate 70 real artifacts currently housed in Western museums, navigating stealth-based puzzles that blend parkour mechanics with Ocean's Eleven-style planning.The game emerged from a family dinner conversation after developer Ben Myres' mother visited the British Museum and was appalled by what she saw. Two years of research later, the team had painstakingly recreated artifacts like a Kenyan drum that local communities believed had been destroyed for over a century, only to discover it gathering dust in museum storage.Once players grab an artifact, they have just 30 seconds to escape as alarms blare and security systems activate. Each crew member brings specialized skills lock picking, hacking, acrobatics and represents specific African countries with authentic voice acting sourced from those regions. The studio grew from three to 30 people during development, deliberately building a team that could bring genuine cultural authenticity to both the visual design and narrative elements.
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
As summer temperatures continue to break records, Coors Light is stepping into the climate adaptation space with a playful solution for wedding parties sweltering through formal ceremonies. The brand recently unveiled the Cold Tux, a first-of-its-kind tuxedo engineered with built-in cooling technology, featuring a breathable linen shell and a hidden refrigerating core powered by ice pack rods.The tuxedo, which debuted earlier this month at a Florida wedding, even includes a "Chill-o-stat" that turns blue when the suit reaches optimal temperature, mimicking the cold-activated indicator on the brand's beer cans. Building on this concept, Coors Light is now releasing the BrrrTie, a refrigerated neck accessory designed to target a key body temperature regulation zone. The chilled accessory promises up to 40 minutes of cooling relief just enough time to make it through the ceremony without visible perspiration. The company will release 100 BrrrTies to consumers through its website, at USD 32 each.
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
A new entrant in the e-commerce landscape aims to transform how people discover fashion online. Unlike traditional shopping platforms that are retrofitting AI capabilities onto existing systems, Daydream was built from the ground up as a conversational commerce experience. The platform functions as a chat-based shopping agent that understands nuanced queries and personal preferences: customers explain what they're looking for, Daydream serves up options. From there, it's a conversational process of finding similar or different garments and styles until the right item is found.Daydream adapts to individual style preferences, serving as a digital personal shopper that learns from each interaction with a user. At launch, the platform boasts partnerships with nearly 8,000 global brands and retailers. Founded by e-commerce veteran Julie Bornstein and a team of former leaders from Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Nordstrom, Daydream scored USD 50 million in seed funding co-led by Forerunner Ventures and Index Ventures, with participation from GV and True Ventures.TREND BITEWhat Daydream is promising isn't just personalization; it's personalization that feels like magic: a highly curated, emotionally intelligent experience where the platform acts more like a personal stylist or concierge than a search engine.Once they've become accustomed to Daydream and other retail agents, here's what consumers will start expecting before they purchase: Shopping that feels more like a creative collaboration than a transaction Aesthetic intelligence: stores and platforms that 'get' their taste Recommendations that evolve and improve with every interaction
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
eufyMake E1, the world's first personal 3D-texture UV printer, has shattered Kickstarter records by raising over USD 44 million from backers worldwide. The campaign reached USD 10 million in just 14 hours, surpassing the platform's previous funding record of USD 41.7 million. And demonstrating serious demand for accessible manufacturing tools.The device promises to democratize professional-grade printing by delivering 3D textures up to 5 mm thick. The E1's modular design allows users to print on a wide range of objects and materials, from coffee mugs to metal sheets, supported by an AI-powered workflow and a library of 20,000+ templates. Its biggest draw might well be its size the E1 is a whopping 90% smaller than conventional UV printers, making the technology available for home studios and small businesses.TREND BITEThe maturation of the creator economy has given rise to new expectations around individual expression and entrepreneurship. Throw in renewed interest in local manufacturing amid tariff uncertainties plus AI tools that amplify people's creative capabilities, and it makes sense that tools combining digital creativity with physical output are resonating so strongly.The question for brands becomes: what's your role when your customers could potentially become your manufacturers or even your competitors? Will we see established companies partnering with these democratized production tools, or will they find themselves disrupted by a generation of consumers who would rather print their own products than purchase off the rack?
Category:
Marketing and Advertising