Friday Press Review I May 7, 2021

 

Here are some of the most interesting articles of the last weeks selected by The Consultancy Group: 

LEWIS HAMILTON OPENS UP ABOUT ACTIVISM AND LIFE BEYOND F1  

On Sunday August 2, 2020, Lewis Hamilton was piloting his black Mercedes Formula 1 car around the final laps of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone when his front-left tyre exploded. It was a scorching summer day in the heart of England. Beyond the titanium ring of the car’s protective halo device, Hamilton could see picture-book clouds scudding across a brilliant blue sky, broken only by the angular shapes of grandstands kept empty by the pandemic. Read more...

WORLD'S MOST VALUABLE APPAREL BRANDS: NIKE, GUCCI TOP AGAIN, ASOS AND BOOHOO ARE BUOYANT

Nike has once again claimed the title of the world’s most valuable apparel brand. It’s the seventh year in a row that it has taken top spot in the annual Brand Finance ranking. But the new report said the brand’s value has fallen by 13% to $30.4 billion, underlining how different the last year has been to every other year and how the pandemic means brands can still top the ranking even with double-digit value declines. Nike’s sales took a hit last year due to enforced store closures but it “saw an impressive untick in online sales”. Read more...

IOC UNVEILS FIRST EVER OLYMPIC-SANCTIONED VIRTUAL EVENT SERIES

The IOC has launched a new Olympic Virtual Series (OVS) in what is the first ever Olympic-licensed event for virtual sports. The move will see the IOC partner with five International Federations as well as game publishers to produce the series, which will include a mix of ‘physical and non-physical’ virtual sports.  Read more...

SPACE TOURISM—20 YEARS IN THE MAKING—IS FINALLY READY FOR LAUNCH

For most people, getting to the stars is nothing more than a dream. On April 28, 2001, Dennis Tito achieved that lifelong goal—but he wasn’t a typical astronaut. Tito, a wealthy businessman, paid $20 million for a seat on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft to be the first tourist to visit the International Space Station. Only seven people have followed suit in the 20 years since, but that number is poised to double in the next 12 months alone. Read more...

WATCHES AND WONDERS SHANGHAI: THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION

Historically, the fine watchmaking industry has always revolved around two main events: the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) and Baselword. As tradeshows targeting watch afficionados, journalists, retailers and members of the public (Baselworld only), these events saw luxury watch brands pulling out all the stops to present their full range of novelties for the year to visitors over the course of four to six days.  Read more...

SOTHEBY'S SNEAKS UP ON YOUNGER MARKET VIA SNEAKER SALES  

Sotheby's is staging its first international dedicated sneaker sale, seeing the boom in a formerly niche market as a way to attract younger clients into the world of auctions. Fine art, jewellery and antiques might be the more traditional stock in auction house trade, complete with a packed room and auctioneer banging a wooden gavel. But the coronavirus pandemic has triggered a shift towards smartphone-accessible online auctions.. Read more...

DIGITAL HORSES ARE THE TALK OF THE CRYPTO WORLD  

The Kentucky Derby may be the best-known stakes race happening in the equestrian world this weekend, but it’s hardly the only one. On Zed Run, a digital horse racing platform, several such events take place every hour, seven days a week. Owners pay modest entry fees — usually between $2 and $15 — to run their steeds against others for prize money. Read more...

PREMIER LEAGUE EXPLORING NFTs AS POTENTIAL REVENUE SOURCE;

The Premier League is exploring the possibility of capitalising on Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) as a new stream of revenue for its clubs, according to a report by the Financial Times. The digital collectibles, which are authenticated using blockchain technology, could provide essential income for top-tier English clubs, which will have lost up to £2 billion in ticket sales and broadcasting revenue since the outbreak of the coronavirus by the end of the current campaign. Read more...

HERMÈS UNVEILS NEW BEIJING FLAGSHIP  

Ultra-luxe label Hermès has unveiled a new flagship store in Beijing's business district, in the China World Trade Centre. It covers two floors and more than 900 sq m with an “eye-catching façade that beckons from afar”. The 11m-high storefront is said to be “a technical feat of engineering and craftsmanship” cast in undulating, engraved double-glass panels, that “evoke a forest of bamboo”.  Read more...

NFTS ARE INCREASINGLY TAKING US INTO A WORLD OF MAKE BELIEVE

What’s a non-fungible token? It’s part of the magical world of make-believe value the blockchain is bringing us. Scott Adams is selling one of his comic strips on OpenSea, the top platform for trading NFTs. He’s got two on there that he created just for the fun of it. Both of them are the same, only one drops an F-bomb. Read more...

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