Hello Friends,
Here are this week’s headlines:
Don’t miss out on our September Safari in Los Angeles where you’ll be the first to discover fresh insights shaping the future of pleasure across the latest trends in the alcohol, beverage, food, cannabis, and healthy living categories.
As appetites shrink and desires shift, we predict GLP-1 drugs will spark a basket revolution, redefine indulgence and unlock new opportunities for brands bold and fast enough to meet these emerging needs.
Tiny pacemakers, touchable holograms, homegrown meds. These aren’t prototypes, they’re happening.
This week’s picks are all about decoding connection, how we build it, how we lose it, and how we might reimagine it. Tune in, look deeper, and let your curiosity stretch its legs.
From a waxwork sausage roll to scratch-and-sniff pits, this week’s selection takes our moves from great to iconic.
This week’s moment in culture that made us pause.
Let us know if this week’s report sparks a new thought for you. Simply reply to this email and let us know. We read and reply to every one ✨.
Angelique
PS: Feeling a little run down? Here are 7 tiny tactics to reignite your spark.
GLP-1 — The Next $190B Opportunity
There’s a new kind of hunger afoot, and it’s not the kind that’s cured with crisps or cronuts.
Suddenly, everyone from Soho wellness warriors to suburban dads is whispering the same name: Ozempic. Or its cousins, Wegovy and Mounjaro. Once cloaked in the velvet rope of celebrity privilege and medical necessity, these GLP-1 drugs are crashing into the mainstream with the chaotic grace of a well-aimed espresso martini. And they’re not just rewriting bodies, they’re rewriting behaviour.
We’re watching the dawn of what might be the biggest physiological culture shift since caffeine met capitalism. And it’s projected to create a $50B annual decline in food and beverage spending but a corresponding $190B opportunity for brands that get ahead of these new needs.
Shrinking Appetites, Expanding Impact
GLP-1s, once prescriptions for diabetes and now golden tickets to appetite control, are rapidly becoming everyday tools for reengineering desire. And that changes everything.
Think about it: these meds suppress hunger, but their true magic is in how they reprogram temptation itself. Suddenly, the post-work pizza, the late-night snack run, the “just a little treat” mentality? Ghosted. In their place: lean proteins, portion control, and a creeping detachment from food as fun.
In the US, over 30 million people have tried a GLP-1. In the UK, 6% of the population is on them now, with estimates predicting a climb to 15%. These numbers aren’t just impressive; they’re disruptive. Because when people stop craving in the same way, the entire culture of consumption starts to crack.
The Recession-Proof Logic of GLP-1s
Despite jaw-dropping monthly price tags ($900+ in the US), people are finding clever workarounds:
Stretching a 4-week supply over 8 through micro-dosing.
Reframing the cost as a health investment
(“£30 a week isn’t bad if I’m skipping brunch”).Justifying spend by cutting back elsewhere (junk food, takeout, booze).
It’s not just about getting slim; it’s about getting control of health, spending, and sustainability. Some users even claim these drugs help them eat less and waste less, aligning the GLP-1 lifestyle with personal values like eco-consciousness.
This shift isn’t hype. It’s a value recalibration.
And like any major shift in values, whether it was the anti-carb crusade or the plant-based boom, it’s going to leave unprepared brands scrambling to catch up.
In a world where GLP-1 is more accessible and mainstream the following examples unlock new opportunities to stay relevant.
Carians Dubai Bites
These perfectly bite-sized, individually wrapped, luxury-laced pistachio truffles provide a taste of the latest TikTok craze with more restraint.
Oral Fixation
When food no longer fills the day, the mouth still craves something to do. ZYN, Velo, and Grinds provide oral stimulation that satisfies the urge, without a single calorie.
Triple Zero
Understanding the shift in consumer narrative, Oikos changed the story to match without changing the product. Triple Zero is high protein, with 0 fat, 0 added sugar and 0 artificial sweeteners.
High Control
Camino’s THCV gummies provide clarity, energy without the munchies. It’s enjoyment with limits: a micro-dose that elevates mood without the snack attack.
BuzzBallz
These 200ml cocktail orbs pack 13.5% ABV into one loud, neon hit that makes consumption count. It’s a bold, bite-sized rebellion that’s wooed and won the supposedly alcohol-averse Gen Z.
Pop Hit
The Dr Pepper X Tic Tac collaboration delivers tiny hits of joy for mouths that still crave indulgent sensation, even when appetites fade.
Cali Sober Alternatives
Are projected to grow 3X to $1B by 2028, because who needs booze when THC drinks deliver a buzz without the bloat? Zero-calorie sips from High & Dry and Wynk are reshaping rituals for GLP-1 users and clean-living socialisers alike.
Functional Pint
Lifted Brewing turns the post-workout beer into a recovery tool. By packing protein into a crisp, alcohol-free lager it makes every sip more worth it.
Mindful Tokes
Miss Grass half-gram pre-rolls deliver all the pleasure in a shorter session that satisfies the desire for indulgent escapes in the day.
Drip Feed
IV Nutrition caters to a growing desire for pure functionality. Designed for those counting every calorie and every minute, it delivers essential nutrients with maximum efficiency.
Tiny Menus
Art reflects life in these exquisite mini models: tiny menus of tiny tasty treats for those who just want to view their pleasure.
Miniature Mixology
Mini cocktails cater to a growing appetite for controlled indulgence. For those who want the ritual without the overload, they offer bold flavour in just a few, satisfying sips.
As GLP-1 drugs reshape appetites the consumer basket of goods will continue to shift. Brands who want to stay relevant with these changing consumer needs will need to rethink how they earn their place.
Concentrated Pleasure Doses: Brands like Carians with bite-sized truffles and BuzzBallz with potent cocktail orbs show that concentrated, high-impact indulgence resonates in a world of portion control.
Oral Fixation Persists: Even with reduced hunger, products like ZYN, Velo, Grinds and Dr Pepper x Tic Tacs satisfy the mouth’s need for stimulation, delivering flavour and sensation without calories.
Functionality is King: From Lifted Brewing’s protein-packed lagers to IV nutrition drips, products that blend utility with pleasure align with the goal-driven, calorie-conscious GLP-1 lifestyle.
Niche is the New Mainstream: As GLP-1 adoption grows brands should pivot to serve hyper-specific needs, think Cali Sober THC drinks or Camino’s THCV gummies for controlled euphoria.
Value Recalibration Drives Loyalty: Consumers justify GLP-1 costs by cutting back on takeout or junk food, prioritising health and appearance. Brands that align with these values, like Oikos’ Triple Zero yogurt, build trust in this shifting cultural landscape.
The GLP-1 era demands brands rethink indulgence, focusing on compact, functional, and deeply personal experiences that fit a world where appetite is optional but desire remains.
How Prepared Is Your Portfolio for the GLP-1 Era?
Want access to all these signals, and more?
Subscribe to Future Possible®, the world's only innovation tool that combines consumer foresights, actionable opportunities, and thousands of inspiring signals. It’s a sweet bundle of everything we’re seeing that gets updated weekly, so you can stay inspired and map your next moves for only £95/year.
Wait, What?! Sci-fi Tech Hitting the Real World
The world’s smallest pacemaker, just 3.5mm wide, that’s wireless, light-activated, and dissolves after stabilising heart rhythms points to a future of invisible medical tech that treats the body and then disappears, reshaping how we think about healing.
Bioengineering students have hacked plants to produce semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic, using low-cost DIY kits, opening the door to people being able to grow essential medicine locally, radically decentralising pharmaceutical access.
Holograms you can physically feel, using high-frequency ultrasound to simulate tactile feedback in mid-air, bringing us closer to immersive, touchable virtual worlds without wearables or screens.
Powered by decaying isotopes that can run for a century without charging, this leap in micro-energy could power the next generation of wearables, implants, and autonomous tech, no plugs or charging required.
The Cata-Lyst:
5 Mind-Expanding Finds We’re Tuning Into
Working it Out
Rich Roll chats with comedian Mike Birbiglia about how he makes stronger audience connections through vulnerable storytelling.
Pure gold for brand marketers and anyone working on authentic leadership. They also explore creativity, plant-based eating, parenting and meeting the Pope.
Counter Intelligence
A sharp dive into the covert world of spies and secrets, revealing how intelligence methods can supercharge everyday creativity and problem-solving. Ex-GCHQ chief Robert Hannigan blends espionage insights with playful precision, decoding the art of strategic thinking for the civilian mind.
Future Vintage
How do you stay relevant when the taste of a generation is shifting? In this episode, wine marketing expert Lulie Halstead breaks down how wineries can adapt to changing values, from mindful drinking to climate-smart storytelling. Less about vintage, more about vision.
Rewind the Block
An interactive map lets New Yorkers time-travel 400 years into the past, revealing the original streams, hills, and habitats buried beneath today’s cityscape. A reminder that every block has a backstory.
Comfort.exe
AI companions are on the rise, but what happens when machines become our main source of comfort? This episode explores how synthetic intimacy is reshaping loneliness, and whether tech is healing the gap or widening it.
4 Great Marketing Moves
These bold moves create some compelling disruptions worth paying attention to.
Billie X Experiential Outdoor
Scratch-and-sniff billboards invite New Yorkers to “stop and smell the pits” to experience their latest deodorant scent, ‘Coco Villa’.
@billie Love the fresh smell of @billie pits in the morning #whatisnewyork #billiepartner
Burger King X #StevenageChallenge
This playful FIFA video challenge got the logo of Stevenage, a League Two UK football club, on the virtual shirts of some of the world’s best-known players, without paying for placement.
Greggs X Madame Tussauds
Elevated to British cultural icon status, a sculpture of a Greggs sausage roll is the first food item to go on display in its own right at the world-famous museum.
Fireball Whisky X 90+ Legends
Fireball’s bold giveaway (a lifetime supply of the signature cinnamon whisky) honours its oldest, most devoted fans.
Where AI Ends & Originality Begins
We’ve all seen them: AI-generated mini versions of ourselves, boxed up like Barbies and Bratz with curated accessories. But something more powerful is happening in response.
Artists are reclaiming the feed with hand-drawn self-portraits. These hours-long creations celebrate what AI can’t replicate: originality, identity, and soul.
Where would your brand land; algorithmic or authentic?
See you next week 🔮 👽 🎩 🪄