12 Biophilic Brand Opportunities

Written By Jane Johnson

*Originally written for Noise13.com

With pandemic shut-downs, shut-ins and shut offs, desire for and appreciation of nature has skyrocketed. We’re seeing terms like #PlantDaddy, #ForrestBathing and #NatureLedASMR washing over social media. Brands across industry are starting to rethink their products, services and spaces to highlight biophilic traits and inspire consumers. From virtual outdoor spaces, floriculture services, and even redefining the home garden opportunity, altogether, brands are dialing up the natural to ensure they’re meeting their customers’ evolving passions.

How can biophilia help you connect with your customers? Check out these 13 nature-led brand engagements to plant the seed of opportunity.

Space-based Engagements

  • Atlier Miss Lu Boutique – A Chinese fashion retailer filled their shop floor with microcosms of nature, plants and trees protruding from walls and floors for an ultimate tactile shopping experience.  IG: ateliermisslu

  • Glossier’s In-Store Garden – With a cult following, beauty store Glossier opened a permanent 6,200 sq ft store in Seattle that was inspired by a successful pop-up in 2019.  IG: glossier

  • Hyundai’s Sound Forest – Seoul dept store has dedicated 3,300 sq m to their sound forest, an indoor park with 30 trees, flowering plants, grasses, and a 39ft waterfall for ultimate relaxation and contemplation while shopping.  IG: the_hyundai

  • Dobbies Boutique Garden Center – You’d expect to see nature in a garden center but this “Little Dobbies” small-scale boutique style garden store is paired down offerings and jazzed up style, quality and service. Located in trendy areas of London, they serve to target the urban gardeners.  IG: dobbiesgardencentres

Sound-based Engagements

  • Selfridge’s Good Nature – a podcast by a British department store that dives into biophilia-based pleasures as an extension of their eco-ethical 5 year initiative, ProjectEarth.  IG: theofficialselfridges

  • Aesop’s Self-Care Playlists for Plants & People – this Australian beauty shop values “plant parenting” as a mode of self-care. Their playlists are a nod to the effects of music on plant health and growth, an area of ongoing research. We love this playlist: Music for Self-pruning!  IG: aesopskincare spotify

  • HBO’s A World of Calm – A 10 episode “slow TV” show featuring sleep stories combined with natural imagery intended to induce a kind of meditative state. Listen for famous narrators such as Nicole Kidman, Cillian Murphy, Keanu Reeves, and more!  IG: hbo calm

Service-based Engagements

The Engagement We Can’t Wait to Experience First

  • Lego’s Mindful Botanical Kits – aimed at an adult customer base, Lego is hoping to serve wellness-seeking consumers. Their bonsai tree and flower bouquet feature about 800 pieces each, that form realistic petals, foliage and stems from a garden-picked color palette. Plus, the collection is sustainably made with sugarcane bioplastic they plan to roll out across all new designs. IG: Lego

The power of nature is undeniable but these brands are taking things to the next level, and we are soaking it up like the healing energy vibrations of the RedWoods. Bring it on brands! 

Want to learn more, check out this podcast from our friends at Stylus, “Thomas Heatherwick on the Power of Biophilia.” And as always, if you’d like to start a conversation about how Creative Calamity can help your brand find the exact right engagement for your customer, please reach out. We are excited to hear from you!

Jane Johnson
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