Can the life values of the different generations be seen through their preference of home design products?
A 2015 Cassandra Report from digital agency Deep Focus found that 60% of Generation Z prefer cool products over cool experiences. On the other hand, 77% of Generation Y—also known as the millennial generation—seek a better product experience.
Maison & Objet (M&O), the annual global home design exhibition, was inspired by the needs and expectations of Gen Y and Gen Z when it comes to home design products. The theme of the 2020 exhibition was "(RE) GENERATION!"
2020 is the 25th anniversary of both M&O and Wellcare, so we were honoured to be part of this year's exhibition. We were able to share our newest flexible heating technology with 2,891 brands and 81,232 visitors, as well as our thoughts on natural living with non-medication. We look forward to having a profound impact on people's daily lives so that everyone can enjoy a better quality of life.
"What's New?" is an exhibition area planned by M&O every year where the season’s newest and most noteworthy items are displayed. It promotes the theme of the exhibition and helps visitors understand the latest season's design trends. The area is divided into three index themes: "Care", "Share" and "Living".
The "Care" exhibition area, curated by François Bernard, is based on its own theme: "Rituals" of different countries, regions and cultures. This theme further extends to three scenes: "Laboured", "Contemplative" and "Artistic". Each one displays different styles of home furnishings and textile products.
Wellcare was thrilled to be selected as an exhibitor in the "Care" area. Wellcare products use a neutral white tone with a comfortable and soft texture. The innovative technology of 4D DWF provides breathable warm energy, which makes it an indispensable and practical item for your home. With Wellcare’s heating cushion, you can have a comfortable and charming life.
People are becoming more fond of natural living, in both their lifestyle and aesthetic choices. Wellcare hopes to help every family create a simple and elegant atmosphere that they can come home to every day.
When people walked into Hall 5– Stand E112, they were immediately attracted to our 4D DWF experimental space. The concept of the space was Breath, Warmth and Nature.
The large area, main visual and colour of Wellcare's space symbolized our desire for nature. The exhibition wall projected a hand-drawn video of the product, depicting the ingenuity of the designer. We also covered three kinds of electric underblanket materials on three different cylinders.
Visitors were allowed to touch the materials and feel the beautiful combination of eco materials, innovative technology and high-quality workmanship. The flickering light of the cylinders was designed to simulate the breathing rhythm of human beings, making people feel energized.
We encouraged visitors to slow down and check in on themselves. They could take deep breaths while sitting on our heated chair and feel the all-natural breathability, warmth and flow. We wanted to show how you could take care of yourself with nature-inspired technology, and begin a journey of breathing, warmth and nature comfortably.
Responding to M&O's theme, "(RE) GENERATION", Wellcare designed the Lifestyle Satisfaction Bingo game. We invited visitors to answer questions about their lifestyle habits: sleeping, eating, exercise and more. We then recommended suitable heating products to suit their lifestyle. Everyone who participated received a small gift: a ring cushion.
Participants were mainly women between the ages of 25 and 50, from different countries such as France, Colombia and South Korea. We asked questions such as “Have you experienced poor sleep? If yes, what kind?” Three South African women, between 40 and 50 years old, answered "Couldn't sleep" or "Couldn't sleep soundly".
It's also worth mentioning: a 40-year-old Colombian woman told us that the reason she woke up so easily in the morning was her cute pet.
One of the other questions we asked was “Do you believe that improving your sleep environment (BBC, best bed climate) can help you sleep better?” Every visitor had the same answer: Yes!
A 27-year-old French woman said she had cold hands and feet, so she believed a well-placed sleeping environment and best bed climate were important.
Another question was “Do you exercise regularly?” Three young Korean women had different answers: one exercised every day, one did every two weeks, and the third woman said she never exercised. Interestingly, when we asked “Are you satisfied with your current lifestyle and health?” the visitor who never exercised said that she was “Very satisfied”.
The two women with exercise habits only said “Normal”. We can see here that satisfaction with life and health may be different due to people's unique feelings and experiences.
We believe in a philosophy of “warmth from the heart”. Wellcare products promote care, bringing people closer together to slow down and relax. With our products, people can find a way to care for themselves, establish good habits, and cultivate a good life rhythm, all so they can have health and happiness in life.
At M&O, visitors experienced how Wellcare products fit into their lives. For example, a woman from Morocco said that she had been suffering muscle pain for a long time, so we recommended a product called a mobile heating belt. The mobile heating belt is convenient to carry and wear, whether indoors or outdoors. As long as it is fully charged, it can be used for up to 5 hours at a time, soothing tight muscles with a heated flow.
A young French woman said almost all women in France have a hot water bottle. It's a popular product in winter and is especially useful for period pain, but they worried about burn injuries. We suggested a timing and temperature-adjustable heating pad to avoid burns and minimize the use of analgesic drugs. Non-medicine methods can increase blood circulation and relax muscles. If you want to learn more about the heating pad, you can read this article about how to naturally relieve period pain with heat therapy and a heating pad.
Many people believe that creating a best bed climate (BBC) can help them sleep better. The core concept of Wellcare’s new 4D DWF (Dynamic Warmth Flow) technology is all about nature, breathability and warmth. The Dynamic Warmth Flow is used on electric blankets, pads, belts and other Wellcare products to help you easily achieve a warm and breathable bed climate. The warm current circulates and creates convection with the air and the body surface humidity, creating a whole-body thermal cycle and creating a comfortable and dry sleeping environment.
The M&O exhibition had an open experimental space, designed by Ramy Fischler and his team. This open experimental space discussed interesting topics about the future, like the extension of artificial intelligence to various industries.
Our work might be replaced by robots in the future. Artificial intelligence or aliens might be our supervisor! Or we might be able to use a 3D printer to print the meat we eat. A Spanish company Novameat is expected to launch 3D printed beef in restaurants in Spain, Italy and the UK this year, and enter the Spanish and Italian markets in one or two years.
Technology creates endless possibilities for our future as human beings. At the same time, technology can also have a great impact on our lives today. The best way to prepare for these changes is to keep an open mind and continue learning and adapting.
Vincent Grégoire, the expert on global trends at NellyRodi, said Gen Z face many global issues so they are more involved in social movements and have their own perspectives in life. The M&O exhibition used this opportunity to bring forward the different life and consumer behaviours of Generation Y and Generation Z so that the visitors could observe and think about it.
Wellcare is 25 years old this year, just the same as M&O. While we cannot accurately predict the future, we can continue to devote ourselves to innovative, natural methods of living. We encourage people to take care of themselves in a natural way and to create comfortable and happy lives for their families. We provide a guide to a healthy and happy life and professional health knowledge as best as we can.
We believe that all innovative work comes from a simple mission to spread care around you. Through 4D DWF innovative technology, we hope to pass our most sincere blessings and let each customer feel the warmth.