5 In 5: Transparent Toilets, Goat Honks, Plandemic Ban, Target Blow Out Sales, Chocolate Snowfall

Each week, Padilla’s Insights + Strategy team stands at the intersection of people, culture and brands to bring you five stories that you can read in five minutes.

1. Transparent Toilets

The newest Tokyo “attraction” is the arrival of transparent public toilets located in two Shibuya parks. Why should you care? The installation aims to address universal concerns about using public facilities – whether or not it’s clean and if there’s already someone inside. (Let’s be honest, we’ve all been there.) Although transparent at first sight, once you lock the door behind you, the walls transition to give you complete privacy. The architects and designers working on the Tokyo Toilet Project are focused on increasing accessibility, inclusiveness and hospitality among its city centers. [CNN]

2. Goat Honks

Tesla CEO Elon Musk renews his promise that “goat honks” are one of the new car horn sounds in the works. Why should you care? Why not embrace the weirdness of 2020 and introduce animal sounds to car horns? For safety reasons, we’re wondering if hearing a goat bleating will be as startling as your run-of-the mill honking, but we’ll just have to wait and see. On a more serious note, Tesla also is  developing an enhanced automation, which alerts drivers to potholes or bad road conditions. [Mashable]

3. Plandemic Ban

Facebook took a stand and banned its users from sharing the link to widely discredited conspiracy theory Plandemic — Indoctrination on its platform. Why should you care? After taking heat for letting false and inaccurate information run rampant, Facebook is blocking users from sharing links promoting misinformation like the Plandemic movie. Specifically, Facebook’s community guidelines prevent sharing the video link because it includes “COVID-19 claims that our fact-checking partners have repeatedly rated false.” [Forbes]

4. Target Blow Out Sales

Target’s online and store sales jumped to a record high in its last quarter. Why should you care? Target’s success can be linked to having been an “essential retailer” during lockdown and by providing customers with safe curbside pick-up and Shipt delivery options. The most growth occurred in its electronic department along with significant bumps in home, beauty and food/beverage. The retailer is trying to stay flexible because the pandemic is making it hard to predict back-to-school and holiday shopping. [CNBC]

5. Chocolate Snowfall

A ventilation issue at a Lindt & Spruengli chocolate factory brought cocoa powder “snow” to a Swiss town. Why should you care? This “Willy Wonka” surprise chocolate snowfall story just made us smile – and we hope it did for you too. Happy Friday. [USA Today]

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