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Our take on the trends, culture and data shaping Southeast Asian markets, straight from the Illuminate Asia team.

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The Luxury of Sweat: How Hyrox Turned Military Gear Into a White-Collar Status Symbol Culture and Trends

The Luxury of Sweat: How Hyrox Turned Military Gear Into a White-Collar ...

Summary:Hyrox culture has turned tactical backpacks ...
Haris Rahmanto Jul 08, 2026
The Psychology of Absurd Marketing: Why Aldi Taher Keeps Going Viral Brand Strategy

The Psychology of Absurd Marketing: Why Aldi Taher Keeps Going Viral

SummaryAldi Taher, an Indonesian entertainer and public ...
Hanandita Lestari Jun 30, 2026
The Missing Signal Event: Why More Data Still Isn’t Enough Illuminate Asia Client Event

The Missing Signal Event: Why More Data Still Isn’t Enough

The Missing Signal: Why More Data Still Isn’t EnoughLast ...
Dawn Herdman Jun 19, 2026
Why Uniqlo x JW Anderson Feels More Aspirational Than Loud Luxury Consumer Behaviour And 1 More

Why Uniqlo x JW Anderson Feels More Aspirational Than Loud Luxury

SummaryThe popularity of Uniqlo x JW Anderson reflects ...
Ayu Suwardi & Dawn Herdman May 27, 2026
The Category Trap: How Liquid Death Reframed Water Brand Strategy

The Category Trap: How Liquid Death Reframed Water

This article is part of the “Seeing What Others ...
Dialonique (Nicky) Hasanudin & Dawn Herdman May 19, 2026
The Evolving Landscape: Why KOL Research is the New Strategic Priority Research Thinking And 1 More

The Evolving Landscape: Why KOL Research is the New Strategic Priority

In today’s fragmented media environment, the path ...
Puly Pulungan & Haris Fajar Rahmanto Apr 06, 2026
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The Psychology of Absurd Marketing: Why Aldi Taher Keeps Going Viral
Brand Strategy

The Psychology of Absurd Marketing: Why Aldi Taher ...

SummaryAldi Taher, an Indonesian entertainer and public figure whose unconventional posts have made ...
Hanandita Lestari Jun 30, 2026
Why Uniqlo x JW Anderson Feels More Aspirational Than Loud Luxury
Consumer Behaviour And 1 More

Why Uniqlo x JW Anderson Feels More Aspirational Than ...

SummaryThe popularity of Uniqlo x JW Anderson reflects a broader shift in how Southeast Asian Millennials ...
Ayu Suwardi & Dawn Herdman May 27, 2026
The Category Trap: How Liquid Death Reframed Water
Brand Strategy

The Category Trap: How Liquid Death Reframed Water

This article is part of the “Seeing What Others Don’t” SeriesLiquid Death has experienced ...
Dialonique (Nicky) Hasanudin ... May 19, 2026
Overpriced. Overhyped. Still Sold Out. Why?
Marketing Science And 1 More

Overpriced. Overhyped. Still Sold Out. Why?

Summary:Products widely seen as “overpriced” continue to sell out because value is increasingly ...
Dawn Herdman & Archifihan ... May 11, 2026
Sumatra’s Floods and the Lesson of Brand Authenticity
Brand Strategy

Sumatra’s Floods and the Lesson of Brand Authenticity

Brand authenticity is proven through action, not advertising or statements. People trust brands ...
Oki Indah Lestari Apr 22, 2026
How Gillette Won by Designing for Real Life, Not Ideal Conditions
Brand Strategy

How Gillette Won by Designing for Real Life, Not Ideal ...

This article is part of our “Seeing What Others Don’t” series, which explores why ...
Dawn Herdman Apr 20, 2026
Brand Communication to Women Is Shifting. Not Louder, Just More Honest
Brand Strategy

Brand Communication to Women Is Shifting. Not Louder, ...

For years, brands have relied on a familiar narrative when speaking to women. Strength, ambition, ...
Archifihan Millenadya ... Apr 13, 2026
The Cost of Being ‘Clever”: Is Bandwagon Marketing a Gift to Your Competitors?
Brand Strategy And 1 More

The Cost of Being ‘Clever”: Is Bandwagon Marketing ...

We’ve all seen the screenshots. In early 2026, two massive viral waves hit our feeds, and with ...
Haris Rahmanto Apr 10, 2026
How Nintendo Won by Designing for Non-Gamers, Not Hardcore Players
Brand Strategy

How Nintendo Won by Designing for Non-Gamers, Not ...

SummaryThis article is part of our “Seeing What Others Don’t” series, which explores ...
Dawn Herdman Mar 30, 2026