CONTACT
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ABOUT

idle gaze is a cultural intelligence & strategy studio.

We focus on decoding the deeper undercurrents that shape culture, helping brands to define what they stand for and how they want to show up in the world.

Founded by Alexi Gunner.

SERVICES

SELECTED CLIENTS
adidas / Nike / On Running / Zalando / Asket / ASOS / GORE-TEX / TikTok / Netflix / HP / Samsung / Miele / Audi / CUPRA / Genesis / MINI / FELLR / Ballantine’s Whisky 

FOLLOW US
Substack
Instagram

SELECTED WRITING & MEDIA 


Substack
Research as a form of pattern disruption
Rotting upstream
In search of ungrammable spaces
In praise of gateopeners

Other publications
Dirt: selling subversion
Protein: mystery matters
Playground: stressful dystopias  & VIP utopias

Interviews & panels
Decoding culture, trends & the future of brand-building with Alexi Gunner
How to avoid over-cooking your social strategy; Salmon Theory roundtable

Additional collaborations
Editorial support; OFF Magazine
Co-author: RADAR ‘A More Playful Future’ & ‘Our Centaur Future’ reports
Expert input: The Resurgence of Text Media; Busy Corner Culture Report

SELECTED WORK




Zalando
Berlin
2026



idle gaze partnered with Zalando, Europe’s largest fashion retailer, to lead its cultural research unit. We established new processes and methodologies to optimise the company’s internal trend forecasting initiatives, transforming cultural research into a core resource for inspiration, guidance and confidence across Zalando’s marketing, creative and editorial efforts.

Scope: Trend forecasting, Cultural strategy





FELLR
Sydney
2025 idle gaze worked with FELLR, a leading hard seltzer brand in the Australian market, to develop a new social media strategy to drive differentiation and engagement in an increasingly competitive category. 

We developed a new social value proposition for the brand, alongside a refreshed content strategy that positions FELLR not just as a drinks brand, but as a cultural insider championing the people, places and moments at the heart of authentic Australian life.

Scope: Social media strategy





Asket
Stockholm
2024 Asket is premium fashion brand that focuses on simple, high-quality essentials.

Despite exceptional product quality and a genuine commitment to responsible business practices, Asket’s special sauce was getting lost in a crowded category, perceived as yet another minimal Scandinavian fashion brand.

Asket brought in idle gaze to re-position the brand in a way that would effectively communicate its product quality, stand out in the crowded understated fashion category and resonate with customers on an emotional level.

Scope: Consumer research, Brand strategy



Nike
Berlin
2021 How do you make a global sports giant relevant in a city with a unique, local culture? Nike tasked us to help launch their Berlin sub brand. However, in order to engage with young consumers in the capital, we had to help the brand understand the city’s relationship to fitness in order to make their global vision of ‘Making Sport a Daily Habit’ relevant for Berliners.

Scope: Cultural insights, Editorial strategy