The consultancy will draw on the input of 180 opinion-formers, including magazine editors and designers, from around the world.
They will be sent questionnaires every couple of months and asked to identify developing consumer trends and behaviour, as well as to highlight innovative brand activity.
Any insights gained will be used to support Lowe's planning departments and to provide its creative departments with new stimulus.
Lowe Counsel, which is launching this month, will be run from London and New York by Zoe Lazarus and Richard Welch. The pair join Lowe this month from Ogilvy & Mather, where they headed a similar trend consultancy called Crystal.
Tony Wright, the chief executive and president of Lowe Worldwide, said: "Lowe Counsel won't be used in isolation; it will be part of broader strategic research. It's a brick in the wall to keep our clients ahead of the game."
Lazarus added: "Clients are agreeing that they don't get the best results from traditional research, such as consumer-based focus groups. Consumers tell you what they want now but clients are working further ahead than that and our research will provide insights for the future."
At Crystal, Lazarus and Welch worked across Ogilvy's client portfolio, carrying out research projects for Motorola, Coca-Cola, Yahoo! and Unilever.
Before that, they worked together at the strategic brand consultancy HeadlightVision.
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