Communications

Bath & Body Works has launched a campaign to encourage busy holiday shoppers to take a moment and relax with aroma – featuring a ten-foot tall candle in New York’s Herald Square. With many shoppers under financial strain, brands are positioning themselves as an antidote to holiday shopping stress.

After his expulsion from Congress, ex-Representative George Santos has become an unlikely anti-hero for Gen Zers online – who are represented by his awkward, messy behavior. As polarization grows, Gen Zers are drawn to relatable irreverence for a breath of fresh air and authenticity.

Infusing multiple romantic aesthetics with a touch of mundane authenticity, the online series The Neighbor Saga has become a TikTok sensation. As short-form content becomes more established, Gen Z audiences are increasingly drawn to unique, emotionally engaging, and eclectic storytelling.

The City of Las Vegas has launched a campaign for Super Bowl LVIII, encouraging 'excessive celebration' of the city's first Super Bowl, including a Change.org petition. Following years of economic worries, communications around excess and release are growing resonant with sports fans.

McDonald's has revived its McNugget Buddies line of collectibles for the first time in 25 years for a collaboration with artist Kerwin Frost, putting a streetwear-friendly spin on the nostalgic toy. People are looking for brands to merge the old and the new, offering a sense of nostalgic novelty.

Swipe fatigue has people turning to unusual spaces to look for love – with people flocking to alternative platforms like Duolingo and Yelp. Drawn by the opportunity to connect over shared interests, people are seeking places where more natural and authentic connections can be formed.

Substack has launched video creation tools to expand its offerings while maintaining a model that prioritises direct creator-subscriber support. In the context of a creator economy and social media fatigue, the platform is giving creators new ways to connect with their audience.

Thrust into the spotlight by sheer circumstance, Motaz Azaiza has gained millions of followers for his on-the-ground coverage of the crisis in Gaza. His recognition reflects how people seek trustworthy information outside the mainstream by leaning into raw narratives that uplift local stories.

Douyin – the Chinese TikTok – is experimenting with pay-to-view content to supplement lost revenue and adapt to changing privacy restrictions. However, this move has faced criticism from users who believe that charging for features that were once free is exploitative and unfair.

An NBC news poll has found that young people who previously backed President Joe Biden are feeling less committed, exacerbated by Biden's response to the Gaza crisis. The approval drop highlights the political engagement of young people in the US and their emphasis on humanitarian leadership.

With a heartwarming animated film, Bavaria Beer is encouraging people to seek connection at Christmas. As international pressures deepen and populations become increasingly polarised, people are seeking human connection and camaraderie to help them feel anchored and understood.

TikTok creators are using money earned from content to donate to aid in Gaza, all while sharing recipes and stories to spread awareness. These creators highlight how monetised online platforms can be leveraged for social and political causes while culturally engaging their audiences.

Americans would deactivate their social media accounts for a financial incentive, according to a survey – hinting at a growing disillusionment with social media as a whole. As people reckon with the new implications of a digital-first life, many are looking to prioritize IRL connections.

Users are increasingly turning to Snap Map to stay updated on the conflict in Gaza amid misinformation and media censorship. As trust in mainstream media wanes, alternative information sources are providing eyewitness content that brings transparent visibility to real-time events.

People are increasingly accused of staying in their political echo chambers online and IRL. Bubbel Chat is trying to shift this narrative by providing an online space where Dutch people can talk across cultural divides and foster conversations that lead to greater empathy.

The National Cyber Security Centre campaign uses humour to empower individuals and organisations to protect themselves against cyber-attacks. With online scams increasingly rife but attention and interest in cyber security low, humour can help build interest in online safety.

On the back of Dove's #KeepTheGrey movement, the brand has launched products that help people embrace their natural grey hair. Alongside this, 'The First Grey' video campaign shows how embracing graceful ageing is empowering and tries to disrupt the anxiety young women feel about getting older.

Humane Inc. has launched Ai Pin, a screenless device designed to replace the smartphone by allowing people to focus more on the world around them than their screens. Although it appears to cater to the desires behind the ‘dumb’ phone renaissance, its interface may not suit most people’s needs.

The national LGBTQ+ youth organization is the latest of several organizations and individuals that have opted to suspend their operations on Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter). As polarisation deepens, people from marginalized communities are leaving unsafe mainstream platforms.

Research has found that young Japanese social media users have a burgeoning appetite for challenger apps like BeReal and Threads. The findings speak to audiences' growing fatigue with legacy social platforms and their desire for a more organic approach to digital intimacy.

The Go Wild Festival in China taps people's desire to unplug and take part in activities to reconnect with nature. The celebration highlights the potential for brands that synchronise online strategies with outdoor themes as the line between the digital and physical worlds continues to blur.

Vodafone UK has launched its heartwarming Christmas campaign, showing the importance of connecting to the people and things that matter most. With Britons facing challenging financial circumstances this festive period, the campaign looks to remind them of better times and resonate emotionally.

Kendrick Lamar's PGLang has teamed up with tech company Light to launch a premium minimalist phone. Designed to be "used as little as possible," the phone doesn't offer social media, internet browsing, email, news, or ads and instead taps into growing desires for a digital detox.

TikTokers are raving about the 'Black Nail Theory' – a trend suggesting that black nails boost inner confidence and outward mystique. In contrast to the male-pandering 'Red Nail Theory', it tackles patriarchal prevalence as the female gaze establishes itself in the mainstream consciousness.

Gen Z teens are among the biggest users of the social media platform Pinterest. With young people caught between desires to unplug and the inescapable nature of social media, Pinterest’s more passive forms of engagement with trends feel like a more leisurely version of an online community.

The Louvre is modernising its Ancient Egypt exhibition with augmented reality technology from Snap. The art institution is using AR to bring exhibits back to their former glory – capturing the attention and imagination of museum visitors and boosting their knowledge and engagement.

Reports of young men being targeted with sextortion – online blackmail scams involving the threat of leaking nudes – are increasing in Canada. The shame associated with this crime makes victims reluctant to seek help, but ALERT has rolled out their 'Butt Out, Creeps' initiative to provide support.

Leica’s M11-P camera has built-in content authentication tools, allowing users to ensure their photos are verifiable as real. In a world where consumers are worried about rapid innovation, AI, and misinformation online, the camera serves as a way to parse out the truth and quell consumer fears.

A report has found #StandwithPalestine has gained significant online traction on TikTok, as people take to social media to protest the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. As people advocate for social justice in digital spaces, these findings highlight how young people can change how platforms are used.

In response to misinformation, Palestinians are using social media to share on-the-ground news and updates but are facing 'shadowbanning'. As people grapple with censorship around the world, this highlights how people are bypassing algorithms and calling for greater transparency.

Popular gay social networking app Blued is shifting its strategy to enter the American dating pool as the Chinese government crackdowns on LGBTQ+ organisations, events, and online accounts. Entering the US, the brand plans to focus on emotional connections to resonate with local dating needs.

Vogue Arabia has used its platform to highlight the commitments of doctors and medical workers in Palestine. At a time of humanitarian crisis and polarisation, people are looking to brands to show active allyship in respectful and authentic ways that support afflicted and vulnerable communities.

Social media is experiencing a 'sassy man apocalypse' – an online trend showing men unafraid to say it how it is – while wearing their emotions on their sleeves. Globally, men are embracing vulnerable masculinity and seeking out more avenues for unapologetic self-expression.

A sense of overwhelm is causing people to opt out of news media. The disengagement in current events is impacting people's civic participation. The political detachment highlights the challenge of engaging people with politics sustainably in a particularly tense geopolitical and cultural era.

Originating from the Spicy BookTok community, a surreal new social media trend has young people donning Ghostface masks before seducing their partners. Mixing horror and porn aesthetics, book lovers can inspire publishing brands to tap into idiosyncratic Halloween activations and campaigns.

A survey has shown that despite being tech-savvy, Gen Z and Gen Y have poorer cybersecurity habits than Boomers – but Boomers feel less confident whilst browsing online. Complacent online behaviour amongst Gen Z and Y needs addressing, whilst building trust and confidence for Boomers is key.