Stefan Kelly is a Senior Behavioural Analyst at Canvas8. Stefan has a background in behavioural science and psychology, and has spent most of his career researching how people form beliefs and make decisions. Now he spends most of his time trying to understand the interactions between identity, uncertainty and culture. After work, he's likely reading old psychiatry blogs, scouring 2nd hand clothing apps, or failing to get Arsenal tickets.

People are taking a patchwork approach to self-expression to feel like they have control over how their identity is generated. Yet as individual expression becomes more mutable and mistrust in social systems abounds, there’s one place above all that people are seeking integrity and guidance: brands.

Reality Split

United States

Media and Entertainment

Beauty

Brands are using paparazzi shots as marketing tools, blurring the line between authentic endorsement and calculated promo. This trend taps into our fascination with celeb culture and fits into a wider blurring of reality, from AI shaking up truth to curated 'authenticity' on social media.