WEEKLY TRENDS REPORT
Pictured: Pexels/Envato - edited
THIS WEEK’S FORECAST
FOR YOUR INFO
TikTok trends
What comes after 7? The Slayyyer beat drop trend
SETLOG, an hourly 2-second vlogging app is blowing up in South-East Asia.
ICYMI
The World Cup half-time performers have been announced. How will they fit all this star power in 11 minutes?!?
The annual tradition of the NFL schedule announcement videos
Phrase of the week
“Why have celebrities become obsessed with taste signalling?” We all want to know what they like so we know what to like.
Digi updates
The AI baseball spectator videos racking up tons of views.
TikTok is launching TikTok Go, Instagram launched Instants and Bumble killed swiping.
This week’s dates & microtrends
Tea of the week
What is the modern mid-life crisis? What do you mean it doesn’t get better?!?
What we’re loving
Scotland’s World Cup squad video. Are we winning it all? Undoubtably.
The Noto Satoyama Airport is being redesigned with all 111 flying type Pokémon. Last one there is a Pidgeot!
Established trends
Club sandwich anyone? The new reality of three generations of family living together.
Physical neighbourhood newsletters are creating a much-needed sense of community.
Insights of the week
The first generation of OnlyFans creators are doing all they can to avoid the ‘afterlife’ of their work.
2026 graduates are being bombarded by AI at their graduations. From tone-deaf speeches to failed announcements
On our radar
Backrooms – 29 May
AESPA: LEMONADE – 29 May
Paul McCartney: The Boys of Dungeon Lane – 29 May
007 First Light – 27 May
Spider Noir – 27 May
Weekly doses of cute
Grocery store Tiny Desk, condor back home, the next big music star, Womble the aardvark the butterfly vote and the firefighter’s twilight
Rising trends
Luxury brands are targeting the longevity and wellness crowd to get that sweet $$$.
Fame is dead? Only 9% of Gen Z want to be famous.
The future
The intense homework workload and education is being gamified
Stat of the week
YouTube viewers are watching an unbelievable 2 billion hours of Shorts on their TVs each month.
Ones to watch
Fourth Wing is being adapted Grey’s Anatomy spinoff announced, Obsession is a surprise hit, we’re the next James Bond? And Off Campus is so hot
Image: Raiders
Image: @kekepalmer
Image: Scotland National Team
TREND TRACKING Getting fancy Fairycore summer
A number of signals support the growing trend around making an effort. These include cursive club, which is making a comeback in schools and libraries as young children struggle to sign their names or read historical documents written in cursive. As well as being a sign of literacy, they’re just quite fancy; adding a flourish and a bit of whimsy to everyday comms. Perhaps club members are behind the huge rise in snail mail clubs! At the same time, the latest TikTok trend is the hobby wall - adorning walls (dare we say, performatively) with your pastimes. Some of the most popular include yarn, embroidery floss, tennis rackets and LEGO figurines mounted to the wall.
How some of the trends we’ve identified have evolved in recent months
All that jazz
Trend of the summer called already? Bustle thinks so, predicting that the fairy aesthetic will be everywhere, if TikTok is anything to go by. Fairy POV videos enchant viewers, transporting them to magical streams, woodlands and vistas filled with tiny creatures and no problems. We’re not ashamed to admit we spent a 30 minute foray into fairyland while writing this report. But that’s not all! Fairycore is happening IRL too. According to Pinterest, “searches for “fairycore tops” are up 465%, “fairycore earrings” up 183%, and “fairycore nails” up 165% from April 2025”. As one creator said to Bustle, “there’s so much strife and uncertainty in the world, I think it’s fun to engage in that fantasy and a little bit of playing pretend.”
A few jazzy trends have crossed our scrolls this week. The first is the jazz shoe. Apparently, the new ballet flat, for those brave enough to try and pull them off. According to Lyst, searches for the dainty footwear have risen 300% in the last month alone. And where might you wear the jazz shoe? What about a Paris jazz club, Gen Z’s hottest new hangout. Caveau de la Huchette has seen queues of over 30 minutes, with crowds driven largely by TikTok. Inside, the thick walls mean that phone signal is limited, creating the perfect opportunity to dance with reckless abandon, and maybe meet the love of your life at the same time.
Trend: At your inconvenience
Trend: The return of positivity
Trend: Dance recession
Image: @kiaya.travels
Image: @swinkpaper
Image: @katescapes34
This week’s long read
LOOKING UP TO UNC
The new “old” male role model
For young men, the new male role models aren’t looksmaxxers or sport stars or actors, they’re wholesome “older” men. Or as the kids like to say, unc . A growing community of sensei-like characters on social media have become a beacon of hope for younger men. They’re non-toxic tastemakers unafraid to be vulnerable and most importantly, very cheesy!
A prime example is the internet’s unc, Chris Heyn Jr. who posts longform slices of life sprinkled with a dose of monthly mental check-ins life and career advice and even a short-lived talk show . He may look like a finance bro, but his content is anything but. Built on viewer to creator interactions, he has built a welcoming of community viewers where viewers call him unc in return for some wisdom. Another example comes from a wholesome South Korean dad, Woody Shin who shares his post-work meals , his thoughts on raising teen children , and fatherhood
We’re running out of space to gush about every account so here’s some more of our faves: unbotheredkev’s daily dance videos , heywhatsupguys is classic embarrassing dad , Writer’s.Cramp’s inspirational wisdom Russel Crowe’s secret watch account and being serenaded by Frank Watkinson
What makes the above examples so interesting is that they’re not trying to sell their viewer something.
The entertainment is the mundanity of it all. It’s a breath of fresh air amid the doomscroll while giving younger viewers a sense of what they could grow up to become.
It’s never too late to become a world-famous influencer. A mid-life crisis could mean a million followers.
Weber Forecast Insight
The content creation market is saturated with influencers all vying for the same thing, our eyeballs. What makes these uncs stand out is that they’re often doing the least – and that’s what the people want. They could be the next evolution of brand ambassadors thanks to their trustworthy demeanours and strong fan engagement.
Image: @wookeunshin
Image: @unbotheredkev
Image: @chrisheynjr
Image: @writers.cramp Image: @chrisheynjr
BRANDWATCH
Inspiring creative from around the world
Goldfish Dunkin’ BEAMS Gentle Monster UO X DoorDash
The Pokémon company have gone all out in consumer goods for their 30th anniversary. This week they released in partnership with Goldfish four versions of the snack in forms of the OG four starters from the Kanto region. Don’t let the colours fool you, they taste the same as a normal Goldfish! Does nostalgia taste like cheese? We think so and we allow it. Just don’t tell our stomach.
Less is more? No! More is more! Originally teased months ago, Dunkin’ has officially made the 48oz coffee buckets available in limited quantities. They’re combining consumer’s love for caffeine, big bottles and novelty into one. Will these sell out? Most likely. Does anyone need that much caffeine and sugar? Nope!
BEAMS Records is releasing an orange transparent version of their portable CD player. Tangible analogue tech is in high demand from those seeking a break from the online world. The charm of collecting CDs is more than just experiencing musical artistry through this medium, but also through the information found on the packaging lost in streaming. ¡Viva la Y2K tech revolución!
Everyone’s favourite marketing brand that also does eyewear, Gentle Monster, have launched their newest Veggie collection with the help of Karina from AESPA. The PR packages are to die for Each influencer got a plot of “dirt” with “vegetables” to pull out (They’re bag charms!). GM have consistently put out EYE CATCHING marketing roll outs for their newest collections. They lean into the surreal with their ads and interesting packaging for their PR. We live for glasses are cool propaganda.
Urban Outfitters is partnering with DoorDash to have their products available on the delivery app. No more waiting for the post person, now you can get your jorts same day! Delivery apps are evolving from food to transport to groceries and now to commerce, they’re striving to become an everything app. What’s next? Pay our rent through them? It’s not far off!
Image: @goldfishsmiles
Image: @beams_official
Image: @gentlemonster
Image: @urbanoutfitters
Image: Dunkin’
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