WEEKLY TRENDS REPORT
Pictured:
THIS WEEK’S FORECAST
FOR YOUR INFO
This week’s dates & microtrends
TikTok trends of the week
“What do you mean you’re not married to Crash Bandicoot?” Your animated childhood-self demands to know why you’re not married to your fictional crush. You ladies alright? The PledgeTok love story.
ICYMI
“Say hello to my little friend!” Al Pacino and his Shrek phone case.
Phrase of the week
The great stuff transfer’, inheriting junk from grandparents and parents as they get older. Does anybody want our collection of used stamps?
Digi updates
ChatGPT can now do voice impressions. It has 9 voices to choose from and they all sound like HAL 9000.
Pets can now speak with the use of a chatbot collar. Now you can listen to your dog say “walk?” all day!
What we’re loving
Going to the gas station feels fun again!
Intricate bright costumes and neon makeup cover the Sukeban, female wrestlers from Japan, as they perform their high-octane wrestling moves in London.
Tea of the week
After almost the biggest scandal of the year, a Conker champion has been cleared of cheating!
Weekly dose of cute
BOOtiful costumes at the Halloween dog parade and the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards.
Established trend
Living in the 2000s, crappy digital cameras are IN because they capture what iPhone can’t. The human spirit.
On our radar
Tyler The Creator: Chromakopia – 28 October
The Cure: Songs of a lost world – 1 November
Dragon Age: The Veilguard – 31 October
Anora – 1 November
Insights of the week
The sugary drinks from Starbucks are attracting kids, making the coffee chain the Gen Z place to be. We order Unicorn Frappuccinos at 8AM.
Home schooling becomes an easier alternative as hybrid teaching and online classes become the norm.
Rising trends
Luxury items are losing their splendour as dupe culture rises.
Dadfluencers are on the up, but it’s women, not men, who are tuning in.
The future
Worldwide efforts to raise birthrates aren’t working. Don’t let this deter you from having 16 dogs all named Greg.
Chill out! Teens are facing too much stress and pressure from trying to live the most perfected and optimised life.
Stat of the week
Suite life on deck, Gen Z are the most likely generation to show an interest in going on a cruise.
One to watch
Gnarly! Shaun White’s Snow League is the first professional snowboarding year-round circuit.
Image: Kingston Tam
Image: @Scott Lynch
Image: @Gracie Brackstone
TikTok @rarekuu Music Game
Movie
TREND TRACKING
How some
of the trends we’ve identified have evolved in recent months
Skinny rebranded Brands not performing
[TW: eating disorders]. A growing corner of TikTok is using therapy speak to rebrand the “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels” mentality of the late 90s, with influencers advising followers on weight-related content under the guise of self-help. With Ozempic on the up and bodies shrinking, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons has dubbed it the ‘ballet body’ era, and Vogue Business’s recent size-inclusivity report noted a return to extremely thin models. This threatens to set back the body positivity movement and put more appearance-based pressure on women.
slop
AI slop could spell the end of the internet, as newsfeeds, image searches and social platforms are infected with nonsensical AI generated crap. Vox recently stated that the “Fall vibes are off”, and they couldn’t be more right. Viral images of cosy cafes depict, upon closer inspection, floating sourdough and broccoli lattes. The top Pinterest result for “fall inspo” that’s also been viewed more than 12 million times on X? AI slop. It’s not just images. Recipes, books and instruction guides entirely generated by AI are not only annoying but could pose an actual risk – one AI written book advises how to identify poisonous mushrooms! This could drive people offline, as they choose trusted bookshops and printed newspapers as sources of information.
As people become more open with their sexual preferences, brands are doing the opposite. One strategist penned an article that said despite the huge sex positive consumer movement (including sextech, sexual rights movements, festivals, podcasts and TV shows), when it comes to sex, brands are failing to perform. It noted most of the recent efforts are coming from queer, POC or women-led communities, with a severe lack of sex positive sources for straight men (with most male-focused content coming from narcissistic and sociopathic Andrew Tate personalities…).
Image: @othermike
Image: Genie Espinosa
This week’s long read
BAND OUT OF ORDER
Sell out arena tours and TikTok crazes have got us asking: where are the bands at?
If you hadn’t noticed, it’s the era of solo artists. We’ve had a brat summer, experienced Taylor Swift domination, whole heartedly embraced folk for Noah Kahan and though we might not be ready to admit it, we’ve definitely secretly done the H-O-T-T-O-G-O dance – all thanks to solo icons.
This comes at the unfortunate expense of bands, who once upon a time were chart-toppers, trendsetters and fashion icons. In fact, not a single band has topped the Billboard Hot 100 this year and last year a mere four new songs released by bands made it to the top 100 Singles Charts.
The impact of the cost of living is having a profound effect on artists. With the expenses of touring, including cost of instruments, crew and travel factored in, it’s a financial burden that many groups
simply cannot afford. Up-and-coming artists in particular are feeling the pinch, with UK grassroot artists now playing an average of 11 shows on tour, down from 22 in 1994.
The bands that are in culture have nostalgia on their side – whether that’s a risky reunion, a dodgy TV ad or a remix
For new bands that don’t have nostalgia to lean on, breaking through can be tough, and carving out a niche and a community has never been more crucial.
A tracked checklist for success includes having a distinct sound, whether it be funky synths or thick accents like Fontaines D.C., an effortlessly cool aesthetic like The Last Dinner Party or reinvention through savvy marketing like The 1975.
Weber Forecast Insight
Individualist culture is thriving, with solo stars finding it easier to create and maintain a visual identity compared to the difficulties of duplicating a consistent and identifiable image among a larger group. People are finding a sense of community in solo artist domination due to their relatable and universal content - but creating the conditions for new bands to thrive is just as important.
Image: @nsync Nichole Sebastian, Pexels
Image: @chappellroan
Image: GQ
WANT TO KNOW WHAT ELSE IS ON THE HORIZON?
Talk to us for:
Reports
Our ‘Signals’ reports provide deep dive insights and implications for your brand, audience or category.
Workshops
Our own ‘Culture Collider’ workshop methodology approaches briefs through the lens of cultural trends to help teams create culture first ideas.
