#17 Tabloid Magazines, Four Big Themes for the Future & New Merch
Hi, this week I’ve got a variety of topics that have caught my interest. The Slow Culture section has an interview with trend forecaster Lidewij Edelkoort that I’ve absolutely loved and think would be super helpful for any strategist. Let’s get into it.
⚡️Fast culture (something popular/trendy this week)
The death of Caroline Flack started a blame game between the tabloid media, social media trolls, politicians and journalists, but one unexpected outcome of her death is the action taken by hair salons to boycott tabloid magazines. The Guardian reports:
Salons are joining a growing movement to stop providing showbiz mags to customers and are replacing them with more positive material instead. (source)
Hair salons are a cultural site, a place of socialisation where identities are created and shaped - so many people have had ‘rebirth’ experiences at hair salons after going through a hard time in their lives. What we consume in those places matter.
For brands: expect people to react more quickly in small, tangible ways to bigger changes in society that allow them to preserve their values.
🌎Slow culture (change in behaviours or values in society)
This week I listened to trend forecaster and legend Lidewij Edelkoort on the Time Sensitive podcast. Here are some highlights from the interview:
Nature: for all that tech is doing to us, Edelkoort only sees a return to nature and to the farm as the next logical step. I definitely see it around me that we are getting conscious of the fact that everything in the world comes from nature, and new behaviours are starting to appear to connect us more to the natural world (the ‘Live in Scotland’ campaign is a good example)
Greed: our obsession with growth and money, our fear of not having enough, is clouding all principles of society. She says getting rid of greed is the only way forward and we need to be content with less. I’m seeing a real shift in attitude towards billionaires - as they become more and more public, more people see them as either Gods or Demons, and the religious tint is certainly there.
Fear: it’s easier for fear to creep into our lives when we all live so distant from each other. People move, families live in different countries and continents, and when we lose friendships and a sense of belonging, we need to go back to basic human connection (which is related to the return to nature)
Time: we experience time in different ways depending on where we are, and she says that slowing down is the only answer. Slowing down is definitely counter-cultural amongst friends and colleagues preaching how busy they are.
These are big shifts in culture that we should all be aware to frame our brand strategies in the right space going with the mood of the times - I’d recommend listening for more.
🖌Unusual pattern (two unrelated things coming together)
Three different food brands released merch this week: The KFC crocs, the McDonald’s candles and Supreme Oreos.
Merch is based on scarcity and exclusivity and allows brands to win space in people’s lives legitimately, but this type of merch surprised me because of the appeal to the different senses - I can almost feel the crunchiness of the KFC crocs, smell the McDonald’s candles, and taste the red velvet cake Oreos. Their goal is way more ambitious than just to create merch that turns the brand into a lifestyle.
The takeout: new merch like this is part of the same trend I saw recently with the Goop Vagina candle and the Mastercard macaron flavours. Iconic brands like KFC, McD’s and Oreo are starting to explore brand expressions that extend the meaning of their brands into new spaces.
🎯Cultural insight (the insight from culture behind an advert)
When people take out their phones to take a picture of an ad on the tube, you know it’s hit a chord. I’ve seen this happen several times this week with the below ads from the Scottish government. In this campaign we can see a good example of what Edelkoort was talking about in Slow Culture - we’re starting to see a return to nature.
The timing for this couldn’t be better. The British government just announced its new immigration policy for when it leaves the EU, which has a clear aim to dramatically decrease the number of new immigrants coming to the country by introducing a points system. This would have a huge impact on Scotland’s economy, as Nicola Sturgeon (Scotland’s First Minister) has said. So while things get more hostile towards immigrants in England, Scotland is becoming an inclusive brand providing an escape to a different way of life and reminding us there is a pro-European country only a few hours up north.
🕶 Bonus track
TikTok of the week: This week the feel-good content has been the rise of Jalaiah, the creator of the ‘Renegade’ dance, who’s finally gotten the credit for creating the most popular dance in the planet right now. After a feature in The New York Times, she’s been on Ellen, danced at an NBA show and got congratulated by Michelle Obama. A real TikTok star.
Thanks so much for reading, and if you want to share any thoughts on this week’s edition, just hit reply to this email and I’ll get back to you, or connect with me on Twitter.
Cultural Patterns is a newsletter by Florencia Lujani about culture, creativity and strategy. If you’ve enjoyed it, consider subscribing :)