Tessa Love is a writer whose work focuses on the undertones of culture and human experience. Her work has been featured in Outside Magazine, The Believer, Longreads, BBC, and more. She is also a cultural researcher and trend analyst specialising in youth behaviours and insights. She has produced reports, articles, white papers, and films that have informed the strategies of some of the world’s biggest brands, and she previously served as the editorial director of Western Europe for the global youth insights and research agency YPulse.

People are craving comfort. Amid what can feel like a state of constant crisis – a layering of traumatic societal events – it can sometimes seem like we’ve lost a sense of scale and cohesion. In the face of this, the desire to retreat into nostalgia is more seductive than ever. 

Nostalgia Reimagined 

Navigating reality has become an almost constant shock to the system. With the ongoing cost of living crisis, wars, political polarisation, and global environmental issues, life’s stresses are becoming increasingly difficult to escape. With individuals and collectives in a perpetual state of disturbance, people are increasingly seeking reprieve.

If the notion of escape was previously more transient, people are growing more invested in constructing a permanent refuge through world-building and community connections. Global fandoms, Australia’s board game renaissance, and the flourishing rave culture in the UK are examples of alternative realities that allow people to find joy and supportive networks. Many are also finding embodied escapes through psychedelics, VR meditations, and manifestations.

People are increasingly trading a quick hit of holiday serotonin for an emotional release one can get without leaving the home. Travel excess is undoubtedly on the rise, but TikTok’s #UltimateWorldCruise saw millions of people escape vicariously through their screens by witnessing creators share their experiences of a nine-month Royal Caribbean cruise, with its dramas, mishaps, and relatable characters. Elsewhere, one TikToker who decided to build a tunnel network under her house purely to keep herself “preoccupied” gained a captive online audience – demonstrating how people are increasingly interested in absurd departures from everyday life.

People are finding freedom in the unhinged by embracing new levels of honesty about mental health. ‘Yearnposting’ reflects a more deliberate engagement with anxiety and dissatisfaction, while others are opting for off-the-rails candour or just dissociating completely. Meanwhile, trends like ‘feral girl summer’, ‘bedrotting’, and ‘goblin mode’ have seen people construct new lifestyles and outlooks for themselves – because reality doesn’t cut it.

Essential Escapism

Eddie Stableford’s career spans 49 years in food and drinks branding, innovation, and marketing. He has extensive brand experience spanning from Tesco, Waitrose, M&S, and Co-op through major food manufacturers like Premier Foods and ABF. He also works with entrepreneurial start-ups and emerging brands and is passionate about making new businesses become success stories. He has three millionaire success stories to his name and has five early-stage brands of his own, including 

Global

Germany

Eating and Drinking

Snacks and desserts

CEO Magazine

Smithsonian

Today

Statista

Osum

Interview with Eddie Stableford conducted by the author

PR News Wire

Digiday

Deutschland.de

Food Insight

Mintel

LSN Global

Modern Retail

ABC News

High Snobriety

Global Newswire

Frito-Lay

From producing 160 million Goldbears a day to pioneering digital engagement, Haribo's century-old legacy is a testament to its enduring appeal. By blending tradition with innovation to satisfy a world craving sweetness and nostalgia, the brand has remained culturally relevant and financially robust.

Cultivate

Experiences and Sensations

Values and Identity

How Haribo sweetens the world with innovation and nostalgia