Once a signifier of luxury or novelty, custom products and services are now within reach of the everyday consumer, thanks to the rise of artificial intelligence, algorithm-led platforms, and the COVID-era digitisation boom. Today, everyone wants to be the main character of their brand experience.

People are redefining status for themselves using a broad range of factors beyond solely economic ones. This new iteration of status is often based around increasingly niche and local signifiers, and status is becoming a mode of belonging and connection with like-minded people.

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.

Following a four-year hiatus, fashion and beauty retailer Claire’s is making a comeback with a range of Y2K-inspired accessories that customers know and love. As the brand doubles down on its brick-and-mortar experience, why is it resonating among a fresh audience of Gen Zers?

Streetwear brand Cactus Plant Flea Market has partnered with McDonald's on a Happy Meal for adults, which includes a limited edition toy. With adults looking for nostalgic choices, brands are responding by fusing their contemporary tastes with products or experiences they enjoyed in childhood.

The pandemic lockdowns resulted in adults having more free time, with many cultivating new past-times, playing games, and finding new ways to escape the seriousness of being a grown-up by doing something they love. But who are the ‘kidults’? And why are they prioritizing playtime?

A Pokemon toy offered for free alongside KFC meals has become a collectors' item in China, sparking a wave of social buying and second-hand selling. With fans willing to go to extreme lengths to secure viral products, brands are tapping into online trends to ensure they remain front-of-mind.