2025: The "It" Factor
In today’s world, we have content on multiple platforms on multiple devices. We have actors, singers, athletes, models, chefs, influencers, TikTokers, YouTubers, streamers, gamers, comedians, “personalities” and more. Everyday products such as dish soap, moisturizer and bread come in dozens of sizes, formulations, and scents. Whether looking down at our phones or up into the world, we are consistently bombarded with purchase options and brand messaging.
We are often overwhelmed and overstimulated. For brands, this creates massive barriers to break through. What makes one brand go viral while another goes bankrupt? Sure, there’s product quality. Marketing too. Customer service. User experience. Rewards. But these are rarely distinguishing factors. For every brand that claims they have “the world’s best” socks, toothbrush, spatula or something else, there are dozens of competitors claiming the same.
When it comes to the question of what creates a true tipping point, we can think back to SCOTUS Justice Potter Stewart’s famous sentiment “I can’t define it, but I know it when I see it.”
Whether driving revenue, product adoption or evolving consumer behaviors, here are 10 trends that are “it” for 2025.
SINGING SELLS
2024 saw major brands bring true star power to their marketing efforts through partnerships with chart-topping musicians. Sabrina Carpenter’s single, “Espresso,” was Spotify’s most streamed song of the year. The success led to her own flavor of ice cream from Van Leeuwen as well as marketing partnerships with Skims, Versace, Supergoop, Redken and to kick off 2025, a Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso from Dunkin’.
Fresh off her “Brat” summer, British pop star Charli XCX was dubbed “the face of fashion” by Women’s Wear Daily as her brand portfolio now includes partnerships with Skims, H&M, Converse, Acne Studios and Valentino Beauty.
Other music artists featured in major brand partnerships include Jelly Roll (Hey Dude and Uber Eats), Noah Kahan (LL Bean) and the omnipresent Snoop (too many to list).
In 2025, we can expect to see more brands amplify their reach through artist partnerships. Bud Light has already announced their plans to kick off Super Bowl weekend with a concert performance by Post Malone.
WE GOT NOW
Those of a certain age, may remember “We Got Next” as the WNBA’s initial marketing campaign in 1996. 29 years later, next is now.
2024 saw record viewership, attendance and sponsorship dollars across basketball and soccer. Thanks to expanded and lucrative new media rights deals for the WNBA and NWSL, viewership is projected to grow by 32% and 24%, respectively. In 2025, we can expect to see a ripple effect across the entire women’s sports landscape as 82% of brands will up their spend within the sector.
Additionally, the All Women’s Sports Network, the first and only platform dedicated exclusively to women’s sports, will be available to stream on Roko, FuboTV, Tubi and more.
The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) set a world record for women’s hockey attendance in its inaugural season, was named the sports breakthrough of the year by Sports Business Journal and exceeded all expectations with regards to viewership and merchandise sales.
And across the pond, the Bristol Bears, a UK women’s rugby club recently relocated to a larger home stadium due to increased ticket demand after signing Ilona Maher, the most followed rugby player in the world.
SOFT DRINKS
During Sunday’s Golden Globes, Nikki Glaser joked that “…the point of making art is not to win an award. The point of making art is to start a brand of tequila that’s so popular you never have to make art again.”
And while the list of celebrity tequilapreneurs is long and distinguished, another segment of the drink market is proving to be an incredibly fertile ground for branding: Non-alcoholic beverages.
First, the data. Gen Z is drinking significantly less than previous generations. 20% less than Millennials, to be exact. Within Gen Alpha, the use of alcohol among high schoolers is at its lowest level since the National Institute of Health began tracking usage in 1980.
Helping to normalize this shift, celebrities such as Zendaya and Drew Barrymore speak openly about their sober lifestyles. And thanks to a suite of non-alcoholic offerings from sober/sober-curious celebrities, boozeless doesn’t mean boring.
Sex, Drugs, Rock & Dry Old Fashioned is a new collaboration from rock legend Alice Cooper and WhistlePig Whiskey. Spiderman star, Tom Holland openly discussed his journey to sobriety in 2024 and followed up with the launch of non-alcoholic beer, Bero. It Ends With Us star, Blake Lively expanded Betty Buzz, her line of non-alcoholic mixers, into RTD canned mocktails. And Katy Perry (who is not sober, but promotes mindful drinking) has developed De Soi, a collection of non-alcoholic apértifs.
With the recent Surgeon General’s recent call for cancer warning labels on alcohol, the non-alcoholic beverages market should continue to see exponential growth and the introduction of new brands.
POPULAR… THE MOVIES ARE POPULAR
2025 is projected to be a big year for the movies. While films have longed employed licensing as part of the marketing strategy to fuel franchise engagement, Wicked took a page out of the Barbie playbook and showed us yet again the magic that happens when licensing is the marketing strategy. The brand boasted over 400 brand, collaboration and retail partners including Starbucks, Bloomingdales, Ulta and Target. With nearly $700 million in box office revenue, the strategy not only worked, but will be duplicated for the release of the sequel in November.
Major 2025 releases such as Minecraft, Superman, Zootopia 2, Smurfs and Snow White are projected to fuel an 8% increase in box office revenue and will undoubtedly include major product and retail activations.
PIECES OF FLAIR
Quiet luxury. Earth tones. Minimalism. What do these looks have in common? They are OUT for 2025!
This year, whimsical is the new black. Eclectic aesthetics inspired by consumer love for fantasy (see previous section re: Wicked!) are expected to penetrate high fashion, activewear, home furnishings, tabletop and even food itself.
Think mixing new with vintage, adding elements of ruffle and lace, chunky jewelry and embracing bright, floral patterns from brands such as Farm Rio, which recently celebrated a decade of collaboration with adidas; Chubbies, which now delivers its cheeky and irreverent aesthetic through an NFL collection; and Lilly Pulitzer, which kicked off its 65th anniversary with their first runway show in 20 years and the relaunch of its menswear collection.
NO MÁS “NO MASS”
Despite decades of scientific research that shows protein is a building block for muscle, there has historically been hesitation on consuming too much. Citing fears such as not wanting to get too bulky, thinking that meat is unhealthy or that eggs raise cholesterol, certain consumer groups have gravitated more towards “low fat/low calorie” diets than “high protein” ones.
However, recent data has shown that muscle mass not only burns more fat, but is also a significant determinant of longevity. Also increasing demand for products? An estimated 15 million American adults are currently taking Ozempic (or other GLP-1’s) for weight loss, which suggest a protein-rich diet to aid effectiveness.
The opportunities for brands are robust. With meat now repositioned as the most effective provider of protein, we can expect to see an even greater assortment of flavor collaborations within the jerky and meat snacks categories. Beyond eggs, consumers can get a protein-rich breakfast with protein-enhanced oatmeal, waffles and cereal. Even sodas are getting the +1 treatment as “Protein Diet Coke” or “Dirty Soda” recently exploded on TikTok. The product is made by mixing Diet Coke with a vanilla protein shake.
Global protein consumption is expected to rise by 27% in 2025.
SPRITZ MIX
The Beauty/Skincare has seen exponential growth in recent years thanks to three generations of consumers:
· Informed Millennials investing in anti-aging products
· Cosmetics-savvy Gen Z’s
· Aspirational Gen Alpha’s aka “Sephora girls”
Men are also contributing to sales by leveling up their haircare and shaving products. One category that all demographics are contributing to? Fragrance! The global market is projected to exceed $9 billion in 2025. Consumers are not only purchasing multiple fragrances at once, but they are also wearing multiple fragrances at once! A survey showed nearly 70% of consumers are “layering” their fragrances.
Growth is being driven by discovery sets of luxury brands, as well as more accessible brands such as Sol de Janeiro.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, ACTUAL HELP
AI is everywhere. We won’t always be able to see and use it ourselves this year. But it will be in the background of everything we do. Have an Amazon account? Thank AI for your already populated shopping list. Have an Apple Music subscription? Thank AI for your curated recommendations. Dying for a new pair of Uggs for winter, but they’re sold out? AI will tell you when they’re back in stock.
AI is expected to provide hyper-personalization to our shopping experiences while reducing friction within the purchase and customer service processes.
GENTLE FITNESS
While high-intensity sports such as running, power lifting and hybrid races such as Hyrox will continue to grow in participation, 2025 is expected to see a spike on the other side of the spectrum: Gentle Fitness. Originally deemed “Cozy Cardio” on TikTok, gentle fitness includes workouts that are low impact and/or intensity. We’ll hear the phrase “Zone 2” as people look to manage their heart rate through low-intensity, steady-state cardio. Pilates will continue its expansion into the mainstream through on-demand workouts and the national expansion of dedicated studios. And “Wellness Walks” offer the opportunity for both long durations of movement and mindfulness.
BRANDS ACTIVATING COMMUNITY
To bookend this piece, we will close with perhaps the most unquantifiable trend: Community. Several outlets have deemed “Community” the top trend of the year.
Disco, an industry expert and community platform, defines brand community as “a group of customers who engage with a brand and each other, sharing values and experiences, and fostering a sense of belonging. It's like a tight-knit group that's all about a particular brand.”
This engagement can be digital or physical. For example, a New York City runner training for their first big race who recently bought a pair of Asics can train IRL with Asics Run Club while also engaging with the wider Asics and running communities on Strava.
Brands fuel community through product collaborations, rewards programs, cause-related initiatives and shared values. Whether it’s Nike’s community sharing information on drops to fuel sneaker love or Ulta’s community sharing new looks on TikTok to empower each other, community requires us to be participants, not spectators.
That’s “it.” Happy 2025!