Artificial intelligence, emotions and a sense of belonging are the points raised by the agency
Dentsu Creative has presented its 2024 Creative Trends Report, which aims to equip brands, businesses and individuals with market insights.
The survey highlighted five macro trends for the year, each with other sub-trends to be explored, and reveals possibilities such as the power of joy in the face of anxiety, the power of narrative as a force for change or the potential of a local vision to connect diverse communities around the world.
“In the face of this uncertain world, our report turns to hope as a deliberate choice, to empower us to take control and design our own futures. Through creativity, armed with the powers of technology and storytelling, we have the potential to open up It’s a path to many exciting ‘Roads Less Traveled,’ grounded in principles of optimism and ambition,” said Yasuharu Sasaki, global creative director at Dentsu.
See below the main trends and subtrends highlighted by the report:
- The magic in the machine
As artificial intelligence advances, the sector will tend to question the role of technology in humanity.
Imagine: With ChatGPT emerging, the study points out that the market will see not only limitless imagination, but also more practical and scalable use cases designed to enhance the customer experience.
In Touch with Humanity: Despite exponential advances in artificial intelligence, the agency believes the industry will see lasting power in experiences that connect technology and humanity through touch, haptics, voice, gestures and beyond.
Commerce without Borders: The analysis points out that technologies such as Augmented Reality, Image Recognition and virtual worlds are blurring the lines between online and offline commerce.
2. Production memes
In a related trend, the report believes the industry will see creators reclaiming genres and formats easily underestimated as superficial or trivial as forces for change.
From building worlds to building better worlds: a generation raised on world-building and co-creation is taking these skills and expectations into adulthood, with high expectations of empowerment.
Change history, change the future: Broadcasters and curators are embracing narrative over factual content to help audiences digest the complexity of the times, recognizing the power of new narratives to unlock new possibilities.
Life in meme format: Just like parables or cartoons before them, memes and reels emerged as a way to distill complex ideas or hard-hitting comments into small, shareable, infinitely repeatable formats, and with that, no topic is too complex to go viral.
3. Here we are now
According to the analysis, the market will notice that, in response to the cost of living crisis, engagement will grow with local and homemade content.
Empathy in Ao: Personal truth is a new imperative, seen in the growing popularity of local media and the growing importance of indigenous populations in shaping a new, more equitable travel industry.
Local Luxury: The post-pandemic world depends less on international networks, with an increase in the appreciation of goods and services closer to home, which are based on local traditions and iconography.
The Cozy Web: The desire for a more rooted sense of place in the world is also being reinforced in the digital space. The idea of the ‘cozy web’ is replacing vast social platforms as a safe space for more intimate online conversations.
4. Me, myself and us
Demographic changes will lead the sector to re-evaluate relationships with communities and collectives, while the emergence of “digital twins” raises questions about identity and autonomy.
The “I” in the collective: Traditionally individualistic Western culture is opening up to a more collective existence, while, in contrast, traditionally more collective cultures are exploring a new notion of individuality.
My (Inter)generations: An increase in intergenerational coexistence is leading to a re-evaluation and appreciation of the older generation, demonstrated by the increase in fashion brands involving mature ambassadors and the enduring popularity of the #grandmillennial trend.
Digital Doppelgangers: The increasing advancement of artificial intelligence also leads us to explore the nature of our own identity, as artists, gamers, and time-poor individuals explore the potential of digital duplicates to act on their behalf.
5. Joy
As we look towards the end of 2023, the agency believes that the market will see joy, softness and play emerging as protection against a chaotic and volatile world.
Joyful Resistance: Moments of joyful surrealism emerge in response to a world in chaos, as advertising rediscovers the transformative power of humor.
Self-care as Subverse: the emergence of “smooth life” and “lazy work” in rejection of rush culture. A silent rebellion against the fast-paced, high-pressure lifestyle is underway.
Uncommitted Game: Adult responsibilities are unattainable or are being postponed in favor of play, as seen in the boom in “Kidult” toys, the popularity of a simple #GirlsDinner, or a new wave of experiences that merge art galleries and children’s play areas.
