Nearly a third of people want companies to help simplify their lives - and Uber’s latest social media ad got the memo. It contrasts two calendars: one cluttered (think lost car keys, refueling, parking stress) and one calm, thanks to Uber. It’s a clever visual metaphor that nails the golden rule of branding: show, don’t tell.
Scroll down to read about MCPs, makeup buying, and Mickey Mouse fans.
Stats to power your week
👩❤️👨 With OpenAI soon to allow age-verified users to access erotica on ChatGPT, the boundaries between human and AI intimacy are about to be tested; given that 47% of people consider intimate online conversations and/or relationships with AI while romantically involved to be “cheating.” GWI Zeitgeist
🥩 The EU Parliament has voted to ban meat-free items from using words like “burger” or “sausage.” It’s a blow for the industry, but also a rebranding opportunity. About 1 in 10 US/UK consumers who never buy plant-based foods say it’s because they don’t know what’s in them. Reading the room, Beyond Meat’s new product (Beyond Ground) has four clearly listed ingredients and doesn’t aim to mimic meat. So, it’s less likely to be seen as overly processed or “trying too hard.” GWI Zeitgeist
💰 With World Savings Day right around the corner, it’s a good time to check in on how engaged young people are with their finances. Facing steeper hurdles and more online temptation than their parents, they’ve had to wise up sooner. Today, 17% of 16-27 year olds say they have no savings or investments - down from 22% in 2017. GWI Core
🛂 Has your feed been feeling a little frostier toward immigration lately? The answer may depend on where you’re from. Last month, 39% of UK consumers said they’d seen a significant rise in anti-immigration sentiment online compared to last year, which is miles ahead of the runner-up - Canada (28%). It sounds like September’s protests struck a chord - or a nerve. GWI Zeitgeist
What’s on our radar
After doubling down on podcasts, Spotify’s taking things up a notch - its video podcasts are coming to Netflix. While actor Jamie Lee Curtis has slammed video podcasts for being uncomfortable for guests, creators are backing them. Leading podcast company Audioboom found that over 60% of its creators make them.
France is rethinking retirement by looking to roll back its controversial 2023 pension reform, which raised the retirement age to 64. Meanwhile, Germany’s re-selling it - offering retirees up to €2,000 a month, tax-free, to stay on the job.
It’s still unclear whether AI will give workers more leisure time. While some CEOs predict a three-day work week off the back of it, Silicon Valley’s startup scene suggests the opposite - the smarter the tools, the longer the hours. As the FT’s Sarah O’Connor notes, it may take time for companies to make the best use of AI, and even then, many workers with paid time off don’t use all of it.
One way AI can help tackle business challenges - from slow insights to data silos - is Model Context Protocols (MCPs), which make it possible to interact with all of a company’s data in a single, conversational interface. Business bank Grasshopper allows clients to explore their financial data in Claude, and soon, our customers will be able to do the same - plugging our data right into tools like ChatGPT and Claude.
Giving camera anxiety a much-needed filter, Google Meet just launched an AI-powered makeup feature, while Zoom’s letting users show up as their avatars.
As we noted in our recent report, social media isn’t getting less social - just less public and more community-driven. Conversations are moving from feeds to comments and DMs. TikTok lets you create group chats with up to 32 people; and Threads is now getting in on the action, with chats for up to 50 friends.
Chart of the week
Beauty habits are getting a makeover. Since 2018, monthly makeup purchases in the US have dropped by 13%, while fragrance buying is up 12%. Among the nation’s Gen Z, scent has even caught up with makeup; and among Gen Z women, the once-wide gap has closed significantly.
This trend was helped by lockdown years, where many people fell out of the habit of wearing makeup and turned their attention to wellbeing. For some, self-care stopped being about fixing things, and started being about feeling good. Fragrance fits neatly into that shift, offering quick, pressure-free moments of self-expression.
And the beauty world’s catering to it. DIY perfume labs and advent calendars are helping to transform our daily fragrance habits into a personal, mood-boosting experience.
🔥 Hot take
Punchy perspectives, with data that nudges the narrative
“Disney Adults aren’t childish - just stressed”
Hear the term “Disney Adults”, and a few examples or memes must come to mind: the guy who’s had more photos with Mickey Mouse than his own family, the couple who honeymooned at Disneyland, or the woman who calls her therapist “Jiminy Cricket.” As writer Holly Baxter says, “if sports fans are the acceptable face of adult fandom, Disney Adults are its punchline.”
They get a lot of flack, but maybe they deserve a little empathy. Compared to other millennials, those who are fans of Disney are more likely to have a mental health condition (+24%), to say they’re prone to anxiety (+17%), and to listen to music to escape reality (+21%). Relatively more are also divorced or expect to get divorced in the near future.
The happiest place on earth might just be a refuge from real-world stress. And with societies’ mental wellbeing at a low point, maybe we should salute people finding comfort where they can.
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