Cultural Relevance in Advertising: A 2025 Perspective

In 2025, cultural relevance is no longer a mere marketing buzzword – it’s a business imperative. As audiences become more discerning, brands that fail to engage authentically with the cultural contexts of their consumers risk irrelevance. In an era where consumers are increasingly vocal about their expectations, cultural missteps can lead to immediate backlash, while genuine engagement can forge deep and lasting connections.

Understanding cultural relevance requires more than just surface-level awareness of trends. It demands a fundamental shift in how brands communicate, connect, and participate in culture. 

Speaking to industry leaders from across Worldwide Partners' agency network, LBB’s April Summers unveils three key principles that brands should embrace to navigate cultural relevance effectively: shifting from top-down messaging to cultural participation, prioritising a people-centric approach, and striking a balance between brand purpose and genuine cultural engagement. These principles reflect the evolving landscape of marketing, where storytelling, community involvement, and authenticity are more critical than ever.

Traditional advertising models centred on pushing brand identity have given way to a more dynamic, participatory approach. Antoine David, co-founder of Rosbeef! In France, stresses the importance of brands engaging with culture beyond simple association. 

“Brands have realised that their power of attraction has limits, especially in an increasingly competitive landscape,” he explains. “It’s no longer enough to just "tell" people who you are; you need to be part of their world.” 

This shift requires brands to transition from being passive broadcasters to active cultural hubs. Rosbeef!’s work with ‘Demain FC’ exemplifies this evolution, as Antoine goes on to explain. “Facing competition from emerging competitors in the French energy market, a heritage electric utility company brand like EDF has an essential need to evolve its cultural perception, particularly among 18-35 year olds who expect brands to make real commitments to a better future.”

Recognising EDF’s sponsorship of the French Football Federation, including the national team and amateur clubs, Rosbeef! proposed an unexpected yet strategic shift. “We proposed that they go further by becoming the sponsors of a commitment: to support the entire ecosystem towards a more responsible and energy-efficient football through a new dedicated program, Demain FC.”

With EDF in on the idea, Rosbeef!’s game plan began to take shape: elevating grassroots clubs - often overlooked despite their passion - by amplifying their voices through some of French football’s biggest stars.

“After an initial call for applications in the fall, more than 200 amateur clubs have joined the program, a very encouraging result for this initial phase. Through a platform, we give them access to practical tools and educational content allowing them to act today for the football of tomorrow. For its public unveiling, we hijacked the centre circle of the pitch at the kick-off of French Cup matches, as a nod to the program.”

“Engaging with amateur clubs to determine possible concrete actions and understand their needs is a different type of work than classic advertising. It takes time, but it creates something authentic, long-lasting, and emotionally meaningful for the audience. And the impact? It's huge. The best part? It doesn't even cost more than a traditional campaign.”

The key takeaway here for Rosbeef! and EDF is that cultural participation isn’t just about aligning with existing movements – it’s about creating meaningful value. But cultural engagement isn’t one-size-fits-all. What resonates in one market might not translate elsewhere. Over in Japan, relativ* is advocating for a nuanced approach, emphasising the importance of recognising and respecting cultural values without making assumptions.

“If you are an international brand with roots that clearly comes from outside the market and culture in which you are engaging, it is essential to demonstrate recognition and respect for cultural values and norms, but not to pander or be assumptive about the role your brand can play in culture, says Cairo Kenan Marsh, founder and partner of relativ*. “It’s imperative that marketers take a people-centric approach to understanding their customers in all markets, rather than a market-centric approach in the attempt to understand people.”

Cultural relevance cannot be achieved through demographic segmentation alone. Brands must move beyond data points and understand people as individuals with evolving identities and social needs. “At relativ* we focus on helping our clients identify connection opportunities with their desired customers,” says Cairo. 

This means moving beyond rigid market-centric strategies to a more fluid, relationship-driven approach. Brands that succeed in this space invest time in understanding the people behind the data: “Cultural value comes from identifying what a brand can genuinely offer to meet consumer's cultural and social needs. How does the consumer think of themselves, how do they fit with their community and how do they want to be perceived? An impactful connection opportunity lies at the intersection of customer interests and brand offering.”

This idea of storytelling driven by real human insight is also at the heart of Canadian agency LG2's creative philosophy. Josh Stein, partner and chief creative officer of LG2, also believes that the best storytelling is deeply personal. “There has never been a more important time for creatives to draw on their own life experiences, cultures, upbringings and unique perspectives on the world. If we can rely more on that than we do on technology, our stories will undoubtedly stand out. Technology has always been there but the best storytelling doesn't need it.” 

In agreement with this, fellow LG2 partner and CCO, Luc Du Sault, adds, "AI can help feed us insights into our creative process but it’s less useful when we ask for those cultural gems—interesting stuff that’s very local. AI agglomerates rather than narrowing in on something local. Local means isolated and very specific, by definition.”

A great example of this people-first approach, driven by localised insights, is seen in LG2’s road safety campaigns, which take into account regional differences in attitudes and behaviours. "People from Quebec love humour so a light, funny approach to road safety is the best way to talk to them,” says Luc. “On the other hand, Quebec drivers often don’t stop at pedestrian crossings. We know this, so we’re putting more effort into changing this behaviour. Another cultural detail: Quebeckers don’t like moralising messages, so we have to take this into consideration and talk to them in the third person in contrast with an American audience.”

This example highlights why cultural nuance is critical and demonstrates the importance of conducting deep research to help inform personalised campaigns over one-size-fits-all messaging. 

One of the biggest pitfalls in cultural relevance is the temptation to chase trends rather than build lasting relationships. While essential for brands, it is also a trap if misunderstood.

““Too many brands treat cultural relevance as a box to tick, but younger consumers see right through that,” warns Antoine David. “They can tell when a brand is being opportunistic, trying to commodify cultural trends instead of engaging with them authentically. And when that happens, it backfires.” 

The solution lies in long-term commitment and authenticity. Whether it’s a large global player or an emerging brand, the key is to contribute real value to cultural spaces. La Bête, a small French beer brand Rosbeef! work with, is a great example of this. “Competing in the beer market is tough—trying to ‘look cool’ by jumping on trends wouldn’t cut it,” Antoine explains, reflecting on the partnership. “Instead, we went on the ground, talking to the real influencers in this space: local bartenders. What we discovered led to something unexpected—we created a spicy sauce specifically designed to mix with the beer.” 

Although this may sound random, it wasn’t. It was a result of real conversations in bars across different cities, each with its own vibe, music, and communities. “We went the extra mile, and it paid off – La Bête is a hit. Bartenders want it on tap, they enjoy the spicy twist, and young drinkers love it. Some have even tattooed the logo. That’s when you know you’ve created something truly relevant.” This innovative product launch shows what can happen when a brand responds to real cultural cues, rather than imposing them.

Luc highlights another critical challenge: avoiding stereotypes. In the multicultural context of Canada, LG2 is committed to balancing entertainment and social responsibility in ways that feel authentic and not forced. Especially when it comes to advocacy campaigns. 

“It’s easy to include some cultural representation in a 30-second spot but it’s more difficult to truly talk to a cultural group,” he says. “We have to respect the different cultures among us here in Canada, so we are aiming to create stuff that resonates with each of them and it’s different with every client and for every brief we have.” His advice? Staying informed of each community you are trying to reach: “what you can say or show, what they like, what they do, etc. Even better: include someone from that community in the creative process. It can make a huge difference in your results.”

Marilou Aubin, executive creative director (ECD) at LG2, further underscores this point: "In advertising, it's easy to perpetuate stereotypes without realising it. This is because stereotypes are quickly understood by the public, and when you've got a few seconds to get a message across, stereotypes are natural shortcuts. To reverse this, we need to make diversity a key priority of hiring strategies and make sure that there are diverse voices at the table who can ensure the messaging is inclusive from the beginning.”

Cultural relevance is not a static achievement but an ongoing dialogue between brands and their audiences. With evolving consumer expectations and technological advancements, brands must remain agile while staying rooted in human-centric storytelling. While AI and digital tools can enhance the creative process, true cultural resonance still relies on human intuition, creativity, and emotional intelligence.

The challenge for brands in 2025 and beyond is not merely staying relevant but earning their place within cultural conversations. This requires patience, genuine investment, and a willingness to listen. As Antoine aptly summarises, "Cultural relevance isn’t about brands leading movements – it’s about earning a place within them.”