LBB Presents: The Trends of 2025

“Prediction is difficult”, said Mark Twain, “especially when it involves the future”. So it’s a good thing adland loves a challenge. 

That’s why, once a year, the industry collectively dusts off our crystal balls and assembles the best and brightest trend-trackers, data merchants, divinators, and soothsayers for a fabulous festival of forecasting. 

To get a sense of where we all see the industry heading in 2025 (as well as culture more broadly), LBB reached out to draw on the peerless expertise of our members. We’ve collated the most popular and boldest trends, and to back them up we’ve even read your whitepapers (yes, honestly).

The result is the following list. So without further ado, here are the hostages to fortune expertly-chosen trends predicted to dominate the industry in 2025… 

Let’s Get The AI Predictions Out Of The Way 

There are no prizes for guessing the most common theme amongst the predictions for 2025. “2025 will be another hype year for AI”, in the words of Meet the People CEO Tim Ringel. “OpenAI, Antropic, xAI and others will harvest additional momentum on the back of more consumer adoption, and increased adoption by companies in SAAS licensing models like Slack, Zoom, and other normal work tools.” 

In other words, we’re all going to start seeing more AI pop up in the way we work day-to-day as the technology becomes a more fundamental part of how we all work, and interact with the digital world. And that’s especially true for folks in marketing. “Generative AI is set to revolutionise marketing, enabling hyper-personalised email and SMS campaigns at scale”, says Jim Rudall, head of EMEA at Intuit Mailchimp. “While 74% of businesses currently utilise AI, revenue leaders distinguish themselves by using it as a strategic assistant to drive business objectives”. 

Amongst our forecasters, there’s some consensus that AI-powered personalisation is truly going to do that. “According to Statista, 52% of marketers use generative AI for content creation and 60% for predicting customer behavior, highlighting a shift toward smarter personalisation and ROI-focused strategies to uncover hidden customer journeys”, adds Fiverr CMO Matti Yahav. But tech for tech’s sake won’t be enough to win. “In an era of limitless technology, I think the real difference will be in how brands will use their creativity to leverage this incredible amount of technology output”, he adds.

That’s a sentiment echoed in a report from customer experience agency HugoMRM. “2025 is the year in which AI becomes a collaborator rather than just a tool”, they predict. “This evolution will empower brands to craft truly customer-centric journeys by combining creativity, emotional resonance, and innovation with insights derived from customer data and behavioural metrics.”

So to sum up, we’re going to see more AI in more places – although the most effective results will be built on a foundation of organic (i.e. human) creativity. 

But all of this AI hype is going to have some unintended consequences – not least including our next trend… 

Welcome to the Post-Trust Era

You remember the post-truth era, right? Well, now we’re living in the sequel. The advent of generative AI has precipitated a flood of what’s come to be known as ‘slop’ – low-quality content taking over our social media and news feeds (not a concept we at LBB are familiar with, obviously). 

Accenture’s Life Trends report is one of a number of sources to call this trend out. “People's ability to trust digital technology is under threat, and its additive value has become diluted by authenticity issues”, says the consulting giant. “Online, the lines between the real and the deceptive are blurring, making it harder for people to tell them apart and introducing hesitation.”

Similarly, a trends report from the digital agency Toaster highlights that “72% of consumers believe they are being fooled by deepfakes every day”. Tellingly, that report also notes that this is happening at precisely the same time as “authenticity” becomes more of a priority for consumers. It’s a perfect storm. 

The thing is, these negative consumer sentiments carry a knock-on effect for anyone wanting to do business in the digital economy (so, literally everyone). To go back to Accenture’s Life Trends, “hesitation becomes a reflex when people can no longer trust what they see, creating a risk for anyone doing business.

“A lack of action from those who should be moderating technology prompts the question: is people's well-being simply considered the cost of progress?”

On Socials, Only Originality Will Thrive

Another upshot of the over-saturation of content online is that true, genuine quality is set to shine all the brighter. The pursuit of originality is a reliable pathway to creating cut-through, something that may well throw up some surprising behaviours from brands online as the year goes on. 

“Organisations are stepping outside the traditional brand playbook, prioritising creating entertaining content that may or may not ‘fit’ within their brand”, notes the Charlotte-based agency Mythic. “This means that social brand voices and personas bear little resemblance to their brand personality on other marketing channels, using social media’s experimental nature to step out of comfort zones to draw attention and delight audiences. In 2025, we’ll continue to see brands push beyond their guidelines to have a little fun.”

And what’s not to love about a little fun? Especially when that’s exactly what most digital scrollers are searching for. “The anti-algo culture will spur more intentional use of unfiltered social content”, adds Assembly’s EVP for insights and connections Andrea Montano. 

It’s all happening at a time when socials are taking center stage, becoming the primary consideration for marketers rather than an add-on. “The market is seeing the fiscal value in bigger social ideas, but here’s the rub: this will lead to continued recutting of legacy budget structures”, says Jake Ford, founder of the Melbourne-based consultancy Reconnected. “Social isn’t the sideshow anymore – it’s the main act. Ready to play?” 

And Live Shopping Will Take Over the World 

By the time you’re reading this, there may or may not have been quite a seismic legal decision in the US related to the future of TikTok. But regardless of that, the platform has already defined a new era for ecommerce – something our trend-trackers see having all sorts of knock-on effects across the digital ecosystem. 

“Social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook are turning shopping into a real-time, interactive event,” says Jennifer Olliges, EVP and global commerce lead at Momentum Worldwide. “Influencers aren't just showing off products anymore, they're your personal shopping guides, answering questions and creating a community around every purchase. It's more than just convenient, it’s fun, as brands realize consumers want more than just products, they want experiences.”

“I think you’re going to see an explosion of ‘content as commerce’ in the branded advertising space”, adds Nema Vand, film director at Eva Nosidam Productions. “Live streaming and shoppable videos means algorithms are bringing products for purchase directly to your feed, without you having to go anywhere. The jump from creative inspiration to online transaction has never been easier for consumers –– and brands and agencies who leverage this content space will win big.”

TikTok Shop may well be the most prominent example of this today, but our soothsayers are confident this trend is going to fly far beyond one platform. “Following these quick wins and capitalisation on their sectors within the TikTok shop market, we will see the high performers seeping into markets outside of TikTok Shop into more traditional places”, reckons Laura Selby, director of digital and social at IF.Agency. “We are already glimpsing more traditional businesses that perhaps aren’t usually so quick to shift suddenly beginning to explore what TikTok Shop looks like for them and their revenue pipeline.”

The Future Is Fractional 

And now for something a bit different. Last year, we started running a series called The Fractional Frontier in which we interviewed people who’d made the decision to work fractionally rather than stick with the traditional full-time employment model. What’s shocked us since then is just how many great people are working in this way - and there’s a sense that this cohort is only going to grow as the industry slowly morphs into a different shape. 

“I do see the industry changing as more companies become open to working in this way,” says Gabrielle Tenaglia, the fractional head of marketing at Lettuce Financial Labs. “In every discipline, there are now deep specialties. Marketing, for instance, is fifteen different jobs. Fractional employment is a model that lends itself to taking advantage of specialties, and having people come in with the ability to execute on very specific goals”.

Somewhat more darkly, a steady drumbeat of layoffs is also going to increase the pool of talent open to working fractionally – something which seems likely in an industry climate of mergers and efficiencies. But this isn’t just about economic circumstances. There’s also something more fundamental and longer-term underway. “For many, work is feeling increasingly transactional and draining, and an emotional distance between workers and work is becoming clear,” posits Accenture’s Life Trends report. “A relentless push for efficiency is leaving employees feeling like productivity carries more weight for leaders than their skills, experience and contribution to company culture.”

In 2025, there’s a growing sense that the word ‘career’ doesn’t mean the same thing it used to. Increasingly, the concept of a long-term role with one company is starting to feel like a relic from a bygone time. Perhaps 2025 will be the year a much-heralded ‘new way of working’ takes on a firmer shape. 

Less Macro, More Micro 

At LBB, many of us are unfortunately old enough to remember the internet before social media. And back in the day, when we weren’t guffawing at a ravenous finger-biting child named Charlie, we were spending time on forums and similarly closed-community websites where like-minded folk gathered to share their passions. 

And as the modern social media giants run into problems (be they about data, quality, or being owned by a massive wanker), this may well be the shape of the future internet, too. “Many are switching platforms, staying put, or using their discontent as an opportunity to limit their social media usage. However, another behavior is taking place: the creation of micro communities”, says Kori Coleman, senior strategist at tms.

“We're seeing this within the music space as artists feel the promotion of their concerts isn't reaching fans because of algorithms. Singer James Blake encouraged his followers to sign up for his newsletter to find out about upcoming concert dates”, continues Kori. “The ultimate collection of microcommunities, Discord, has also seen continuous growth, going from 154M active users in 2023 to 196M active users in 2024. Substack, the newsletter platform that allows creators, writers, and journalists to connect directly with their audience without traditional media gatekeeping, has also seen an uptick in growth, with 4M paid subscribers in November 2024, up from 3M paid subscribers in February 2024.”

Meanwhile, on the aforementioned social media platforms, trends themselves are set to become ever-more fleeting and, well, micro. 

“In 2024, micro trends steamrolled culture, leaving parts of it flattened like a Looney Tunes character”, recalls Jay Davis, senior strategist at Seen Presents. “On one hand, subcultural groups will continue to engage with fleeting trends that resonate with their tastes, only to abandon them for the next shiny trend. This accelerates the already ferocious cycle, making it harder for brands to climb aboard. On the other hand, we are witnessing a resurgence of authentic, non-trend-driven culture. More cultural purists are emerging, advocating for deeper, richer experiences that aren’t consumed like bubble gum, emphasising that true cultural engagement transcends fleeting viral moments.”

So what should brands do about that? “For brands, this shift necessitates a reevaluated approach to culturally connective experiences”, continues Jay. “I’m not saying either group is better or worse; I’m saying (with all my love for a metaphor) you’ve got to know which station you're at before you blindly run for the next train. The key is to use your newly refined cultural lens to help you select the moments and spaces you can authentically play in.”

Do You Believe In Life After Woke? 

What is woke? At LBB, we’re still not entirely sure. One day it’s about a conspiracy of global elites, the next it’s about putting chicken in your sandwiches. Whatever the answer may be, an ‘anti-woke’ mood is afoot – and brands are becoming aware of it. 

“‘Woke’ was once a clarion call – a spark that lit fires of awareness, accountability, and progress. To creatives, it was a palette of raw emotion, authenticity, and purpose, demanding we tell stories that mattered”, answers Jo Whiteley, creative director at IF. Agency. “But there is a creeping sense that somewhere along the line, ‘woke’ has become a diluted and pejorative buzzword which has imploded under its own weight.”

Now, audiences are tiring of the concept. “I’ve watched this transformation in real time”, continues Jo. “Projects like Channel 4’s Paralympic Superhumans, stories about justice, inclusion, and identity –  to Boots’ Mrs Clause, met with eye-rolls and were dismissed as an agenda-driven bandwagon. The shift is palpable. ‘Wokeness’ has morphed from a compass to a caution sign. Audiences are perhaps understandably fatigued, sceptical, even resentful. Why? Well perhaps because ‘woke’ wasn’t given the space to evolve organically; it became commodified and very much politicised. The ad industry might well have to hold its little hand up here for its contribution.”

It’s a sentiment that’s picked up pace on both sides of the Atlantic, and perhaps beyond. “In 2025, audiences will reach for the brands that change their day, not change their life. Brands that make them think, feel, and act differently for the next 15 minutes, not ask them to sign on to a new worldview”, says Chris Cardetti, BarkleyOKRP’s CSO. “In a recent BarkleyOKRP research study, we found that consumers ranked the attribute of “makes my life a little better” nearly six times more important than “a brand that shares my values.” Yes, we must build brands with values. But in marketing and messaging, don’t push values onto consumers. Pull them in by making a daily demonstration of your usefulness.”

Habitual Rituals 

It’s not an original observation to say that modern life has become atomised and rudderless. We all see the world through our own personalised windows – digital portholes that show us what we want to see. But increasingly, we’re reacting against this rampant digital disassociation and finding balance by adopting rituals in the real world, many of them shared. 

That’s according to MSQ, who have gone as far as to publish a whitepaper on the subject. “What excites us about the conversation around rituals is that they have existed since the dawn of human society, yet they’re going to hold more weight than ever in 2025”, says managing director Eleanor Lloyd Malcolm. “There's a lot of focus on driving efficiency in marketing, but what the best brands do so effectively is understand deep human behaviour and their role in people's lives. So exploiting rituals feels like a compelling way to reach that understanding.”

For brands craving relevance, becoming part of these rituals is a good way to do it. “Any category can benefit from rituals – it’s fundamentally about human behaviour”, continues Eleanor. “Some categories, particularly those with high-frequency behaviours, like food and beverage or personal care, may seem more relevant because they involve everyday rituals occurring constantly. However, even something as routine as getting into your car has its own rituals and meaningful roles, facilitating our journeys from one place to another. How, as a marketer, will you use that to your advantage for your own brand?”

Breathing New Life into Sustainability

Finally, sustainability hasn’t gone away. And that, in itself, is a note of good enough news to wrap up this list. To explain more, we’ll let Ramy Abdelrehim, general manager at Serviceplan Experience and Serviceplan Arabia, take it away. 

“In 2025, sustainability is no longer a side note in advertising – it has become a central pillar for brands aiming to stay relevant and build trust. Consumers demand transparency, ethical practices, and a commitment to environmental stewardship, forcing brands to rethink their narratives and actions”, he says. 

“Green storytelling is evolving rapidly, with brands recognizing that a lack of a credible sustainability narrative or solid CSR initiatives puts them at risk – not just of losing market share, but also of alienating their audiences and even their employees. As we approach 2030, this urgency will only intensify, making sustainability a non-negotiable for competitive relevance.

“However, skepticism about greenwashing remains a challenge. The solution? Third-party certifications, partnerships with NGOs, and campaigns grounded in real, measurable impact rather than fleeting PR stunts. Authenticity is the new creativity—brands that embrace long-term change, rather than performative gestures, are the ones driving real engagement.”