Welcome to 2026 - did you miss us? We missed you. In fact, in the words of Timothée Chalamet: "To my partner... I love you. I couldn't do this without you" (that's us to you guys). That's right, it's awards szn baby, and what a way to kick off the New Year.
Anyway, let's crack on shall we? It's been a (Marty) Supreme month of social trends and internet culture, so we've got a lot to catch up on ☕️
What’s Gone Viral? 🔥
Just want the headlines? Here’s a peek at some of the bigger viral convos before we dive into trends and the more… unhinged.
Cinema is so back, baby🏆
It’s actually been impossible to keep up with the number of highly reviewed films gracing the big screens (anyone got an unlimited pass they want to lend us?), which is making for a really juicy awards season. On Sunday, the much-anticipated Golden Globes did not disappoint. From a huge win for the British limited series Adolescence, to a DiCaprio defeat to a loved-up Chalamet for best actor. Sadly for Leo, that wasn’t his only L of the evening. Not the only Heated Rivalry of the evening… everyone’s favourite ice hockey duo definitely channelled main-character energy all night. We’re on the edge of our seats for the Oscar noms later this month, will Timmy get his first?
Marty Supreme – a masterclass in marketing
Even before the awards started rolling in, the marketing for Marty Supreme seriously raised the bar. Forget the usual promo checklist (red carpet premiere and late-night chat shows), A24 tore up the rulebook and executed a serious of extremely shareable, stand out moments. From a sell-out Supreme clothing range to this 18-minute spoof Zoom call, the pièce de resistance has to be Timothee’s collab with Liverpudlian rapper, EsDeeKid (whom the internet was convinced might actually be Chalamet at one point). Chef’s kiss.
Stranger Things theories turned us uʍop ǝpᴉsdn
Look, we're not saying we believed in Conformity Gate, but there was a part of us left a little disappointed after 7th Jan came and went. In case you missed it (???), Stranger Things concluded after a decade with its highly-anticipated finale on NYE (1st Jan for us across the pond) and it's safe to say reactions were mixed. It's now left us wondering: has social media ruined TV and film? From putting devices on airplane mode to avoid spoilers, to becoming keyboard critics on a public platform, has it helped or hindered the industry?
Trending Audio Alert 🚨
Just another classic case of TikTok being that friend who simply cannot take anything seriously.
So, you may have heard Charli XCX’s super-evocative, raw, spoken word x moody violin strings track, ‘House’. Featuring some thought-provoking lines from John Cale, it was written for the currently unreleased film, Wuthering Heights, and it’s undeniably a work of art. Enter pesky TikTok creators 😏
It’s since been repurposed for hilarious ironic fan edits – some of our favourites include one of The Office, Twilight, and a Paul Mescal interview. The act of turning mundane scenes into a horror scenario is really our kind of stupid humour – and it’s gaining traction.
There's a great opportunity here for brands to be one of the first to jump on this, as we've seen this pair from the hospitality industry start to do. All it takes is a relatable customer pet-peeve or situational industry-specific worst case scenario, and you're onto a winner.
IG Brand Champion 🏆
We’re starting the new year with a spotlight on Garnier UK 💋
A household beauty brand that’s not afraid to get a little ugly on socials. We love the raw, UGC-heavy approach – like this reactive “sorry our content creator is still on leave” trend and this rough & ready “unapproved Spotify wrapped” post. Both examples show that big budgets and slick designed creative aren’t the only way to earn engagements from your audience.
Garnier’s content feels fresh, authentic, and above all, not afraid to poke fun at the industry. Getting a dad to review a beauty product? Genius. Forget flashy celebrity endorsements, it really feels like the brand have considered their core consumer and have positioned their tone of voice accordingly – a budget-friendly, relatable and used by real people.
Interestingly, they’ve also boldly embraced AI-created content (fully leaning into the ‘which are you choosing’ AI trend that’s becoming so popular), which has been received a bit like marmite, no surprise there. We like the risk though – it’s a fun way to explore the use of AI while avoiding that “concealed enhancement” territory that people are extremely wary of.
More Industry News 🗞️
Looking for a specific industry or topic? Say no more. Here’s a selection of a few bonus newsworthy moments and trends, organised into categories, ‘Type A’ style.
Travel & Hospitality ✈️
Refreshed annual leave to use? Here are 50 inspiring places to travel in 2026.
Travel trends to watch out for this year – “chronocation” anyone?
How Trump has impacted Brits on a Caribbean cruise.
Fashion & Beauty 💅
Get ahead with these biggest beauty trends of 2026.
Louis Vuitton mark 130 years of their iconic monogram.
10 themes to shape fashion this year (yep, AI is mentioned).
Tech & Business 💻
How influencer marketing is set to evolve in 2026.
What ChatGPT means for the wellness industry 🧘
The power of TikTok – Vaseline pledge to spend half their 2026 media budget on social.
Music & Entertainment 🎶
Work for Spotify Wrapped starts now people. Top album contenders have dropped already.
Heated Rivalry finally comes to UK screens (like we haven’t been streaming 😈).
Wildfires have delayed filming for the latest Love Island series. Insert fire pit dad joke here.
Trending Format Alert 🚨
The skeleton meme is having a moment, and we're here for it. Simple, yet effective, this is another great one for creators and brands alike. Just add a little situational industry humour (like Tesco have) and you're flying.
And on that note, it's time to say goodbye... until the next edition. But fear not, you can get in touch with us at Culture Lab at culturelab@eightandfour.com to discuss the internet's latest and greatest - including how we can turn it into social content for your brand. See you soon!
