Our feeds have been rather chaotic these past two weeks. If you were busy sunbathing (or just wishing you were) and missed all the shenanigans, do not fret. We’re here to fill you in on all scroll-stopping highlights.
Starting strong with yet another surprise album drop, to a gravy (yep, gravy) collab, let’s dive in 🍵
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.
Summer's biggest meme, is it worth capitalising on?
If you've been online lately, chances are you'll have seen Jack Kay, aka Ibiza Final Boss. One clip of him clubbing in Ibiza, rocking a legendary bowl cut, and the internet went wild. Brands piled in, jumping on the virality like it was Coldplay Kiss Cam all over again. Unlike the notorious CEO, Jack's leaning into the joke and cashing in on his unexpected fame. But it begs the question: when real people are at the heart of the meme moment, is potential virality worth the risk of causing harm?
Swift strikes again! Her 12th album is officially here
Taylor Swift pulled another one of her iconic stunts, announcing her 12th album, The Life of a Showgirl, at exactly 12:12 am on August 12th. No release date, no cover… just pure, glittery mystery. The trail of clues started Monday night, crescendoing in a collabreveal with boyfriend Travis Kelce. Attention, grabbed ✅
Your waist isn’t the only thing that needs snatching… apparently!
We love a TikTok beauty hack and bedtime routine, but this might be too far even for us. Kim Kardashian’s new SKIMS Face Wrap is the latest beauty product blowing up online. The internet was quick to roast, but also sell out, this controversial product. Even Anthony Hopkins had something to say about it.
That’s only the beginning…
Trend Alert 🚨
Who knew groceries could be this sexy? Forget coffee or airport trays, the humble grocery basket is the backdrop for self-expression.
A new spin on the viral tray format, creators and brands alike are turning hauls into visual storytelling. A format that slips effortlessly into a variety of niches or industries – we’ve seen brands like summerfridays and OUAI executing flawlessly.
The visuals help to associate their products with food, not only hinting at their ingredients being nothing-but-natural, but positioning their beauty items as daily essentials, just like picking up a pint of milk and a loaf of bread.
✨It’s a need, not a want ✨
Insta Brand Champion 🏆
This week's spotlight might not be a household name, but it's channels are a masterclass in content strategy.
Launched by popular influencers @millygoldsmith and @henryporpora, the brand managed to build a waitlist of thousands before they even had a product. How? By turning content into brand equity.
With storytelling at the heart of their approach, they've made their "met on Hinge (and it didn't work out)" story a hook – sharing the highs, lows and BTS of building a business – across Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn.
Just three months post-launch, they've also already joined forces with Lovehoney! Although we personally think Hinge missed a trick here.
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 ✈️
Some fascinating nuggets revealed in 2024's aviation stats for all the avgeeks out there
The 50 greatest luxury hotels on Earth. You'll want to visit them all
Greggs Sausage Rolls x KFC Gravy: a match made in Britain
Music & Entertainment 🎤
Tom Holland shares a sneak peek of the new suit for Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Yes, Demi Lovato sang "This Is Me" at the Jonas Brothers Tour (what a throwback)
‘KPop Demon Hunters’ takes the no. 4 spot on Netflix’s most popular English-language films
Fashion & Design 💅
Dare we say the word ‘Christmas’ in August? Here's a first look at 2025's biggest decoration trends 👀
Miu Miu continues rising as the hottest brand in fashion
The trending colours you should be obsessing over this Autumn
Tech & Gaming 🤖
Backlash against the release of Chat GPT-5,but not for the reason you’d think…
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 reveal date confirmed
Apple's at it again – iPhone 17 is around the corner (and it’s rumoured to have improved battery life!)
Keep scrolling, there’s more…
Trending Format Alert 🚨
‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’, the Amazon Prime drama with a rage-bait love triangle that’s got everyone shook, has sparked a playful narrative trend, which brands and creators are reinterpreting in typical TikTok parody fashion.
With fans desperate to see whether Belly chooses Jeremiah or Conrad, and weekly episodes dropping until mid-September, the trend doesn’t show signs of slowing down.
Brands like Odd Muse and even Facebook have jumped on it already. We especially like how creators have used it to package up life’s frustrations in such a whimsical, aesthetically pleasing way. Don’t you just love the Internet?
Jokes aside, we hope you've enjoyed diving into the trenches of culture with us.
If you're jetting off on holiday soon, we envy you. If you're staying put like most of us, maybe this could be "The Summer I emailed Culture Lab for more trend inspiration" 😎
See you in the next one!
The Culture Lab team
