It’s a bit of an oversaturated word at this point, you’ve definitely heard it via snobby marketing tongue before. But trust me - it truly is a valuable concept! “Zeitgeist” is a German term “spirit of the times”, so we’re talking bigger than defining trends of the past week, or even year. It’s all about the events, feelings and mindsets that define today’s culture and the conversations held within them. And as a marketer, to weave the zeitgeist into your brand is to guide the wind towards your sail.

-Devin Pike, Guest Editor 💜

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Meta just updated Edits with a bunch of new creation tools. A move clearly designed to keep creators inside the Meta ecosystem instead of using CapCut or other third-party editors, but hey, I’m not mad.

The update includes AI-powered features like auto-captioning, background removal, and smart cuts that analyse your footage and suggest edits. And yes, while the company is obviously trying to build a moat around content creation, it literally makes it easier to shoot, edit, and post everything natively. So for those who are predominantly Insta posters, it's convenient. For Meta, it's another way to control the entire pipeline and collect even more data on how content is made, not just consumed.

Ehhh, tomato-tomato.

Next! Ad Age just released an AI marketing readiness quiz that assesses how prepared marketers are for AI to disrupt their workflows, asking questions about automation, data literacy, and familiarity with AI tools. Spooooky.

It's framed as educational, a way to identify gaps and upskill, but it also feels like a veiled threat lmfao. If you score low, the implication is that you're behind and need to catch tf up or risk being replaced. The quiz itself isn't wrong, AI is absolutely changing how marketing works, but the framing is lowkey classic industry fearmongering.

“Learn the tools or become obsolete. Adapt or get left behind.” Blah blah, same pressure that's been applied to every technological shift forever, and it always benefits the people selling the training programs more than the workers scrambling to keep up. Take the test and see how you go anyway.

One reason you absolutely should brush up on your AI literacy however, is AI-enabled cybercrime and fraud, which is becoming a huge problem, according to a new report from Vox, costing Americans $16.6 billion a year.

The technology means that phishing emails sound more convincing, deepfake videos are being used to impersonate executives and authorise fraudulent transactions, and chatbots are automating social engineering attacks at scale.

The tools that make AI useful are also making crime way easier, and we're only just starting to see the fallout. Law enforcement and cybersecurity firms are struggling to adapt, because how do you? Pretty hard when you’re always playing catch-up with unprecedented technology that moves faster than regulation or defence mechanisms.

The conses seem to be quencing, unfortunately.

-Sophie Randell, Writer

It’s the invisible force behind every cultural moment. The collective consciousness of what people care about right now. What they're feeling. What they're questioning. What they're craving.

Marketing is an important part of the zeitgeist: it’s how brands position their sails to catch that wind. Determining whether you drift aimlessly, or build momentum. The brands that understand the zeitgeist will always build deeper loyalty. Because they’re actively participating in the culture.

The zeitgeist represents the defining cultural, social, and political moods that characterise a particular era. Right now, in 2026, those moods include anxiety about AI (duh). Nostalgia for pre-internet simplicity. Exhaustion with optimisation culture. Craving for genuine human connection. And of course, simultaneous hope and dread about the future.

Let me be clear, these aren't trends. Trends are what people are doing while the zeitgeist is why they're doing it. Trends are the surface manifestation of deeper cultural forces. Understanding this difference matters. You can chase trends and always be one step behind. Or you can understand the zeitgeist and position your brand to ride the wave before it fully forms. Which is obviously, way easier said than done.

As a mirror, brands monitor social media and cultural movements to identify what audiences are already thinking. Then, they adopt those values into their identity. This isn't cynical if done authentically. People want brands that share their values.

As a catalyst, marketing amplifies cultural shifts by taking niche interests mainstream. Sprite's #ThirstQuencherChallenge took a TikTok sound and turned it into a brand moment. Mattel's Barbie movie tapped into modern feminism and nostalgia. This sparked massive cultural conversation, shaping the zeitgeist, not just reflecting it.

AI feels both inevitable and unsettling. People want connection but are exhausted by constant performance. Sustainability matters but feels overwhelming, while nostalgia offers comfort in uncertain times.

Those catching this wind are using AI and personalisation strategically. Making products feel like helpful advice rather than aggressive sales pitches. They're embedding sustainability as expectation rather than selling point. Balancing technological advancement with human-first messaging.

The nostalgia wave particularly resonates right now because it offers emotional refuge. When the present feels chaotic and the future feels uncertain, the past often looks safe. Brands tapping into Y2K aesthetics or 90s quality are beyond vibing out to retro. They're literally offering psychological comfort.

Take Coca-Cola's AI-generated "Real Magic" campaign. It participated in conversations about AI, creativity, and what feels real anymore. Which is pretty bold for a soda brand if you think about it.

The shift means brands curate experiences that align with the current fast-evolving vibe. They're not just pushing product features. People don't want to be sold to, we know this, they want to feel understood.

Cultivating communities rather than audiences changes the dynamic from broadcast to conversation. Partnering with creators who already have authentic relationships with niche groups lets brands participate in existing cultural dialogues.

Purpose-driven activism also works when it's genuine. Aligning with social causes matters to consumers. But only if the alignment feels authentic rather than opportunistic. People can tell the difference between brands that care and brands that are performing care for marketing points.

Different regions, communities and demographics experience cultural moments differently. Smart brands adapt their approach while maintaining consistent values.

Real-time marketing captures authentic moments as they happen. Not by planning everything months in advance. Brands responsive enough to participate in cultural conversations while they're unfolding, not after everyone's moved on, are the ones winning over eyeballs.

The zeitgeist isn't static. What defined 2026 won't define 2028. Cultural moods shift based on political events. Technological disruptions. Economic conditions. Environmental crises. And countless other forces beyond any brand's control.

Brands that build lasting loyalty are the ones that stay attuned to these shifts. That adjust their sails as the wind changes direction. And understand that marketing isn't about forcing people to care about your product. It's about connecting your product to what people already care about.

The zeitgeist is the wind. Your brand is the sail. You can't control the wind, but you can learn to navigate it. 

-Sophie Randell, Writer

It comes from one viral video. A guy stands outside, waits for a group of girls to walk past, yells "Hey!" and acts completely unbothered when they turn around. He screenshots the frame where everyone's looking at him and posts it to his story. Looks like he's got a fanbase. "Method is not patched" means the trick still works - nobody's figured out how to stop it yet.

People are pulling this off outside universities, in workplaces, and really anywhere in public.

Stand on the far left or right of frame so there's room to capture reactions. Wait for a group to walk past, yell "Hey!" or "Help!", turn away and strike a nonchalant pose. The key for brands is what you're holding - your product, a sign with your offer, anything that tells people what you do.

Screenshot the exact frame where everyone's looking at you and your brand. Then, put a Drake song over it and edit the clip and screen recording together.

A few ideas to get you started

-Richky Lim, Intern

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Hey Olivia,

If making a piece of content is taking you longer than 20 to 30 minutes, your idea is probably too complicated. Ideally, you want to get it down to under five minutes. I know that might sound crazy right now, but some of our best performing videos were literally one take with on-screen text slapped on top. Higher production quality definitely does not equate to more views.

The goal is to find a format that's so simple that producing it never becomes the reason you stop. Most people settle on an idea, but they slowly burn out because over time it feel like too much effort to keep going. So if you find a type of content you can create in 20 minutes or less, you're much more likely to stick with it.

- Charlotte Ellis, Editor ♡

We get it. Creating content that does numbers is harder than it looks. But doing those big numbers is the fastest way to grow your brand. So if you’re tired of throwing sh*t at the wall and seeing what sticks, you’re in luck. Because making our clients go viral is kinda what we do every single day.