Top Trends & Cultural Moments of 2025

The British airline's slogan, “Nothing beats a Jet2 Holiday” went viral across social media. Users paired the upbeat audio with videos of personal mishaps or friendly chaos, creating a wave of ironic, meme-worthy content. The trend shows how branded content can be reinterpreted by audiences and turned into a global meme. When brands craft campaigns with a strong emotional or sonic signature, they open the door for social reinterpretation. It’s a reminder that being memeable isn't a risk, it’s a path to relevance.

Examples:

• Falling Off Boat
• Windy Breakfast

In just seven minutes, professional thieves robbed the world’s most famous museum, stealing eight pieces of jewelry valued at over $100 million. The unrecovered items include a tiara, an emerald necklace, and earrings belonging to French royalty. The heist quickly sparked widespread social conversation, with users creating memes, reenactments, and AI-generated content, making it difficult to distinguish fact from fiction online.

Examples:

• Meme
• Re-enactment

“67,” a nonsensical and ambiguous term, has swept the internet as another “brain rot” word. Although the phrase has no fixed meaning, it is often used to confuse adults, express a “so-so” vibe, or interject whenever the number 67 appears in everyday life. The term is often used by younger generations shouting “six-seven” or using the hand gesture to create a sense of connection among their peers. This trend goes to show how culture is heavily influenced by shared experiences and just how much of an impact social media has on spreading new terms and creating connections.

Named Dictionary.com Word of the Year.

Examples:

• Original 67 Kid
• In & Out Order Number

As a sequel to Wicked, Wicked: For Good partnered with over 64 brands and various influencers to create social buzz leading up to the premiere. Utilizing the large followings of influencers helped to grow conversation around the movie release, but Wicked’s marketing strategy was to be “just short of obnoxious.” Appearing across multiple platforms, products, and industries, they have been successful in expanding their reach to just about anyone. From their marketing, brands can learn how to turn a movie release into a cultural moment.

Examples:

• Premiere
• Wicked Sound

Ragebaiting refers to content that is “deliberately designed to elicit anger or outrage by being frustrating, provocative or offensive.” As the most recent iteration of ‘click bait,’ this content counts on frustration and outrage to drive engagement. With the word of the year emerging from a social media trend, it highlights the increasing influence of digital culture on society. As social platforms make the world increasingly interconnected, they are reshaping not only how people communicate, but also how they behave and express their emotions.

Rage Bait named Oxford University Press Word of the Year.

Examples:

• Thanksgiving Rage Bait
• Mail Rage Bait

Sophia James, a lesser-known music artist, promoted her new song on TikTok by posting seven consecutive videos and tracking reach by “group” (viewers of video one became Group 1, and so on). Unexpectedly, her Group 7 video went viral, with viewers embracing the label as an “elite” community. The trend highlights a universal desire for belonging, as users rallied around a shared identity online. While James likely did not anticipate her experiment taking off, it demonstrates how social platforms can create genuine connection at scale. Brands have since joined the trend, eager to align with the internet’s newest “cool” group.

Examples:

• Original Group 7 Video
• Reaction Video