The Good, the Bad and the Chalamet: These Trends Rocked Pop Culture and Ads in 2025

With Goggins, AI, Frankenfood, reactive marketing, humanoids run amok ... and more Goggins

With 2025 quickly coming to a close, it’s time for reflection … and hope?

Let’s get some of the year’s ugliness out of the way first: Thin-skinned, politically-motivated attacks on American comedians have continued, while sports betting went from borderline seedy to fully scandalous. Witless adults dressed as 6-7 for Halloween, and Parmigiano Reggiano (the cheese) just signed with UTA. We’ve reached peak Chalamet, in a bad way. Heavy sigh.

On a brighter note, ASMR is having another moment, invisible days are gaining steam, and we’ve hit peak Walton Goggins, in a good way. And in the something-to-anticipate category, the AI Darwin Awards are coming in early 2026, promising to single out epic fails from those who showed a “breathtaking commitment to ignoring obvious risks” in using AI.

Read on for some trends in the marketing, media and pop cultureverse that I’d like to see thrive in the New Year and a few that shouldn’t live past the ball drop. Again, starting with the tragic.

Humanoids run amok

Far be it from me to deny anyone a robot boyfriend, therapist or pastor—you do you—but there should be a line drawn for fake musical artists, podcasters, fashion models and commercial stars. Meaning, those unveiled and marketed with zero transparency. For instance, listeners weren’t informed that new country sensation Breaking Rust isn’t a real person. The “artist’s” single “Walk My Walk” is now a Billboard chart-topper. Guess and J.Crew used AI models in ads, with no disclosure. Once the humanwashing came out, a public dragging ensued. Moral of the story: Don’t make us dig for it.

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See and say

Podcasts have evolved into a combo of audio and visual media, but what does the latter feature add to the core product? Or has watching people sit and talk with headphones on become the cliched equivalent of comedians telling jokes in front of brick walls? No one seems to be asking that question, certainly not Fox or Netflix, with both outlets planning a major push into video podcasts. The streamer is developing its own originals while starting talks with SiriusXM and iHeartMedia, on the heels of a massive alliance with Spotify. As Seen On has dubbed it “the opposite of prestige TV.” If there’s one exception, its DogPack’s pawdcast with Goldie and Frenchie cuz adorbs.

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Frankenfood

The demand for hotter, spicier, (swicier?) more sour, more bracing is out of control. Marketers are happy to oblige, of course, contributing to what FoodStuff calls “sensation inflation.” In the “better for you” category, brands are tapping into the latest sketchy TikTok-fueled wellness trends, taking them to illogical heights by adding obscene amounts of protein, fiber, electrolytes, caffeine and prebiotics to everything. This is not a MAHA endorsement by any stretch, just an earnest plea to get back to basics where perhaps not every single food item needs dill pickle flavor or adaptogen infusions.

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And now the wishful thinking…

Yes, Boomer

It was such a promising start to the year, with a whole passel of iconic modern elders starring in Super Bowl 59 spots, showing their cross-generational appeal alongside fresh faces from Gen Z. Silver Bowl! What’s more, A-listers like Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara and Martha Stewart were portrayed just as they are—vibrant, sporty, saucy and funny, not the butt of any joke about “the olds.” Since then, the over-50 set has remained visible—Jennifer Coolidge (Discover), Billy Bob Thornton (T-Mobile), Brian Cox (Malibu rum), Parker Posey (Gap) and others—but not consistently enough given the demo’s financial clout and growing numbers. Marketers: Fix this. And while you’re at it, don’t limit your search to household names.

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AI commentary with bite

No, this will not surface on LinkedIn. Nor will it show itself in purposely slop-filled advertising that was amusing for about 10 minutes. Move this discussion forward with some healthy skepticism or, at the very least, entertain us with smart satire about the tech’s jaw-dropping absurdities. In New York Magazine’s recent “Stupid Issue,” for example, there’s the headline “Ads are the perfect gateway drug for generative AI,” and TV über-producer Vince Gilligan’s thoughts in The Hollywood Reporter on what he finds most troubling about AI: “That the people who run that industry seem, by and large, to be reckless sociopaths.” And for ad creatives, rather than using a skateboarding pigeon as a foil to your brand’s “authenticity,” how about more projects like the brilliantly subversive “Vince”?

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Reactive marketing

Clap backs and dog piles have existed as long as the internet has, but there have been some real standouts in 2025. Heineken trolled the AI companion Friend, while Snapple made Erewhon’s clubby NYC juice bar look as ridiculously tone deaf as it really is. Astronomer answered the kiss-cam-shot heard ’round the world with a Maximum Effort-Gwyneth Paltrow banger. European Wax had a pitch perfect comeback for the Skims faux-hair panty, and brands lined up to grab a piece of the Louvre heist. Keep it coming, but keep it sharp.

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