TBWA’s cultural intelligence unit, Backlash, has unveiled its 2025 Edges report, identifying 39 cultural shifts that are poised to impact brands on a global scale. The report underscores the necessity for brands to innovate in order to stay relevant and competitive in the current global landscape.

Among the cultural shifts introduced in the report are three new ‘Edges’: Eco-Realism, Maturity Paradox, and Transparency Receipts. These Edges are designed to guide brands in navigating the evolving cultural terrain.

Eco-Realism is a shift towards practical environmental action plans. It moves away from less effective practices such as carbon offsetting and tree planting, which have been criticised for their limited impact. The report suggests that brands should focus on more tangible environmental actions.

The Maturity Paradox examines the decoupling of age and maturity. This shift is influencing how brands target and design for different generations, challenging traditional notions of age-related marketing.

Transparency Receipts highlights the growing demand for supply chain transparency. This demand is being driven by advancements in technologies like blockchain and RFID tags, as well as regulations such as the EU Digital Product Passport Regulations. The report indicates that consumers are increasingly seeking transparency in the products they purchase.

Backlash criticises the prevalent ‘copy-and-paste’ approach to cultural relevance, which it terms ‘culture rot’. The report advises brands to focus on cultural creation rather than merely mimicking trends. This involves concentrating on human truths rather than fleeting trends.

Eloise Liley, TBWA Melbourne’s Chief Strategy Officer, commented on the report’s findings: “For brands in Australia, culture has become something to hijack not create. But as demonstrated by ‘brain rot’, 2024’s word of the year, people are ready for movements of change, not moments. They seek human truths that leave us to stop and think, not trends that leave us mindlessly scrolling by. In 2025, brands have a choice – to aim for cultural relevance or to push past it and strive for cultural creation.”

Backlash is a part of TBWA and serves the agencies of the Omnicom Advertising Group (OAG). The report suggests that brands should aim for cultural creation rather than just cultural relevance, focusing on enduring human truths to engage consumers effectively.