IT’S HARRY WEEK! Mr Styles is back and he is in a skimpy tee, which means the brands are talking! What we didn’t expect was the NHS to have won the Harry Style’s posting lottery, but through keen audience insight, cultural saliency and a genuine CTA they served up a masterclass in reactive posting.On the subject of attractive men, we dive into the Heated Rivalry boys and why their torch bearing is not only visually pleasing, but also a community and brand savvy move. Elsewhere rich people drama is pushing brands to reach into their archives and Guess Jeans is bringing back 2005. 2026 is off to a fiery start.

2016 is trending, but we are not about to include photos of what the MYTHOS  team looked like a decade ago… some seriously questionable clothing choices. Even as a micro-trend, ‘2016 posts’ signal a broader shift in Brand Marketing and Culture - away from hyper tech focussed, AI driven content, and towards craft, IRL,  humanity and nostalgia. Read on for a few notable events, brand moments and collabs that have stood out to us at the beginning of 2026. Enjoy! 

A wave of recent campaigns shows brands winning by making marketing feel like culture people can join. A24’s Marty Supreme turns a fake “leak” into a meme, then rewards the internet with IRL stunts, treating audiences as collaborators. BREAK ARCHIVE reframes Black Friday as “Break. Friday,” using finance-meme language to make archive shopping feel like a savvy portfolio play rooted in real resale truth. SEX BRAND’s “FCK SOHO” fly-poster takeover transforms the neighbourhood into the medium, reading like a street movement tied to a clear mission. Loveholidays and McDonald’s prove OOH works best when it becomes an experience or a live joke you discover and share, while GapStudio’s Gwyneth-plus-Apple casting blends nostalgia with next-gen relevance. The through-line: start as content, build a world, and invite people into the bit.

From LYAS watch parties bridging fashion’s elite with Gen Z fandoms, to Uncommon’s PAIN installation rethinking hustle culture, this issue tracks how brands are building offline communities and cultural moments. Explore the rise of wide-format Instagram, Miu Miu’s creator-first PR win, and the game-changing Nike x SKIMS collab. Plus, deep dives into JW Anderson at The Ritz, Nara Smith x Reformation’s sustainable collection, and more. A guide to how fashion, tech, and culture collide in 2025.

From Lime Bikes reimagining TfL’s “Good Service” updates into a witty London transport moment, to MAC’s viral Doja Cat chocolate lipstick stunt, brands are proving that cultural resonance drives attention. Crocs turns its iconic clog design into a phone case for the fashion-tech generation. Rhode’s Sephora launch shows how beauty can scale through community spectacle, and Apple levels up by dropping a Dua Lipa tour-life mini doc to showcase the iPhone 17 Pro. 

Each case study highlights how smart cultural strategy—whether through wordplay, spectacle, collabs, or experience keeps brands relevant, shareable, and magnetic.