Today, we’re constantly bombarded with micro-trends and conditioned to buy into them based on how much we are exposed. This isn’t a radical statement rather a core principle of the attention economy. In a world where “always-on” is the norm, shorter trend cycles are inevitable. Modern brand marketing has thus become a race to identify, piggyback, and capitalize on these fleeting cultural moments. The ultimate goal? To create something that not only rides the current wave but also evolves through remixes, memes, and viral engagement until it reaches the pinnacle of any marketing effort: becoming a “movement.”
A recent masterclass in this approach was delivered by Charli XCX in the four-month lead-up to her album Brat. The strategy, allegedly originated by the artist herself rather than a marketing department, made the campaign authentically differentiated. It centered around simple yet striking elements: lime green and a distorted Arial font, resulting in total dominance of social feeds and escaped noone. Over the summer, her influence singlehandedly shifted an entire generation’s style preferences from a minimalist ”clean” aesthetic to ”Just like a pack of cigs and a Bic lighter and like, a strappy white top with no bra”. As the mechanisms of influence obviously are universal across industries, her impact now extends beyond music, making her a substantial driver of media value for luxury brands.
But counter to allowing oneself to passively get sucked down the drain of the “For You” feed, a growing appreciation for digital platforms promoting individuality is gaining traction. One standout is the Roblox app Dress to Impress, which has rapidly cultivated a community of style-savvy youth. Here, gamers express their fashion sensibilities through five-minute avatar styling rounds, prioritizing creativity and self-expression over conformity. Users in Dress to Impress are actively creating—and subverting—styles in real-time. The low-resolution, playful environment lowers the stakes, making it easy for styles to morph rapidly and humorously. If you get thrown in late to a round and fail the styling, your look might not be deemed ”fashionable,” but it’s likely to be “memeable.”
This dynamic has created a space where trends might serve as initial inspiration but are quickly reimagined into entirely new expressions. The result is a continuous stream of innovation, where existing aesthetics are stretched, exaggerated, and often dismantled beyond recognition, forming new sparks of trends all the time. It’s a proving ground for brands to not just observe but actively participate.
Unsurprisingly, the first to collaborate in-game on Dress to Impress was (you guessed it) Charli XCX, adding yet another touchpoint for the Brat aesthetic in a new medium.
Brands need to take note. As games continue to attract a new generation of digital natives, they’ll become key spaces for both trendsetting and trend disruption.
