A quarterly read on the moment
Less polish, more pulse. What is moving people this quarter, and what it means for the brands that talk to them.
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After a few years of flawless feeds and generated everything, attention is moving toward things that feel made by a person, shared with other people, and impossible to scroll past.
Young people are building clunky, personal DIY computers on purpose, a pushback against polished tech and an ocean of AI-made content. Rosalía's LUX (18 tracks, 13 languages) and its tour, and a wave of celebrities queuing for a tactile, surrealist photographer, point the same way.
Source: LBB, “The Biggest Cultural Moments of 2026 (So Far)”
A 2019 forum image turned internet myth became Backrooms, reported as A24's highest-grossing film (over US$250M), made by a 20-year-old creator. A US$750K indie, Obsession, reportedly grossed over US$265M. Audiences are claiming ownership of stories before they even open.
Source: LBB, 2026 cultural moments
Nearly one in four Pinterest users say they are doing more nostalgic activities, and more than a quarter of Gen Z and Millennial users are rediscovering handwriting and letters. With Gen Z averaging 8 to 10 hours of daily screen time, time away from screens is turning into a luxury good.
Sources: Pinterest Predicts 2026; Forbes, “7 Cultural Trends for 2026”
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An uneven economy and an uncertain world shape what people buy. Four numbers explain a lot.
of US consumer spending comes from the top 10% of earners: a “K-shaped” economy squeezing the middle.
Home prices now run about ten times median income in major UK and US metros (3× in the 1980s), so people buy small treats instead.
Growth in use of the “-maxxing” suffix (careermaxxing, slowmaxxing…) as people chase control.
Valuation of Oura, the health-tracking ring maker: the illusion of control, sold as a product.
The shared moment
Collective moments are cutting through a fragmented feed: a World Cup in North America with adidas and Nike each telling kids to play, a Knicks title after 53 years, Arsenal's after 22.
Source: LBB
Also on our radar
One-person households are now the most common living arrangement in the US, and brands built around the nuclear family are missing a big, growing market.
Forbes
The UK has proposed limits on social media for under-16s, expected from 2027, treating platforms like public spaces.
LBB
Nearly half of consumers want to be distinct from others, and 58% want experiences curated to their tastes.
Euromonitor
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Real photos, plain-spoken subject lines, a named sender. Let a campaign look made, not generated.
Turn a welcome flow or a loyalty year into chapters with a running thread people look forward to.
A handwritten card in the parcel, an invitation to an in-person night, a reason to put the phone down.
A small treat that lands at an easy price, and a premium tier for the customers who spend the most. Test both.
For the UAE and wider region: original Arabic copy, short-form video, and real customer voices over generic brand lines.
Next issue · Q1 2027
Figures are quoted from the sources above and have not been independently verified. Images: Resolut original imagery.