💎A look at the vibe shift redefining what it means to be aspirational
+why you need to read the terms of service; Luxury is getting more intentional
In this Monday’s email we’re sharing:
8 articles to check out this morning [UTA IQ releases the 10 Ps of brand loyalty, Creators took over Cannes]
1 trend around why you might want to delete CapCut from your phone… like now
In the full edition, available for paying members, we look at:
Luxury is having a vibe shift—what brands and marketers can learn from the more minimal approach [and what YOU can do about it]
Recent publications: Q&A with an expert at UTA, How Pinterest is becoming a shopping app, and Why the internet loves seasonal themes
💎cultural gems💎
The moments and media catching our eye…
🗣 Our friends at UTA IQ just released new research around how Gen Z is setting the new standards for brand loyalty. Here’s a teaser: It’s all about emotional connections and cultural touchpoints.
We interviewed UTA IQ’s Jacqueline Seigfried to get her expert advice for creators: How to monetize and grow your brand—straight from a UTA expert!
💚 Converse is looking to keep Brat Summer rolling into 2025, releasing new sneakers in collaboration with Charli XCX. Stay tuned for our Summer 2025 trend prediction later this week. Here’s a little hint: 🧜♀️🐚🌊
📱Content creators descended on the south of France last week for the Cannes Lions festival looking to pitch themselves to advertisers.
Last week we predicted 5 key players of Cannes Lions 2025 and how brands who weren’t on the ground could get in on the action: The key [brand] players and trends to watch for at Cannes Lions 2025
🧸 Anxious young adults are swapping dark dramas for cozy, feel-good content—like cleanTok and nostalgic reruns—as they seek comfort in calm, low-stakes media.
Speaking of comfy / cozy content, check out the latest episode of Wooby & Fotty: Jamie Chung Talks Security Blankets, Dealing with Big Emotions and Parenting with Wooby & Fotty by
over at✨ Cool girl iPhone case brand, Wildflower Cases, is collaborating with Bella Hadid’s perfume brand, Orabella, on new phone cases and “pocket perfume.”
broke down what makes Wildflower Cases so cool last year: Wildflower Cases: The small business that’s made a big impact
🛍 Pinterest just teamed up with LTK to share high-performing influencer posts to the platform, boosting creators’ visibility and earnings.
🤖 Google is using their vast library of YouTube content to train their AI, making creators are worried about potential intellectual property issues.
👀 TikTok guru Robyn Delmonte, aka GirlBossTown, says big brands should stop shouting at the masses and instead cozy up to tiny, niche communities in order to stand out.
📄 CapCut’s terms & conditions have entered the chat
CapCut might be the editing app of choice for TikTok girlies and marketers on tight timelines, but their new terms of service? Major 🚩. The update gives them permanent, royalty-free rights to any content made on their app, even if it’s just chilling in your drafts folder. That means your brand’s creative assets, campaign clips, and even internal sizzles could technically be used, distributed, and repurposed by CapCut. Forever.
This problem isn’t exclusive to CapCut. It’s a reminder that convenience often comes with fine print. Most brands and creators still treat platforms as neutral tools, not potential licensors of their work. But in 2025, every content tool is also a content company [and they want your stuff].
Why this matters:
If you're putting time, talent, and budget behind creative content, you need to know who owns it, especially if you're in CPG, entertainment, or anything that relies on IP. CapCut’s parent company, ByteDance, has already been under scrutiny, and this latest update is a wake-up call for anyone assuming their content pipeline is protected.
How to protect yourself:
Actually read the terms of every tool you use, especially free ones. [Or make a new work bestie who will.]
Level up your edit stack: Switch to tools like Descript, Runway, Adobe Premiere, or DaVinci Resolve, ones with clearer commercial usage policies.
Add a content ownership clause to any creative brief or partner agreement if you're outsourcing production. "Where was this edited?" is now a question worth asking.
Brands can’t afford to be lax on IP in a moment where content travels far and fast. Treat your TikToks like you would your Super Bowl spots [because sometimes they get just as many eyeballs].
👀 Want a quick explainer on the CapCut drama? This post is filled with comments from users of the platform who have thoughts of their own.
Artisan is the new aspirational
Logos are out, handmade is in. Today’s luxury consumers aren’t chasing hype—they’re craving honesty, process, and proof of care. From meditative making-of videos to minimalist campaigns that highlight material over model, high-end brands are embracing a quieter, craft-driven aesthetic.
Curious why luxury looks so different in 2025? We dive into the vibe shift redefining what it means to be aspirational and 3 ways that brands and marketers can tap into this growing trend for paid subscribers below ⬇️