💎 The key [brand] players and trends to watch for at Cannes Lions 2025
+the rise of creator studios; Pinterest is now a shopping engine
In this Monday’s email we’re sharing:
8 articles to check out this morning [AI sponcon is here, Ulta tapping employees for their creator program]
1 trend around how Pinterest is quickly becoming where Gen Z does their most intentional shopping
In the full edition, available for paying members, we look at:
Cannes Lions 2025 starts today—get the scoop on immersive brand experiences, creator moments, and must-attend events shaping this year’s festival buzz
Recent publications: The AI travel boom, LinkedIn is the new creator hotspot, and How books became the new merch
💎cultural gems💎
The moments and media catching our eye…
⭐️ Mega creators like Mr Beast, Dhar Mann and Dude Perfect have built their own studios, complete with multiple sets and hundreds of employees, to shoot their content.
🤖 TikTok's new AI ads create lifelike virtual influencers to model products from just images and text, raising questions about authenticity and cutting out real creators.
💄 Ulta just tapped its own store staff to be paid “Ulta Beauties” influencers—employees who already post about their glam workdays can now apply to the new social‑media ambassador program.
🪩 Gen Z and millennials are swapping sweaty clubs for ‘soft clubbing’—chill DJ sets in coffee shops, salons, even bakeries, where you dance daytime‑light hours, skip cover fees (and hangovers), and actually connect.
We broke down the rise of the sober curious movement back in April: 💎 Gen Z’s sober matcha raves
⛪️ Gen Z is unexpectedly returning to religion, with more young people (especially men) embracing church, Catholicism, and faith as a source of structure, community, and rebellion against secular culture.
⚖️ Big tech goes to court. A federal judge ruled that Google (and Apple, per the Justice Department’s wider antitrust case) abused its dominance in search and ad‑tech.
😈 Labubu, the toothy, bunny-eared art toy from Pop Mart, has evolved from a niche collectible into a viral fashion accessory.
💿 Addison Rae, once a TikTok it-girl, has reinvented herself as a credible pop artist with her debut album Addison.
📌 Pinterest: the underrated Gen Z shopping engine
Last week, we talked about the moodboard renaissance. This week? We’re talking about monetizing those moods.
With 42% of Pinterest’s audience now Gen Z and 85% of weekly users buying something from a Pin, Pinterest is no longer [just] a manifestation station. The platform has now become a conversion funnel with a pastel-colored UX. Pinterest CEO Bill Ready shares that the online site is becoming "the place where Gen Z goes to shop."
And here’s the twist: beauty and home decor are no longer running the show and dominating the feed. Financial literacy and money aesthetic content is quietly thriving. Think: side hustle infographics, money-saving templates, and even “vision board budgeting” as a content format.
Why it matters:
Gen Z is curating their spending habits the same way they curate their outfits and apartment decor. Shopping on Pinterest feels intentional, not impulsive. [It’s giving “conscious consumer with taste.”]
Pinterest has quietly built the perfect social-commerce loop. Search meets curation meets inspiration meets a clear path to purchase. That kind of full-funnel magic is rare these days.
Brands in finance, fashion, and lifestyle should all be paying attention. Especially if your product benefits from a longer consideration window, or from showing up in context with someone's future self.
Pro tip: If you're in fintech or consumer services and not experimenting on Pinterest yet, this is your sign. There’s a Gen Z shopper somewhere pinning your product to her “Things I’ll Buy When I Finally Understand Taxes” board. Be there when she’s ready.
What to Watch at Cannes Lions 2025
The festival of all festivals kicks off today, and if history is any guide, the Croisette will be covered in siren-summer aesthetics, yacht-side panels, and at least one “creator economy” take that goes too far.
Whether you’re attending Cannes IRL or about to head into a week of meetings, we’re breaking down the 5 key players expected to show up big and 3 ways for brands [outside of Cannes] to lean in for paid subscribers below ⬇️