Five trends to watch in 2025

With the new year kicking off, we’re reflecting on 2024, a year filled with projects that mattered—work that connected, educated, and inspired communities across Australia.

Last year, we partnered with Bayside Council on campaigns that delivered real community impact, from simplifying waste education to inspiring positive summer behaviours.

With NSW DPI Fisheries, we worked across initiatives celebrating sustainable fishing, promoting industry leadership, and sharing stories that educate and engage communities. We expanded our Customer Experience campaign with the City of Newcastle to include communications about pets, waste and issue reporting.

We were also proud to support the NSW Rural Fire Service and several Australian Government agencies on important campaigns that continue to serve and strengthen the broader community.

These projects reflect what we care about most: connecting people, driving positive change, and delivering results that matter.

Looking ahead to 2025: trends that matter

In 2025, the world will continue to shift, and how we communicate will evolve. To help our clients stay ahead, we spotlight five trends shaping how brands connect, tell stories, and drive impact.

Trend 1: The rise of humour and authenticity in tourism marketing

This one’s for our destination clients. Some of the most successful campaigns of 2024 ditched the overly polished, picture-perfect ads in favour of quirky absurdity, dry humour, and a healthy dose of realness. The result? Campaigns that felt fresh, relatable, and built genuine emotional connections.

“Oslo. Is it Even A City?”

Oslo’s tourism campaign flips expectations by asking, “Is it even a city?” With its dry Nordic humour and self-deprecation, the campaign highlights Oslo’s quiet charm, crowd-free streets, and connection to nature.

Why it works: Rejecting tired clichés creates curiosity and relatability in a world oversaturated with curated perfection.
Impact: The campaign’s reverse psychology struck a chord, leading to a 26% increase in international arrivals and viral online engagement.

Source: Skift.

“The Off Season” – Tasmania

Tourism Tasmania’s “The Off Season” turns winter travel into a selling point, showcasing moody landscapes, pagan rituals, and all the quirks Tassie has to offer during its colder months.

Why it works: By reframing the ‘off-season’ as an experience, the campaign feels bold, confident, and authentic.
Impact: It drove off-peak tourism while attracting travellers seeking something unique, with DARK MOFO standing out as the ultimate winter drawcard.

Why This Trend?

People are sceptical of hyper-curated travel ads. Dry humour, self-awareness, and authenticity cut through the noise, making brands feel more human and relatable.

Trend 2: Short-form video

Short-form video ruled 2024, and its grip on digital storytelling is still ongoing in 2025. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts dominate by rewarding quick, snackable content that grabs attention and drives engagement.

Why It’s Taking Over:

Algorithms Love It: Platforms amplify videos that hook viewers fast. TikTok and YouTube Shorts prioritise content that drives engagement and keeps users scrolling.
The Hook Is Everything: You’ve got three seconds. The best videos start with:
- A bold statement (“You’ve been eating sushi wrong”),
- A visual jolt (like a flying pizza slice), or
- A burning question (“What happens when McDonald’s meets horror?”).
Relatable Beats Polished: Videos that feel raw, playful, and platform-native outperform polished content. Audiences want connection, not a hard sell.

@duolingo anything to keep the streak alive #duolingo #languagelearning ♬ sonido original - 𝐈𝐯𝐚́𝐧 𝐑𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜 🎧

Duolingo’s “Unhinged” TikTok Content

Duolingo has mastered short-form video by turning its green owl mascot, Duo, into a social media superstar.

The brand leans into TikTok’s offbeat, chaotic humour—placing Duo in bizarre, self-aware situations (like stalking users who don’t do their lessons).
Duolingo created a playful, human personality that resonates with TikTok’s audience by embracing platform-native trends and meme culture.

Impact:

Duolingo’s approach transformed its mascot into a TikTok favourite, amassing 8.2 million followers and millions of video views. The engagement has driven brand visibility, new user growth, and a loyal fanbase.

Why It Works:

Platform-Native Creativity: Duolingo’s team monitors real-time trends, creating relevant and authentic content.
Humour as a Connector: Playful, “unhinged” humour breaks through the noise and builds emotional connections.
Consistent Engagement: By frequently posting content, Duolingo keeps its audience entertained and engaged, reinforcing its brand presence.

What Brands Need to Do:

Start Strong: Lead with a hook that stops the scroll—be bold, funny, or visually unexpected.
Stay Agile: Follow platform trends and adapt your content quickly. Timeliness matters.
Humanise Your Brand: Whether through humour, relatable storytelling, or personality-driven content, create videos that feel alive and authentic.
Don’t Overthink It: Sometimes, simplicity and spontaneity work best.

Short-form video is here to stay, and the brands that win will be the ones that feel real, relevant, and relentlessly entertaining. If you can make people laugh—or stop to think—in 15 seconds, you’ve got them.

Trend 3: AI avatars are redefining brand storytelling

For organisations looking to connect at scale, AI avatars are delivering human-like, personalised interactions that feel both innovative and approachable.

Don’t Think the Tech Is Ready? Think Again.

Take LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, who created an AI twin of himself—trained on over two decades of his speeches and writing. The result? Reid AI mirrors his voice, tone, and ideas so well that Hoffman interviewed himself to showcase its capabilities.

Where This Trend Is Heading:

AI avatars can scale human-like interactions for everything from virtual guides to public education. They combine:

Knowledge: Deep contextual expertise.
Personality: Approachable, engaging communication.
Multilingual Support: Seamless interaction with diverse audiences.

For brands, this means smarter, more personal connections—at scale.

Trend 4: Generative AI enhancing visual communication

Generative AI is helping designers translate dense, complex information into visuals that connect with audiences.

Performance.gov by Pentagram

To redesign the U.S. government’s Performance.gov, Pentagram used ChatGPT to simplify lengthy reports into clear, human-friendly summaries. Simultaneously, Pentagram used MidJourney, a text-to-image generative AI platform, to produce hundreds of custom icons in a cohesive, hand-made illustration style—bringing scalability, clarity and context to government data.

Why it works: Combining generative AI with human expertise streamlines design at scale while maintaining quality and craft.

The Debate: Some critics argue AI undermines creative integrity, but Pentagram shows it can enhance what skilled designers already do and provide efficiencies and scalability for clients.

“With performance.gov, Pentagram demonstrates how a tool often dismissed as a shortcut can enhance the craft when used by skilled practitioners.“

Trend 5: Social rewilding – a return to real-world connection

In contrast to this year’s incredible advancements, this trend is seeing people recalibrating their relationship with technology, prioritising screen-free, real-world experiences. This is about rediscovering the deep satisfaction found outdoors, in culture, and in authentic connection—an essential insight for destinations and place brands.

Accenture Life Trends Insight:

42% of people said their most enjoyable experience last week was physical.
Only 15% cited a digital experience.