1. A rockstar Summer?: 2025's cultural phenomenon
The biggest shock in pop culture this year was the reunion of Oasis. It was a breakout search term of 2024 in the UK and the reunion announcement web page generated three million page views in one day. If 2023 was all about Barbie, and 2024 was Brat and pop girlies, then Summer 2025 will be all about rock and roll.
Their influence has begun to extend from the stadiums into fashion with the return of Adidas Spezials and Gazelles overtaking Sambas, the ‘IT’ trainer of 2024 in Google search. Pinterest has also seen a massive increase in searches for parkas (+97 per cent); anoraks (+36%); Gazelle Adidas (+105%); Britpop aesthetic (+25%), and mod fashion (+45%) this year and it is expected to keep growing.
Can the return of Oasis ignite a rock revival and bring bands back to the mainstream? 2024 was a successful year for UK and Irish bands, with Fontaines DC selling out arenas and The Last Dinner Party the first guitar band in 11 years to top the BBC’s Sound of the Year, but will Oasis push them over the edge? We’ll see.
Verdict: 30% hype
“Britpop blokecore is coming back but the outlook will probably remain bleak for bands in 2025.” Emily Thomas, Digital Marketing Manager
2. AI Agents: The next (un)natural step
AI Agents differ from the chatbot or web interface we've become familiar with in 2024. AI Agents are autonomous enhancements to the software and act themselves rather than waiting on a user to prompt them to do so.
For example, OtterPilot is an AI Agent that, once installed, automatically joins virtual meetings to transcribe notes, automatically captures shared slides, and generates a summary and action items to share via Slack and email.
In October 2024, Gartner predicted that 38% of enterprise AI will include some form of ‘agentic’ AI. The consultancy suggests the current figure is around 1%.
It’s the efficiency born from automation that makes AI Agents attractive to businesses.
Verdict: 50% hype
“The public won’t care and it’ll all be ‘AI’ to them.” Andrew Girdwood, Digital Strategist
3. Beauty tech: The hottest product? A longer life
Luxury retreats are redefining health by blending fitness with longevity-focused programs; with biometric data tracking, personalised wellness plans, cellular-regeneration treatments and more to bio-hack your way to living longer.
Machine learning is advancing the development of therapies aimed at slowing ageing processes. It begins with eating to live longer by using genetic and microbiome data to design diets optimised for an individual’s health and longevity. According to Euromonitor International’s ‘Top Global Consumer Trends 2025’ report of more than 40,000 consumers, people are making intentional changes within their wellness routines for the betterment of their future selves.
The elite are flocking to a range of global retreats such as Rosewood Schloss Fuschl, Kamalaya or the cellular therapy pioneer Clinique La Prairie, to invest in bespoke plans to postpone their ageing.
Verdict: 40% hype
“The wellness industry continues to flourish and people are still afraid to wrinkle. But how many people can afford to invest in extending their life?” Deepali Chhabra, Digital Marketing Manager
4. Podcast boom: A place for parasocial relationships?
In 2019, there were over 19.1 million podcast listeners in the UK. The audience grew by 3 million in 2024, and this is expected to grow to 28 million listeners in the UK by 2026. So it is safe to say that the podcast bubble is not bursting anytime soon, and as the number of listeners is growing, so is the influence of podcasts.
The majority of 18–34-year-olds are monthly podcast listeners and 41% are weekly listeners, higher than the average UK adult; making Gen Z and younger millennials the key audience for most podcasts. Additionally, podcasts are more likely to be male. Podcasts are ranked as the media they are most likely to trust and 85% of listeners relate to podcasts personally.
The influence of podcasts on young men is now being linked to the US election results due to the popularity of shows by Joe Rogan and Theo Von, with key members of the Democrats starting podcasts in 2024.
Podcasts are becoming the place to reach normally unreachable demographics, to build an audience and influence their decision making.
Verdict: 10% hype
“In 2025, expect more important figures to feature on podcasts more regularly and for it to become a battleground for capturing young men's attention in particular.” Emily Thomas, Digital Marketing Manager
So, you heard it here first. 2025. The year of rock’n’roll could be one to watch. What could rock trends look like beyond music and how could they shape consumer mindsets? AI Agents will be business as usual rather than something to focus on. And wellness innovations will be increasingly talked about and seen.
But if we have to put our money where our predictions are, we would say it is podcasts that take the anti-hype crown. Listeners believe podcasts more than any other media format. That’s why we believe this is the trend to pay particular attention to in 2025, and if you're not already, to seriously consider using it in your marketing.
The Union is ready and raring to tackle these changes next year. If you’d like some help with any of these, or anything else, to get ready to transform and deliver on your marketing plans for next year, please get in touch.
