👯♀️ Consider this our friendship application
Likes: long walks on the beach & scanning for signals.
Welcome back, Scanner!
Well, Scanners, we did it – we saved the daylight. Since we’ve lost an hour, there’s really no time to lose as we get into this edition’s signals. So go forth and dive in as we chit-chat about TV ads, friendship applications and iconic partnerships.
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Let’s go.
📅 CURRENT
SKIMS’ First TV Ad Is Out of This World
What’s changing?
During the Oscars on March 11th, SKIMS debuted their first-ever made-for-TV campaign. The minute-long commercial shows Kim Kardashian and her “Klones” testing several of the brand’s most popular products. In a press release, Kim wanted to “bring viewers into the SKIMS universe and create a film about our brand story and obsession with product development in a witty yet extravagant way.” The commercial was directed by Frank Lebon and produced by Wieden+Kennedy (known for their award-winning advertisements for Nike, McDonald’s/WcDonald’s and Ford). It will air through the end of April.
Why does it matter?
Bringing audiences into the “SKIMS universe?” That sounds a lot like world-building to us. Over the past year, top brands have tried to bring audiences into their unique “worlds” to create experiences that stick. It’s fascinating to see SKIMS promote themselves through a traditional medium like television, but not entirely surprising. As sports and real-life experiences rise, opportunities for brands to get in front of larger, engaged audiences are emerging. SKIMS also posted the commercial to YouTube and their social media platforms, so the opportunity for organic reach online exists as well.
What could happen next?
While it isn’t unusual for huge brands, like SKIMS, to advertise in more traditional mediums, we are interested to hear how Kim Kardashian speaks to world-building. Kim has always excelled at bringing her audience into her world, from her family’s hit TV show to her recently shut-down app. It’ll be interesting to see what she does with SKIMS next. For the rest of us, it’s a reminder that there’s room to think big. Audiences enjoy flashy moments and unique experiences, both on and offline.
Scan-o-meter: 📅 📅 📅 / 5
🎯 SPECIFIC
Friends On Purpose Gains Popularity As TikTok Friend Applications Soar
What’s changing?
As community and third spaces continue to atrophy, people have taken to TikTok to share their “friend applications.” Creators have started social groups to fill the gap (in ways Bumble BFF and Meetup never quite did). Deemed the “creator third space,” these event groups are designed to bring a creator’s community together IRL to connect and make friends. Friends On Purpose, by Nikol Moses, promotes social hangouts that participants buy tickets to attend. The website even has testimonials. So, what makes it different from a regular event company?
Why does it matter?
Friends On Purpose doesn’t act like making friends is a benefit of coming to an event; it is the event. While social groups aren’t anything new, the branding and transparency around the group’s purpose is refreshing. When you click to buy tickets, you get this message: Most of us don’t need a therapist as much as a friend to be silly with. It’s real, honest and fits the immediate needs of digital audiences. FOP leads with their values (making friends) and addresses a genuine concern – is social media hindering more than helping our connections?
What could happen next?
It seems like we are nearing the end of the life cycle of social media as we know it – we want to connect, but what we have isn’t giving us what we need. We are creating hacks, our own events and our own workarounds to create meaningful community. Something may take social media’s place, which means there’s still time to build and dream of what is coming next. If community, loneliness and friendship are the answer – how can we be a part of what is coming?
Scan-o-meter: 🎯🎯🎯
/ 5
😲 SURPRISING
Monica Lewinsky Is the Face of Reformation
What’s changing?
Monica Lewinsky, White House intern turned anti-bullying activist, writer and producer, is the new face of Reformation. The new campaign, called “You’ve Got the Power,” is intended to promote voter registration ahead of the 2024 U.S. election. Lewinsky states that she loved the opportunity to remind shoppers to register to vote, but also sees the campaign as a way to earn “street cred” with millennials and Gen Z.
Why does it matter?
First it was Pamela Anderson for Aritzia and Re/Done, now Monica Lewinsky for Reformation; we aren’t entirely sure where this is going yet, but we love seeing these iconic, once-scrutinized women in the spotlight of these popular fashion brands. Is it a nod to the “internet’s nuclear family”—that began with “daddy” and evolved to “mother”—a ride on the wave of nostalgia, or something else altogether?
What could happen next?
Both of these women suffered from immense public scrutiny (thanks to men). We spoke in our Trend Report about how important standing on your values is for brands. Reformation is making a value statement here; why is it resonating so much with audiences? Is it about the lack of representation of middle-aged and older women in marketing? Or, is it about having a role model to look up to who once stood for something? In a time when instant celebrity happens on social media almost daily, there is something refreshing about someone who has a legacy and has lived a big life (with hardships, public ridicule and redemption). Seeing these women back in the spotlight with a message is bigger than a TikTok trend or viral moment. It’s a mix of nostalgia, honoring and celebrating women – and we hope to see it continue.
Scan-o-meter: 😲😲😲😲
/ 5
🔍 TREND REPORT IRL
Updates from our Trend Forecast
We loved sharing our first Trend Report with you back in January. As the year goes on, we’ll continue investigating signals that further the conversation around our forecast. Here are a few that stood out this week:
People want (guaranteed) value: Brides are opting to thrift over buying new.
People want less stress, more rest: Amid soaring prices and stressful conditions, consumers are putting themselves first.
People want close friends only: Social media engagement doesn’t equate to content readership.
🤔
BEFORE YOU GO
To help keep these signals top-of-mind, we share 1 question to ask yourself (or your team) in each edition. Your question to mull on this week is:
See you next time 👋