Dentsu Creative's Culture Task Force | 11.9

"The Longevity of Lapse" and what's trending on social

Nov 09, 2023

A brief overview of what is currently trending on on X in news, culture, and/or trending hashtags and formats.

Vivek: Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is drawing shock and criticism for his viewpoints stated at the Republican Presidential Debate.
Vogue: The legendary fashion magazine reveals Nicki Minaj to be their December 2023 cover star. Social users are sharing the images and interviews from her issue.
Panama: Social users are discussing an American gunman that gunned down two environmental protestors blocking the road in Panama.

A deeper dive into a subject that is impacting culture on a macro level, beyond just the social space.

The Longevity of Lapse

What it is: Social media platforms come and go, but a "new" platform called Lapse has made headlines recently for its spike in popularity. Lapse initially launched in 2021, but after a rerelease, the initially lowkey social media platform has shot up to second place on the Apple App Store's free chart. Much like the social media app Dispo co-founded by YouTuber David Dobrik, Lapse encourages people to take pictures the way they did in the analog days, when disposable cameras were the way to get candid photos of you and your friends. Users snap photos and “develop” them in the app. When the photos are ready, several hours later, their takers can decide if they want to post them for their Lapse friends or archive them for their private collection. All photos posted on Lapse must be taken in the app and cannot be altered in any way. There are no visible “like” counts. Instead, friends can react with emojis.

What brands can learn: This social app is continuing the trend we have seen with social apps such as BeReal, where the aim is to increase authenticity and candidness among its users by limiting features that allow users to stage their content as much as possible. In most cases when a new social platform comes out, brands can be eager to jump in to get ahead of the curve. What is important to note here is the intent for the app's use and consider how your brand's presence on the platform might resonate with the user. If the user is seeking out a candid experience and your brand cannot provide that, it will stick out like a sore thumb in that space. Content that will work on Instagram, X, TikTok, and FaceBook may not work in this environment. Strategizing before you enter a new platform is critical to make sure you are in line with the way users are occupying that space to see if it is compatible with the role your brand plays in social. In that strategizing, also consider the longevity of this new social platform. We've seen this past year that social media platforms such as BeReal and Threads have huge spikes in users joining which is soon followed by huge dropoff rates. With BeReal specifically, some users noted that seeing the mundanity of their day-to-day lives being reflected back at them can be a real downer. With that being said, brands are inherently curated entities and it is OKAY to own up to that. Frankly, that candidness from brands is what will be refreshing to users rather than trying to occupy a space that isn't meant for them.

Examples: 1, 2, 3

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