A brief overview of what is currently trending in news, culture, and/or trending hashtags and formats.
Cynthia: At the Wicked: For Good premiere, Cynthia Erivo was seen protecting Ariana Grande from a fan on the red carpet.
Epstein: Users are discussing new information arising from Jefrey Epstein’s emails released by House Democrats on Wednesday.
Northern Lights: With new sightings in the U.S., users are flooding feeds with beautiful pictures (and memes from those with FOMO.)
A deeper dive into a subject that is impacting culture on a macro level, beyond just the social space.
Wicked (For) Good Content
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What It Is: With the highly anticipated Wicked sequel, Wicked: For Good, hitting theaters on November 21, you may have noticed that this year’s marketing campaign isn’t the all-out blitz that flooded our feeds in 2024. Last year’s campaign was a cultural takeover, with endless brand partnerships, interviews, promos, and massive activations that mirrored the Barbie move marketing playbook. This year, while we still saw big-name collaborations with brands like Dunkin’, the marketing approach feels intentionally more scaled back and social-first. It’s not just about brands racing to to get in on the hype of the sequel, but empowering fans and creators to lead the conversation through organic trends and interactive content.
The Brand Takeaway: The shift reflects a move from 2024’s spectacle-driven strategy to this year’s more community-led storytelling. After Wicked become oversaturated in feeds last year, leveraging platforms and creators has helped keep the franchise’s momentum alive beyond the initial hype. Success isn’t only about scale and spend, but about sparking authentic engagement. While Wicked’s first release went for full-feed domination, the sequel’s community-led approach has created space for real conversation and connection among fans. It reinforces that UGC and creator partnerships build deeper relationships than polished posts alone, and smaller, well-timed activations can still deliver big wins.
Four must-click links that crossed our feeds today.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 trailer teaser has been dropped.
Meta is retiring its like and comment buttons for third-party websites.
Kris Jenner celebrated her 70th birthday and Kim gave us a BTS look.
Airlines warn flight cancellations will continue even after shutdown ends.
Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Season 3 Premiere - Hulu, 11.13
Jay Kelly - Theaters, 11.14
A Very Jonas Christmas Movie - Disney+ & Hulu, 11.14
Now You See Me: Now You Don’t - Theaters, 11.14
Finally Over It: Summer Walker
(((((ultraSOUND))))): The Neighbourhood
Chin Up Buttercup: Austra
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