We’ve taken a look at the broader creative and visual trends we’ve seen emerging over the summer, highlighting some of our favourites, and looking forward to what they mean for the future.

The performance marketing landscape is ever-evolving, and as it does so, different trends come and go, with some having more of a lasting impact than others. Platform updates, changes in user habits, and the continuous experimentation of brands and marketing teams all have an impact on these trends, which of them have a lasting impact, and which are just a flash in the pan.

Creative Trends

As consumers start to become more savvy to UGC tropes and tire of social media driven gimmicks, we’re seeing a shift away from UGC-reliant models towards more polished, brand driven creative.

Performance marketing is moving ever-closer towards the ideals of traditional marketing and advertising (something that has been steadily happening since the release of IOS 14.5) - with targeting limitations giving way to slick visuals and creative copy that all serve the broader brand image.

Long form branded content is becoming more prevalent as a way of showing authenticity by producing genuinely enjoyable pieces of standalone content, helping brands to stand out in a space that’s saturated with sales driven content.

Visual Trends

Retro Riviera

Turning back the clock to a time gone by, think muted colours, film grain and people lounging by the pool.

This trend has been huge for the summer with most fashion brands. It follows the seemingly never-ending resurgence of analogue photography and film-making, whilst leaning into retro colour palettes to give a sense of nostalgia.

Represent

The brand is known for luxury streetwear, and this aesthetic helps to show the casual, simple clothing juxtaposed with a luxury destination.

Matches Fashion

Simple, luxurious and high-end. This simple holiday villa backdrop of the ad blends perfectly with the brand, giving us a luxury villa holiday vibe and a chic aesthetic to match.

Noah

The American brand embraces that all-American, 1970s California throwback aesthetic here to take you straight to the beach.

3D Funhouse

Historically 3D has been used to show off product features in a highly detailed way - adding a touch of sophistication, a premium feel, and allows the customer to observe the product in a way they would in-store for a heightened buying experience.

However, as it becomes more popular and accessible, artists are beginning to experiment with using it in new and inventive ways, often in a whimsical manner, and like experimental art of the past, the brands are now following suit.

Nike Kids

Encapsulating the carefree attitude of childhood, but without losing the cool edge of Nike, the subtle use of 3D works perfectly here to frame the lifestyle being sold.

JACQUEMUS

This is the ideal style for the brand, whose 3D-style bags can do all the selling, captivating you with one simple movement.

McDonald’s

This creative is fun and playful, and is a departure from some of the brand’s marketing material. Given the 3D appearance of the Grimace character, it works perfectly.

Organic Forms

This trend appears to have evolved from a culmination of the Gorpcore phenomenon that combines a chic aesthetic that embraces the outdoors, the “mushroom movement”, and rising interests in general outdoorsy-ness.

Consisting of organic forms and floral influences, this not only brings that sense of outdoor adventure and being at one with nature, but also helps to inspire an association with sustainable thinking – something that has become essential for all brands in recent years.

Marimekko

The simple yet original prints and colours of the Finnish design house fit perfectly with this style of creative. It feels natural, organic, and a fitting extension of what’s hanging on its rails.

Parks Project

A brand with a passion for the outdoors that specialises in clothes built for nature, this style helps to add fun - without looking too salesy - to distract from the brand’s message of education and advocating when it comes to parklands.

Nike

Again, helping to sell the fun lifestyle of the Nike brand, this helps to showcase how it is more than a sportswear brand. It’s fun and aimed at those who may not enjoy a run, but will go for a casual stroll with friends.

Sickly Sweet

How do you get seen in an ever-saturated market where everyone’s screaming? It seems that being bold - but not just bold, over-the-top bold - is one of the ways to go.

This trend is all about attracting attention with bright, bold contrasting colours that give off an air of surrealist, near-sickly decadence. It’s fun, and near-impossible to scroll past and great for brands that don’t take themselves too seriously.

Tinder

This is a brand that’s really upped the fun element of its marketing lately, and this bright, colourful and fun look is the ideal way to capture attention and sell that excitement of the early stages of dating.

The 'Barbie' Movie

A marketing masterclass, the Barbie Movie really went all out capitalising on the big, bold, pinkness of the signature doll to really catch the eye and sell the film – and it really paid off.

Who Gives a Crap

The bright and colourful palette is ideal for this brand that doesn’t take itself too seriously, despite having a serious message. A great way to show balance but focus on capturing the audience first.

What to expect in the future

While these trends may have been big over the summer, we’re already starting to see some of them fade - so, what’s next?

As we continue down this creative road, we’re likely to see:

• Hand-drawn, doodly text and imagery in response to 3D, and a move away from polished design styles towards a more accessible, organic look.
• A return to more pastel colours, after all, there’s only so long over-the-top colour can last before we become too exposed and return to muted pastels.
• The evolution of organic shapes into even more abstract forms, which will fit in nicely with those organic, muted pastels.
• The continuation of brands producing long-form content that could see more brands engaging in collaborations with independent filmmakers, especially those with backgrounds in specific subcultures.

Final thoughts

While it is of vital importance that brands stay up to date with current trends in technologies and data, it’s imperative that this same energy needs to be applied to the ever-changing creative landscape.

After all, imagery, video, and copy are what draw the audience in. So, while your targeting strategy may be top-notch, in order to keep customers coming back and to bring new ones in, you need to ensure that you’re putting out creative that’s authentic, not cliché, and is something your audience enjoys.

If you want to discuss how to approach creative and visuals for your brand, get in touch.