Why delulu might just be the solulu

Why would anyone want to engage in a terrifying or entrapping reality? That would be unpleasant and irrational. Hence stress, or dissatisfaction can lead individuals to turn to old coping mechanisms like drink, drugs, prayer or exercise to gain a sense of escapism or control.

These self-soothing behaviours can occur on a group level too: collective anxiety has led Gen Z to embrace all things ‘woo woo’, from manifesting to crystals as a form of escapism. But they are also taking control by engaging in more analogue activities such as travelling for restorative solitude retreats.

Distilling these trends, VML’s latest Future 100 report, now in its 11th year, reveals how this dichotomy between seeking out the fantastical and searching for ways to stay level-headed could shape consumer spending in the year ahead.

The report sets out 100 trends, delving into everything from culture to business’s capacity for innovation, and endeavours to make sense of these strange times. At the heart of it is both a love and a fear of innovation – many are scared AI will take their jobs, but others can’t wait for it to remove the drudgery of admin tasks. This spills into people’s everyday lives: some 88 per cent wish life could be simpler at times; there is also a boom in people searching for the extraordinary – 76 per cent believe that when something is magical it helps them escape the mundane.

Presenting the report to a room jam-packed with ad experts and marketers at Hijingo Bingo – itself an example of the millennial and Gen Z adoration for old habits with a twist – VML’s global director of intelligence, Marie Stafford, split the mammoth report into a set of key themes. Some proudly ‘delulu’ panellists and an allegedly age-defying collagen drink appeared along the way.

Grounded intuition

The first trend that Stafford outlines is the increasing fashion for going analogue. A third of Gen Z and millennials said that they are picking up more screen-free hobbies this year. For example, there is a tendency for young people to engage in activities like urban sketching (in which travellers pause to draw a specific destination) or offline clubs (where people are encouraged to lock up their phones).

Some 84 per cent said that they believed people are less present these days because of increased technology. “It’s not that we want to switch off completely. Technology is rooted in our lives and there’s no way we’re coming back from it. It’s more about making it work better for us,” Stafford explains.

Simultaneously, the report highlights the #underconsumption core trend on TikTok – something which is also highlighted in VML’s data (69 per cent globally say they are now actively looking to buy or own less stuff).

Ultimately, people are being more mindful about what they buy. This means brands have to focus on reliability, as Stafford highlights: “In an era when trust is rock bottom, just 13 per cent of people say they strongly trust the brands they use to share accurate information.”

Liminal Realities

A century on from surrealism’s inception (André Breton completed The Surrealist Manifesto in 1924) Stafford highlights that the concept of distorting realities has become all the more relevant in a world of uncertainty.

“Just over six weeks into 2025 it feels like the world has taken surrealism to heart a bit too much,” Stafford says.

“At the same time that we are getting more grounded, we are also giving our brains over to imagination and flights of fancy. In a time when reality feels quite manufactured, people are feeling quite free to make their own,” she continues.

And perhaps that’s because everything feels so uncertain: could AI be used as a bioweapon? What does the Trump and Elon Musk bro-tocracy mean for international relations?

Stafford delves into several ways people are seeking to explore and make sense of all this absurdity – the first being manifesting. Ariana Grande allegedly channelled her role as Glinda by manifesting, but it isn’t just pop stars who are following that trend. A new wave of TikTokers are also manifesting their dream lives – but, Stafford highlights, it’s more than just hype: “There is neuroscientific research which shows that manifesting something changes the neurons in the brain and makes it more likely that you will subconsciously achieve something”.

This is playing out in awesperiential retail – some 84 per cent say that browsing in-store is the best way to gain inspiration while shopping.

Moreover, 74 per cent say that stores should offer more than products and services and should strive to entertain and engage shoppers. The report references locations like Bangkok's King Power City Boutique which is filled with sculptures of giant birds.

In addition, reality-defining dining is also becoming more popular – two-thirds say they prefer to spend time in places that spark their imagination. For instance, Enrique Lamardo's Surreal Restaurant or UK bar The Alchemist.

Extended lives

Among the stranger consequences of tech is a trend towards defying mortality which seeks to go far beyond the realms of medicine and healing.

Whether its skin-juvenation (a trend which has seen girls as young as ten using anti-ageing retinol creams). Others have taken it a step further – including Silicon Valley techsters like Bryan Johnson who has spent millions on reversing ageing through drastic means like injecting himself with his son’s blood.

“This whole trend really speaks to our need to level ourselves up,” explains Stafford.

In addition, whether it is the popular runner's supershoe (which has enhanced the prowess of already phenomenal athletes), or powered pants that can add a 40 per cent boost to leg muscles, there are countless ways in which humans are seeking to enhance their natural capabilities.

Moreover, humans are able to live on beyond their lifespans – as seen in the recent AI Michael Parkinson interviews. "Maybe the 'digital afterlife' is coming for all of us," Stafford says.

At the same time, the popularity of more natural blue zone retreats, in which people travel to the areas of the world with the longest lifespans, has also grown (described by Condé Nast Traveller as one of the biggest travel trends of the past year).

“If there is a way your brand can support a healthy lifespan and the pursuit of longevity, there’s a lot of people who are going to be very excited to hear about that,” Stafford says.

New Creative economy

Moreover, the role of AI could also change humanity's function in the production of art and creative works.

"If AI is taking over, what's the role of the human in this?" asks Stafford.

She posits that people might shift from focusing more on curation than owning the process of actually making the art.

"Human tastemakers I think are going to be important. They are going to help us navigate and find more meaningful and valuable experiences and shift the bland or bizarre from the brilliant," Stafford argues.

She also adds that, amid debate over AI-generated content (for instance the backlash over The Brutalist's use of AI) film and content could start sporting a "Made By Humans" label, potentially putting a premium on such work.

With more artificial intelligence around us, Stafford also suggests that doctors are likely to continue dishing out social prescriptions ranging from taking part in life drawing to dance classes or gardening. According to the report, some 73 per cent believe that well-being should involve some level of community activity.

Three useful take-aways from VML UK's Chief Strategy Officer Ben Worden

• Obsess about value exchange The trend of underconsumption-core – one of TikTok’s latest hashtags which involves a culture of buying less, using what you already own, and embracing minimalism – means that value is more important than ever. The popular TikTok movement has already led Gen Z-minded brands such as Vinted (in its ‘Too Many?’ ad) to play on it. But according to VML’s data its wider than just one generation, 69 per cent of people already say that will actively choose to buy and use less stuff. For Worden, this means that people are becoming more selective. A key challenge for advertisers is ensuring that your brand is offering the best value exchange possible (aka bang for your buck, for all involved).

• Put People at the heart In an effort to escape the drudge of Zoom meetings and mental toll of ever-bleaker doom scrolling, a growing number of people are going analogue. VML’s research shows that 84 per cent believe that people are less present these days. And they don't think tech is making them more inventive: “Most people believe that tech will never surpass human creativity,” adds Worden, “I believe that brands that will win are those that leverage the power of all the data technology and things that are available to us but never lose sight of that human factor in everything they do.”

• Entertainment matters Worden adds that the research data also showed that three quarters of people believe that brands should make more of an effort to be entertaining. “How do you ensure that value exchange is clear and unambiguous every transaction and every part of this experience? This is the kind of challenge we face into now.”