new.now.next | #13
your essential edit of what's shaping culture + brands this week
I’ve been having some really interesting conversations with founders, creatives and marketers lately and it’s reminded me how much richer ideas feel in person than through a screen.
I keep noticing the same themes everywhere: analogue experiences, tactility, intimacy and more creative forms of connection. Brands moving away from scale at all costs and towards participation, feeling and yes, the buzzword of the year, world-building. Maybe that’s why I keep finding myself drawn towards books, audio, salons, dinner parties and slower forms of media again.
Anyway, here are a few things I scribbled down this month. Would love to know what you’ve been curious about lately.
new: brands want participation, not just attention
Brands are becoming less interested in simply reaching people and much more interested in becoming part of their lives. No longer just aiming to be top of mind, but embedded as something you participate in rather than passively consume.
I keep noticing brands experimenting with access and community infrastructure in ways that feels really exciting - As Good As Any is a brand I first spotted on someone’s TikTok wishlist. They recently launched a hoodie that could only be purchased via password access. You had to join waitlists, apply to be accepted into a WhatsApp group and even request to follow the Instagram account before you could see their content. Really leaning into IYKYK culture.
At the same time, brands are leaning back into slower, more analogue forms of connection. Papier recently launched its first Snail Mail Club alongside partnerships with creatives already embedded in the letter-writing world. Business Insider wrote about the boom in letterwriting here too. In a culture optimised for speed and scale, sending a letter suddenly feels surprisingly personal again.
Meanwhile in New York, Nécessaire sponsored the VIP breakfast at Frieze around the launch of its new hand wash and it instantly caught my attention as a wish I had thought of that moment. Guests arrived to giant hand-shaped cushions created with artist John Sohn, inspired by the idea of caring for the hands that make things. There’s something elegant about a hand care brand launching within the art world rather than simply placing products at an event or in the loos somewhere.
It felt very intentional. Frieze has become shorthand for a certain kind of tastemaker audience, and more and more, brands seem interested in cultural adjacency rather than pure scale. Being seen in the right places, by the right people, within the right context. That’s why beauty, fashion and lifestyle brands keep moving further into art, publishing and hospitality too. Traditional influencer marketing can sometimes feel predictable, whereas these worlds offer something much harder to manufacture: context, taste and emotional texture.
now: softness, tactility and emotional utility
I keep noticing people becoming more intentional around small rituals and everyday moments. Things that once felt rushed or functional are suddenly being slowed down, styled and shared.
Even snacks have somehow become a ritual rather than something wolfed down at 3pm. Creator The Naked Light started posting her daily snack ritual and it ended up featured in Vogue. Carefully packed fruit in stainless steel snack tins, sliced vegetables arranged like still life paintings. Tiny moments of pause and taking care of yourself are becoming aestheticised in the same way skincare routines or tablescaping once were.
I came across LLBean by chance the other day and noticed that the brand switched off its Instagram entirely for the month of May and I haven’t actually seen much commentary on it - in a landscape where every brand is trying to post more, optimise more and say more, the idea of silence feels quite appealing.
And then Zara Home emailed me this week simply to share a curated Spotify playlist. With no CTA and no shopping push in sight. Just a beautiful, understated email built around mood and taste. Which felt more memorable than most campaigns landing in my inbox lately.
At the same time, probably a reflection of where I’m at in life, I’ve also been noticing more attention being paid to children’s creativity and culture. I was really moved by a recent New York Times piece positioning children’s books as coping manuals for adults, alongside the news of the Children’s Booker Prize relaunching next year.
It’s partly why Yoto feels particularly interesting right now too [note: I work with the brand across Australia and the US]. Beyond being a screen-free audio player, there’s a huge amount of craftsmanship behind Yoto Originals, from writers and musicians through to sound design and illustrated artwork. It feels connected to a wider shift where children’s culture is increasingly being treated with the same taste and creative reverence as adult culture.
That same instinctive creativity keeps appearing elsewhere too. I’m obsessed with the idea of turning children’s drawings into jewellery and heirlooms. This necklace by Brent Neale fully falls into the category of things I cannot stop thinking about.
next: smaller communities w/stronger identity
After years of internet culture pushing everything towards mass scale and hyper-visibility, I think there’s a noticeable return towards smaller circles, recognisable faces and experiences that feel emotionally specific.
Feed Me recently reported on the rise of local newsletters across the US, while neighbourhood projects like The Longest Table continue building gatherings around shared meals. It makes me think of The Beast newsletter landing in mailboxes across Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs each month, or Service95 launching its community dinner series.
At the same time, some of the more visible forms of internet culture are beginning to feel slightly out of step with where attention is moving. The traditional influencer trip is probably the clearest example. Consumers have seen the beautiful infinity pools, matching robes, branded towels, sunset dinners and near-identical itineraries many times before.
What feels much more compelling now is specificity. I loved seeing my favourite shirt brand With Nothing Underneath host a pub quiz in NY with branded pencils, a Marmite trophy and guests including Tatiana Hambro and Coco Mellors. It felt playful, self-aware and deeply rooted in Britishness without trying too hard and electrolyte brand SULT did a screen-free hike which also ended up with a pint and pub quiz.
To me, people aren’t necessarily looking for bigger, glossier experiences anymore. They’re looking for experiences with texture, things that feel emotionally resonant, recognisable and rooted in something real.
other things I’ve consumed:
Reading: this piece by Emily Oberg founder of Sporty and Rich on why she wouldn’t start a brand today if you want to understand some of the challenges:
“A decade ago, you didn’t need notoriety to start a brand.”
I keep returning to it because it taps into something I think many founders and creatives are feeling right now: that audience ownership and visibility have become almost inseparable from launching a company. Mystery used to be an asset, and now visibility is essential it connects to this piece I published last week.
I was also interviewed recently by Luci at Starr Studio about brand building, careers and finally pressing publish on this newsletter after 3 years -
Shopping: I’m heading into winter here in Sydney and currently very into this belted suede bucket bag from Liffner and I cannot stop thinking about these pale pink ballet flats from Yuni Buffa the lime are also beautiful but first boot season.
Listening to: Ready or Not pod - my friend Sharina was on this episode - how cool is she - listen for thoughtful, honest conversations around motherhood.
hi holly is a brand intelligence publication exploring strategy, culture and the brands shaping both. Written by brand consultant Holly Chapman, it’s read by founders, marketers and creative teams building modern brands.
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For founders and marketing leaders looking for strategic support, outside perspective or an ongoing thought partner across a particular challenge, launch or growth moment.
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Expanding into Australia, the US or the UK and want your brand to feel culturally plugged-in rather than simply present? I’ve helped brands build relevance, partnerships and traction across all three markets and it remains one of my favourite areas to work in
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We have a lot of similar thoughts Holly: https://gracelenihan.substack.com/p/from-hybrid-moments-to-hyper-personalisation?r=37eug9&utm_medium=ios. Loved your article!!