Authenticity wins in 2025, dare to ditch your perfection and be real

Why this is the year to show off your dented, busted, and used products

Do you want your social content to stand out in 2025? Think about showing your product in its real, authentic state and how it looks when your consumer actually uses it.?

→ What's more believable and real, a review where a brand new product is shown or the same review with an obviously used and or worn product?

This means you replace the new and perfect-state products with products that are dented, busted, gouged, or panned half-empty from use.?

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Be more real and relatable; be less perfect

This new trend builds upon the booming de-influencing, under-consumption, and quiet luxury trends on social. Usually, what you see on TikTok emerges in other socials within a few weeks and in society within a few months to a year. The same is true here; I already wrote about them in 2023, and they are still growing and becoming more popular.?

For the clarity of the post, let’s undress the terminology.

• Deinfluencing challenges hypes promoted by influences, pushing back on these promoted trends and products, and emphasizing honest reviews. ?
• Underconsumption is about choosing less and resisting overconsumption. It promotes mindful spending, valuing quality over quantity, and focusing on living with intention instead of accumulating more. ?
• Quiet luxury is about not showing off with big brands, logos, and names. It’s about slowing and toning down and focusing on quality over quantity; less is more.

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Check out this TikTok that inspired me : ‘In a world where there is a new product launch every single month, the novelty and shine of new makeup has worn off and we are starting to romanticize using our stuff.’

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Why authenticity matters

People are getting tired of all the ads. Tired of the perfect state of things while they look at their own lives falling apart while we can't keep up with every shiny new trend.?

We are massively getting fed up with crafted, polished social content that’s not relatable to our worlds. Not even to mention how tired we are of the fakeness of the products influencers push upon us. Creators are becoming more popular than influencers for a reason.?

As a result, roughly 40% consider spending less time and engaging less on social, as explained in '2025 Content trends ’.

Next to this, we want to counterbalance AI; we don't know what's real and what's not. Therefore, the less perfect something is, the more probably it's real and authentic. We value authenticity and realness more and more.?

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What you can do for 2025

There are three things you can do immediately. If you start now, you have a bigger chance to be noticed and stand out in next year's content – this process takes time.?

1. Keep your eye on TikTok for trends; what’s hip and happening there will eventually spread to other socials and society.? Know what's coming your way is half the work and you can decide if you want to join, or not.? ?
2. Get buy-in for showing imperfection and to show your product in its authentic and used condition. Dented. Busted. Panned. Nobody believes a review where the product is brand new. If the product is obviously used, it 10x'es the credibility.? It takes time to convince the more traditional marketers and get them on board.? ?
3. Dare to embrace being real. Dare to be less perfect and more real. Perfection is boring. Authenticity is key to stand out.

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And you’re not alone. Big brands leading the way, two examples:

• Coca-Cola dared to crumble its can to promote recycling.
• IKEA dared to show the real state of the furniture in daily life.?

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Both won a Lion in Cannes 2024. Apparently, they're onto something.?

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Wrapping it up

If you want to stand out, you have to dare to be real. We're getting tired of the polished, picture-perfect products that are not relatable to our own daily lives. You're losing credibility if you're just too perfect.?

What to do

• Show your products in the used, dented, busted, gouged, panned state to win credibility ?
• Show that you know what's going on in society: we're tired of being perfect, we want a counter-balance for AI, we are fed up with influencers, and as a result, we're flirting with underconsumption, deinfluencing, and quiet luxury

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And please, don't forget to have some fun along the way!?

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Need help?

If you need any help with all of the above—and I’m not biased at all—I’m thoroughly experienced, have ruffled many feathers, and have learned from my mistakes,?drop me an email. If I’m not the right person to help you, maybe I can recommend someone or an agency from my network.

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