Comms Snapshot: April 15

Meet Wisp, The 19-Year-Old Artist Making Viral Shoegaze

Inspired by the likes of Whirr and Deftones, San Francisco-based Wisp was met with immediate success upon the release of her debut single “Your Face” in 2023, which now has 48 million streams on Spotify.?

It's hard to believe that she makes this music today since her music sounds so similar to early 2000s alternative rock.

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Influencers Are Trying to Go Viral by Playing a Game About Going Viral

Content Warning is a co-op horror game where players attempt to film monsters for views on a fictional YouTube-like platform, satirizing the lengths influencers will go to for viral content. Since its release, the game has become an unexpected hit, with over 6 million downloads in the first 24 hours as influencers and gamers alike have gravitated towards its meta commentary on internet culture and the drive to gain popularity online.?

By letting players experience the desperation for viral fame from the other side, Content Warning holds up a mirror to the extreme behaviors some influencers engage in to chase internet clout.

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Gen Z Use Digicams to Disconnect From The Cloud

Gen Z is fueling a revival of old digital cameras (digicams) from the early 2000s, driven by nostalgia for their cherished childhood experiences with these simple, imperfect technologies before advanced smartphone cameras. In contrast to today's hyper-realistic and overly-edited digital imagery, Gen Z appreciates the raw authenticity and creative limitations of digicams as a respite from the stresses of constant digital connectivity and social media pressures.?

This digicam renaissance aligns with Gen Z's broader desires to occasionally disconnect from rapidly evolving technologies and instead connect with simpler, more analog experiences that spark nostalgia and allow for more genuine self-expression. 58% of Gen Zers wish to reduce their time spent online, and 54% find technology use 'distracting'.?

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PLATFORM UPDATE

TikTok's Taking Notes from Instagram: TikTok Plans to Launch a New App for Photo Posts

What’s New? TikTok is developing a new app called TikTok Notes that will allow users to share photos, potentially competing with Instagram's photo-sharing capabilities. Essentially, it's an Uno reverse card on Meta (replicating its features for a change); though, it's unclear whether TikTok users are interested in a separate still image app.

So what? While photos may seem like an incremental addition, it's actually a strategic play to strengthen TikTok's creator ecosystem, boost engagement/stickiness, and cement its position as a social media juggernaut—better positioning it to weather the potential U.S. ban it currently faces.

Read full article here.

TOP TRENDS

Tiktok: Queen Of Tears?

X: Tea Tea Tea

Reddit: Bridgerton Season 3

Youtube: Maxxxine

Pinterest: In Her Icon Era

CREATIVE CAMPAIGN & BRAND ACTIVATIONS

Dramamine Becomes A Culture Icon In Playful Barf Bag Documentary

As brands look for ways to stay playful to appeal to younger audiences, documentary-themed campaigns have been an increasingly common tactic. Like Marmite's provocative "Contraband" documentary, Dramamine—which isn’t usually seen as fun or playful—is responding by becoming looser and more humorous.

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INFLUENCER COLLABORATIONS & SOCIAL CAMPAIGNS

Creators Get Their Own Exclusive Festival at Cannes Lions 2024?

The decision by Cannes Lions to spin off creator content from its main program comes as Goldman Sachs says the creator economy is a $250 billion industry that could reach $480 billion by 2027. Despite not fully understanding the creator economy, brands are recognizing the impact and influence that creators have on their target audience. According to eMarkter, a significant 75% of brands actively collaborate with them, solidifying their presence as an official marketing strategy.

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Drawing the Line: Actors Rally Behind 'Juliet' Star Amid Racist Backlash

The open letter signed by over 800 Black women and non-binary actors condemning the racist abuse toward Francesca Amewudah-Rivers' casting as Juliet represents a powerful act of solidarity against the deplorable discrimination Black actresses have historically faced when cast in major roles.?

In defiance of the "too familiar horror" of racist vitriol often met with inaction, this unified frontline from heavyweight actors and the production studio uplifts Amewudah-Rivers' achievement, demands the entertainment industry properly support talents of color, and champions the idea that merit—not prejudiced dogmas—should determine casting opportunities.

Read full article here.