New Faith: Brands & New Age Spirituality

More people are turning away from the news, citing its relentlessly depressing nature amid wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, hate crimes at home, lethal climates, and looming epidemics all too familiar.

Based on a cohort of roughly 95,000 adults across 47 countries, Oxford University's Reuters Institute tells us news avoidance is at record high levels – but disengagement from current affairs reporting hardly silences the world. There's a pervasive subtext to our lives now; that it's worsening, supported by clickbaity headlines claiming to restore readers' faith in humanity – the stories of which usually amount to, at most, basic human decency. Or a panda on a slide.

Our collective crisis of faith isn't exactly original. It's been a string of trying seasons in a series of unsparing years. A sentiment captured in the irreverence of creative art direction and design duo, Jose Bessega and Ivo Pallucchini, who, under their collaborative handle 'AMATEUR(DOT)ROCKS', have turned faith itself into an eponymous luxury product. Bottled in clear glass with a black pipette, faith becomes a tincture with no clear ingredients other than something "100% ethereal" – "a non-scientific formula for these challenging times".

The catch? It's eternally out of stock.

“Faith is a sarcastic depiction of our fucked-up world, where we pursue answers through either deep spirituality or instant consumerism.”

They're not wrong. As organised religious affiliation has diluted, spirituality has deepened among younger generations, through increasingly alternative veins. In 2022, 'nones' (named for the fact they select 'none of the above' on questions of religious identity) became the fastest growing group in this category, with over half of the UK population identifying as non-religious.

Across the Atlantic, around 4 in 10 Americans have become more spiritual, while fewer are leaning into religion. In 2023, a survey by PRRI found 56% of Americans no longer believed in the teachings of their faith; 30% said they had stopped affiliating due to religious prejudice against LGBTQ+ people; and 17% claimed their church or congregation had become too politicised.

Unsurprisingly, these trends tend to follow generational lines, giving way to New Age Spirituality among younger age groups. Star signs may be mocked on one side of the internet, but on the other, they've become sacred – the readings of rising moons against the Zodiac are now ritual for many; a way to make sense of the world.

The chasms of mysticism and astrology have been cracked open, more viral than ever. Data from Stylus shows that in January 2024, TikTok had over 87 billion views for #tarot, 84 billion for #zodiacsigns and 52 billion for #manifestation, while #astrology garnered 14 million Instagram posts. An early adopter of this shift is British perfume brand Ffern, which celebrated the pagan festival of Samhain with a film of all-female morris group, Boss Morris, dancing at dusk and into the night on a beacon in the Cotswolds. Very #witchtok.

The appeal doesn't stop at socials. Manifesting is now part of the popular lexicon, becoming a daily ritual for many, as are concepts like 'energy healing' – much of which takes centre stage in the zen diagram of new age beliefs and rising health and wellness fervour among, well, everyone. It's this overlap that led Bessega and Pallucchini to the idea of bottling faith as a physical balm – a nod to the skincare industry, where “a seemingly ordinary tiny bottle is elevated to a high-end, must-have item,” perpetuating the consumerist mindset of continual purchasing. Almost like a religion.

Those who haven't dabbled in the occult have instead conferred cult-like followings to brands. Which seems a leap, but they're two sides of the same coin. Both religion and brand are founded on the following trinity: (1) a set of core values and/or beliefs, (2) represented by distinct symbols, myths and rituals, (3) to cultivate a community (or congregation) of like-minds. So men of the cloth and the madmen of Madison Avenue have been making moves out of the same playbook.

Cult brands with cult-like followers garner such descriptors because they unite defined communities of people. Call them congregations, factions, fandoms, whatever.

Peoplehood, the latest project from cult fitness group SoulCycle, carves out a communal space where the lost daily ritual of meaningful conversation can be revived. The organisation calls itself a "first-of-its-kind practice, designed to improve our relationships, starting with ourselves." Its buzzy premise was born from the stat that 61% of adults identify as lonely, while 4 in 10 report having no close personal relationships. Peoplehood's meet-ups, termed 'Gathers', happen on a weekly basis, virtually or in-person at their NYC flagship.

Similarly, as a "space to explore life's biggest questions with like-hearted people," The Nearness arranges ritualised, small-group gatherings for people to communicate their emotions and come to a fresh, individual understanding of spirituality.

Physically closer to home, The Well Home is a design firm that prioritises architectural emotional wellness. Under the direction of "health artist" Dr. Gautam Gulati, who creates "care experiences", The Well Home creates "mindful havens" that include smart health bathrooms, well kitchens, sleep sanctuaries, and home spas.

Speaking of home, at the height of pandemic lockdowns in LA, a start-up aimed to challenge dating’s fast-paced ‘swipe’ culture with its astrology-based matchmaking app, Struck. Other digital offerings like Calm, Headspace, Open and millions more are tapping into this secular spiritualism, personal transcendence rhetoric with verve to this day.

Amid permacrises, audiences in every wealth bracket are seeking interactions that promise awe, sensation, escapism or actualisation. As gazes turn away from religious institutions, brands have an opportunity to catch their eye with a spirit unique to them. And if all the woo-woo is overwhelming, know that the fundamentals of these behavioural shifts are based on desires for community and belonging, feelings that brands have every power to infuse into both online and offline spaces with just a touch of innovative thinking.