Romcom is dead.

There, I said it. Name one romcom you can vividly remember the storyline of, the characters, or plot of in the last 5 years that isn’t either a) a revisitation of a 90/2000s romcom blockbuster or b) one of the classics that has finally made its way to Netflix for you to enjoy for nth time. Where are all the When Harry Met Sally’s, The Holiday’s, the How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days’ of the 20s (of the 2000s that is)?? I have a few theories.

1.??????? The original “romcom formula” falls short in today’s world

It’s hard to be romantic nowadays: every surprise or gift is at the tip of our fingertips, and everything seems to have already been done or invented. Someone on TikTok went on your same date but it was obviously bigger and better than yours ever was, and someone on Instagram seems to be in a real-life Cinderella Story movie meaning any relationship you have will never live up to that standard.

The romcom as we know it is gone. Take for example the classic high school romcom: it’s almost impossible to recreate in a world where being the most followed account on TikTok means so much more than becoming Prom King and Queen, or secret locker notes are made redundant when you could have anonymously slid into their DMs instead. As Sophie Hainey summarised in the New Yorker, it is similar to the way “the landline gave literature a sense of surprise, suspense, and uncertainty: how do you create tension when information is never withheld, when nobody has to wait for a call?” The smartphone may connect us in unimaginable ways, but it has also driven us further apart than ever before. It has made life painfully predictable.

2.??????? We don’t crave romcoms anymore

Whether you blame it on the pandemic or increased levels of stress across the globe (from 67% in 2022 to 76% in 2023 in the UK), we feel starved of excitement more than ever before. This is evident when we look at the rise in popularity of dopamine-inducing activities like live gigs and festivals, and the surge in consumption of mood-altering substances like alcohol and drugs: it is estimated that 87% of festival attendees have tried illegal drugs in their lifetime, more than twice the prevalence rate of young adults in the general population.

The mundane, vanilla nature of romcoms doesn’t seem to do it for us anymore; an increasing number of people are instead seeking the thrill and adventure of dramas, horrors, and thrillers versus the mediocrity of comedy or romance. Vince Vaughn shared why he doesn’t get to make R-rated movies anymore while eating spicy wings on Hot Ones: “…they follow these set of rules that somehow get set in stone, that don’t really translate…people want to laugh and look at stuff that feels a little bit like it’s, you know, dangerous or pushing the envelope”.

3.??????? Oldies but goldies

Let’s be honest, it doesn’t get much better than Bridget Jones’ Diary in the romcom world and we are more in love with it than ever before: the cost-of-living crisis has made people seek basic comforts via tried and tested methods from their past to manage their anxieties and stressors. This is manifesting in most facets of life including entertainment, food, and hobbies. Friends and The Office saw a rise in streaming in the last few years even though they are over 20 years old; Kraft Heinz frozen dinners sales increased as they provide comfort food and indulgence; and finally Pikachu Jet brought nostalgic adventure to the world of travel.

What does this mean for us in the world of marketing?

1.??????? Sticking to what you know works most of the time, but not all of the time.

Knowing and understanding the basics is important when it comes to planning and buying media, but the beauty of our industry is that it’s ever-changing, so we need to keep a finger on the pulse. If we consume even the most traditional of film genres in a different way to how we did even just 10 years ago, you best believe this is impacting our consumption of other mediums too, including advertising.

Example: Birkenstock revamped its models in the last few years and now has a cult following and growing fanbase. It understood how to stay true to itself, but also adapt effectively.

2.??????? Bold wins.

In a world of infinite choice and myriad possibilities, being a brand that stands out is no mean feat, but if you surprise and delight your consumers you will break away from competition and make an impact (and in today’s world that has never been more important).

Example: The Specsavers van. Stunty? Sure. Attention-grabbing? Definitely. Very on-brand, brilliantly executed, and it took over major news’ outlets too. Marketers and people loved it: win-win.

3.??????? In with the old, out with the new.

Nostalgia can be a powerful force: just look at Gen Zers bringing back the low-waisted jeans of the 90/2000s, Samsung revitalising the flip phone, or the Kodak film cameras making a reappearance. Done right, nostalgia can help a brand cement itself in culture as well as be seen as relevant and current.

Example: Barbie. Need I say more?

In the words of Joanna Rossiter: “If the romcom is going to make a comeback… it must carve out some sort of moral core from the bearpit that is modern dating and work out what it is exactly that today’s audiences aspire to.” ?That’s a fair point, but from a marketing perspective not all is lost. Cannes 2024 clearly found merit in humour by introducing the “Use of Humour” category: with almost 800 entries comedy is truly back in business, and 75% of this year’s Cannes winners used humour in their work (+23% pp vs 2023). ?

The marketing world is pushing back on the dire gloom of the pandemic years and the burgeoning geo-political tensions across the globe by trying to find the (fun) light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe the rest of us should follow suit.