👋 Hello curious minds,

This week we’re diving into the art of the unexpected:

Hope this sparks a thought (or two) for you! And as always… let me know what you think 💌 [email protected].

Angelique

We live in a world drowning in options, where every headline is screaming louder, shinier, faster. But here’s the truth: it’s the unexpected mashups and blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moves that cut through. Burger cocktails. Pickle toothpaste. Dubai Chocolate. And now…Hershey’s Reese’s riding the Taylor Swift tidal wave.

When Taylor crashed the New Heights podcast a few weeks ago, announcing her new album and her ‘Orange Era’, the internet combusted with 407 million views on just the podcast.

Reese’s, the podcast sponsor, didn’t just stand on the sidelines holding a peanut butter cup, they leapt straight into the fray. Within 24 hours, they dropped a “Taylor’s Version” activation that felt less like advertising and more like live theatre. Orange-era packaging, TikTok edits, a YouTube takeover. It was a cultural performance wrapped in chocolate.

But this wasn’t a random stunt. It was Reese’s being Reese’s. They knew their brand DNA, had an Oreo collab already bubbling, and simply remixed it through a Swift-coded lens. Speed with strategy. Pleasure with precision.

But not every brand can pull this off with such finesse. Internet culture moves at warp speed. ‘Ibiza Final Boss’ is funny one week, already cringe the next. Chasing relevance without the right story to warrant your involvement is just a recipe for disaster.

This image says it all: a brand barges into the meme party too late, clutching a pineapple while everyone else has moved on. Awkward.

And that’s why Reese’s stood out. They didn’t chase. They connected. They reimagined a product story (Oreo × Reese’s), coded it to a cultural flashpoint (Swift’s “orange era”), and let fans carry it forward.

They’re not alone. Across categories, brands are finding their own playful ways to spark joy and cultural heat. Whether through unexpected mashups, rival alliances, or full-blown stunts, here are a few that caught our eye:

The takeaway? In culture, hesitation kills. The boldest plays come from embracing the unexpected and acting without apology.

But here’s the real truth: it worked for Reese’s because they didn’t change who they were to join the party. They’ve always been in their orange era. Their brand identity was already so tight that when the Swiftquake hit, they didn’t need to invent a new personality. They just turned up the volume on what they already stood for.

That’s the order that matters:

Because culture moves fast, trends fizzle, and memes die. But when your brand foundation is rock solid, every cultural spark is just another excuse to shine.

They come straight from Future Possible®, the world's only innovation tool that combines consumer foresights, actionable opportunities, and thousands of inspiring signals. It’s a sweet bundle of everything we’re seeing that gets updated weekly, so you can stay inspired and map your next moves for only £95/year.

Join Future Possible® this month and receive The Pleasure Zine—an exclusive collection of 42 sparks designed to inspire, provoke, and delight. From couture condiments to mindful rituals, it’s a curated dose of cultural foresight you won’t find anywhere else. A little gift from us, to make your September sweeter.

This week’s sparks are all about interaction as pleasure—spaces and objects that don’t just sit there, but respond, play back, and breathe with us. They remind us that the future isn’t just to be observed, it’s something we can co-create in real time.

None of these campaigns reinvented the wheel. They simply took what we all deal with (dating, parenting, chores, drinking) and injected a pleasure hack of empathy, humour, or delight.

Crush Culture, Reignited

Tinder’s “Crush Feelings” campaign celebrates the messy, magical highs of having a crush—the tongue-tied texts, the rush when their name lights up your phone. For Gen Z, who often shrink from vulnerability, Tinder reminds us: feelings are the fun part.

Safer SIMs, Safer Choices

EE’s Safer SIMs put parents back in control with plans tailored for under-18s. The “First Day” film captures the cocktail of pride and panic around handing over that first smartphone, reframing safety as empowerment.

Posh Beer, Normal Laughs

Forest Road Brew flips snobbery on its head with “Just A Normal Beer,” a split-screen comedy short starring Jack Whitehall mid-lobster lunch. By mixing self-deprecating humour with pub-culture cameos, the brand skewers elitism and turns a product name into a punchline.

Wash Life Balance

Electrolux sells more than appliances with “Wash Life Balance,” a slow-living fantasy where canoes are carved and coffee is ground while the 45-minute wash cycle hums away. The real promise? Buying back time and making chores feel like a treat.

Every summer has a meme, and 2025’s crown goes to Jack Kay. AKA the Ibiza Final Boss. A Newcastle tourist with a medieval bowl cut, poker-straight goatee, gold chain, and veneers so bright they could DJ their own set. One TikTok clip and suddenly he’s not just a guy on holiday—he’s legend.

The Final Boss trope (lifted from gaming) crowned him the ultimate character of Ibiza: unbothered, unstoppable, and entirely meme-worthy. Fans mocked up action figures, copied his haircut, and posed for selfies with him like he was part of the tourist package. Even Lego “Final Boss” sets popped up.

Why did it land? Because internet culture craves archetypes. Jack wasn’t trying to be anything, but his look and vibe were so extreme he became a ready-made story. The memes spun themselves.