The Trend + Brand Product Formula Is Not Enough

There’s an appetite for quality creative again

In the era of “slop” content—once considered to be a motley assortment of disturbing AI-generated images that’s expanded beyond AI and toward more “regular” content—making quality work is crucial.

Conventional wisdom held that success on social required lo-fi, meme-forward creative. And that works for a select few, but we’re seeing a shift back toward craft: higher-quality, narrative-driven storytelling and visuals. This doesn’t mean just dropping commercials into the feed, but remembering that TikTok and Instagram are TV for younger consumers. There’s an appetite for deeper engagement and well-made creative that doesn’t come at the expense of simplicity or “social-first,” either.

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Many brands have found the way to “hack culture” with reactive creative that resonates with Gen Z. But just because it has worked doesn’t mean it is working. Audiences want to see better, more creative work with a singular vision, and doing so requires a more focused understanding of where and when your brand shows up. Being memorable doesn’t mean being everywhere. It’s time to prioritize depth of engagement over a birdshot approach to fill a calendar.