If there’s anything 2021 has shown us, it's how fast the world is moving. Diamonds are made under pressure as they say and if any year has put pressure on adapting and changing the way we live our lives it’s 2021.

2020 was intense for sure, but we spent most of it learning how to cope. In many ways, 2021 has been a year-long hangover, figuring out how to get to grips with the wild madness of 2020 and the result has been very interesting, to say the least. 

Wishu has put together some trend predictions in terms of what we see for creatives and creative media in the upcoming twelve months. These conclusions have been based on a year's worth of weekly and sometimes daily research within our creative field. Hopefully, this gives you a heads up on what to look out for in 2022? 

⚡️ Download your own PDF copy of the predictions for 2022 here. Access top resources and go-to guides exclusively on the PDF copy.

Age Inclusivity

Ageism is perhaps one of the last and most invisible threads when it comes to “woke” generational values infiltrating into the media. Of course, there is still much work to be done in terms of media visibility for people of colour, queer people and women but arguably one group that’s had little screen time is the elderly.  However, the cover of British Vogue’s January 2022 issue is giving us hope. Kristen McMenamy is a 56-year-old model and fashion icon serving as a much-needed tonic in a world obsessed with fillers, filters and inorganic flawless features. We’d like to see more body positive and age-positive 50, 60 and 70 somethings this coming year, please. McMenamy is a great place to start. 

Gaming X Fashion

From the latest Gucci X Xbox collaboration to y2k anime influences on TikTok fashion trends, the fashion and gaming worlds continue to hold hands into the 2020s. With Fashion Weeks and presentations being held virtually over the last year, the move to embrace digital formats is natural for many fashion houses. Both Marc Jacobs and Valentino designed outfits for the ever-popular game Animal Crossing, showing the immense crossover between fashion and gaming. Furthermore, the fashion styling game—available on the App Store and Google Play—Drest, has allowed luxury shoppers to "try on" pieces from brands like Gucci and Louis Vuitton. The app is community-focused and allows users to share and view looks styled by Drest users.
Whether it be exploring virtual currencies or collaborating with bustling video games, luxury fashion brands have been more willing than ever to merge into new creative sectors. 

The Metaverse and NFTs

Since the SNL sketch on NFTs featuring Pete Davidson aired, many more are turning their heads to the potential NFTs have to offer. As creative freelancers producing digital art, this is definitely a bandwagon to jump on as it looks as if they’ll only increase in value over the next 12 months. Nike jumped on board the NFT train in December 2019, patenting a system of blockchain-based sneakers dubbed CryptoKicks. However, this year on March 11, a digital artwork named ‘‘Everydays: The First 5000 Days” by Beeple was sold for a whopping $69.3 million at Christie's (the first purely digital work of art ever offered by a major auction house). It is a collage of 5,000 digital images created by Mike Winkelmann. Arguably this massive sum was what caught mass media attention to NFTs. When considering purchasing an NFT, the key lies in owning a unique piece of digital art with the highest chance of selling it online. But don’t just buy any NFT; look at the price history, its popularity, and focus on the trend. Art that is on-trend or artists who are on-trend are the ones to watch out for. We suggest researching deep into it as the more you know the more fluent you become and therefore the more likely it is for you to find success within the NFT world of digital art and rights. 

AI in Film

Film is often linked to emotive forms of creativity or even creative ways of expressing emotion. Artificial intelligence on the other hand connotes the opposite: equations, facts, science. So how can one marry into the other’s world? Warner Brothers has recently signed a deal with Cinelytic, whose smart technology can predict box office success before production even begins, and offers suggestions on the most profitable actors to use to boost popularity. It is, however, unclear as to whether repeating the same successful formula over and over again can even be considered creative. The beauty of AI’s potential role in film is that it’s simply another voice at the table. Filmmaking is a multi-faceted form of creativity. It’s not something that originates and forms from one person only — it’s very much a collaborative process. Treating an AI as a collaborator effectively brings a different opinion and a fresh outlook. It’s like introducing an additional writer to the writer’s room or welcoming an assistant editor to the montage.

Hybrid Marketing Events

Due to the pandemic, businesses - small and large - have realised the power of virtual events to connect with global audiences. In 2022, it's likely more businesses will adopt hybrid events. They’re cheaper and often save on emissions from flights and other forms of commutes. In-person events will have a strong digital component where attendees would have the option to attend in person or virtually. For this reason, businesses will invest more in online events. Through the power of video presentations, social media, virtual and augmented reality, marketers will showcase their capabilities to potential customers in a completely different and engaging manner. Businesses can make use of slide templates for preparing presentations.

TikTok Growth

Seriously, this really may be your last chance to jump on the youthful algorithm of TikTok which boosts videos of those without many followers. Many creatives, in promoting their niche, have been able to attract 10,000 followers in under a month on the young and creative platform. It's also only going to grow in popularity so it's worth investing in now. The term 'TikTok' saw a 61% increase in mentions year-over-year during the beginning of 2021 and was the first non-Facebook app to reach 3 million global downloads. With fast growth, it's easy to assume it's a passing fad - but that doesn't seem to be the case here. However TikTok offers unique opportunities to engage directly with consumers, and major brands such as the NBA and Dunkin' are leveraging the app to reach new audiences. Elena Melnikova, CMO at Talkwalker, has said “lockdown supercharged TikTok. Having grown so quickly, brands can't afford to ignore the platform's potential. With an audience dominated by Millennials and Gen Z - tech-savvy generations, demanding innovation, creativity, personalization, and transparency - TikTok will help connect brands to a younger, more creative demographic."

⚡️ Download your own PDF copy of the predictions for 2022 here. Access top resources and go-to guides exclusively on the PDF copy.