The last couple of years have been some of the most uncertain and surreal periods of the past century. It’s no surprise that this year’s trends are focused on a sense of escapism and a need to make the world a better, more united place.
Dashing – a leading retail experience group – recently released its 12 Trends of Christmas Book, featuring this year’s 12 hottest trends, to get retailers ready for the festive season, and beyond. They invited retailers to explore the possibilities of each trend at an exciting industry event through 3D window displays, innovative materials, creative concepts and mood boards.
Dashing works closely with leading brands to bring the latest trends to life in-store, through insights-driven creative campaigns and industry-leading design expertise.
Here are three of the 12 trends to consider before you start planning your Christmas campaigns – and get a taste of what’s in store for the year ahead.
- Sustainable Christmas
Purpose is the new black when it comes to how consumers make purchase decisions. Recent research found that Gen Z clearly believes brands have the power to make the world better – and it puts purpose first when making purchasing decisions.
Sustainability forms a huge part of what it means to be purpose-led. And it’s clearly on consumers’ minds too. Last year, Pinterest found a 50-per-cent increase in searches for sustainable Christmas decorations and a 35-per-cent increase for sustainable gift ideas.
In the era of the conscious customer, make sure you weave sustainable thinking and strategies into your campaigns and window displays. Think sustainable materials, minimising waste, and bringing sustainability in-store, through workshops.
- Quirky surrealism
Surrealism first emerged as an antidote to the bleakness of war in the 1920s, with its dreamlike imagery and escapist undertones. Given the current state of our (real) world, it’s no wonder the movement is making a come-back a century later.
At the same time, Gen Z (who will dominate luxury fashion by 2025) has shown a real affinity for quirky humour – most likely a product of so much uncertainty around their future.
Brands that can combine the whimsical, dreamlike essence of surrealism with Gen Z’s quirky, ironic sense of humour will come out on top. Think anthropomorphic design elements to bring objects to life and using unexpected materials to add a touch of fun and surprise to Christmas displays.
- Into the metaverse
Today, real and virtual worlds have started to merge. In the Metaverse – virtual spaces that mimic the real world using augmented and virtual reality – users can connect, interact and experience things as they would in physical spaces.
Brands can recreate real-world experiences in the Metaverse – from clothing and accessories to art and spaces. Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are a good example. Rate it or hate it, the one-of-a-kind digital assets are having a moment. Their appeal? Scarcity. They can’t be recreated or replaced – offering brands a new way to build loyalty.
Consider how you can bring the virtual world and aesthetic into reality. Think digital and neon window displays, and offering customers a chance to win NFTs over the festive season.
Want to receive the full trend forecast book and learn more about the 12 Trends of Christmas 2022?
Click here to register and access the exclusive content from Dashing’s showcase events.
