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#BizTrends2025 | VML's Parusha Partab: Empathy in a surreal world and other trends
For our latest Future 100 Trends Report, VML's global intelligence team surveyed thousands of people across 14 countries and 71% of them said the world feels surreal.
Frankly, as South Africans, we didn’t need a survey to tell us that. From global politics to the cost of groceries, we're living in a country where the emotional whiplash is real. In this environment, brands can benefit from something that has not traditionally been the go-to gadget in the marketing toolkit: empathy.
At VML, we believe that real empathy leads to commercial sharpness. When you understand where your consumer is – emotionally and practically – your messaging becomes more relevant, more resonant, and ultimately, more effective.
That’s what ourLatest Future 100 presentation aimed to uncover: the texture of now, and what it signals about what comes next.
The texture of now and what it signals about what comes next
- Evolving Selves
- Grounded Intuition
- Humble Branding
- Liminal Realities
- Creativity Economy
One of the clearest shifts we’re seeing is how people are redefining identity. In a theme we’ve called Evolving Selves, traditional ideas around gender, family and age are expanding.
From modern motherhood as the emerging Otherhood and Aspirational Aging trends to Global Masculinity Evolving rising as consumers are pushing back against outdated expectations.
In South Africa, this is particularly visible in the silent crisis of masculinity.
Men are still expected to be stoic providers in a turbulent economy, but the cost is high - 78% of local suicides are men, and we’re 30% more likely than the global average to say we need better male role models.
For brands, the opportunity isn’t to fix it, but to reflect the truth of it with care, maturity, and emotional insight.
At the same time, we’re seeing a powerful return to simplicity and presence.
The Grounded Intuition theme captures a global and local desire to unplug, slow down, and reconnect with the tangible.
Think paper diaries, handcrafts, community gardens, quiet places. People are seeking what’s real, not what’s flashy.
The Analog Movement trend speaks to a renewed love for tactile, low-tech experiences, while Destination Solitude signals a rising demand for stillness through solo travel, digital detox, or simply spending time offline.
This trend is mirrored in how people respond to brands.
We call it Humble Branding – a tone that feels modest, authentic, and human. In fact, 90% of South African consumers say they prefer brands that are humble.
This is where humour, creativity and cultural intelligence make all the difference. Brands that adopt a tone of empathy, one that says “we get it” without trying too hard, are the ones winning attention.
Take a page from the https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/surreal-cereal "lazy" ads”]] UK cereal brand Surreal ran as part of a January 2024 campaign or Visit Oslo’s tongue-in-cheek tourism spot.
In a loud world, these messages work because they feel like a wink, not a shout.
We’re also seeing the rise of Liminal Realities, cultural expressions that stretch the boundary between what’s real and imagined.
From digital fashion to immersive retail, the line is blurring.
In the trend reality shift, people embrace tools like AR and AI not just for utility but as a way to explore identity and aesthetics.
In Awesperiential Retail, physical spaces are becoming high-touch experiences that offer emotional escape. And in food, Reality-Defying Dining trend shows how imagination is reshaping hospitality with theatre, tactility, and storytelling.
Even in an economic downturn, the appetite for wonder persists.
Finally, the Creativity Economy is evolving.
Where creators once led, now the spotlight is on how creativity is enabled – through systems, tech, and storytelling.
In Algorithmic Beauty, AI is influencing how we design and present visual culture.
The challenge now is to balance polished aesthetics with human imperfection. Brand Showmanship, meanwhile, calls for a shift away from dry, static messaging toward bold, layered, and emotionally intelligent expression.
It’s no longer enough to be seen; brands must also know when to speak, when to listen, and how to perform meaningfully in the cultural space.
Across all of this, one principle rises again and again: empathy is your sharpest tool.
Not just soft empathy, but commercial empathy. The kind that helps brands be more precise, more relevant, and less wasteful.
When you know what really matters to your consumer, you stop wasting time. You stop wasting money. You stop wasting attention. And you start resonating in a lasting way.
Download the full Future 100 Trends Report.
