“THAT’S ALL.”

The Devil Wears Prada 2 opens this week and promises all the fan-favorites of the 2006 blockbuster and more—more Miranda-isms, more New York City, and definitely more fashion. Ahead of the movie opening, brand collaborations have multiplied, from Samsung mobile phones to L’Oreal Paris makeup. One would expect all these brands’ ads to play in the movie theater right before the lights dim, but the curious thing is—these brands might not even be in the movie.

OUR TAKE

Brands using movies to create cultural cache isn’t new but it is clear that brand marketing in movies has evolved from product placements to become an extended form of content and engagement. The latest slate of brand and movie marketing don’t just feature actors holding up products, but hero storytelling and feel like bite-sized extensions of the movie brought IRL. 2023’s Barbie broke the floodgates for this, with experiences such as AirBnB’s bookable Barbie’s Dreamhouse placing consumers right in the middle of the story.

Much of the more interesting marketing content tied to The Devil Wears Prada 2 goes beyond just product placement within the movie. Brands are now accessing more creative avenues to convey their message and integrate in people’s lives. Immersive storytelling and IYKYK nods to deep cuts can create stand-alone featurettes and open up other enticing parts of the world of the movie.

For behind-the-scenes footage of Runway magazine, look at the campaign from beauty brand Lancôme where actors Pauline Chalamet and Caleb Hearon reprise their movie roles to tackle a classic ‘impossible’ Miranda task. Coca-Cola brand Smartwater’s mini-game makes players search for the right shade of blue—a throwback to Miranda’s cerulean monologue in the first movie. Starbucks, which does physically appear in both movies, launched a real-life secret menu with the characters’ go-to orders and even brought back actor Adrian Grenier where he meta-comments on his hated character, Nate.

To partner with movies, brands now don’t have to be limited to the actual run-time of the movie, but can create these “pocket universes” that still feel true to the story and give audiences space within the world.

One example is not even a promotion for a movie, but accesses the legacy and shared moments of a decades-long cinematic collaboration between two veteran actors. To promote the Shogun Burger, McDonald’s Hong Kong created an entire music video with home-grown artists Louis Koo and Jessica Hsuan, channeling scenes from the multiple movies where they’ve played love interests. The campaign also included an Instagram Live session with the artists and collective trading cards riffing on their romantic scenes from movies.

At a time when demand for IRL experiences is heightened and cultural status comes from being in-the-know, brands have a real opportunity to leverage movies for their iconic scenes, characters or IYKYK moments to build their own cultural capital within the movie hype cycle. This is especially so for films with a rich history (easy for sequels, remakes and  franchises, which seem to be the norm in Hollywood today) where core fans are eager for more content and experiences to get closer to the movie-world, and it doesn’t hurt that cinema attendance is on the rise with Gen Zs, especially in APAC.

For those of you born before 1997, ‘fax, no printer‘ is Gen Z speak for ‘undeniable facts I agree with’

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FANDOM MEANS BUSINESS

On flights from Manila to Seoul last week, Philippine Airlines offered some euphoria to BTS fans by offering banners to any passenger who could prove ARMY credentials. The thoughtful gesture was a hit on social media, with some calling for other airlines to follow suit. For those that missed out, Incheon International Airport provided consolation in the form of farewell messages on departure boards in the days following BTS’s comeback concert. 

That concert – held in Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square – drew over 75,000 people from Korea and beyond, with 1 in 4 flying in from abroad to witness the event. The largest share of overseas fans came from Thailand, followed by Vietnam. BTS’s return from mandatory military service is, of course, big news for the record label but local Seoul businesses benefitted too: a traditional liquor maker tripled production for a highball brand endorsed by member Jin. Restaurants in Gwanghwamun hired temporary staff who speak Spanish, Uzbek, Burmese, and Japanese. And BTS-themed tours are doing brisk business nationwide. 

On the surface, these are examples of brands catering to BTS fans. But there’s an underlying shift here and it’s the idea that fandom doesn’t just drive culture. It also drives demand.

OUR TAKE

Long-term readers will know about the concept of the Culture Wallet, and how consumers spend around the passion points that express who they are and where they belong. For BTS fans, that means concert tickets, albums, merch, hotels, themed looks or accessories. Practical and emotional investments that allow them to be part of the moment.

But the Culture Wallet doesn’t stop there. When fan spending scales and concentrates, it results in a second wave of economic activity that ripples far beyond the artist. For example, Asian airlines are adjusting schedules and flight paths in response to K-Pop touring cycles (some carriers are adding temporary flights timed to concert dates). 

And according to data from tour sponsor Visa, foreign travel to South Korea surged more than 25% in the week of the concert, with travel spending up around 20% from an average week. (Side-note that Visa’s role goes beyond sponsorship, with the brand giving cardholders direct ticket access and running on-site merch booths across APAC tour stops). The Korea Culture & Tourism Institute estimates that one BTS concert can generate up to ₩1.2 trillion (around US$815 million) across retail,  hospitality, staffing and local commerce. These demand spikes should be anticipated in the same way as other major seasonal or event-led surges.

Another thing that makes this moment different is not just the spending, but the structure of fandom itself. In the past, fandom was often dismissed as irrational excess or a closed loop of repeat purchases. Today, it functions more like a live participation network: continuous, global and always-on. Fan-to-fan connection can be just as important as fan-to-artist devotion. The main event — in this case, the concert — is one part of the appeal. The evolving lore matters too, as does collecting proof and mementos that they were there. 

For many superfans, cultural devotion is both personal and communal. The real value doesn’t sit only in the concert itself. It comes from everything that’s around it: the travel, the community fans meet, the side-quests, the visible signals of belonging and, of course, the commerce that forms around all of that.  

For marketers, the opportunity is more than a one-off partnership or a themed product drop. Recent data from Live Nation found that 97% of fans want brands to play a bigger role in live entertainment and when brands are involved the effects are positive: a 75% uplift in brand consideration, while 80% leave liking the brand more. Fans don’t just tolerate brands’ presence at live events – they are inviting them into the space. And that means that the brands that see success here will be the ones that see past the ‘main event’ and build for everything that fans do around it. 

For those of you born before 1997, ‘fax, no printer‘ is Gen Z speak for ‘undeniable facts I agree with’

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LOW-RISE, HIGH RETURNS

Generating 20 million views in the first three days of launch, Gap’s Better in Denim campaign stars global girl group Katseye. It shows the six members dancing to the 2003 hit Milkshake from Kelis, while showcasing the brand’s low-rise denim (sorry Millennials, Gen Z is loving the low-rise).

On an earnings call, Gap Inc. CEO Richard Dickson said that early reads on the campaign indicate ‘this is [within] striking range of probably being one of the most iconic brand campaigns that we’ve done’. While the spot isn’t a major departure from previous campaigns (which feature Daft Punk and Juliette Lewis and Madonna and Missy Elliott among others), it’s creating significant cultural buzz around the brand.

OUR TAKE

In the last few weeks, American Eagle’s Sydney Sweeney Great Jeans campaign divided audiences, Swatch sparked racism accusations in China and Sanex was banned in the UK for suggesting Black skin is ‘problematic.’ For these brands, any attention is good attention. But Gap’s success shows that genuine cultural relevance can trump controversy.

And cultural relevance is something that Katseye has in abundance. The group – who represent everywhere from the Philippines to Ghana, Venezuela to Korea – embody diversity. Katseye’s Lara (who has Tamil-Sri Lankan heritage) responded to a viral post commenting on the importance and normalization of representation, saying that ‘It’s my #1 MISSION to make sure brown girls growing up and the entire south Asian community feels uplifted and powerful and confident’.

The campaign was always going to appeal to EYEKONs who’ve been invested since Pop Star Academy. But idol endorsement doesn’t automatically ensure a brand will appeal to the fandom. Fans are getting vocal and pushing back against brand partnerships, particularly when brands don’t align with broader values. When BTS’ V revealed he was Coca-Cola Korea’s latest brand ambassador, some highlighted the beverage giant’s inclusion in the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions list – a movement calling for the boycott of companies involved in the violation of Palestinian rights. As fandom loyalty evolves to include values-checking, brands must prove they deserve the co-sign.

Finally, there’s the nostalgia factor. We’ve been tracking nostalgia’s resurgence for a while, but as the world becomes more chaotic, the yearning for a simpler time grows more urgent. From the Kelis track to the low-rise jeans and styling, Better in Denim is Y2K coded. But Gap didn’t just throw on rose-tinted glasses – pairing Y2K aesthetics with Katseye, a group that represents the future of global pop, makes ‘now’ feel as good as ‘then’.

Here’s a question for you to ponder: when everyone’s chasing viral controversy, what does genuine cultural relevance look like for your brand?

For those of you born before 1997, ‘fax, no printer‘ is Gen Z speak for ‘undeniable facts I agree with’

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MOODBOARDING MANHOOD

Forget everything you knew about Pinterest. The platform long associated with weddings, recipes and cottagecore is now going full throttle on men.

For the first time, Pinterest has released a men-only trend report, spotlighting how male users (especially Gen Z) are showing up on the platform. 1 in 3 Pinterest users are now men, and no–they’re not just saving sneaker boards. Top trending searches include “Pilates outfits”, “faded beard styles for men”, “rock climbers”, and “jorts outfit”. In fact, Pinterest just launched a dedicated Pinterest Man profile to house rising trends in men’s style, wellness, and lifestyle.

On the surface, it might look like Pinterest is just playing catch-up with a demographic they previously overlooked. But look closer, and this marks a deeper cultural inversion: a rewriting of gender-coded spaces.

OUR TAKE

Spaces once seen as inherently feminine (fashion, self-care, even moodboarding) are being reimagined for male audiences. It’s the reverse of what we’re used to: think soccer vs women’s soccer. Where masculinity was once the default, feminine-coded spaces are also becoming aspirational as men look for tools and community that can help shape their identity.

Asia has been quietly leading this shift for years, expanding the meaning of masculinity beyond stoicism and strength into something more layered: emotional fluency, aesthetic exploration, and cultural self-awareness.

•  Boys’ Love dramas broadened the emotional range of masculinity in media
• Japanese brand WOLG wants to normalise “masculine makeup” and challenge stereotypes
• Skincare brands like Etude House and Innisfree offer male-specific product lines that are widely embraced by Gen Z
• American-Vietnamese designer Hung La’s label Lu’u Dan reclaims the Asian masculinity narrative, previously flattened by Western tropes

In recent years, young men have often been portrayed as “lost” through mental health stats, manosphere headlines, and a loneliness epidemic too vast to ignore. Pinterest’s move however offers a different narrative that aligns more closely with what is already unfolding in Asia. We’re not just looking at what men are into but rather what’s important to them: self-care, agency and a sense of self.

Much like their female counterparts rethinking femininity (hello brat summer, demure & mindful), we’re also seeing masculinity take on new, sometimes unexpected, cultural forms. From the popularity of aura farming to Minecraft’s box office chaos, led by Gen Alpha boys – male audiences are increasingly shaping and dominating cultural participation.

So what does this mean for brands? 

It’s time to ditch the old pink = feminine, tech = masculine rhetoric and expand your assumptions. If your brand speaks to “women,” ask yourself: what would it mean to open the door to others? And if you’re targeting men, ask: what are your assumptions about who they are and what needs to change?

Brands don’t need to solve masculinity but they can support the process. Whether it’s helping someone rewrite their own identity or giving others the tools to witness, support or even challenge that transformation with empathy – brands can either shape the space or make it safer for others to step into it.

For those of you born before 1997, ‘fax, no printer‘ is Gen Z speak for ‘undeniable facts I agree with’

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ALL THE WORLD’S A (K)STAGE

Forget ballet classes and piano lessons. Singapore is about to get a new after-school activity. SM Entertainment will launch the first overseas outpost of its K-pop training academy, SM Universe, in June. The program includes a 21-week training schedule centered around improving students’ singing, dancing and music production abilities, and will conclude with a one-week trip to the SM Universe campus in Seoul. While there, top students will be invited to auditions with local entertainment agencies. Early reports suggest there’s no fixed age limit for participants, but it’s expected that most students will be aged 13 to 18. These after-school classes aren’t cheap – US$10,000 (S$13,510) – although scholarships may be available.

OUR TAKE

SM Entertainment’s Singapore academy isn’t just about discovering new talent. The company had already taken K-pop training global by partnering with Moon&Back Media and SM & Kakao Entertainment America to create a UK-based boyband, Dear Alice. The group’s formation process was documented in the BBC One series Made in Korea: The K-pop Experience. Not to be outdone, HYBE just teamed up with Ryan Tedder to form another boy group. Following a global search, members will undergo a training program in LA. 

Some digging reveals one reason for these initiatives. In 2024, physical album sales declined in the country after nine consecutive years of growth. Global exports of physical K-pop albums also slowed (partly due to BTS and BLACKPINK not releasing new albums). That’s not to say fans aren’t buying. According to Luminate, seven of the top 10 biggest-selling CDs in the US last year were K-pop albums . In short, the expansion of SM Universe is a strategic move to maintain momentum outside of South Korea and diversify revenue streams beyond album sales.

Why choose Singapore over Thailand , the Philippines or Indonesia , which have larger and passionate K-pop fanbases? Not just SM’s SEA HQ, Singapore has established business infrastructure with policies favorable to creative industries. Its multicultural composition makes it an ideal testing ground for evolving K-pop beyond Korean boundaries. And with both Thailand and the Philippines exploring their own soft power –  in the forms of P-pop, the T-wave and more – Singapore offers SM a relatively neutral cultural canvas where K-pop can be adapted without competing directly with emerging local entertainment movements.

Wondering what lessons this expansion holds for marketers? Firstly, the academy model could allow local brands to embed themselves into the talent pipeline earlier. And we don’t just mean sports or sponsoring dance and performance gear. Singapore attractions could create associated ‘K-pop trainee experiences’; financial services providers might want to develop products for young performers. Brands that act early will have a first-mover advantage. And of course, this is a case where local brands could have the edge.

Second, if the model proves successful, it could open the door to additional training hubs across the region… although SM Entertainment and others would need to tread carefully. These endeavors could create tension between cultural authenticity and regional identity. Giving young talents the chance to embed their cultural identities into K-pop without diluting either tradition could pose a challenge. Considering that, within the K-pop scene, generational shifts traditionally occur in seven-year cycles, SM Entertainment and others are probably already considering these possibilities. 

For those of you born before 1997, ‘fax, no printer‘ is Gen Z speak for ‘undeniable facts I agree with’

Singapore’s newest dating event, Fishbowl, is loosely inspired by which reality show?

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