Hello, Jell-O!

Jell-O’s delicious rebrand is perfectly timed with the retro treat’s revival. The new visuals seem to have taken lessons from “adorkable” Gen Z brands, capturing a joyous, jiggly spirit. Another boost to the midcentury dessert staple, social media foodies are experimenting with gelatinous creations. Berlin-based dessert chef Lila Steinkampf carves out a squishy niche through artful concoctions like jelly oysters and birthday cakes. Vietnamese bakery Ban Be is the place to be in NYC this summer with jelly cakes that feel light as a feather in this exceedingly hot weather. Not just for dessert, new restaurant Helenr’s “jell-olives” put the amuse in amuse bouche. Ayla’s “before bed jelly” creates a fun ritual around supplement regimens. Wiggling over to beauty, jelly nails are everywhere, as consumers seek tactile reassurance that’s satisfying to touch. Jell-O's uptick hits a sweet spot between the renewed interest in suburban pleasures, and a growing desire to reinvigorate consumption with fun and play. Grab your bunt cake molds and get busy!

It’s coming up dolls as playtime returns to tradition.

On the perfectly arched heels of the Barbie movie, Bratz announced a new collection of Kylie Jenner dolls, reimagining six of her iconic looks and capitalizing on the rising cool-factor of collectible toys. Apple's recent Beanie Babies movie similarly celebrates keepsake toys. Another blast from the past, online gaming platform Neopets excited Y2K gamers everywhere with news of a re-launched website. The site will improve the original game, but stay true to simpler times—the company abandoned metaverse and NFT plans upon hearing customer feedback. As many toy and gaming companies race to modernize offerings, consumers are wary of overcorrection, yearning for some good-ole-fashioned fun.

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What happened to hobbies?

Strapped for cash in a culture of side hustles and small businesses, consumer hobbies that were once purely for pleasure now demand productivity. 49% of people under 35 in the US claim to have a side hustle alongside their full-time job. Meanwhile, consumers increasingly turn to gambling as an entertaining way to make extra money. PrizePicks, which quickly rose to the 3rd most-downloaded app in the betting category, allows players to put money down on predictions of how individual athletes will perform in a game, mimicking stock investments. Female billionaire Jenny Just founded Power Poker, a virtual class that offers poker lessons to women hoping to instill confidence around their money-making decisions and investments. As pursuits become increasingly tied to profits, The Co. calls for a comeback of wholesome activities and spaces dedicated to blowing off steam.

Young gens hint at a religion revival.

40 million Americans stopped going to church in the last 25 years. Why? A new book, The Great Dechurching, explains how contemporary life is incompatible with mutuality, care, and common life, instead optimizing professional and financial success for individuals. As rates of loneliness, mental illness, and alcohol and drug abuse rise, religious communities will appeal again, as people seek out the human connection, stability, and generosity they foster. This renewed interest has a commercial component, of course. While fashion has long drawn on religious iconography, a new wave of brands reflect a modern faith sprawl. Susan Alexandra and Hannah Polskin’s artful Judaica taps a younger audience who wants to put personal style in traditional ceremony. Now available at Nordstrom, Rose In Good Faith acquired a following with cheeky religious streetwear graphics like “Born Again Virgin,” mirroring the aesthetic of “cool” Christian figures in pop-culture like Justin and Hailey Bieber. Join in on the modern romanticization of traditional values and beliefs by bringing a level of aesthetic sophistication to faith-based offerings.

Web3 pulse check!

While generative AI may be the talk of the town, don’t let the hype cycle fool you. Web3 is moving right along, with plenty of new projects realizing its vision. Following the footsteps of Limewire, Beatport modernizes fandom with a digital collectible marketplace where artists can sell tokenized media for benefits like unreleased tracks or discounted concert tickets. LALA is a similar platform, but for movies and shows, allowing fans to own a piece of their favorite stories and earn profits every time they stream. Mastercard’s Artist Accelerator program helps musicians and creators make their own digital collectibles (which is just the new PR term for NFTs, fyi), POAPs (NFTs rewarded for physical attendance to events, like concerts), token-gated content (content only accessible by NFT holders), and VIP access passes (NFTs granting special privileges like going backstage or meet-and-greets). Digital collectibles will be the foundation to the future loyalty program, but just one part of Web3.

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