The Zeitgeist: December 19, 2025

Today's Edition: Blind Boxes, Slop and Millennial Optimism

December 19, 2025

Good morning. It’s that magical time of year when every outlet drops its Best Of list - best campaigns, best bites, best everything - wrapping up what defined 2025 in neat, scrollable form. It was the year AI went from buzzword to background noise, and in response, we started craving more tactile, human moments. As we head into 2026, the real opportunity is designing experiences where technology and humanity work together, on purpose - not picking sides.

And speaking of year-end culture moments, this Ad Age read on Dr. Seuss turning the Grinch into a social media star is worth your time.

Of note, The Zeitgeist is taking a short winter break. We’ll arrive back in your inbox on Friday, January 2. Happy holidays, and happy New Year!

Campaigns

Earned-friendly campaigns & clever moments

Our favorite (and least favorite) brand collaborations of 2025

Chili’s cowboy boots, Burger King’s SpongeBob menu and Bath & Body Works’ Milk Bar collab are among the best of 2025.

By Katie Hicks | Marketing Brew

Hi-Chew’s lifestyle marketing strategy helps it savor US growth

How a Japanese candy brand is driving Gen Z buzz through fashion and gaming partnerships.

By Aaron Baar | Marketing Dive

Wear my brand: Why branded merch is the next post-ironic trend

Fast-casual chains are branching into merch, fashion and even fragrance - and fans are taking it seriously.

By Steve Milton | Fast Company

Also, Disney+’s record-breaking gingerbread house for Home Alone’s 35th birthday, BuzzBallz’s handbags, Athletic Brewing x Open Table’s take on Dry January and KFC’s potato wedge vote.

Culture 

Snackable bites of consumer culture

Blind boxes are set to take over Christmas

Kicked off by the Labubu craze, businesses from retailers to restaurants are now offering blind boxes to surprise fans.

By Singdhi Sokpo | The Hustle

Why Christmas Music Is More Popular Than Ever

Listeners are embracing Christmas music earlier than ever and playing more of it.

By Elias Leight | The Wall Street Journal

For Americans, the love for chain restaurants runs deep

Affordability, familiarity and reassurance are driving continued loyalty to chain restaurants.

By Jaclyn Diaz, Alana Wise | NPR

Was 2025 the year we embraced ‘whimsy’?

Whimsy taps a shared desire for small breaks from adult routine that bring surprise and emotional immediacy.

By Laura Pitcher | Dazed

Corporate

AI is making the workplace lonelier

Professionals are increasingly turning to chatbots, instead of humans, for mentorship, advice, chitchat and brainstorming.

By Emily Peck | Axios

LinkedIn CEO says it’s ‘outdated’ to have a five-year career plan: It’s a ‘little bit foolish’ considering the pace AI is changing the workplace

He argues that in an AI-driven job market, rigid five-year plans are outdated and adaptability comes from short-term skills and learning.

By Sydney Lake | Fortune

Why ‘shift sulking’ may be 2026’s next big work trend

Shift sulking captures how unsustainable work conditions leave hourly workers drained before their shifts- a growing trend in the 24/7 economy.

By Jennifer Mattson | Fast Company

Commerce

Shopper society snapshot

Higher costs push holiday shoppers toward socks, coffee and diapers

Inflation and economic jitters have Americans rethinking their wish lists, with practical essentials replacing splurges this season.

By Abha Bhattarai | The Washington Post

This year marked the birth of agentic commerce

E-commerce in 2025 was defined by retailers building the infrastructure for AI-powered shopping experiences with flashy product launches.

By Vidhi Choudhary | Retail Brew

Consumers are feeling gloomy about the economy. Here’s why they’re spending anyway

Even as U.S. shoppers drove strong Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday sales, a clear shift toward value retailers signals growing price sensitivity.

By Melissa Repko, Gabrielle Fonrogue | CNBC

Connections

Feed intelligence & AI tips

Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Year for 2025 Is ‘Slop’

It captures the growing frustration with the flood of low-quality, AI-generated content saturating the internet and culture.

By Ella Feldman | Smithsonian Magazine

How “Millennial Cringe” Became “Millennial Optimism”

The podcast explores how Gen Z is nostalgically recasting early-2010s millennial optimism as an aspirational, algorithm-shaped aesthetic.

By Kate Lindsey, Casey Lewis | ICYMI Podcast

Google finds AI chatbots are only 69% accurate… at best

Even top models like Gemini 3 Pro still get facts wrong one-third of the time, raising concerns for businesses betting on AI reliability.

By Manisha Priyadarshini | Digital Trends

Why are so many women joining Reddit?

Once the internet’s dark alley, Reddit is now a trusted, anonymous space for women seeking advice.

By Ashleigh Spiliopoulou | Dazed

Media Moves & Intel:

  • Jason Hiner, formerly editorial director at CNET, is now editor in chief and chief content officer at The Deep View, a Substack newsletter about AI.

  • Brian O’Keefe, formerly executive editor at Esquire, is now managing editor at The New York Times’ DealBook. He will work closely with the DealBook team and Business desk to help grow and shape the franchise across newsletters, events and audio/video/social efforts.

  • Kim Bhasin, formerly senior reporter at Bloomberg News and Bloomberg Businessweek, is now retail correspondent at The New York Times.

  • Shelly Banjo, formerly managing editor, global business at Bloomberg, is now deputy editor in chief at Semafor. She starts January 5.

  • Kalley Huang, formerly reporter at The Information, is now tech reporter at The New York Times covering Apple. She’s based in San Francisco.

  • Julia Black, formerly reporter at The Information, is now tech and business correspondent at Vanity Fair.

  • Caitlin Dewey, formerly freelance, is now senior writer and editor at Vox in charge of their daily newsletter, Today Explained. She will split her time between Vox and her Substack, Links I Would Gchat You If We Were Friends, a newsletter about digital culture.

  • Taryn Pire, formerly food editor at PureWow, has left the outlet to pursue freelance opportunities. She’s also a contributor to Time Out Philadelphia.

  • Sydney Meister, formerly associate editor at PureWow, has left the publication to pursue freelance opportunities and will continue to cover relationships, culture, home, travel, fashion and beauty.

  • The Wall Street Journal launched “Free Expression,” a newsletter-focused opinion brand that will be available via its own channels and Substack.

  • Ticker Take, a business news platform launched by former Bloomberg anchor Jon Erlichman, is partnering with the NYSE to showcase stories from the trading floor.

  • People Inc. will be closed from Wednesday, December 24 through Friday, January 2.

Also... check out Bloomberg’s 2025 Jealousy List, highlighting “exceptional journalism from rival outlets that have flown under the radar.”

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