The Zeitgeist: December 12, 2025

Today's Edition: Leaning Out, Alan's Universe and Giant Santas

December 12, 2025

Good morning. TIME named its 2025 Person of the Year - and instead of one human, it crowned “the architects of AI.” This year, AI reshaped how we work, create, learn and worry, sparking equal parts awe and anxiety as executives, artists, teenagers, policymakers and others race toward a future no one yet fully understands.

On that note: Did you catch OpenAI CEO Sam Altman making a late-night appearance on The Tonight Show? WIRED calls it a “charm offensive” - Silicon Valley’s latest play to make AI feel friendly and familiar just as age-verification laws roll out, scrutiny ramps up and public skepticism hits new highs. In other words: if AI’s future is uncertain, the PR strategy is crystal clear.

Campaigns

Earned-friendly campaigns & clever moments

Inside TikTok’s fan-edit frenzy - and how brands like Doritos and Lionsgate are using it to reach Gen Z

Fan edits - stylized, music-backed clips from shows, films or sports - have become a key way brands reach young audiences in TikTok’s visual language.

By Gillian Follett | Ad Age

How Netflix Gave Brands a Pivotal Role in Stranger Things' Final Season 

In a time where product placements are widely mocked, Netflix revived ’80s brands through selective partnerships and immersive fan events.

By Bill Bradley | Adweek

Also, Duolingo’s shuttered Hooters takeover, White Claw’s Roast Host merch collection, Denny’s syrup-infused sneaker for National Maple Syrup Day (12/17), Brilliant Earth x Ring Pop’s capsule ring collection and Bud Light’s Blizzard Brew.

Culture 

Snackable bites of consumer culture

Home Depot’s Giant Santas Are Missing and It’s Ruining Christmas

Holiday decorators are scouring online marketplaces for oversized Santas to crown their lawns.

By Jennifer Williams | The Wall Street Journal

The 2026 Flavor of the Year Is Totally Unexpected - and Incredibly Good for You

Black currants are an underrated, versatile superfruit poised for a breakout year.

By Lisa Milbrand | Real Simple

From FunHaus to Glitchy Glam: the 2026 Trends Brands Should Watch, Per Pinterest

Nostalgia is blending past and present, driving circus-inspired decor, glitchy glam beauty and adrenaline-fueled escapist travel.

By Brittany Kiefer | Adweek

Young Daters Confront a Relationship Killer: The ‘Swag Gap’

Gen-Z feels that mismatched self-presentation can reveal deeper incompatibilities in values, confidence and self-worth.

By Natasha Dangoor | The Wall Street Journal

Corporate

Women Are Now Leaning Out in the Workplace, Sheryl Sandberg Says

A new study shows that women are less interested than men in getting promoted to the next level, reversing a decade-long trend.

By Jeff Green, Emily Chang | Bloomberg

For Business Leaders, it’s the Personal Connections That Keep Them Going

At the DealBook Summit, executives said meaning comes from personal connections - like Beth Ford’s work with farmers to elevate rural America.

By Leslie Wayne | The New York Times

AT&T CEO says he made a mistake in how he went About fixing company culture

John Stankey acknowledged missteps on company culture and clarified his viral internal memo.

By Kelsey Vlamis | Business Insider

Commerce

Shopper society snapshot

How AI is Disrupting Shopping

New studies show AI is a go-to shopping tool - used by most young adults and ranking just behind general research in the US.

By Staff | The Economist

The Cities Leading Live-Shopping’s Boom

Whatnot’s 2026 Trends Report identified Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Miami and Phoenix as America’s live-shopping “trendsetters.”

By Maxwell Millington | Axios

Take a Look Inside Target’s New Fashion-focused store in New York’s SoHo neighborhood

The remodeled store opens as the company tries to get back to growth and attract sales during the critical holiday season.

By Melissa Repko | CNBC

Connections

Feed intelligence & AI tips

‘Alan’s Universe’ Shows What It Might Look Like to Win at YouTube

As Gen Alpha turns away from TV and movies, creators like Alan Chikin Chow are stepping in to capture their attention.

By Matt Stevens | The New York Times

Anthropic’s resident philosopher shares her tips to create the best AI prompts

Users should treat AI chatbots as “a brilliant, but very new employee (with amnesia) who needs explicit instructions.”

By Lakshmi Varanasi | Business Insider

Spotify launches music videos in the US and Canada for Premium subscribers

The feature is available following a beta launch in overseas markets last year.

By Sarah Perez | TechCrunch

Most U.S. Teens Use YouTube and TikTok Daily, Some ‘Almost Constantly,’ Survey Says

A new survey finds teens remain glued to their phones - scrolling social media, watching videos and using AI chatbots - despite mental health concerns.

By Catherine Pearson | The New York Times

Media Moves & Intel:

  • Sheinelle Jones, anchor at The TODAY Show, has been named permanent co-host for the fourth hour alongside Jenna Bush Hager.

  • Kylie Robison, formerly senior correspondent at Wired, is joining Ashlee Vance’s Core Memory, which covers science and technology, on Substack.

  • Kateri Jochum, formerly supervising producer at On with Kara Swisher, is now executive producer at NBC News on its daily podcast, Here’s the Scoop.

  • The Wall Street Journal has added several journalists to its video team: Tess Owen (formerly WIRED), Patrick Mannion (formerly Bloomberg), Tomas Navia (formerly ABC), Jaclyn Skurie (formerly ABC) and Roberto Ferdman (formerly Vice Media).

  • Gabriela Barkho, senior reporter at Modern Retail, shared that the Modern Retail Podcast format is being overhauled and guests will be booked by invite-only and based on how they structure an episode.

Also... here’s how to spot if an animal video is AI-generated, per Popular Science.

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