The Zeitgeist: December 5, 2025

Today's Edition: Spotify Wrapped, Rage Bait and Dog Clones

December 05, 2025

Good morning. Hope your Spotify Wrapped didn’t roast you too hard. Our listening ages ranged from a spry 17 to a very wise 81.

This past week, holiday shoppers turned out in force. The NRF counted 202.9M Americans hitting retailers between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday - the biggest crowd since tracking began and a jump from last year’s 197M.

And in the “we need a collective exhale” department: Pantone picked Cloud Dancer, an airy white, as 2026’s Color of the Year. Their color gurus spent a year decoding cultural moods before landing on a shade meant to quiet the noise. Motorola, Play-Doh, Spotify and others dropped collab products and experiences to bring the calm.

Campaigns

Earned-friendly campaigns & clever moments

Why Is Everything ‘Wrapped’? You Can Blame Spotify.

Spotify Wrapped is now a cultural ritual, and “Wrapped” has become generic for user-data recaps from Duolingo to Resy.

By Madison Malone Kircher | The New York Times

You might hate these companies’ ads. That’s the point.

Corporate marketers are now tapping the influencer playbook: spark outrage, get attention.

By Tatum Hunter, Nitasha Tiku | The Washington Post

Also, Chomps x Cameo’s “Bury the Beef” campaign with Chad Michael Murray and James Lafferty, Lowe’s decoy gift boxes, MUG Root Beer’s Daddy’s Home cologne, Columbia Sportswear’s challenge to “flat-earthers,” Sephora Canada’s holiday wish list billboards, Pizza Hut x Tipsy Elves’ holiday onesies, BEIS x Chipotle’s travel capsule collection, Panda Express x Compartés’ chocolate bar collab and Disney+ and CLEAR’s “No Kevin Left Behind” holiday travel campaign.

Culture 

Snackable bites of consumer culture

Get Your Kid a Watch

Smartwatches are becoming the training wheels of digital life, giving preteens connection without the full chaos of a smartphone.

By Ian Bogost | The Atlantic

Get Ready, America: Here Come China’s Food and Drink Chains

China’s fast-food and beverage chains see the US as a chance to escape fierce competition at home.

By Daisuke Wakabayashi, Joy Dong | The New York Times

Tinder’s predictions for dating in 2026

Clear communication, aligned politics and AI-assisted double dates are in for 2026.

By Anna Iovine | Mashable

Corporate

The New, In-Demand Job Skill: Being a TikTok Influencer for Your Company

Companies like Starbucks and Delta now tap employees as creators to showcase upbeat workplaces and attract younger talent.

By Allison Pohle | The Wall Street Journal

Working From Home Is Harming Young Employees. They’re Starting to See That.

Remote work is linked to less training, fewer promotions, and higher unemployment - especially for young workers.

By Noam Scheiber | The New York Times

Microsoft CEO says empathy is a workplace superpower in the age of AI: ‘IQ without EQ, it’s just a waste’

Satya Nadella told the MD Meets Podcast that emotional intelligence matters more as AI handles technical work.

By Alice Tecotzky | Business Insider

Commerce

Shopper society snapshot

Ozempic is changing how we spend money and time, plus what we eat

Industry insiders expect weight-loss drugs to reshape the consumer economy, from apparel and restaurants to grocery, gyms and travel.

By Jaclyn Peiser, Flora Bai | The Washington Post

Gen Z Shoppers Aren’t Spending Like Retailers Need Them To

Twenty-somethings are tightening their holiday budgets more than other generations.

By Jennifer Williams | The Wall Street Journal

Faux Jewels and Slimming Belts: Why Shopping on TikTok Is a Lot Like QVC

The app’s US marketplace is booming, fueled by TikTok’s reach and infomercial-style influencer ads.

By Emmett Lindner | The New York Times

Connections

Feed intelligence & AI tips

As AI’s novelty wears off, workers want it to be better

A new survey shows Gen Z and millennial workers now expect AI tailored to their writing style and context.

By Emily Peck | Axios

YouTube Creators Find a New Consumer for AI Slop: Babies

AI-generated kids’ videos are surging on YouTube, raising concerns about overstimulating, low-quality content.

By Alexandra Levine | Bloomberg

‘Rage bait’ named Oxford University Press word of year as outrage fuels social media

It highlights how outrage-driven content dominates online engagement and reflects today’s internet culture.

Staff | The Associated Press

Media Moves & Intel:

  • Catherine Perloff, reporter at The Information, is shifting to a new beat covering Amazon. She was previously covering the media and advertising industries.

  • Ann-Marie Alcántara, formerly reporter at The Wall Street Journal, has left the newspaper to pursue freelance opportunities.

  • Kate Clark, formerly senior reporter at Bloomberg News, is now technology reporter at The Wall Street Journal covering venture capital and startups.

  • Hadas Gold, correspondent at CNN, is shifting to a new beat covering AI.

  • Irina Ivanova, formerly deputy U.S. news editor at Fortune, is now freelance covering work, inequality, taxes and climate change.

  • Catherine Boudreau, formerly senior sustainability reporter at Business Insider, is now senior reporter at Latitude Media, which covers the energy transition.

  • Michelle Baricevic, formerly editor at Food Network, is now partnerships writer at Travel + Leisure.

  • Moriba Cummings, formerly lifestyle & consumer reviews writer at the Daily Mail US, is now director of commerce content at FOX.

  • Lauren Steussy, formerly senior editor at Business Insider, is now homepage editor at The New York Times.

  • Camryn La Sala, formerly senior commerce editor at the New York Post, has left the newspaper to pursue freelance opportunities.

  • Ruby Ford-Dunker (McAuliffe), formerly associate fashion editor at InStyle, has left the magazine to pursue freelance opportunities, with a focus on fashion, beauty and lifestyle.

  • Tamieka Welsh, formerly editorial assistant at Apartment Therapy, left the outlet to pursue freelance opportunities.

  • Shaye Weaver, formerly editor at Time Out New York, started a Substack, No Sleep Club NYC, featuring off-the-beaten path things to do in NYC.

  • The New Yorker is now on Substack, where they’ll publish one New Yorker story each week for free.

  • Consumer Reports has brought back Bread & Butter, a newsletter that offered personal finance advice during the Depression and WWII, on Substack.

Also... meet the latest viral popcorn bucket, Elphaba’s hat, at AMC theaters. (It may change you - for good.)

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—The Editors

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