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In the midst of existential peril, turning to larger concepts outside of our material reality is a major comfort. Looking to the stars for inspiration and hope is a human reflex as old as time. But today, it can feel as though cultural conversions around “the universe” center on colonial, capitalism-fueled ideals—Elon Musk’s race to Mars, for instance—or individualistic impulses like manifesting or TikTok’s obsession with horoscopes.
However, this is just one side of a far broader conversation with the potential to reconceptualize our approach to life, realigning our worldview away from the lens of human need. Unlike the Ancient Roman astronomer Ptolemy, we know that the universe does not revolve around us—and there’s a palpable cultural shift that offers some hope that people and brands alike can make positive steps toward a more considered way of life. This interest in a more intentional and nature-centric approach is reflected in everything from the U.K.’s steep waiting lists for city allotments and the rewilding of our homes and urban environments to the trend of Buddhist symbolism in tattoos and the unwavering appetite for immersive art and design experiences like the Mandala Room at New York’s Rubin Museum.
Where do brands come in? They’re engaging with more “spiritual” ideas in ways that range from the playful to the cerebral.
At the lighter end of things, Febreze launched a range of star sign-themed car scents, the CARstrology Collection. Other brands are using this interest in more big-picture, time-and-space themes as an aesthetic decision, such as eyewear brand Gentle Monster’s “Circle of Life” campaign. In tech, a number of apps centering on memory preservation have emerged—such as A Lasting Tale, which helps draw together loved ones’ stories near the end of their life—and neatly encapsulates products that explore (often very literally) the circularity of existence.
While a Libra-scented Chevy is all well and good, brands need to be thinking about these cultural shifts toward more universe-based, less individualistic outlooks and take them seriously. Here’s what it could mean for company processes, marketing and branding.
Embrace interconnectedness
Brands today must wholly subscribe to the idea of humanity as bigger than the individual and use that sensibility to help reframe thinking around climate crisis, inequality and other big-picture ideas.
