In this week’s edition of Trends & Artefacts, we round up the snackable trends, stats and insights from around the world, including:
National Trust Gains Young Members
History Trails Drive 2027 Travel
Italian Sodas Go from Regional to National
Explainer: KiiiKiii Core
Carrefour Recruits Students Inside Fortnite
National Trust Gains Young Members
Over 50,000 people aged 18-25 joined the National Trust last year, up 26% on 2024. The charity has leaned into memes and viral TikTok trends, including older guides using Gen Z slang on tours. If heritage can earn attention by playfully borrowing online culture, what else could cultural institutions learn from it?
History Trails Drive 2027 Travel
Skyscanner’s 2027 report says cinematic releases are driving real bookings, with The Odyssey prompting a third of people to plan an inspired trip. Among Gen Z, 30% have travelled in the footsteps of ancient stories. Travellers appear to want context and grounding in a fast-paced world. When a film sends people to ancient places, who is the storyteller: the studio or the destination?
Italian Sodas Go from Regional to National
Pacific Northwest coffee stands have sold Red Bull Italian Soda for over 20 years. One Snohomish stand sells about two energy drinks for every coffee. Social media has since carried the colourful drinks nationwide, and McDonald’s has launched its own Dragonberry Energizer. When a regional habit goes national, what gets lost in the scaling?
Explainer: KiiiKiii Core
The #kiiikiii tag has 365.6 million views on Xiaohongshu and fans now copy the K-pop group’s DIY, pastel look without needing the group’s name attached. Because imperfection is the point, it is cheap to reproduce and easy to personalise. When a style travels further than the artists behind it, who owns the aesthetic?
Carrefour Recruits Students Inside Fortnite
Carrefour has built a Fortnite map with four mini-games, letting players step into roles like producer, delivery driver and department manager. Launched for back-to-school season across France, Spain, Brazil and Belgium, it aims to attract new talent. If gaming worlds can show what a job feels like, could they replace the careers fair?
