Blurred lines, exposure and nostalgia: Backslash’s 2025 Edges report

TBWA’s Backslash, a global cultural intelligence unit that serves Omnicom Advertising Group, recently released its annual Edges report that details various global shifts in culture.

The report delves into 39 different “edges” aims to help brands turn these shifts into business opportunities. It encourages companies to focus less on “recreating the meme of the moment” and more on creating original things, concepts and movements.

Eco-realism

New to 2025, the Eco-Realism Edge references businesses that have scaled back on their environmental pledges and encourage them to admit their mistakes sooner rather than later.

“To earn back trust, businesses will need to replace unrealistic environmental targets with immediate action plans that detail the what, why, when and — most importantly — the how,” the report said.

The longer businesses wait to admit their wrongdoings, especially regarding pledges made towards the environment, the more backlash they will face. The 2025 Edges report references articles revealing that plastic producers promoted plastic recycling to the public despite knowing that it was never going to be a feasible waste management solution. 

According to a separate report released by Data for Progress and the Center for Climate Integrity, a majority of U.S. voters (regardless of party affiliation) support legal efforts to hold said producers accountable.

In other news, Edges highlighted brands that have started what is referred to as “hybrid compromises.” One example is the supermarket chain Lidl, which recently launched ground meat, 60% beef and 40% pea protein, “boasting a 37.5% lower carbon footprint at a 33% lower price point than regular ground beef.”

A similar approach is currently gaining traction in China but in the automotive industry. Extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs) can be charged with a gas-powered generator, yet still offer environment-friendly advantages.

Maturity paradox

Over the past couple of years, the lines between the three vague stages of life—childhood, adulthood, and retirement—have only continued to blur. Many have observed the concerning rise of “Sephora kids” or members of Gen Alpha using adult skin products at the risk of damaging their skin.

However, this blurring doesn’t just affect physical products but also services. Executive function coaching, usually for neurodivergent children, has begun to attract neurotypical clientele. 

The 2025 Edge report argues that today’s kids have become “overstimulated and overscheduled” and are therefore unable to naturally acquire skills such as time management, organization, focus, and impulse control.

The report also states that “age and maturity are no longer directly correlated,” which can provide ample — and harmless — business opportunities. An example it references is the polar opposite of “Sephora kids.” Adults, or “kidults,” are turning to toys and other nostalgic comforts. 

According to Spanish toymaker Cefa Toys, adults make up 26% of the company’s total sales. In the U.S., adults spent over $7 billion in toy purchases from June of 2023 to June of 2024.

Transparency receipts 

In Backslash’s 2025 Edge Map (located on the fifth page of the report), both the Eco-Realism and Transparency Receipts sections share an edge in their hexagonal shapes. They also share a common topic and argument: Brands that neglect to be upfront and transparent will face scrutiny. 

In certain areas, lack of transparency will no longer be optional. By 2030, in the European Union, every textile product for sale will require a Digital Product Passport. They will likely be in the form of a scannable QR code or something similar and will provide information regarding “the product’s origins, material composition, supply chain, sustainability, recyclability and much more.” As consumers continue to thoroughly research products before deciding to purchase them, DPPs will make said aspects instantly accessible, which will be easier for shoppers and “harder for companies to get away with greenwashing.”

Such exposure of companies’ wrongdoings has already gone underway. Last year, Netflix released a documentary called Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy exposes businesses who put the blame for the environmental toll on the public. From designing products to break down quickly to engineering their “advertisements and marketplaces to make the shopping impulse irresistible,” this documentary doesn’t hesitate to call out what consumers may consider the obvious.

On the plus side, brands such as Dieux are beginning to be completely transparent in their cost breakdowns, which could help pricier companies justify their higher costs.

Zero out

Deep down, we’re all simple girls living in an overstimulating, pro-consumerist world. However, the 2025 Edges report argues that “nothingness is our new ideology,” which is already changing.

The report mentions the town of Vernier in Geneva, which became the first town in Switzerland to ban commercial advertising in its outdoor public spaces. Although various states, cities, and countries have already taken similar measures, Geneva is contributing to the cause of shifting consumerism to the community.

Throughout TikTok, individuals also embrace a more functional aesthetic: Underconsumption core.

Along with de-influencing, underconsumption core is yet another movement that aims to thwart the countless advertisements users face online. According to the report, both movements “promote buying less and reclaiming a simpler life, hyping up anti-consumption as a way to minimise waste while saving money.”

The report also suggests that this “nothingness” ideology allows brands to “pivot away from relentless product promotion and acknowledge the impact of thoughtless consumption.” Instead of pushing consumers to add more items to their shopping carts, the report encourages brands to create guides for their products, whether for repairs or for clever uses.

Other companies have already taken advantage of the revived “Back-to-basics” technology, such as “dumbphones,” as consumers attempt to reclaim their attention from tech giants. For example, Nokia rereleased its iconic 3210 model with updated features, and brewing company Heineken released its Boring Phone.