There’s no shortage of weird and wonderful trends online right now – and this week’s crop proves just how far we’ll go for a mix of relatability, absurdity, and the illusion of authenticity.

Here’s what’s filling feeds (and making the algorithm) this week – and how your brand can actually use them.

1. Ghostface AI Trend: Horror Meets Y2K Nostalgia

People are using AI tools like Google Gemini and Nano Banana to insert Ghostface from Scream into dreamy, vintage-inspired photos.

The result? Creepy meets cool. Think retro bedrooms, soft filters, and a masked killer lurking in the corner.

It’s unhinged, it’s brilliant – and it’s exactly what happens when Gen Z gets hold of AI. Because nothing says “aesthetic” like a horror icon in a 2003-era pink bedroom.

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How to Utilise It

Brands: use it to join spooky-season content with humour or nostalgia.
Agencies: show off creative AI prompting by remixing your own brand mascot or founder into classic movie scenes.
Creators: lean into it for Halloween campaigns or playful photo edits that humanise your brand voice.

2. “Unfortunately, I Do Love” Trend: Confession Time

Confession content is back.

This TikTok trend is as simple as it sounds: start your video with “Unfortunately, I do love…” and list the random, embarrassing, or painfully relatable things that make you human.

It’s part therapy, part personality quiz, and all entertainment. Whether it’s pineapple on pizza, watching reality TV reruns, or stalking your own LinkedIn posts – we’ve all got something we “unfortunately” love.

How to Utilise It

Personal brands: show your human side – admit something real, funny, or slightly cringe.
Small businesses: create a light-hearted carousel or short video using “Unfortunately, we do love…” about your own quirks (e.g., “Unfortunately, we do love a pun in our captions”. (Ed’s note: It’s a gift and a curse.)
Teams: have staff each confess one thing in a stitched video for relatable, low-cost content.

3. Polaroid AI Trend: Manufactured Nostalgia

This one’s the perfect collision of technology and sentimentality.

People are prompting AI to create Polaroid-style photos – white borders, film grain, warm lighting – of moments that never happened.

“Hugging my younger self” has become a whole subgenre. It’s poignant, ironic, and more than a little meta.

We’re literally manufacturing the aesthetic of authenticity nowadays. And yes, the irony is alive and kicking.

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How to Utilise It

Founders: generate an AI Polaroid of you “meeting” your younger self with a reflection caption (“What I wish I’d told her…”).
Lifestyle brands: use AI Polaroids to recreate your brand’s origin story or milestones.
Campaigns: design “vintage dream” visuals for nostalgic launches or end-of-year reflections.

4. Ocean Eyes Trend: Moody Vibes Only

Billie Eilish’s Ocean Eyes is back – not on the charts, but across Reels and TikTok.

Creators are pairing slow-motion footage, cinematic lighting, and wistful gazes with that haunting soundtrack.

It’s the digital equivalent of staring out a rain-covered window, except with about 24x more production value (and a ring light).

If your brand lives in the lifestyle, wellness, or aesthetic space, this trend is an easy win for emotional engagement.

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How to Utilise It

Service businesses: create a 10-second “before and after” or “then vs now” using this audio.
Product brands: showcase a transformation or reveal moment (it’s perfect for visual storytelling).
Coaches and creatives: use it as a visual metaphor – “When you realise your old self didn’t need to be perfect.”

5. Watch My Egg Trend: Peak Absurdist Humour

And finally – the most delightfully nonsensical one.

People are texting friends or partners: “Can you watch my egg?” with zero explanation.

There’s no egg. There’s no real request. There’s just confusion. And somehow… it’s hilarious.

This is peak absurdist humour – and it’s oddly reflective of 2025’s collective mood: we’re tired, online, and willing to laugh at anything that makes no sense whatsoever.

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How to Utilise It

Brands with personality: lean into absurd humour with your own version (“Can you watch my brand?”).
Email campaigns: try a curiosity-led subject line inspired by this (e.g., “Can you watch my launch?”).
Social teams: use the meme format to test your audience’s sense of humour – low stakes, high shareability.

What These Trends Tell Us

Underneath the chaos, there’s a pattern.

We’re all craving authenticity, even when it’s manufactured by AI. We’re not taking ourselves too seriously. And we’re perfectly happy mixing nostalgia, horror, and random egg-based pranks in the same cultural moment.

It is 2025, after all.

Pro Tip 

Don’t overthink it.

Pick a trend and commit to the bit – but only if it fits your brand and meets a real business goal. The best content isn’t about copying what’s viral. It’s about adapting what’s relevant and staying consistent to your brand’s tone of voice and business objectives.

Here’s what’s actually happening in family hospitality whilst everyone else is still debating whether to refresh the karaoke machine. Smart hospitality pros are quietly binning bingo nights for coding classes, swapping talent shows for cookery workshops, and basically throwing out the entire “Morning campers!” playbook that’s been gathering dust since 1987.

Whilst everyone’s panicking about cost-of-living pressures, family-friendly searches have hit all-time highs in the UK. Not slightly up, not trending nicely – proper all-time highs.

Remember when family holidays meant a week at Butlin’s with the Redcoats doing their best “Morning campers!” routine? Well, families in 2025 are searching for something completely different, and they’re willing to pay for it.

The opportunity: Professionals who spot what’s actually happening in the next 24 days will position themselves ahead whilst competitors are still running the same tired entertainment programme from 1987.

The Great Family Search Surge 📈

Based on comprehensive search behaviour analysis covering millions of actual searches, here’s what families are actually doing online:

“Family-friendly hotel” is the top related search in the past month. Not “cheap family hotel” or “budget family accommodation” – they’re specifically hunting for family-friendly experiences.

Spoiler: The data shows families aren’t just booking rooms anymore – they’re researching experiences. This isn’t your nan’s package holiday to Blackpool where the highlight was the end-of-pier show.

“Summer classes for kids” doubled in search volume over the past month. “Holiday camp for kids” more than doubled (+110%). These aren’t desperate parents looking for somewhere to dump the kids whilst they nurse a pint – these are families investing in their children’s development during holidays.

What Families Are Actually Searching For 🔍

Here’s the raw data on what families want right now:

Top Holiday Classes Families Are Hunting For

(Based on actual search volumes, past month)

1. Cookery – The surprise winner
2. Coding – Future-focused parents
3. Drawing – Creative development
4. Arts and Crafts – Hands-on learning
5. Tennis – Active experiences

Where Families Want to Go: “Family Hotel” Destinations

(Top searched destinations, past month)

1. Italy – Premium market leader
2. Scotland – Domestic favourite
3. Tunisia – Emerging market
4. Austria – Mountain experiences
5. Switzerland – Luxury positioning

All-Inclusive Family Resort Searches

(Top destinations, past month)

1. Italy – Dominates both lists
2. Algarve – Value positioning
3. Majorca – Reliable favourite
4. Greece – Island appeal
5. Turkey – Budget-conscious choice

The Employment Opportunity 💼

Here’s where it gets interesting – “summer holiday jobs for teachers” is a breakout search in the past month. “Summer jobs for 16 year olds” is up +50%.

What this suggests: There’s a pool of qualified educators looking for summer work, and families seeking quality experiences for their children. It’s like the perfect storm, but instead of chaos, you get opportunity.

Think about it – qualified teachers with time on their hands, families hunting for educational experiences. This isn’t some chaotic talent show where everyone’s pretending to have fun. This is serious potential.

Strategic opportunity: Consider how qualified teachers seeking summer employment could enhance your family programming. Not guaranteed revenue, but worth exploring – especially if you want to move beyond the “Knobbly Knees Competition” model of family entertainment.

The Scotland Opportunity 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Scotland appears as the #2 destination for family hotel searches, sitting between Italy and Tunisia. Yet most family hospitality marketing focuses on Mediterranean destinations.

This is proper “have we got news for you” territory – Scotland’s sitting there like a well-kept secret whilst everyone’s flogging the same Costas and Canary Islands packages.

What the data suggests: Scottish family tourism is underserved relative to demand. It’s like everyone’s queuing for the Rich Tea while the Tunnock’s teacakes sit unnoticed next door.

Strategic consideration: Scotland’s appearance in top family destinations indicates potential for premium family experiences in domestic markets. Think less “organised fun” and more “proper Scottish adventure with actual learning thrown in.”

The Experience Economy Evidence 🎨

“Things to do summer holidays near me” surged +250% in the past month. Families aren’t just booking accommodation – they’re actively planning experiences.

The shift appears to be: From “where should we stay” to “what should we do together.” It’s like the difference between booking a week at Pontins for the accommodation block and actually wanting to create memories that don’t involve trying to find entertainment in a draughty sports hall.

Strategic insight: Businesses positioning themselves as experience providers rather than accommodation providers may capture higher-value bookings. Think less “here’s your chalet key, the bar’s over there” and more “here’s how your family will grow together this week.”

What This Could Mean for Your Business 💡

Based on the search patterns, here are strategic opportunities worth considering:

Experience-Led Marketing

• Families are specifically searching for experiences (cookery, coding, arts)
• Consider partnerships with local providers
• Test experience-inclusive packages

Teacher Employment Programs

• Qualified teachers seeking summer work
• Could enhance children’s programming
• Potential for educational tourism positioning

Scottish Market Positioning

• High search interest, potentially underserved
• Opportunity for premium domestic experiences
• Less international competition

Italy Premium Positioning

• Dominates both family hotel and all-inclusive searches
• Indicates families will pay premium for right Italian experience
• Strong positioning opportunity for Italian properties

Your 24-Day Action Plan📋

Week 1-2: Data Verification

• Review your current family bookings – are they seeking experiences?
• Survey recent family guests about unmet needs
• Research local experience providers for partnerships
• Check competitor programming against search trends

Week 3-4: Strategic Testing

• Test experience-focused messaging vs accommodation-focused
• Pilot educational programming if feasible
• Evaluate Scotland market opportunity
• Consider Italy premium positioning strategy

Success indicators: Not just occupancy, but engagement with experience offerings and premium pricing acceptance.

The Bottom Line (Where the Value Actually Lives) 💰

The data shows families are actively seeking experiences, not just accommodation. They’re investing in their children’s development during holidays, and they’re willing to pay for quality.

Strategic positioning: Stop competing on room rates and start competing on experience quality. The search patterns suggest meaningful opportunities for businesses that understand families want to grow together, not just relax together.

Based on historical search patterns: Businesses that position themselves as experience providers rather than accommodation providers may capture higher-value, more loyal customers.

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Want to get family hospitality intelligence based on actual search behaviour whilst your competitors are still googling “how to holiday business good” at 3am on a Tuesday?