This week’s trends are big on humour, relatability and quick visual storytelling. From viral cups to calendar memes, creators are keeping things simple and shareable. Here’s what’s worth paying attention to right now.

1. Starbucks Bear Cup – The Overnight Obsession

People lined up the night before to get the new Starbucks bear cup – and filmed the journey like it’s a pilgrimage. On Instagram, brands are remixing the aesthetic by generating their own bear cup designs stamped with logos, colours or products.

It’s adorable, it’s feverish, and it’s everywhere.

How to Use It

  • Small brands: Create your own “brand bear cup” using AI and join the meme.

  • Product businesses: Show your product transformed into the latest must-have collectible.

  • Service providers: Create a playful “what our bear cup would look like” design to humanise the brand.

2. Trap Trend – The Irresistible Bait Format

Creators are drawing a classic cartoon-style trap – a box propped up with a stick – then placing underneath something no one can resist: snacks, skincare, hoodies, iced coffee, stationery. Brands are joining in too. Hellmann’s even created a mayo jar trap.

It’s funny, fast to make, and brilliant for shareability.

How to Use It

  • Small businesses: Put your bestselling product under the trap.

  • Personal brands: Trap yourself (“Things I’ll ALWAYS fall for”).

  • E-commerce: Highlight bestselling bundles or seasonal items.

3. Fixing My Problems as a Child vs as an Adult – The Split-Screen Relatable Trend

Creators show how they “fixed” problems as kids (a plaster, a snack, a nap)… versus how they “fix” them now (coffee, online shopping, skincare, therapy, spreadsheets). It’s quick, funny and painfully relatable.

How to Use It

  • Small brands: Show childhood fix vs “adult entrepreneur fix.”

  • Product brands: Use your product as the adult solution.

  • Coaches: Tie it to self-improvement or growth moments.

@skytechgaming Gaming is life #skytechgaming #gamingpc #pc #gaming #skytech #pcgaming #skytechgamingpc #meme #prebuiltpc ♬ original sound – Skytech Gaming

4. Trust Fall – The Fake-Out Comedy Moment

This Instagram trend pretends to be an emotional “trust fall” moment… until the person behind them steps away. Churches, teachers, best friends – everyone’s doing it. The twist is what makes it go viral.

Viewers expect a rescue – they get betrayal instead.
Highly watchable, highly shareable.

How to Use It

  • Small businesses: Replace the “fall” with a client expectation vs reality moment.

  • Personal brands: Use humour – “me trusting my to-do list.”

  • Team accounts: Have fun with office dynamics.

@beforeyouspeakcoffee No but seriously, trust us when we say we NEVER do sales this big 🚨Shop 25% OFF EVERYTHING before you miss out. #trustus #trustfall #trustfallchallenge ♬ original sound – Beforeyouspeak Coffee

5. The Emoji We Deserve – Visual Branding Made Fun

Heinz sparked this one by posting “the tomato emoji we have vs the tomato emoji we deserve” using a ketchup bottle as the ideal version.

People and brands are creating their own upgraded emoji – the version that should exist.

How to Use It

  • Small brands: Show “the emoji we have vs the emoji our brand deserves.”

  • Creators: Make a personal emoji that sums you up.

  • Product brands: Turn your hero product into an emoji.

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A post shared by Heinz (@heinz)

6. “When the Boss Starts Following You on Social” – The Panic Comedy Trend

This trend imagines what your content would suddenly look like if your boss followed you.
Creators exaggerate how hard-working, cheerful and corporate they’d pretend to be.
It’s a comedic goldmine.

How to Use It

  • Small business owners: Flip it – “When a client follows me on Instagram…”

  • Personal brands: Show the over-the-top version of yourself.

  • Agencies: Use team members for a fun multi-clip video.

@tigrangertz I love watching Puma’s videos! #fyp ♬ Safe and Sound – Capital Cities

7. “Booked” Calendar – The Overcommitted Life Trend

Creators screenshot their digital calendar and add ridiculous, exaggerated time blocks for whatever they’re obsessed with: “Thinking about tiramisu,” “Scrolling TikTok for 4 hours,” “Overthinking,” “Buying candles I don’t need.”

It’s relatable and perfect for humour-led content.

How to Use It

  • Small brands: Block out “packing orders,” “client voice-note therapy,” or “thinking about SEO again.”

  • Product brands: Mark a whole day dedicated to your signature product.

  • Service providers: Show your real schedule vs the truthful one.

@imperfectlypaige completely booked 😅 #momsoftiktok #hulu #humor #fyp #foryou ♬ The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. 9.6 on Hulu. – secretlivesonhulu

The Round-Up

This week’s feed is leaning heavily into:

  • playful visuals
  • niche relatability
  • small indulgences
  • everyday comedy
  • nostalgia (even when AI-generated)

The best-performing content right now is quick, human and low-pressure – the kind people instantly recognise and share.

Pro Tip

Don’t chase trends – translate them. Pick one format, shape it to your tone of voice, and adapt it so it lands with your audience.

Get next week’s trends before they trend