The fetishization of work culture
Plus: Is illustration making a comeback?
Hi friends! Proof of life post and a quick debrief of things that have captured my attention in the last few weeks. I also wanted to give a warm welcome to new subscribers. What’s on your radar? Let me know in the comments - I’d love to hear from you!
First up: Why is everyone so obsessed with work? And in particular, the accoutrements associated with work? We’ve seen office wear pervade all aspects of our wardrobes, from the “office siren” aesthetic to “corpcore” trending all over the runways. But even more so, we’ve been seeing work as a theme centred in TV shows and films from Industry to Babygirl to the corporate hellscape of Severance, for the last few years. It’s something I’ve been thinking about and so has
Me author - who sparked a great discussion about the topic in her comments section on this post.
As in fashion, work culture has become fetishized in pop culture - and on social media, brands have been riffing on corporate themes in their campaigns. Everyone from Topicals to Meller, Vacation, Chamberlain Coffee and Aritzia (and I’m sure plenty of others) has played with corporate symbols and the office environment - often a nostalgic, analog version of it - as vehicles for comedic entertainment and/or brand world-building. (Shout-out to
for bringing Meller’s brilliant campaign to my attention).
There are many potential angles to this discussion - (many of which writer
smartly touched on in Emily’s comments section) - but in the context of brand social and pop culture in general, the office serves as a perfectly mundane yet familiar foil for comedy (the ‘straight man,’ if you will). As many of us are returning to the office, we’re also yearning for simpler times, when analog reigned supreme, and there wasn’t the threat of AI taking over our jobs.A recent study shows that Gen Z is increasingly feeling disengaged at work - (even more so than their older counterparts) - and may be yearning for a time they didn’t get to experience at all due to the pandemic. It’s been well-known for a while that this generation is the least fond of working from home and that they’re missing out on in-person mentorship possibilities due to remote work. I don’t think the social aspects of the work environment can be overstated, as we’ve all heard that Gen Z is the loneliest generation. So it’s interesting that brands are showcasing the office as a place of fun, of connection - perhaps that “third space” people are missing - which seems to track with what Gen Z clearly wants out of work.
Ultimately, corporate culture, as envisioned by the Vacation brand, especially, which borrows heavily from 1980s corporate-speak and tropes, is not only great fodder for comedy but also evokes emotion through nostalgia or an imagined nostalgic past. It’s the gift that keeps on giving and Vacation commits to the bit.
Also, how much do we love the marketing around Severance and the continued drip of content between shows? (Hello, Tim Cook promo!) Let us count the ways.
Talking fashion with Freud: I’m a little late to the party on this, but Bella Freud’s podcast, Fashion Neurosis, is one of the most delightful new formats I’ve seen in podcasting. For those unaware, Bella Freud is the great-granddaughter of the late psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. On her podcast, Freud the younger has guests like designer Rick Owens and model icon Kate Moss ‘lie on her couch’ to grapple with fashion and identity. It’s a potentially gimmicky concept, but it totally works, and the guests and discussion are on-point. This one, with Nick Cave, had me sold.
Lastly, is illustration making a comeback? I was immediately struck by that thought when I saw Crown Affair’s dreamy new illustration-heavy campaign, released this week (which I also noted had more than a passing resemblance to Herbal Essence’s 1970s-80s retro campaign imagery). Meanwhile, brands as disparate as Ghia and Manischewitz are also using illustrative elements (or 2-D graphic design) as part of their visual identities. And even Walmart got in on the action with its recent rebrand by design agency Jones Knowles Ritchie - (they also did the Manischewitz work, fyi) - which incorporate cartoon-like scenes of friendly neighbourhoods that will greet customers at store entrances. (This human-centric approach, while well-intentioned, but didn’t go over well with Fast Company design writer Mark Wilson).
As a graphic device and storytelling format, illustration has never really gone away, but it’s interesting to see the rise of this two-dimensional medium in our very short-form video-centric era. When used on social media, illustrations break up the feed and make you pause because it looks so different than anything else.
I wasn’t the only one to pause and appreciate Crown Affair’s lovely visuals - Link in Bio author and social media queen
was smitten, too:Luxury brands like Hermès (and Gucci, in its heyday) have long commissioned artists to create brand-specific illustrations - both digital and analog - for their social content.
The effect? It feels retro, nostalgic, analog. But also, illustration centres human craft, something Hermès is synonymous with. When everything becomes automatized through technology, human craft is a luxury. Brands, take note.
A few more bits & bobs:
Have you seen Burberry’s socials lately? From making tea with Olivia Colman to chatting about the weather in London with Absolutely Fabulous’ Joanna Lumley I love how they’re leaning into British culture and iconic personalities. Plus, their holiday campaign with Burberry superfans was a delight.
Reese Witherspoon joined LinkedIn. With all the uncertainty around the other platforms and stoking brand safety anxiety in the process, (as well as LinkedIn becoming a contender in B2C marketing), I suspect we’ll see more notables and creators flock to the professional networking app. “LinkedIn has become a home for a new kind of creator,” The Information’s Kaya Yurieff told Fast Company, adding that the platform remains a “‘white space’ with relatively less competition.”
Taste is king this year, and Tiffany knows it. They’ve tapped socialite, Vogue contributing editor and founder of Moda Operandi, Lauren Santo Domingo, as their Artistic Director of Tiffany Home. Apparently, she’s been with them since 2023, but divine timing tells me this was a prescient choice. Just look at her home, will you?
Kristen Vinakmens is a content strategist, brand marketer and former/sometime journalist based in Toronto, Canada. She specializes in content strategy, editorial direction and cultural strategy, helping brands get laser-focused on their content, positioning and point of view to reach their audiences. As a former beauty and fashion editor, she also has impeccable taste. Want to work with me? Send me a DM or check me out on LinkedIn.
Ah yes, the 'grindset'—where burnout is rebranded as ambition and lunch breaks are for the weak. Love how you cut through the performative hustle and expose it for what it is: a glorified hamster wheel. More play, less prestige-induced exhaustion, please!
Crown Affair’s artist experimentation doesn’t surprise me, the founder Diana is also an art collector. Melanie at Ghia and her creative team also have a great eye and style. When I recommend brands to check out for cool and interesting creative it’s legit always Ghia, Crown, Vacation but also Merit. I’m just waiting for one or a few of these founders to curate an exhibit or do a collab with Google arts and culture or something