SOCIAL TRENDS & MARKETING INNSIGHT REPORTS
SEPTEMBER 2025 REPORT OVERVIEW
Check out our report on social trends and marketing insights for September 2025, highlighting viral social and cultural trends in Korea and around the world. We’ll examine the endless reinventions of dating shows, explore art fairs that have lowered the barriers to art collecting, performative male & pink Pilates princesses, Neo-form art, and take a closer look at MAD STARS 2025.
Date: 09/10/2025
Issue: 18
Share
WHAT’S IN THE SEPTEMBER REPORT?
TREND HUNTER
Exploring social and cultural trends going viral in Korea and across the world.
The Endless Reinventions of Dating Shows
Dating shows are long-running and constantly evolving.
In this section, we look at the key drivers behind their popularity and the ways audiences are responding.
- Long-running dating shows, emerging dating shows
- How dating shows attract and engage viewers
- The cultural impact of dating shows and its implications for marketing
Image Source: Netflix K-Content(YouTube)
SPACE-EX
Visiting trendy places to look for the reasons for the popularity and insights.
The 2025 Korea Art Festival
Looking at art fairs that have lowered the barriers to art collecting, we examine the creative strategies participants used to engage the wider public.
- Frieze Seoul
: Marking its fourth edition in 2025, Frieze Seoul has solidified its status as a global art platform - Kiaf Seoul
: It has expanded its reach, capturing the attention of
younger audiences and serving as a valuable platform for brand marketing. - Neighborhood Night & Frieze House
: The fairs carried the excitement beyond the exhibition halls.
Image Source: Instagram (@Hello_ep)
GLOBAL SIGNAL
Spotlighting the latest trends emerging around the world.
Performative Male & Pink Pilates Princess
From the Performative Male’s curated sensitivity to the Pink Pilates Princess’ pink-tinted wellness, these two trends embody the aesthetic of American Gen Z.
- A man who embodies a softer, intellectual, and effortlessly stylish aesthetic has emerged as a new male archetype among Gen Z, highlighting how the generation is redefining masculinity
- The Pink Pilates Princess embodies Gen Z’s vision of an ideal life, painted in shades of pink.
- How brands are harnessing Gen Z aesthetics
RISING ICON
Discovering up-and-coming brands and artists.
NEO FORM ART: Expanding the Artistic Landscape Through Experimental Convergence
We spotlight artists experimenting with new artistic languages within worlds shaped by AI and digital media.
- A new form of art born from the fusion of digital technology, the virtual world, and algorithms. Here, technology is no longer just a creative tool.
- Images as living beings that transform and decompose
TZUSOO - Light and sound the language of machines ::vtol::
- Digital beings that live and breathe in the Virtual World Shavonne Wong
Image Source: MMCA website_TZUSOO interview
CREATIVE HIGHLIGHT
Introducing attention-grabbing creatives.
MAD STARS 2025
Asia’s largest international festival for marketing, advertising, and digital content—MAD STARS 2025—kicked off in Busan on August 27.
- Product & Service Grand Prix of the YEAR
<KFC Thailand> “Uncle KFC’s Rice Bowl” - Commerce Stars GOLD
<SAMSUNG SPAIN> “The Art of Hack” - PSA Grand Prix of the Year
<SCOLIOSIS PHILIPPINES> “Scoliosis #StripesFitCheck” - AI Stars GOLD
<CITIX> “Saltanat Light” - Direct Stars Grand Prix
<Mercedes-Benz Thailand> “The Meaning of Benz” - Diverse Insights Stars / Outdoor Stars Grand Prix
<KitKat> “KitKat Break Bar”
Image source: MAD STARS 2025 website
VIEW THE FULL SEPTEMBER 2025 REPORT
Help prepare your business for the changes ahead by viewing the full PDF report* for free HERE
*All reports produced by our Headquarters in South Korea research team are the exclusive intellectual property of INNOCEAN and are protected by copyright and intellectual property laws. Unauthorized downloading, reproduction, distribution, or publication of these reports without prior written authorization from INNOCEAN is strictly prohibited, both internally and externally. We appreciate your cooperation in respecting our intellectual property rights. Thank you for your understanding.
