Key insights
- Saunas and scream clubs are gaining popularity. The US sauna market is tipped to grow by around $151 million in the next four years, and scream clubs across the UK, US and Australia are attracting growing numbers of members.
- Male beauty is getting a rebrand as stigma fades and positioning changes. For example, creator James Welsh focuses on unpacking skincare myths and product reviews for his 1.56 million YouTube subscribers, helping to make skincare routines and product discussions part of everyday male digital consumption. According toPinterest data, searches for “groom makeup” rose 42% between 2024 and 2025.
- Physical flyering is cutting through the noise in a world of digital fatigue. Esoteric or curious messaging, with QR codes to scan for more information, are part of the modern flyer aesthetic. We could increasingly see dating profiles or offers for friendship appearing on our streets, as more people turn away from digital platforms for connection.
Overview
Why are consumers joining scream clubs and sauna raves? How is male beauty becoming a mainstream facet of modern masculinity? And why are old-school printed flyers gaining new attention?
Below we explore three topics on our radar this month and their impact on consumers. By scanning the headlines, keeping tabs on social media conversations and tuning into the zeitgeist, we connect the dots between our trends and the wider world so that you can make sense of what’s happening now and what it means for you.
1. The rise of radical wellness rituals
The sauna is making waves on the global stage
Saunas have long been an integral part of life in markets like Sweden and Finland. But recent indicators suggest that they are gaining influence in other parts of the world too, with a decline in drinking, a lack of third spaces and wellness aspirations all partly behind the rise.
A number of brands are catering to this rising interest. Perspire Sauna Studio, which already has 100 locations across the US, recently announced plans to open 15 new locations, with 200 more in development. Costco is making the home sauna, often a signifier of wealth, more accessible with a collapsible, portable sauna on offer for $1,900 from Amazon. And bathhouses like Reset and Banya No.1 continue to expand and attract new customers across the US, UK and China.
There’s another interesting development in sauna culture that speaks to evolving attitudes: the sauna rave. In New York, events company Daybreaker has launched Sauna Heat Wave, a monthly sauna series that combines night club vibes with a wellness spa setting. Attendees are invited to dance in the heat in their swimwear and take a dip in the cold-water plunge pools. The events are positioned as “immersive events that go beyond wellness. Think laughter, music, shared stillness, and the occasional love story”. A promotional video on the Daybreaker Facebook page has had more than 38,000 views.
Scream clubs offer an alternative form of release
While saunas deal in extreme heat, there’s another emerging social environment that connects to the sense of sound: scream clubs. The Guardian has reported on organized gatherings that are devoted to screaming “into the open air as a form of release”, among them the London Scream Club. There are parallel clubs in places like Austin in Texas, Chicago and Sydney, Australia. Members tout the experiences as being cathartic, emotionally freeing, stress-relieving and a unique way to connect with others.
While not strictly new, the growing prevalence of these groups is suggestive of consumers’ pent-up stress and anger. Indeed, our own data shows that 28% of GB consumers say they get stressed or anxious easily, rising to 33% of women and 37% of 16-24s (source: Foresight Factory, 2025).
How should brands respond to the rising interest in radical wellness rituals?
- Help consumers to find community in ways that align with their wellness goals. One of the perceived benefits of joining a scream club or attending a sauna rave is the sense of belonging it provides at a time when real-life connection is hard to find. Their lack of emphasis on drinking also chimes with rising desires to socialize in spaces outside of bars and pubs.
- Tap into the new “release economy”. Unique, memorable experiences have long been seen as cultural currency. But these developments suggest a need to feel deeply in multi-sensorial, emotionally expressive ways. As such, they connect to our Trending 2026 theme, Presence Purity, which is all about how consumers are pushing against digital performance culture in favor of in-the-moment connection and visceral play.
- Give consumers permission to express emotion in honest, authentic and even awkward ways. Screaming is not generally socially acceptable for adults, but scream clubs allow them to access a primal, childlike side of themselves that’s otherwise internalized. At at time when consumers are embracing their quirks and individuality in defiance against perfection, what role could your brand play in validating intense emotional catharsis as a valued part of wellbeing and self-expression?
2. The male beauty rebrand: Where performance meets aesthetics
Looking good has become a signal of performance and success for men
Recent indicators suggest that the traditional boundaries of masculinity have shifted, with physical appearance now increasingly being reframed as a marker of personal optimization rather than vanity. What was once considered “unmasculine” – from fake tanning to concealer and Botox – has been repositioned within the language of performance and success. As Gregor Jaspers, founder of men’s skincare brand The Grey notes, “[t]here’s more awareness around being the best version of yourself, which means going to the gym, good nutrition and using skincare.” For men of all sexual orientations, it seems that looking good is increasingly seen as part of performing well, both professionally and socially, linked to the same achievement-driven mindset that governs career advancement, fitness regimes and relationship management.
The stigma around male beauty has lessened in part because people increasingly see it as another form of self-optimization. Moreover, the blurring of wellness and personal aesthetics has made experimentation feel more acceptable.
While straight men may feel it’s now more acceptable to perform in this space, they also feel pressure: in 2025, 1 in 4 men in GB say they feel pressure to look good all the time (up from 1 in 5 in 2022), rising to 55% among Gen Z men (source: Foresight Factory, 2025).
The result is men pursuing aesthetic perfection not in spite of traditional masculine values, but because of them.
Social media, podcasts and celebrities are driving forces behind the male beauty rebrand
This rebrand is being driven by a convergence of cultural forces and touchpoints. Social media has emerged as the primary catalyst, with male beauty influencers on platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube helping to break down traditional gender barriers in the beauty world over the last decade. Creators like James Welsh, who focuses on unpacking skincare myths and product reviews for his 1.56 million YouTube subscribers, have made skincare routines and product discussions part of everyday male digital consumption.
The podcasting space is also playing a role, with figures like Bryan Johnson – known for his experiments in longevity – becoming cultural touchpoints for male optimization culture. Johnson’s detailed documentation of his skincare regimen, which includes everything from daily retinol application to red light therapy, has been discussed across numerous podcast appearances and his own content platforms.
Celebrity brand launches and collaborations have also brought mainstream visibility to male beauty consumption. Examples include Pharrell Williams’ skincare and bodycare brand Humanrace, Harry Styles’ beauty and skincare line Pleasing, and Hailey Bieber’s beauty brand Rhode, which tapped Babygirl star Harris Dickinson to promote its Glazing Mist.
The retail infrastructure is responding in kind. In summer 2025, South Korean health and beauty retail chain Olive Young opened its newest flagship in western Seoul with a “Men’s Edit” spanning 3,552 square feet—five times larger than the brand’s previous men’s store space, including a dedicated testing zone for haircare, fragrance and makeup.
Men are primed and ready to explore new beauty solutions
The Times in the UK recently reported on the rise of the “City boy bro-glow”, where bankers, traders and lawyers are reportedly getting treatments such as Botox and chin implants to ensure they look capable and put-together at all times. Indeed, our own data shows that 1 in 3 men in GB would consider non-invasive forms of cosmetic surgery such as Botox or teeth whitening etc (source: Foresight Factory, 2025).
Men are also becoming more open to using makeup – at least for special occasions. According to Pinterest data, searches for “groom makeup” rose 42% between 2024 and 2025.
And younger generations are taking it further. As they grow up, Gen Alpha boys are coming to beauty and personal care with less gendered thinking, and with an interest in self-care and appearance optimization.
How should brands support men in their beauty rituals and routines?
- Position beauty as a strategic investment for men. Just as men optimize their finances or fitness, appearance is now part of the portfolio – with real-world returns in dating, career and social capital. Consider how you can shift your brand’s positioning to tap into this mindset, for example by expanding your content focus to include wider performance-related inspiration, working with influencers in the male performance space on GRWM videos or foregrounding research that proves the efficacy and function of your products.
- Continue to destigmatize the use of makeup, beauty and grooming products and treatments for men. While some of the stigma relating to beauty interventions is declining, in many markets and among older men, it remains. Color cosmetics remain an underutilized category among men, being more closely associated with feminine aesthetic performance. Starting with special occasions such as weddings and celebrations could help warm up those new to the category.
- Respond to the full spectrum of knowledge and engagement across men’s beauty. Offer tiered entry points: starter sets for beginners framed around essential performance (SPF, moisturizer, targeted treatments), advanced regimens for enthusiasts with multi-step protocols, and premium interventions for those seeking clinical-grade results.
- Acknowledge the pressure while empowering choice. Brands have a responsibility to navigate this space thoughtfully, avoiding placing undue pressure on men to optimize their appearance. Marketing should acknowledge the aesthetic labor that comes with looking good, while positioning products as tools of agency rather than conformity. This means avoiding messaging that weaponizes insecurity or sets unrealistic standards, and instead emphasizing personal optimization on individual terms.
3. Paper over pixels: Flyering is cutting through AI-driven noise
Flyers cut through in a world saturated with digital content
Digital fatigue and AI skepticism are driving this new wave of flyering. With consumers used to seeing hundreds of ads and AI-generated posts daily on social media, neighborhood flyers seem to be a better bet for catching people’s attention. Of course, eye-catching designs have always been a staple of flyer design. In the current wave, esoteric or curious messaging, with QR codes to scan for more information, are part of the flyer aesthetic.
Similarly, some job seekers are turning to paper resumes and business cards to capture the attention of hiring staff. One young strategist we spoke to recently reported receiving several callbacks by not attending the industry’s StratFest event in New York. He got attention by simply standing outside the venue handing out calling cards.
Elsewhere, artists, writers and fans are renewing the zine medium to keep their ideas and culture outside of the internet bubble.
A taped-up flyer offers a tactile experience and the human touch
The widespread use of AI-created imagery across media forces consumers to constantly consider what is real versus what is artificial. There are no such doubts when it comes to a piece of paper hastily taped up on a street corner. For creators, the act of flyering also helps to fulfil a need for a tangible experience and regain a sense of ownership over their content.
For others, flyering is a way to find genuine connection. One poster spotted in London’s Hackney district seeks to find like-minded individuals for a “sip and share” session where people can join in “meaningful conversations, in a welcoming reflective space”. We could increasingly see dating profiles or offers for friendship appearing on our streets, as more people turn away from digital platforms for connection.
Riffs on meme culture make “old-school” flyers relevant to culture now
While the flyering trend speaks to a desire for a simpler means of connection and to some extent driven by nostalgia, many of the flyer designs riff on memes and phrasing more commonly used on social media. As such they address a cross-section of needs, as creators combine meme relatability with the authenticity of DIY formats and distribution methods.
How should brands react to the return of flyering?
- Show how your brand safeguards human creativity. The shift away from social media and back to printed forms of communication is another signal of people’s yearning for human autonomy – a theme discussed within our Trending 2026 report. Flyering and other limited-run print media formats are giving people back control over their ideas and who is accessing them. Which aspects of your brand narrative and comms could you ringfence as human-led?
- Use the printed medium to create a sense of intrigue and discovery. A flyer invites people to stop, think and connect with what’s in front of them. Consider how your brand can use imagery and messaging to encourage the viewer to find out more, by creating a sense of mystery. This is about capturing people’s desires to be taken on a journey to discover something new.
Talk to us about getting access to Collision
These signals are part of a longer report published on Collision, our dynamic trends intelligence platform. Members get access to these reports at the beginning of every month, so they always have a finger on the pulse of consumers and culture. If you’re interested in learning more about Collision and how the platform can make a difference to your business, get in touch today.
