The Edge explained: Spectator Sport
Silent viewership is the new gossip. From Mukbang to Benkyou Douga to Cleanfluencers, watching others do the mundane—be it eat, study or clean—is the latest lifestyle trend. Mainstream drone and live-cam tech is enabling our voyeurism and fulfilling our nosey, paranoid needs to monitor everything. Loneliness, anxiety and privacy combine in the passive observation of others, rather than expressing ourselves. Today, we can be friends with whomever we want as long as one of us is watching.
Why is it relevant now?
Now more than ever, we’re finding solace in our shared experiences. The creator-led #WithMe campaign offers hours of uninterrupted companionship for the 30 million subscribers looking to passively watch strangers cook, clean, draw, study, and work from home. Even marble racing is having a moment. At the beginning of the pandemic, the Jelle’s Marble Runs YouTube channel gained 78k new subscribers looking to escape the pandemic panic and enjoy mindless Marbula One distractions (think Formula 1 for marbles).
What if …
…with professional sports on pause, your brand brought people together in new and unexpected ways?
Glossary
An Edge is a cultural shift or cultural value where brands can identify insights and opportunities to play into. Edges provide direction on emerging and evolving cultural, consumer and category behaviour.
A Trigger is an accurate observation of a fact that occurs in the world around us, but that may be indicative of a possible macro shift in society in the short term or medium-to-long term.
