Top 3 Trends in 2018

| By TMA World

Data gathered from the billions of searches conducted over the past year has resulted in its 2018 Creative Trends Report.  The report created by Shutterstock aims to determine the standout ideas and concepts that will influence in 2018; it also showcases twenty country specific trends.

The top three major trends for 2018 are:

  1. Fantasy: Mythical beasts and magical landscapes are ‘in’.  Perhaps this is the influence of fantasy style video games, as well as the popularity of TV series like Game of Thrones.  A recently announced Lord of the Rings TV series is also likely to boost this genre.  Searches for fantasy figures were up significantly from the previous year – 297% increase for the unicorn and 145% for the mermaid.  Epic, orchestral music is growing in popularity among marketers and other creative professionals.
  2. New Minimalism: The new minimalism is evolving beyond crisp, clean lines to feature bold, vibrant colors and fluid styles.  While searches for continuous line increased 432%, a new element in minimalism – the neon circle – was searched 387% more than the previous year.  “Stripped down” designs (traditionally minimalist) are being challenged with neon lights, added textures, and concentrated colors.  Minimalist music tracks are typically atmospheric, and feature continuous loopable sounds. 
  3. Space: Sci-fi continues to be a great influence.  New Star Wars, Star Trek, and Marvel cosmic hero films, have re-energized the genre.  Popular TV series like Stranger Things and Dark are putting all things “spacey” into our living rooms.  Searches for solar are up 991% and astro has increased 671%.  Searches for the sci-fi synthwave sound are up 494%.

Fastest growing trends in specific countries, include:

  • Argentina and Mexico – Jazz
  • Australia – Mathematical curves
  • Egypt – Cactus
  • France – Comics
  • Germany – Family values
  • Japan – Pink Circles
  • Korea – Floral Embroidery
  • Russia Federation – Marble
  • South Africa – Cryptocurrency
  • Spain – Antiquity

As always, it pays to do your homework when doing business internationally.

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