What is the trend?

OpenAI has recently rolled out a new version of ChatGPT with significantly enhanced AI capabilities, particularly in image generation. This upgrade has sparked a viral trend where users upload their personal images and prompt the AI to “animate this like Studio Ghibli.”

What’s caused this prompt on ChatGPT’s latest version to trend?

Users quickly flooded X (formerly Twitter) with their AI-generated Studio Ghibli-style images, showcasing everything from personal photos to iconic movie scenes and internet memes. The accessibility and improved quality of ChatGPT’s image-generation tools have encouraged widespread participation.

Beyond Studio Ghibli, users have experimented with other animation styles, including The Simpsons and South Park, further fuelling the trend.

What works so well about the trend?

Studio Ghibli has a devoted following, with millions of fans appreciating its distinctive animation style. The Japanese studio is renowned for its hand-drawn artistry, whimsical storytelling, and deep emotional resonance. The ability of ChatGPT to closely replicate this aesthetic has driven its widespread appeal.

Several factors contribute to the trend’s success:

• Ease of Use – OpenAI’s generative features are free and accessible to all users, making it easy for anyone to create AI-generated art in various styles.
• Engagement & Virality – The instantly recognizable Studio Ghibli aesthetic has encouraged users to share their results online, prompting others to try it for themselves and contribute to the trend.

Does this raise issues around copyright?

This trend touches on an ongoing debate about AI-generated art and intellectual property. Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki has long been critical of AI in animation, famously stating, “I strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself.” His ethos prioritizes authenticity and meticulous craftsmanship, which contrasts sharply with AI-generated imitations.

While AI-generated art does not technically infringe on copyright, it raises ethical concerns about replicating the hard work of illustrators without their consent. The trend serves as a reminder of the growing challenges surrounding AI and artistic originality.

How are brands and accounts using the trend?

While independent creators have embraced the trend, brands have been slower to adopt it. A few exceptions include major brands like Airbus, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who changed his X profile picture to an AI-generated Studio Ghibli-style version of himself.

As AI art generation continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how brands, artists, and audiences navigate the balance between creativity, authenticity, and ethical considerations.

What’s the trend?

Beyoncé made headlines this week—not just for winning a Grammy, but for her stunned reaction after being announced as the 2025 winner for Best Country Album. The unexpected expression on her face quickly went viral, becoming the internet’s latest meme. Now, hordes of people are using it to poke fun at moments of shock, disbelief, or classic “oopsie daisy” blunders.

Why is the trend gaining popularity?

We think it goes without saying that Beyonce is a pop culture powerhouse. Almost everything she does garners attention, and in this case, her candid reaction instantly caught the eye of fans and internet users alike. As with many viral moments, the internet wasted little to no time reclaiming and repurposing to add humour to everyday situations.

Why does the trend work so well?

The Beyonce meme has skyrocketed in popularity for a couple of reasons, most notably because it:

Allows brands to show personality- Brands are able to express their creativity and inject humour whilst still making the content relevant to their brand.

Keeping relevant- Jumping on viral trends like this one helps brands show relevance and awareness of pop culture by jumping on the trend.

Driving engagement– This style of content is likely to drive engagement and draw attention due to its instant recognisability and ability to spark conversation amongst internet users.

How are brands using the trend?

This trend has taken off in the marketing world, with many brands and content creators putting their own spin on Beyoncé’s reaction. Some creative examples include:

Travel Sisters – This travel brand used the meme to humorously acknowledge the frustration of baggage loss, showing their audience that they truly understand their pain.

Pretty Little Marketer – This marketing-focused brand tapped into the trend by poking fun at common industry mistakes, making it highly relatable for fellow marketers. These examples highlight the power of viral memes in marketing. By pairing a well-known image with a witty, brand-relevant caption, businesses can resonate with audiences, spark engagement, and boost their online presence

What is the trend?

The ‘Tap, hold and load in 4k’ trend has taken X (formerly Twitter) by storm. The sporting community has adopted the trend, with sports fans sharing 4k resolution images of their favourite shots of athletes. However, the trend has quickly been adopted by other brands, having seen success in the trend garnering engagement.

The trend nods to the feature integrated by Twitter in 2020, which allows users to download images in a 4k resolution. The trend highlights users’ ability to access high-quality visual assets by simply holding down an image.

Why is this trend gaining popularity?

The trend allows brands, creators and influencers to share visual content with their audience, in super high quality. The popularity of sharing these high-quality assets encourages audiences to interact and engage with content.

The ease of use has propelled the trend, making it super simple for audiences to take a closer look and explore their curiosities.

Why does the trend work so well?

The trend uses the load in the 4k feature to give brands’ social media strategies a creative and competitive edge.

The success of the trend lies in its ability to:

• Demonstrate brand personality: Brands are able to provide insight, showcase their creativity and tell compelling stories through any imagery.
• Having a competitive edge: Trend participation not only signals to the audience an awareness of the current social culture, but it also has brands vying for attention.
• Garnering attention: Attaining engagement is made that much easier when a trend grips the audience, more so, the trend actively encourages the audience to download the imagery, pushing for enhanced experiences between audiences and visual content.

What are some examples of the trend being done?

Brands like the FIFA World Cup, Blue Origin (Jeff Bezos’ engineering company) and Fortnite have all been quick to hop on the trend, sharing their best high-resolution imagery. This has allowed brands to quickly attain engagement over captivating photography.

The future of the ‘Tap, hold and load in 4k’ trend

As the way social media and the way we use it continues to evolve, trends like this one highlight the increasing importance of visual content production. As platforms continue to invest in features that enhance the user experience. Brands opting to embrace relevant trends in their marketing strategy will continue to thrive.