MANILA, PHILIPPINES — No one can say that 2021 was uneventful. With one major event after the other filling up the days, it can be easy to lose track of defining moments that the world experienced in the last 12 months. So, upon looking back, the past year in the creative industry may seem like a continuous stream of random content, but a closer look will reveal that there are definitely still trends that stood out and made 2021 what it was for creators everywhere.
To kick off the new year, adobo Magazine rounded up some of the trends and topics that dominated conversations and shaped the innovations, experiences, and stories that defined 2021.
Sustainability
Climate action was one of the biggest conversation starters from last year. Climate change continues to be an ongoing threat to the planet, and more and more people are taking a stand towards doing something about it. Thankfully, this includes those behind big brands and businesses.
This past year, it has become evident that sustainability has become something that consumers keep in mind when choosing products and services. Likewise, brands have been putting in the work to integrate steps towards a more sustainable future both in their campaigns and in the initiatives they organize and support.
Here are just a few campaigns and initiatives from 2021 that put environmentally friendly solutions at the forefront:
- Garnier Philippines, Lazada, and CORA partner to help Filipinos take #OneGreenStep for the planet
- Save Philippine Seas, Coca-Cola team up to provide waste solutions funding
- Google launches more ways to help people make sustainable choices
Diversity
From media to marketing, true innovation and progress can only be made when the conversation isn’t monopolized by one group of people. At the heart of creative industries is storytelling; so, whose stories are being told and who gets to tell them is crucial for the fight for inclusion.
That’s why the rise in diversity that 2021 has shown means nothing but great things for the future of creative industries. Groups that have a long history of not being represented properly or heard — women, the LGBTQ+ community, and people of color to name a few — are starting to get their share of the spotlight, and it’s resulted in great feats of creativity and progress that the industry needs more of.
These are just some of the many moments where diverse stories and creatives got to shine:
- To create sustainable change, the ANDYs pushes for greater diversity of work and fewer barriers
- The One Club and WPP announce “Behind the Stonewall Riots” winners, celebrating creativity in the Black LGTBQ+ community
- Lazada Philippines launches #LazadaPride2021 in partnership with LoveYourself, Inc., artists from the LGBTQIA+ community and award-winning filmmaker, Pepe Diokno
- Spotify’s ‘Claim your space’ campaign heroes LGBTQIA+ voices all year
Sports
Sports are a crucial part of culture that has always been a huge part of any era’s zeitgeist. However, with the pandemic-delayed Olympics last Summer and major leagues making a comeback after delayed seasons and competing in isolated bubbles, sports definitely dominated conversations more than usual. And these conversations spanned everything from memes and live updates to deeper meditations about what sports can teach us about resilience and unity in these trying times.
- FCB Inferno looks at social media growth from the Olympics and what the data could mean for Paralympian influencers
- It’s a wrap: Here are the Olympics’ top social moments on Facebook and Instagram
- The best 8 Tokyo 2020 design moments celebrating the Olympics through art
- Twitter is the homecourt of Filipino sports fans in 2021
Metaverse
Technology is now developing at a pace so fast that every year it seems like there’s a new frontier being explored. For 2021, that new frontier is the metaverse.
Digital continues to expand as usual, but there has been a shift in the extent of how just how much of people’s lives can be lived virtually as the metaverse became a huge part of tech-driven conversations. The metaverse is a new space that forms connections — be it among peers, brands and consumers, or huge players in big industries — and fosters innovation, so it isn’t a surprise that more and more events, activities, and opportunities for collaboration in 2021 took place in these virtual worlds.
