SELLING TO A 'DYSTOPTIMISTIC' GENERATION: VML'S THE FUTURE 100: 2026 LAYS OUT A NEW BRIEF FOR BRANDS

NEW YORK, Jan. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As 2026 unfolds amidst global challenges, VML's 12th annual  Future 100 report introduces an emerging cultural ethos: dystoptimism. A concept coined in its report, "dystoptimism" captures a collective mood that acknowledges darkness without surrendering to it and finding possibility in renewal.

The Future 100: 2026 report is based on a global survey across 16 markets and identifies 100 trends shaping global business and culture in the year ahead. It reveals that people are not merely coping with disruption, they are embracing it as a catalyst for fundamental changes in how they live, spend and connect.

"Dystoptimism highlights that as old systems crumble, individuals, communities, and innovators are building new, human-centered solutions. It's about designing for a better future, not just wishing for the past," said Emma Chiu and Marie Stafford, Global Directors, VML Intelligence and coauthors of The Future 100: 2026.

KEY THEMES FROM THE FUTURE 100: 2026

1. Looking for Enlightenment and Joy in Adversity

Exhausted by cycles of negativity, people are seeking experiences that elevate their spirits, enlighten, and shift perspectives. 86% of respondents are drawn to encounters that inspire awe or a renewed worldview, and are seeking travel, wellness, culture and retail experiences as catalysts for personal growth. This can be seen in:

• Transformative experiences and Immersive wellness reflect the rise of retreats and environments built for deep personal journeys.
• Resilience wellness reframes resilience as a learnable practice, blending emotional, physical and spiritual tools to help people adapt to turbulent times.
• Nano trips illustrate how short and high-impact getaways are being used as cost effective punctuation marks to find perspective or try on new identities.
• Treatonomics highlight the rise in small indulgences, where regular pleasures become a survival strategy even as they cut back elsewhere.

2. AI's Growth from Tool to Collaborator

AI is a major force, both disruptive and enabling. Growing comfort with AI is reshaping how people are using it to reshape their realities while fiercely protecting what makes us human:

• Generative realities and AI storyworlds trends show how AI enables the generation of adaptive worlds in real time, pointing to a future where entertainment, commerce and customer experiences are co–created with algorithms.
• Synthetic generation and RelAItionships evolved explore AI's increasingly intimate role in people's lives. From emotional companions to automated "employees", we're negotiating what it means to live and work alongside nonhuman counterparts. Almost half (49%) of gen Z say they have already formed a meaningful relationship with AI.
• Trends such as Truth literacy, Omnisurveillance, Digital intent and Coded empathy show how governments, platforms, designers and brands are being pushed to rebuild trust and make AI more transparent and accountable, even as it's embraced as a creative and practical ally.

3. Human Connection Reigns Supreme

Even as digital and physical realities blend, the report finds that true human connection remains vital.

• In Hyperreality, online and offline culture fully intertwine—memes become physical products, digital language becomes everyday speech, and luxury brands turn viral jokes into real–world objects. Yet across the report, people say they still prefer human contact when they're making decisions that matter.
• Trends such as Social health and New rave scene highlight a surge in community driven spaces—from social wellness clubs and sober raves to neighborhood "third places" that prioritize belonging over transactions.

"The brands poised for leadership in 2026 are those that can operate confidently in blended realities and navigate these myriad shifts in consumer behavior. We must design for both the ambitious and anxious sides of consumers," said Naomi Troni, Global Chief Marketing Officer at VML.

Across its 100 trends, The Future 100: 2026 offers marketers, innovators and leaders a clear brief for the year ahead. For more insight on what this means for brands and marketers, read the full report.

The Future 100: 2026—including all 100 trends —is available for download at:
www.vml.com/insight/the-future-100-2026

Methodology 

All findings in VML's 2026 edition of "The Future 100" report were collected by SONAR™, VML's research practice, from September to November 2025. The study was fielded September 24–November 3, 2025, surveying 15,639 adults across 16 markets (∼1,000 participants per market). The markets covered in this research include Argentina, Brazil, China, Colombia, France, Greece, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Respondents are representative of their respective market in regard to age, gender, and income. It also features insights from more than 60 global experts across various industries.

About The Future 100

The Future 100 is VML's annual forecast presents a snapshot of the year ahead and identifies the most compelling trends to keep on the radar. The report charts 100 trends across 10 sectors, spanning culture, technology, travel and hospitality, brands and marketing, food and drink, beauty, retail, luxury, health, and innovation.

About VML 

VML is a leading creative company that combines brand experience, customer experience, and commerce, creating connected brands to drive growth. VML is celebrated for its innovative and human first, award-winning work for blue chip client partners including AstraZeneca, Colgate-Palmolive, Dell, Ford, Microsoft, Nestlé, The Coca-Cola Company, and Wendy's. The agency is recognized by the Forrester Wave™ Reports, as a Leader among Marketing Creative and Content Service Providers, Commerce Services, Global Digital Experience Services, Global Marketing Services and, most recently, Marketing Measurement & Optimization. In addition, VML's specialist health network, VML Health, is one of the world's largest and most awarded health agencies. VML's global network is powered by 26,000 talented people across 55+ markets, with principal offices in Kansas City, New York, Detroit, London, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore, and Sydney. 

VML is a WPP agency (NYSE: WPP). For more information, please visit  www.vml.com, and follow along on Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.