everything is a fan edit
as seen on OOO edition
Hello and welcome back to as seen on !
I’m in Japan as I write this, and it’s nearly 2am. Last night I binged watched all eight episodes of Off Campus (IYKYK) and tonight I’m giving The Wall of Winnipeg and Me a re read. Needs must.
For the next week, I’ll be OOO, and today’s newsletter is the first installment of a new Out of Office Guest Contributor Series, where I invite some of the most fascinating and intelligent people on my radar to share their takes on the latest in business and culture while I’m gone. Should be fun!
We’re starting strong with Maxine Marcus and Kate Daykin. Maxine is the founder of SocialGlass, a cultural intelligence platform that analyzes posts your target-audience is resonating with in real-time, straight from their social media feeds. And you already know Kate. In March of 2025, she and I figured out what you Gen Zers all truly thought about your careers and the vibe in the workplace. Enjoy!
I’m so excited to be taking over ASO today, mainly because Ochuko’s ethos is exactly what motivates me to build. She often uses the line “information is everywhere, context is harder to find, and that’s the job.” That’s literally my job, and I’m obsessed with the value of context.
Why you should keep reading, I promise I’m a real cultural expert
I’ve been doing Gen Z insights since I was 16. For the last ~10 years (omfg), I’ve heard the same thing from every brand I’ve worked with: “we want to be culturally relevant,” “culture-first.” But the question I always push back on is: for who? What cultures does your audience actually participate in? What’s their social diet? Typically, brands lean on their “culturally in-tune” agencies, their own employees & feeds, or broad social listening tools with 0 human signal, none of which drill down to what a real person in your target audience is actually giving a f*!k about. Some teams even build burner accounts, training an algorithm until the FYP feels like a real fan’s, which is hard to do when you have no idea what those people are watching. It’s a genuine infrastructure problem watered down as a strategy problem.
And.. Because of what I do, I watch so much social content it’s sickening (don’t worry, this takeover isn’t about my mental health). Not just my own feed, but hundreds of other people’s too, spending hours decoding each piece of content, from who sent it in and what it says about people & culture, for each brand partner we work with. So I have a lot to share, hopefully you find this interesting.
The insights, straight from people’s feeds.
For ASO, we used SocialGlass to analyze a gen-pop Gen Z cohort, ages 15-27, across 46/50 states, and interests spanning beauty, gaming, sports, and everywhere in between.
We’ve moved from parasocial relationships with creators to parasocial relationships with content. From moodboards to fan edits, consumers are obsessed with visual worlds (or in brand-speak, “world building”). But why? Absorbing this content makes us feel closer to a feeling. Like consuming it is close enough to living it. The details (the sounds, the visuals, the environment) add up to, for lack of a better word (sorry), the vibes. Yes, we live in a world run by vibes. The brands that accept this sooner will be better off. Why do you think TikTok reposts have become one of our biggest outward-facing identity markers?
Everything is a fan edit, even tornadoes.
Fan edits…
Represent ~13% of all “liked” content our cohort has sent in. The serotonin boost from a fan edit should be studied. They perfectly encapsulate a certain emotion, create visceral meaning out of quotes and words, and let us experience our favorite movies and TV shows over and over, with the best ones making you feel like it’s the first time again.
Are a core subset of the “clipping” economy taking over both social and the broader media landscape. It’s my personal favorite: the creative breadth and deep cultural knowledge required to execute well is genuinely impressive.
Turn anything (and I do mean anything) into a hype reel. See: this fan edit of a tornado, followed by hilarious reaction posts. Moments like these are why I love being online. People are so f*cking funny.
Last year, @areaqaep‘s Creed edit became an entire zeitgeist, known simply as “that one Creed edit” because of how much love & online discourse it drove
Yes, HBO has officially been hiring fan editors for trailers and owned brand accounts (and others have caught on), but I’ve yet to see brands outside of media/streaming actually engaging here. Food for thought.
Some sent into SocialGlass, in case you love these as much as I do :)
The “moodboard-ification” of emotions: tied to visual worlds. Are moodboards dictating how you feel?
We’re seeing a massive rise in niche moodboard accounts (e.g. @itgirlfashionxo, @mentallydaillest, @anielle444) that push trends and assign images to relatable statements, creating visual cues that make people associate emotions with certain aesthetics:
See a moodboard enough times and your brain stops treating it as inspiration and starts treating it as a requirement: to have X, it needs to look like X. It’s a huge part of why brands have been able to sell “belonging” in corporate form.
Would you really do it if you couldn’t post it?
Gen Z going analog/offline is the headline of the moment, but are we just consuming more content about being offline, vs. actually being offline?
Our insights say it’s a mix of both: what you see on your feed is powering the decisions of what to do offline (I know, not shocking). It’s the paradox of online evidence of an offline life.
17% of all content sent in relates to offline activities.
Crafting, pottery, sewing, and art content is accelerating across our cohorts, making up the biggest subset: easy painting, ceramics/pottery, “things I’ve made instead of scrolling”, “girls craft nights”
Here’s the thing: The vast majority of the content making up our offline-related insights are truly instagrammable, pinterestable, aesthetically pleasing offline activities. Yes, that’s totally part of the fun. But (sorry to be this person), one cute overhead shot and you’re instantly signaling on the feed that you’re a smart, chic offline girl. People are doing these things, but it’s still driven by their social sphere and some level of social signaling in mind.
House music is the #1 cross-silo culture.
From conservative boys in the Midwest to liberal girls who thrift on the coasts, house music content is THE uniting force.
How it’s showing up across feeds: set clips from live shows (#1 house-related content format sent in), users scavenging for track IDs in comment sections, UGC / fan-edits / dancing content, and sonically, house music makes up a massive portion of audio across posts of all kinds.
SocialGlass shows us that the DJs dominating feeds are mostly from the UK, with artists like Chris Stussy, Prospa (they just collabed with Murda Beatz on his first house track), and Josh Baker blowing up across these audiences. House culture in the US is increasingly shaped by the international scene.. (cue this funny comment)
Oh, and:
DJ girlfriends are now a thing (think house music WAGs). Here’s some UGC on this: the OG @madeleine_white and @jujuishy(Gosha from Prospa’s girlfriend)
We’re seeing a decline in afro-house (sorry new-era Keinemusik, slow goodbye to ahlelele ahlelelas) and a rise in disco-inspired, minimal, and tech house, cue the Prospa UHHHH & a family doing Prospa impressions
Artists like Brunello are exploding on TikTok, his sonic world building a genuine cult following.
The Nintendo game Tomodachi Life is the hottest new obsession for the young “cool girl” beauty enthusiasts in our cohort.
Tomodachi Life scratches the nostalgic itch, reminiscent of the Sims, mostly unscripted dramas and interactions in realistic storylines.
Posts resonating on FYPs range from game clips (like characters breaking up in the game) to UGC (like this creator wanting in on the hype).
Two more words for you: Whimsical. Escapism.
Browsing/shopping is the “new 3rd space”
a by-product of the Industrial Belonging Complex: Ochuko’s term for how brands filled the void left by eroding civic spaces by sponsoring the places we gather: the run club, the book club, the knitting circle, repackaging belonging as a growth strategy. If you haven’t read it, you absolutely must.
~11% of all posts sent into SocialGlass are about browsing and shopping IRL, as a form of decompression, self-expression, social activity, or simply the “ideal girl day.” Think: matcha → thrift store pipeline (where you find a cute coquette ceramic tray for your apartment).
These posts are centered in trying to find trendy, unique, or curated environments: “wishlist hunts,” “trying viral desserts.” It’s all about finding the niche places that match your personality/aesthetic (gate-kept or not), whether you’re following the lines or going to “undiscovered” spots.
The #1 sub-category: thrift-related content, everything from luxury to the bins, cue the Isabel Marant ain’t at the bins I fear meme. To me, this is creativity & escapism, in this economy, inspiring browsing even when you’re not transacting. Plus this audience loves finding pieces that can’t be easily replicated.
Our take: this is consumerism powered by social, simply translated to IRL activity. Zero hate, I do this too. It’s fun, and IS the universal Gen Z hobby. It’s the next iteration of the classic “bop around with your friends,” but powered by social trends. Generally a lot to unpack here, especially with line culture getting completely out of hand
Friend group content is driving the next era of high-growth creators.
Are we back to the friend group vlog era? I think so. Some TikTok creators have also predicted this, and SocialGlass insights have too.
The 4 in the 5, a friend-group account, is seeing explosive growth on both TikTok and IG. They’re leaning into a “Sex and the City” energy, “4 girls in the 5 boroughs of NYC,” documenting their lives, escapades, and squad outings. Much of their content is audio/trend-based, leaning into their personalities and relatable “girlhood” experiences.
Alix Earle and Jake Shane’s friend groups are the OG gold standard of this genre, driving deeper engagement with their fans by bringing them into the worlds of their existing friendships. For ex, Jake’s longtime besties Julia Mervis and Payton Purther just started a YouTube vlog channel.
A friend group created a series called “fat sunday’s,” where they’ve made a series out of what they eat & drink on Sundays. It’s super fun and makes you feel like you’re in NYC with them, walking around and eating great food. Check it out.
Some posts that really encapsulate Gen Z culture, our vibe right now:
“I’m not like other girls, I’m so proud of myself for not buying into trends”
“Me after the most awful, terrible, gut-wrenching thing occurs in my life”
Anything & everything Druski
Some Brands & Things I’m Excited About
4AM Skin found one of the only true gaps in the skincare market: WIPES. They just launched in Target. Full disclosure: I’m an angel investor because I’m that obsessed. Here’s a TikTok of me explaining why.
There’s a quiet crisis in entertainment: the people who own the IP are not the people who understand the fandom. Studios optimize for box office, labels for streams, publishers for pre-orders, meanwhile, the actual obsession (the fanfic, the rewatches, the lore drops on Reddit, the playlists no one shares) lives in a black box no IP owner can read. Loreis the conduit. They capture private curiosity: what people actually love versus what they perform on Instagram. The data side translates that signal for the people writing the next sequel, album, or reboot.
Montauk General Store, a matcha brand that frequently collabs with “cool girl” brands like Danielle Guizio and pops up in city hot-spots, is opening an actual general store in the Hamptons. I have a strong feeling this will be THE place this summer for brands and creators.
Some OMG news:
Olivia Jade just launched her new minimal makeup brand, Opiccola. They’re having some issues with orders, and the brand is already responding. I LOVE this response. All brands in their early days have issues, and their vulnerability & openness to consumers to me shows Olivia does truly care. Generally, I’ve loved her response to the hate she’s been getting. She’s been totally non-defensive, receptive to feedback, and excited to improve.
A Pulse Check from our Resident in Insights, Kate Daykin
The Grutmans PR is PRing, and whoever is filming and editing Isabela Grutman’s “24 hours with me” deserves a raise. Vlogs are everywhere, but this isn’t your typical Chelsea Parke time-stamped TikTok that makes life look picture-perfect. Her filming style has minimal editing with real audio to show it all—including the kids screaming. There’s nothing a nosy consumer loves more than knowing every aspect of their favorite creators’ days, especially when they’re not sugarcoated. I think she played a role in paving the way on the longer form TikTok vlogs we’re seeing this week.
When you get texts or emails from a brand like Revolve, are you reading or deleting? I recently did research to find out and learned that out of 119 consumers, 52% are deleting texts and emails from brands without thinking. Brand communication through text and email is treated as noise to them unless proven otherwise. As soon as these consumers open their inbox or get a notification, they typically aren’t even entertaining it. For the third of consumers who conditionally entertain a marketing email, they’re only doing so under certain circumstances: a crazy interesting subject line or it’s a major holiday sale. And for the 1 in 10 that regularly engage consistently, it’s because they genuinely love the brands they’ve subscribed to, but they’re probably not buying something every time they get an email. The majority only want to hear from brands unless there is genuinely something important to share, like a shipping confirmation or a great deal. Marketing is not typically considered “important” to them—unless they’re already in market and a discount would help get them to cross the finish line.
High school seniors should add strategic planning to their resumebecause some of them have been thoughtfully planning their graduation-era TikTok content months in advance. I’m impressed and also incredibly nostalgic for high school.
I had so so much fun writing this!!!!!
I had insomnia last night till 5am and also binged the whole of Off Campus! It’s like the hetero, not quite as good Heated Rivalry?