2024 in Review: FADS in Action and What’s Coming in 2025

From rethinking essentials to redefining intimacy, 2024 revealed how primal desires continue to power modern marketing. Through the lens of the FADS Marketing book, we took a look at how brands exploit Food, Alcohol, Drugs, and Sex to influence consumer behavior. From the surge of hyper-personalization to the reinvention of essentials like Crocs and Stanley cups, this year has showcased how marketing doesn’t just respond to trends but actively creates them.

As the year draws to a close, let’s revisit some of the most impactful moments and trends we explored—and take a bold look at what’s next for 2025.

Insight: Brands have shifted food from fuel to fix, positioning their products as indispensable tools for modern living.

While alcohol didn’t dominate our blog this year, the subtle shift toward wellness-inspired alternatives deserves attention. Mocktails and low-alcohol beverages are being rebranded as healthier social options, allowing consumers to engage without overindulgence.

Insight: Alcohol brands are capitalizing on the desire for balance, reframing indulgence as part of a healthier lifestyle.

Insight: Authenticity in sustainability will likely separate the leaders from the greenwashers.

Brands like Amazon and Spotify are already leaders in hyper-personalization. Expect them to go further by integrating AI with wearable devices like Fitbit or Apple Watch. These brands could predict your next purchase or playlist based on your health metrics, emotional state, or daily habits, making their products feel indispensable. For example, imagine Spotify curating a playlist to match your heart rate after a workout, or Amazon suggesting replenishment items as you near depletion.

Expect brands to refine AI-driven personalization, integrating wearables and biometric data to create products and recommendations that feel indispensable. Imagine a world where your smartwatch knows what you need before you do.

Brands like Patagonia and Unilever have set the bar high with transparent sustainability practices. In 2025, expect smaller brands to follow suit by showcasing hyper-local environmental impacts, like sourcing materials from nearby communities or providing detailed carbon footprint data. Look for food delivery services, such as HelloFresh, to highlight carbon-neutral deliveries or eco-friendly packaging as they vie for eco-conscious consumers.

Sustainability marketing will evolve from broad claims to hyper-localized or measurable environmental benefits. Consumers will demand proof over promises.

The rise of brands like Kin Euphorics and Seedlip shows how vices are being rebranded as wellness-oriented choices. These companies market non-alcoholic alternatives as sophisticated and health-conscious, catering to consumers who want indulgence without guilt. Expect to see cannabis companies join this trend by emphasizing microdosing for wellness, reframing recreational products as tools for mindfulness or creativity.

Mocktails, microdosing, and “controlled indulgence” will redefine vices as wellness-oriented behaviors, blurring lines between health and hedonism.

With the “Hermit Consumer” trend continuing to rise, companies like Oculus and Calm are creating products that allow consumers to foster connection and self-care from the comfort of their homes. Virtual reality platforms could become the next frontier for dating or social interactions, offering tailored environments to meet and connect. Meanwhile, subscription boxes like Therabox may expand their offerings to include products that promote solitary rituals of comfort and intimacy.

As the “Hermit Consumer” trend grows, expect brands to market products that foster connection and intimacy without requiring social interaction, such as VR experiences or curated solo rituals.

As consumers increasingly seek moderation, brands like Coca-Cola with their “Coke Zero” line exemplify how to offer balanced choices. In 2025, expect more companies to embrace this trend, providing low-sugar, low-impact, or customizable options to cater to a growing demand for health and environmental consciousness without sacrificing convenience or flavor.

As highlighted in “The Hidden Power of the Middle,” moderation will take center stage. Consumers will seek balance, and brands that embrace nuance will thrive.

As we move into 2025, the FADS framework remains an essential tool for understanding how marketing shapes our lives. The question is no longer whether brands will manipulate consumer behavior but how they’ll balance innovation with responsibility. Let’s stay curious, critical, and engaged as we navigate the ever-changing landscape of consumption.

Here’s to another year of unpacking the magic—and the manipulation—behind the marketing.