[Spoilers abound in this post. Which shouldn’t matter. You’ve had plenty of time to catch up, but just in case, you’ve been warned.] When last we saw Theon Greyjoy he was battered, but emboldened. Having just out-slugged a rebellious rival, he knelt at the sea, ready to sail off in defense of his sister. According… continue »
AUDIENCE
Should Brands Try to Change the World?
Gillette is facing aftershocks from its brand campaign launched last week to usher in a new era of masculinity. With a spot called, “We Believe: The Best Men Can Be,” the Procter & Gamble brand took a firm stance on the need for a modern definition of what it means to be a man. Not… continue »
Americans have found a refuge from partisan politics: holiday movies
It seems you can’t avoid getting mired in a political debate anymore. But Americans have found the perfect escape. They’re curling up in front of their screens to binge on a growing array of holiday movies. Cable networks including Disney, Hallmark and Lifetime serve up wholesome seasonal rom-coms to life-affirming dramas to soothe Americans’ partisan-weary… continue »
Survey shows the surprisingly complicated politics of “Roseanne” fans
Watchers of the “Roseanne” television revival are surprisingly bipartisan and not as “pro Trump” as they’ve been typecast. Observers widely expected the network’s revival of the 1980’s sitcom starring Roseanne Barr to attract President Trump’s supporters. Even Fox News pegged it as “ABC’s pro-Trump ‘Roseanne,'” and the show’s namesake star is a vocal Trump supporter. But… continue »
How bicultural Latinos are shaping the multicultural mass
Itati Vasquez Chavez SantaMaria loves her Spanish-language soap operas. “I watch telenovelas all the time,” says the 23-year-old from Tucson Arizona, “I have no shame.” She goes by “Toby” to make it easier for English-speakers. As a third-generation Mexican person from the Southwest, SantaMaria identifies herself as a Chicana rather than a Mexican, “the way most… continue »
Why audiences loved Tide’s Super Bowl commercials
In a comfy theater in New York’s Times Square, 45 Eagles and Patriots fans sat through a tense 2018 Super Bowl. They wanted different outcomes. Each wanted their teams to be the ones holding the trophy and planning the parade. They disagreed on whether Corey Clement and Zach Ertz really scored touchdowns for the Eagles.… continue »
Which Olympic event will be the next ratings medal-winner?
If Olympic events won medals themselves, figure skating would of course take the winter gold. Across the world it reigns as the most popular event, according to an Ipsos Global Advisor study of 27 nations. In the U.S., hockey takes the silver. In Canada those ranks are reversed. Canadians are as excited about hockey as… continue »
How The Nostalgia Trend Boosted Netflix’s ‘Stranger Things’
Season one of Netflix hit series Stranger Things opens up with four boys, around 10- to 12-years-old, riding their bikes on a hill backlit by the moon. You can see the wide-brimmed baseball caps, the Huffy-esque wheels, the blinking bike headlights and the thick, longish haircuts – a look and kid dress code emblematic of… continue »
GenPop guide to the (potentially) hot new fall TV shows
Fall is the biggest time of year for TV. It’s an exciting time for viewers to fill their weeknights with new back-to-back programming. For networks and industry experts, excitement is met with intense scrutiny. How will the new series be received? Will it be a hit destined for renewal, or will the first season be… continue »
Marvel vs. DC: A superhero debate with human roots
Superman versus Spider-Man. Wonder Woman versus Storm. The Joker versus Loki. Comic book aficionados have long debated the qualities of the DC universe versus the Marvel universe. Superman, Wonder Woman and The Joker are all DC characters as distinctly American as apple pie. But Spider-Man, Storm and Loki are Marvel characters similarly as well known.… continue »
What even is a vice anymore? This issue of WTF, backed by a global survey, explores the changing morality of “vices.” Will consumer interest be enough to fuel the projected growth in industries like cannabis? Read WTF: Food »
What the Future is a quarterly deep dive into different aspects of consumer and social thought and behavior. Each edition features exclusive new data from world-leading research firm Ipsos. WTF explores how a single industry or behavior fits into the broader culture now and in the coming decades.
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