Commentary
Emerging Social Media Trend: 'Critterposting'
- by Richard Whitman , Columnist, July 13, 2023
The Via agency is out with a POV proclaiming that there is an emerging new social media trend called critterposting that utilizes century-year-old illustrations from English author Beatrix Potter’s children’s stories.
They often depict anthropomorphized and frequently genderless animals “living harmoniously in the rural countryside,” as the POV puts it.
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Via’s take is that Potter’s imaginary world “has come to represent a sort of utopia for those romanticizing the simple life—and a call to arms to question the trappings of our capitalist society.”
Potter lived through both world wars (she died in 1943, well into World War II) and the Great Depression, when many people throughout the U.S. and Europe were questioning capitalism as well.
“Potter’s illustrations harken back to a simpler time. On social, they signal one’s belief that money and professional success do not equal happiness,” the agency surmises.
People are yearning for a slower life with more focus on personal time and “IRL connection,” one reason why the four-day workweek is gaining traction.
The POV offers some brand-related questions to ponder:
What is your brand doing to appeal to a growing audience seeking wholesome connection and authenticity?
How can your brand harness a less-is-more mentality that represents and creates moments of simplicity?
In the face of AI and super-polished marketing imagery, how can your brand utilize hand-drawn illustrations?
How can your brand leverage characters to appeal to a broader demographic.
