Transition from SS24 to Autumn

As the nights draw in and there’s a chill in the air, it’s time to start scrolling!

What’s better that getting cosy, wrapped up in a blanket with a warm drink? Apparently not much! Looking forward to and idealising the ‘ber’ months (you know September, October, November and December)has become a huge trend online, with many people romanticising the colder months, waiting for the leaves to turn brown, and for it to be socially acceptable to cosy up under a blanket to watch a comfort movie with a hot drink. It’s very typical that since people spend winter wishing it was warmer and summer wishing it was cooler, so spending the summer getting excited for autumn isn’t that unexpected.

Not only have activities associated with autumn been brought into the summer, but Halloween is no longer one night, but has become an event that spans multiple months! It also has been given its own name, with ‘Summerween’ trending on Instagram and TikTok during June and July. ‘Summerween’ was originally coined in an episode of the animated show Gravity Falls in 2012 where they loved Halloween so much that they wanted to celebrate twice, and chose to hold a second Halloween on June 22^nd, but this term has now been pulled into the mainstream by people who just love Halloween.

So why the resurgence of the term in 2024? New words don’t have the longest lifespan on the internet (just think of some of the trending words from a few years ago, and think if you still use them) so how has this term survived for 12 years? I think it’s because this term never really went away, with many creators having used it for years, as a way to give themselves permission to celebrate autumn much earlier and to introduce the aesthetic to their followers. I also think it’s because it’s used to describe an aesthetic instead of having a fixed definition, and so it’s been preserved through the evolution of the aesthetic. However, its resurgence is due to the shareability of content on Instagram and TikTok, #summerween has been used nearly 120,000times, and #bermonths has been used over 140,000 times on Instagram, and as more people see and engage with this content the more it grows and continues to influence consumers.

So why is September such a crucial month for marketing and how does this harmless trend play into it? September is a season of change, it marks a shift in the weather, behaviour, it’s the beginning of the school year, and the end of the summer holidays which often sparks a change in people’s moods. It is also possible to consider the French term la rentrée which can be translated as the return or re-entry, so can be considered a new beginning, and new opportunity, and while this typically is used for younger people, it can also apply to adults and can be considered a quasi-new year. September is a month where people are starting to look ahead, it’s the tail end of the year and people are being encouraged to prepare for Christmas, which for most retailers is the most important time of year.

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September is a month for preparation and typically is slower in terms of sales, but by jumping on these trends where people are being encouraged to by seasonally relevant products, it taps into people’s primeval urge to prepare for winter. This trend in particular is all about consumerism, and the ‘I want that’ mentality, people are advertised an idealistic version of a trend, and they want that. Whether that’s a cushion that is only on display for 2 weeks, or themed mug that doesn’t make sense at any other time of year, this overly stylised version encourages other people to do the same. Engaging with these trends can be a huge marketing boost, as being relatable is often very valuable for a company in order to endear themselves to a potential customer.

What we do know, is that tapping into short term trends is both a science and an art, as over the last few weeks we have experienced and moved on from the Eras tour, #bratsummer and ‘very demure, very mindful’ and many other micro trends, let’s hope that in the everchanging social media landscape, the more relaxed autumnal pace allows for equal creativity perhaps with slightly longer lasting impacts.

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