As audiences grow weary from digital and social media overload, 2026 is shaping up to be a year where people want a creative outlet to escape. According to the trend report Pinterest Predicts, consumers are gravitating toward visual experimentation, emotionally rooted throwbacks and tactile, intentional communications.
Three emerging themes — whimsy, nostalgia and pen pals — highlight how marketers can move beyond the everyday and create moments of delight that connect with audiences across digital and physical experiences.
Whimsy
According to Pinterest Predicts, adding a little whimsy to your brand might be a great way to start the new year. The “Glitchy Glam” trend focuses on the increased desire for intentional imperfections as a stylistic approach — favoring unexpected colors, asymmetrical shapes and content that feels playful and curious — while “Fun Haus” captures the rising appetite for pattern-heavy décor and experimental architecture with a touch of camp.
As polished minimalism begins to feel predictable, marketers can lean into whimsy as a creative counterbalance. For example, consider creating whimsical environments for event spaces by utilizing oversized props and mixing patterns and graphic lighting to produce a fun and immersive experience for guests. Brands like Airbnb have already embraced this approach with categories such as “Treehouses,” “Farm Stay” and “Yurts” that have elevated travel and increased interest in unique experiences.
On social media, whimsy can be expressed through charming, character-driven elements, such as company mascots or brand alter egos — alongside purposeful imperfections in content execution. Unexpected transitions, lo-fi design details and curated blooper-style moments are playful ways marketers can humanize the creation process and embrace unconventional techniques.
Nostalgia
Another theme identified by Pinterest Predicts is a yearning for the feeling of nostalgia. According to its research, audiences — particularly younger generations — crave an emotional connection to the past. Younger generations love, for example, listening to their parents’ music and thrifting. Pinterest noted that 52% of respondents say they are rewatching classic television or films to tap into “simpler times.”
Audiences are also fusing the past with the present. Trends like “brooched” (wearing heirloom pins or brooches on 2026 fashions) capture the intermingling of old and new style.
For marketers, this presents a clear opportunity to incorporate nostalgia by including symbols that reference earlier times, such as throwback imagery, filters or sound. Apps like Dispo provide a fun, modern spin on the iconic disposable camera, allowing users to play around with the retro gradient film quality seen in old media.
Beyond digital, nostalgia can extend into experiences. Social moments like era-inspired theme nights or corporate events, supported by curated playlists and period-appropriate styling, offer a shareable way to blend previous decades in a modern-day setting. The takeaway: Effective nostalgic content can resonate deeply with audiences, whether it’s reimagining the past or fully embracing it.
Pen Pals
Pinterest is forecasting a letter-writing “renaissance,” identifying the idea of creating pen pals as an emerging trend for 2026. This reflects a growing consumer interest in handwritten letters, decorative stamps and thoughtfully curated snail-mail gifts — signaling a shift toward more personal, tactile forms of connection.
Brands can leverage this trend by weaving Pinterest’s “pen pals” elements into their visual content. Personalized “Thinking of You” letters sent to influencers strengthen relationships and increase the likelihood that they will share their experience online. Marketers can then repurpose these reactions as user-generated content (UGC). On social platforms, image carousels styled as diary entries can spotlight events or product development — each swipe mimicking the act of flipping through a scrapbook, enhanced with handwritten captions, smudged ink and layered photo collages.
Set-up for success
Keeping up with every social media trend can feel impossible. The best approach? Focus on three, let the rest go and double down on the ones that set your brand up for success.
