In design and branding, colour isn’t shallow. It’s emotional, political, generational, colour forms and builds culture. It speaks. And right now, there’s a growing rumble under the curated surface: what if the telling voice in 2026 isn’t coming from colour-forecasting houses, but from the people? Pantone’s official voice Earlier this month, Pantone unveiled its 2026 pick: Cloud Dancer  — a soft white, airy, calm, elegant. The idea? A clean reset, a neutral backdrop for creati

In the world of graphic design, trends come and go, but there’s one that’s slowly making waves across the globe and forcing brands to rethink their design strategies: New Ugly . Coined by designer Jiarui Wang  in her master’s dissertation at the Royal College of Art, the "New Ugly" style challenges the conventional understanding of what “good design” is. Rather than relying on the clean lines, minimalism, and polished aesthetics often associated with modern design, “New Ugly”

There’s a new fault line in prestige beauty: go-big-and-scale-with-Sephora, or stay deliberately selective and keep control. Two very different modern plays — Victoria Beckham Beauty’s refusal to fully lean into Sephora-style mass prestige, and Rhode’s $1 billion acquisition by e.l.f. followed by a record-making Sephora launch — show us the tradeoffs. The headline moves Victoria Beckham Beauty:  according to recent reporting, Sephora reportedly courted Victoria Beckham’s beau

Gen Z doesn’t buy products the way older generations do. They buy values, identity, and emotional resonance , things you can’t just slap on a shelf or post as a static ad. Rare Beauty, Selena Gomez’s beauty brand, has cracked this code. And while you might think it’s just a celeb effect, the truth is deeper: Rare Beauty isn’t selling makeup it’s selling the feeling of being seen, understood, and included . Here’s what marketers LIKE YOU should note for YOUR BRAND: 1. Purpose

If 2025 was the year of “authenticity,” 2026 is the year of intentionality. Everything we’ve built in digital storytelling, the rise of UGC & cinematic campaigns. The audiences have matured, algorithms have evolved, and the brands that will thrive in 2026 are the ones who slow down enough to think differently. At GKE MEDIA , we’ve spent the last few months analysing beauty, fashion, and creator marketing through one question: What’s shaping the next wave of influence? Here’s

If fashion used to sell products , it now sells worlds . The last 24 months have made one thing obvious: luxury houses aren’t satisfied with glossy lookbooks anymore — they’re producing short films, commissioning feature-grade directors, and building in-house production arms. The result? Campaigns that behave less like ads and more like cultural content: cinematic, narrative-driven, and made to live across streaming, social and immersive platforms. The proof in the reels (and

Having worked in the Beauty industry for a small number of years (with an Gen X and older brand) I could see that marketing towards...

At the VMAs, Doja Cat didn’t just walk the red carpet, she devoured it. Literally. The moment she ate  a lipstick left fans gagged (pun...

Gen Z doesn’t fall for mass marketing anymore. They don’t want brands that “kind of” resonate with everyone, they want brands that feel...

The Hype That Was In the indie author space one of the most important aspects is marketing, specifically, digital marketing. Unlike...

Before we delve in, we should ask…What Are Micro & Macro Influencers, Anyway? Micro influencers typically have between 1,000 to 100,000...

In a digital world where every scroll is a pitch, it's tempting to reach for the emotional hook that guarantees clicks: pity. But there's...

GKE MEDIA | Newsletter Issue 06 If you thought sliding into DMs was only for memes and flirtations—think again. Luxury labels like Louis...

The Legacy: No7 is one of the UK’s most recognisable beauty and skincare brands within the UK and for good reason. Their commitment to...

If you’ve seen the newspapers, the polaroids, the editorial drop—you already know: GKE MEDIA has re-entered the chat. But this isn’t a...

Hot Takes That Might Hurt Your Feelings (But Will Help Your Brand’s image and marketing) Let’s cut the fluff. At GKE MEDIA, we believe in...

You’ve seen it, you’re consuming it every time you scroll social media: Rhode’s blurry paparazzi shoots & 80’s gym attire, Burberry’s...

When you hear the term ‘rage bait,’ what comes to mind? A clickbait title? A controversial opinion? Or maybe a viral video that everyone...

If you’ve scrolled through any high-end campaign recently, you’ve probably noticed one thing—food. From honey and milk to martinis, food...