May proved that culture moves through moments, not just campaigns. From fashion to sports to entertainment, we dive into this month’s biggest events that didn’t just capture attention, but also created it.
The Rise of Performance Beauty
May brought the growing intersection of sports, wellness, and beauty to the forefront as brands increasingly position movement as both self-care and beauty. This month, skincare brand Paula’s Choice became the Official Skincare Sponsor of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while our friends at ASICS launched “Get the Glow,” a campaign promoting short term movement endorphins as the ultimate skin boost. Together, these launches continue to blur the lines of athletics, aesthetics, and wellness culture, signaling a growing consumer desire to visibly glow.
Launches like NikeSKIMS’ luxury performance wear, and Hawaiian Tropic’s Sports Illustrated campaign further signal where the market is headed: consumers are no longer separating beauty from fitness. In 2026, wellness is increasingly being marketed as both a performance and aesthetic experience, one that feels aspirational and deeply integrated into everyday lifestyle culture.
The Dark Horse’s Golden Ticket
The third time’s the charm for Kentucky Derby underdog Golden Tempo, who defied the odds after back-to-back third-place finishes in previous races. Trained by Cherie DeVaux — now the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby — and ridden by jockey José Ortiz, the spectacle made a historic last-to-first surge after starting the race at the very back of the pack, bypassing 12 horses to edge out the morning-line favorite. For DeVaux and Golden Tempo, it was a historic win, reminding marketers that emotional underdog stories and great storytelling continue to capture consumer attention.
But beyond the track, the Kentucky Derby once again proved itself to be far more than a sporting event. Year after year, the Derby draws massive audiences where fashion, celebrity, sports, hospitality, and social media collide in real time. From luxury fashion moments and creator content to branded lounges and cocktail partnerships, the event has evolved into a full-scale experiential marketing affair. The Derby continues to show the power of live cultural moments, experiences audiences want to witness, share, and participate in alongside brands. Admittedly our agency’s deep racing pedigree may bias us but we love when this sport takes center stage.
Horror is Back … and Audiences are Obsessed.
Grab your popcorn: packing theaters this month is breakout indie horror film Obsession, directed by 26-year-old Curry Barker. Created on a $750,000 budget, the film has earned nearly 80 times that amount in just weeks. The story follows Bear, played by Michael Johnston, a hopeless romantic who makes a wish for his longtime crush Nikki, played by Inde Navarrette, to love him more than anyone else in the world. The consequences of the “One Wish Willow” quickly spiral into a disturbing and horrific sequence of events.
Blending Gen Z-style psychological horror with deeper commentary around male control and female autonomy, the film has become far more than a box office surprise. It’s a cultural conversation piece. What makes Obsession even more notable from a marketing perspective is how audiences are engaging with it. The film became the only wide-release horror movie on record to grow at this scale in its second weekend, pulling in $22.4M, up 30% from opening weekend.
On social media, the response to Obsession has been outrageous. The film’s momentum has been heavily fueled by TikTok reactions, behind the scene cuts, memes, and fan discourse surrounding actress Inde Navarrette’s standout performance, particularly her now-iconic head tilt, backwards walk, and genuinely terrifying presence throughout the film. Audiences themselves are generating the urgency to “see it before it gets spoiled,” proving just how powerful social buzz and audience participation can be in modern entertainment marketing.At a time when streaming dominates entertainment, consumers are still showing up for theatrical experiences that feel communal, emotional, and impossible to miss online. Between packed theaters and intense word-of-mouth momentum, Obsession is helping revive a relatively dry horror landscape through culturally resonant storytelling.
In the Feed:
Meta Launches Instants
- This month, Meta launched Instants, a new photo-sharing app and Instagram integration designed around spontaneous, unedited posting. Positioned as a competitor to BeReal and Snapchat, the feature encourages real-time sharing, giving users another way to document moments throughout their day. Meta’s strategic launches of Threads, Edits, and Instants over the last few years signal its continued efforts to capture consumers’ attention across platforms, while leaning into the already-established shift toward casual, personality-driven content and more authentic digital experiences.
Moments Over Polished Pieces
- May highlighted an important marketing truth that we have long believed: in order to break through, brands can’t just create advertisements, they need to create moments. From the Kentucky Derby and Met Gala to Cannes and breakout films, the month’s biggest cultural moments succeeded because they gave audiences something to react to, participate in, and share online. The moments that resonated most weren’t necessarily the most polished, they were the most culturally engaging. In 2026, attention is increasingly driven by conversation, not just campaigns.
See you next month!