What stopped the scroll in September?

21.09.26 | By Clara Daley

The thumb. The shortest finger. And the sign of true creative success. Because if a piece of creativity paused the thumb’s doom-scroll flick, it actually cut through.

By day, we’re a team of strategists, copywriters and designers. By night, we’re a team of consumers. It’s a full-time job on top of our full-time jobs. (Literally: the average Aussie spends 41 hours a week online.)

I conducted an incredibly scientific study in the office. By which I mean, I demanded each individual hand over their unlocked phone and reveal what was lurking in their saved posts, opened emails and search history.

Here’s what three advertising creatives are paying attention to this month. The serious. The silly. The surprising.

1. A squishy stick of butter

“I can’t get it out of my head. ‘Butter squishy’ doesn't even make sense, but who cares?”

Bri, Creative Director

What does this say about culture?

The digital world is overwhelming. Constant notifications, infinite scrolls, algorithms that track your every move. Not that we’re going to stop living online any time soon. But analogue toys literally give your hands something else to squish.

Sunny Days Entertainment produces a range of sensory toys, from carrots and hot dogs to toilet paper and Highland cows. Familiar, nostalgic shapes. For kids, these toys are cheap entertainment (about $5) conveniently sold at major retailers like Target or Walmart or Amazon. For adults, they’re a work-appropriate form of self-soothing.

We can’t overlook the role of the algorithm. Satisfying ASMR content like slow pours, sand cutting, and bubble popping are hypnotic. They have a beginning, middle and an end. A tiny story in four seconds. Comedic and confused product reviews sent Butter Squishy viral. “Looks like butter! Feels like squishy!” The acceptance of adult fidget toys has melted this toy to desks.

“I can’t get it out of my head. ‘Butter squishy’ doesn't even make sense, but who cares?”

Bri, Creative Director

What does this say about culture?

The digital world is overwhelming. Constant notifications, infinite scrolls, algorithms that track your every move. Not that we’re going to stop living online any time soon. But analogue toys literally give your hands something else to squish.

Sunny Days Entertainment produces a range of sensory toys, from carrots and hot dogs to toilet paper and Highland cows. Familiar, nostalgic shapes. For kids, these toys are cheap entertainment (about $5) conveniently sold at major retailers like Target or Walmart or Amazon. For adults, they’re a work-appropriate form of self-soothing.

We can’t overlook the role of the algorithm. Satisfying ASMR content like slow pours, sand cutting, and bubble popping are hypnotic. They have a beginning, middle and an end. A tiny story in four seconds. Comedic and confused product reviews sent Butter Squishy viral. “Looks like butter! Feels like squishy!” The acceptance of adult fidget toys has melted this toy to desks.

2. ChatGPT Ads hits $1 billion

“This number made me do a double take.”

Clara, Copywriter & Strategist

What does this say about culture?

The language of usefulness is built into LLMs. Open up ChatGPT, and the screen says: “Where should we begin?” Claude greets you with a cheery, “You’re here! How can I help you today?” Golden retriever energy in a chatbot.

Humans get sick of answering questions. (Just ask a parent with a toddler who needs to know why the sky is blue right now.) We judge people who ask “stupid questions”. Friendly invitations like “Ready when you are” or “Ask anything” make us feel empowered. Free to type away in the privacy of a browser, seen only by OpenAI.

200 days have passed since Australian brands like Budget Direct, Kogan, L’Oréal Group, Luxury Escapes, Virgin Australia and Xero could place ads on the platform. ChatGPT Ads has already reached $1 billion in annualised revenue run rate, also known as the number they expect to make in 365 days.

ChatGPT Ads work to create a sense that the platform is on our side. Traditional paid ads can feel like an interruption. This feels like a personal solution. A member of the ads solution team explains it like this: “Advertisers … want more than reach, they want to …[show] up at a genuinely useful moment for their customers." It’s a pointier form of targeting.

“This number made me do a double take.”

Clara, Copywriter & Strategist

What does this say about culture?

The language of usefulness is built into LLMs. Open up ChatGPT, and the screen says: “Where should we begin?” Claude greets you with a cheery, “You’re here! How can I help you today?” Golden retriever energy in a chatbot.

Humans get sick of answering questions. (Just ask a parent with a toddler who needs to know why the sky is blue right now.) We judge people who ask “stupid questions”. Friendly invitations like “Ready when you are” or “Ask anything” make us feel empowered. Free to type away in the privacy of a browser, seen only by OpenAI.

200 days have passed since Australian brands like Budget Direct, Kogan, L’Oréal Group, Luxury Escapes, Virgin Australia and Xero could place ads on the platform. ChatGPT Ads has already reached $1 billion in annualised revenue run rate, also known as the number they expect to make in 365 days.

ChatGPT Ads work to create a sense that the platform is on our side. Traditional paid ads can feel like an interruption. This feels like a personal solution. A member of the ads solution team explains it like this: “Advertisers … want more than reach, they want to …[show] up at a genuinely useful moment for their customers." It’s a pointier form of targeting.

3. Sexy billboards are back

"I couldn't name a single billboard in Melbourne right now. But I've looked at this one in LA for hours."

Sam, Account Manager

What does this say about culture?

The giant emotional support water bottle wave has peaked. In its wake comes powdered electrolytes. The solve for the inconvenience of clutching a heavy, baby-sized accessory under our arm at all times.

Google Trends results show searches for “hydration powder” have spiked +4,500% in the last 5 years. It’s a marker of self-care, an aesthetic ritual that boosts energy, focus and wellbeing (go get that glowing skin). To elevate water beyond a thirst quencher, brands like Hyro, Sodii and Dr. Hydrate feature fit-fluencers on podiums, clean backdrops, motion blur and stats like, “40% of the general population lives in a state of chronic dehydration.”

Magna’s billboard pokes its tongue out at the category’s seriousness. The neon yellow text, perfectly sculpted body and tiny silver thong look like 2000s pin-up advertising. The mother is so sexualised it’s almost camp. In other iterations, a grey-haired grandma wrapped in chains swings a sledgehammer around her head.

The algorithm rewards shock factor. That’s probably how this OOH ad travelled 12,748 kilometres across the Pacific Ocean to a screen near us.

"I couldn't name a single billboard in Melbourne right now. But I've looked at this one in LA for hours."

Sam, Account Manager

What does this say about culture?

The giant emotional support water bottle wave has peaked. In its wake comes powdered electrolytes. The solve for the inconvenience of clutching a heavy, baby-sized accessory under our arm at all times.

Google Trends results show searches for “hydration powder” have spiked +4,500% in the last 5 years. It’s a marker of self-care, an aesthetic ritual that boosts energy, focus and wellbeing (go get that glowing skin). To elevate water beyond a thirst quencher, brands like Hyro, Sodii and Dr. Hydrate feature fit-fluencers on podiums, clean backdrops, motion blur and stats like, “40% of the general population lives in a state of chronic dehydration.”

Magna’s billboard pokes its tongue out at the category’s seriousness. The neon yellow text, perfectly sculpted body and tiny silver thong look like 2000s pin-up advertising. The mother is so sexualised it’s almost camp. In other iterations, a grey-haired grandma wrapped in chains swings a sledgehammer around her head.

The algorithm rewards shock factor. That’s probably how this OOH ad travelled 12,748 kilometres across the Pacific Ocean to a screen near us.

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