IGNITION ZEITGEIST

Ignition Zeitgeist is a handy resource for staying ahead of the cultural curve, covering the latest trends in entertainment, tech and marketing. Delivered straight to your inbox, Ignition Zeitgeist is designed for everyone who wants to stay informed, but only has time for the headlines. Whether it's the latest industry flash-in-the-pan, intriguing augurs of genuine cultural and societal change or the latest ephemeral viral sensation... Ignition Creative has you covered.

June 25, 2025

Trending 1: 28 Years Later

The what… The iconic zombie franchise is back and making a bloody splash. The long awaited follow-up to 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later follows a small group of survivors attempting to exist in a world which is still heavily under quarantine, whilst also trying to avoid contact with the terrifying and relentless infected.

More 28 Years Later, later... How ’28 Years Later’ sets up its sequel (SPOILERS)

Back from the dead... Revisiting the franchise 

Trending 2: CineEurope 2025

The what… CineEurope, Europe's largest convention and trade show for the cinema exhibition and film industry, has just wrapped on its 2025 edition. The festival, which has been held annually for 34 years, features film screenings, product presentations, educational programming, and networking opportunities for industry professionals. Barcelona plays host to the event which attracts 4,000 attendees, including exhibitors, distributors, and representatives from major Hollywood and European studios.

Disney dazzles… The biggest moments

Trending 3: Lionsgate in deal with TikTok US for ‘Ballerina’ ticket sales

The what… Viewers of the live-streamed “Ballerina” premiere were able to directly purchase tickets within the social platform’s app by visiting the TikTok Shop and buying a bundle of merchandise tied to the film. Within the bundle, customers received a physical ticket that was redeemable for a showtime of their choice.

Trending 4: A Busy Month For Netflix

The what… Netflix Tudum 2025 was a live global fan event held on May 31st at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, and also streamed live on Netflix. The event featured appearances from stars like Lady Gaga, Noah Schnapp, and Hanumankind, along with exclusive reveals and performances. Fans were treated to sneak peeks of upcoming shows and movies, including "Stranger Things," "Wednesday," "Happy Gilmore 2," and "Knives Out: Wake Up Dead Man". But the big announcements didn’t stop with Tudum.

New things and Stranger Things... Everything announced at Netflix Tudum 2025

Trending 5: Warner Bros. Discovery Splits In Two

The what… The owner of CNN and HBO Max, Warner Bros Discovery, says it will split into two companies by the middle of next year. The US media giant plans to separate its studio and streaming business away from its more traditional cable television networks.

Disney doubles down... Disney commits to unified offering

Trending 6: Harry Potter Series

The what… News concerning the upcoming Harry Potter series is starting to ramp up with new details coming faster than a Golden Snitch. The series will be a “faithful adaptation” of the books by Rowling, “full of the fantastic detail, much-loved characters and dramatic locations that Harry Potter fans have loved for over 25 years”, according to HBO. Audiences can expect the first series in late 2026 or early 2027.

Trending 7: Gaming Upfronts, Showcases and Switch 2

The what… As the UK finally enters into the Summer, the games industry has presented us with a flurry of announcements that will see many of us closing the blinds and trying to ignoring the nagging feeling that we really should be outside… and then there’s the small matter of the Nintendo Switch 2.

Sony State Of Play… Everything announced

Trending 8: Nintendo Switch 2 Launch

The what… It’s a’here! The Nintendo Switch 2 hit shelves in early June to much fanfare and was accompanied by a host of launch titles, including new first party titles which included…drumroll… a new Mario Kart offering. 

Monitoring… news to keep an eye on

Monitoring 1: Entertainment / Video Game Crossovers

The what… With 40+ video game based movies currently in development and a string of recent success stories to prove the model, we’re excited to see our two favourite sectors collide and are eagerly watching to see if these crossovers can continue to realise their potential. In this section we also cover video games based on entertainment IP.

Monitoring 2: AI Marketing

The what… Where to start… AI is already having a tangible influence on the entertainment and creative sectors, with the potential for greater impact yet to come. Ignition Zeitgeist will tease out the latest meaningful developments and noteworthy uses.

Monitoring 3: TikTok

The what… it’s been hard to escape the existential drama concerning the future of TikTok in the US. With an array of high profile suitors waiting in the wings and a change of administration, it feels like there are lots of twists and turns to come.

TikTok World: Watch here

Insight Of The Week

ChatGPT has reached a quarter of the online population in just two years, a pace of adoption that beats all other digital platforms, with the exception of TikTok. While some tools take years to gain mainstream traction, ChatGPT has gone from niche to normal at record speed. It's a reminder how rapidly new tech can scale when utility meets novelty and cultural relevance. Source: GWI

Don’t Believe Everything You See On The Internet… Of The Week

A new inclusion to Ignition Zeitgeist highlighting some of the questionable / unlikely / madcap ideas doing the rounds on the internet. 

The Pentagon Pizza Report monitors fast food deliveries to the US Pentagon or Department of Defence. The idea being that if workers in those departments are particularly busy, they can’t leave their desks which could mean that serious things are afoot. Ergo: If pizza deliveries go up in Washington D.C., it could signal an imminent crisis. Source: Euronews

This theory is reminiscent of a Cold War era espionage legend where the Soviets detected high levels of daily footfall to a particular spot within the Pentagon’s central courtyard. The Soviets convinced themselves that it was the entrance to an underground bunker… when in fact, it was (allegedly) a hotdog stand.

Ads We Love

We love this simple but impactful OOH activation for Final Destination: Bloodlines. Shopping centres provide the perfect controlled environment for bespoke OOH, where brands can combine experiential and traditional formats to create unique experiences. See more here.

WTF Of The Week

Sydney Sweeney has partnered with soap brand Dr. Squatch to sell a limited addition line of bars infused with her bathwater.

The product push comes after Sweeney’s now-viral ad for Dr. Squatch Natural Body Wash last October, which featured her in a bubble bath addressing “dirty little boys.” Source: CNN

And Finally

We were delighted to win 5 awards at the recent Golden Trailer Awards. Congratulations to Black Bear, Disney+, Netflix and Prime Video.

Best Foreign Thriller: Ad Vitam, ‘Last Chance’, Netflix, Ignition Creative London

Best Drama TV Spot – TV/Streaming Series: Shōgun, ‘Outstanding’, Disney+, Ignition Creative London

Best Horror/Thriller TrailerByte (Feature Film): The Monkey, ‘Terrify’, Black Bear, Ignition Creative London

Best Action/Thriller TrailerByte (TV/Streaming Series): Fallout, ‘Doom Scrolling’, Prime Video, Ignition Creative London

Best International Poster: The Monkey, Black Bear, Ignition Creative London