Now or Never

A carefree attitude of wanting to live for the moment. Confronted by a daunting, unpredictable future, consumers are embracing the present. Crises have come thick and fast over the past few years, most recently inflation and the rising cost of living.

While consumers are aware that the “sensible” thing is to hunker down and embrace frugality – just as the sensible response to climate change is to adopt more sustainable behaviours – there’s a feeling of malaise in a world where it seems as though the tough times won’t ever let up. It’s why 45% of US 18- to 35-year-olds say they “don’t see the point in saving until things return to normal” (source: Fidelity, 2022). And it’s perhaps why a majority of global consumers agree with the statement “I try to have as much fun as I can now and let the future take care of itself”, with upticks in agreement seen across several markets between 2019 and 2022 (source: Foresight Factory).

The thinking seems to be that if the world is already on fire, why not make the most of the here and now? Brands are facilitating in-the-moment indulgence and pleasure-seeking. BNPL offerings across retail and travel are enabling people to “live now, pay later”, while food and beverage brands like Glonuts and Plink! are rejecting the usual restrained health- and sustainability- focused branding in favour of riotous colour and playful messaging. Meanwhile, weariness about the future is prompting some consumers to take comfort in the past, hence the rising appeal of nostalgia and “fauxstalgia” – yearning for a time in the past that one hasn’t actually experienced oneself, which partly explains the appeal of all things Y2k on TikTok.

Indeed, 68% globally agree that “the stresses of modern life mean that people are less happy than they used to be” (source: Foresight Factory, 2022). The Now or Never attitude is about reclaiming that happiness through whatever means possible, before it’s too late..