Aristocrat heirs, Berghain K-pop idols, indie sleaze, and Martha Stewart luxury: the content world is going Brat. Welcome to Summer 2025’s messy, maximalist, unapologetic new era.
From Paris runaways to late-night K-pop chaos, Brat Summer 2025 marks a dramatic turn in content culture. Brands, influencers, and creators are riding a wave of emotional, messy, maximalist storytelling that prizes candor, neon grunge, and Martha Stewart-style homebody luxury. The era of sanitized feeds is over; this summer, ‘don’t care’ is the new cool.
Summer 2025 wasn’t supposed to look like this. On paper, the year was meant for clean lines, curated luxury, and algorithmic perfection—yet what’s actually everywhere is chaos, candor, and a kind of beautiful, bratty maximalism.
The signals are there:
V and Bogum giving Parisian aristocrat runaway lovers vibes, K-pop idols swapping “idol mode” for late-night Berghain energy, indie sleaze flashbacks hitting the runways, and even Martha Stewart giving a masterclass in homebody luxury. And, of course, Charlie xcx music and aesthetic taking over. For the time being, the “rules” of content and brand strategy have been suppended: polish is out, attitude is in.
Across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, feeds are packed with scenes that look almost cinematic in their imperfection:
The #BratSummer hashtag has surged to over 270 million TikTok views, propelled by creators and brands who are done apologizing for a little mess, a little “too much,” and a lot of personality.
Why now?
In a year when AI generated content and sanitized feeds have reached saturation, Gen Z and younger millennials are craving something that feels human. Not just raw or anti-polish, but emotionally maximalist: unfiltered, unpredictable, and sometimes downright bratty.
61% of Gen Z now say that “unfiltered” content feels more trustworthy than highly produced brand ads (Ypulse, 2025).
UGC labeled as “messy” or “unhinged” delivers 1.9x more engagement than classic brand-produced posts (Later, 2025).
Maximalist color palettes—think clashing neons, 2000s grunge, and Y2K sparkle—are up 44% in brand creative since last year (Canva Design Trends, 2025).
Brands and influencers leveraging “brat” and “maximalist” vibes in their content are seeing a measurable boost in follower growth and UGC reposts, according to recent analytics from Sprout Social.
What unites the standouts of Brat Summer?
They’re running wild with storytelling that’s emotional, high-energy, and delightfully unpredictable:
Fashion houses and indie labels have adopted neon grunge, wild makeup, and staged “chaotic” BTS footage—less campaign, more party.
Music and nightlife creators are blending performance with after-hours reality, capturing the blur between artist and fan, performer and peer.
Lifestyle and home brands are channeling their inner Martha Stewart—with a wink. Tutorials are maximalist, tongue-in-cheek, and sometimes intentionally “extra,” with meme-y overlays and irreverent voiceovers.
Influencers and micro-creators have stopped apologizing for clutter, mood swings, or “doing too much.” Relatable is in, sanitized is out.
1. Embrace the Mess:
Let your content be raw, emotional, or even a little “don’t care.” Audiences are responding to candor over curation. If you use Rkive AI or some other adjustable AI automation, turn the polish down. It's not a time for caution. Don't fear the cringe, fear the lack of it.
2. Go Maximalist with Visuals:
Lean into bright colors, clashing patterns, wild props, and neon grunge—this isn’t the time for beige. If you have a brand mascot, dress it bratty. If you sell phisicall products, show them in a messy collage over green. If you have the fortune of managing a budget like Uber's, hire someone to do a crossover with Charlie. And if you stand at the pinacle of luck for this trend and happen to sell sausages, do the Bratwust billboard thing. Or just come up with some creative AI generated alternative.
3. Make UGC the Centerpiece:
Share and remix user-generated chaos. The more unpredictable, the more community forms around the vibe. Memefy to the max. Remix to the max. Embrace the absurd and ridicule and rise above the corporate sterility that your competitors will stay in.
4. Unfiltered BTS and Homebody Luxury:
Show the real life behind the shoots: clutter, laughter, snack runs, or homebody luxury moments that feel attainable and aspirational. If the content and visuals you're putting out don't make you wonder if they will later trigger existential embarrasment, unemployment or a lawsuit, you're doing it wrong.
5. Use AI Editing to Enhance (Not Hide) the Chaos:
Modern editing platforms like Rkive AI can amplify high-energy cuts, meme overlays, and dynamic schedules—without stripping away what makes the moment feel real. Avoid realistic AI-generated visuals. If you use synthetic images, make it obvious, brute, weird... like 2000s graphics and advertisment CGI. Otherwise, stick to raw, human footage that captures the bratty vibe and limit your use of AI to editing and social media management automations like Rkive AI
If the last decade was about curation and perfection, Brat Summer is the culture reset:
The next era of content belongs to those willing to share a little more chaos, color, and candor. Whether you’re an indie creator, a global brand, or somewhere in between, the message is clear—this is not the season to play it safe.
Bring on the neon, the grunge, the homebody luxury, and the wild stories.
Summer 2025 is brat, bold, and beautifully messy.
Want to ride the new wave with human, high-energy, and perfectly imperfect content? Rkive AI helps you edit, manage, and scale every mood—no filter required.