Signals

US – On day two of SXSW 2026 in Austin, US, speakers challenged a long-held assumption in marketing: that so-called ‘boring’ categories must produce dull advertising. Instead, speakers argued the opposite, brands in functional sectors may have the greatest opportunity to surprise audiences through entertainment. 

In the session entitled Why Boring Brands Break the Internet, Dan Salkey, founder of creative entertainment company Small World; Adam Morgan, vice-president of brand at cloud-based customer engagement platform Twilio; Izzy Sarrafzadeh, brand advisor at personal care company Dr Squatch; and Nate Skinner, senior director of global brand at website-building company Squarespace, explored why categories such as software and personal care are increasingly using humour, showmanship and cinematic storytelling to drive engagement. 

‘Brands that entertain are brands that grow,’ said Skinner, noting that in utilitarian categories the key challenge is creating emotional resonance where audiences least expect it. The panel argued that the real competition for attention is no longer within a brand’s category, but across the entire entertainment ecosystem – from streaming platforms to gaming and social media. 

Morgan added that even in B2B sectors the same emotional triggers apply. Developers and IT professionals, he argued, want brand stories that connect to their passions whether that’s gaming, comics or the ambition to build technology that changes the world. 

In response, Salkey introduced Small World’s ‘fandom mapping’ tool as a way for brands to identify these cultural overlaps, analysing the communities and interests audiences care about beyond the product itself. ‘Niche is the new mainstream,’ he said, arguing that subcultures provide rich creative territory for brands to enter authentically. 

In an era increasingly saturated with low-effort, AI-generated content, the panel agreed that high-craft creative worlds – from cinematic storytelling to behind-the-scenes production narratives – offer brands a powerful way to stand out and signal a broader shift towards brands adopting entertainment companies’ playbook. The discussion echoed insights from our global events coverage of Cannes Lions and MAD//Fest 2025, where we identified the ‘unhinged humour’ trend as a leading engagement strategy for ‘boring’ brands. Access The Future Laboratory’s full catalogue of events coverage here.