(And What We Can Learn from Them)
As the holidays rolled in, the internet buzzed with a mix of festive cheer, year-end reflections, and the occasional dash of drama. For social media folks, December was either a blissful waiting game or a chaotic cluster of last-minute duties. (“Can I have that by EOY, please?”)
While the world grappled with closing out another trip around the sun, social media became a hub for creators and audiences alike to find moments of joy, humor, and connection.
So, what creative waves made a splash on social media during the final stretch of the year? Let’s dive into December’s top trends and uncover insights to keep the creative momentum going as we step into the new year.
Introducing possibly the most insane trend we’ve seen in a while. TikTok users had a heyday telling their most laughable, embarrassing stories in the form of a carousel, giving us increasingly shocking details with each slide, with Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” (the choir version from Deadpool & Wolverine) playing in the background. Oh, and did we mention the visuals used are literally just a deranged-looking Muppet named Pepe the King Prawn staring into the abyss, donning a look of horror.
People had a ton of fun with this trend, garnering millions of likes and views, making the most of their worst moments. If you still can’t quite picture it, or you just want to laugh a bit, here are a few good examples:
https://www.tiktok.com/@loulouorange/photo/7445409309304917291
https://www.tiktok.com/@tpain/photo/7446467603859606814
https://www.tiktok.com/@meganchacalos/photo/7445410147511389486 (TikTok's favorite)
Why it works: Let’s face it… people LOVE drama and laughing at other people’s expense. And hey, as long as the victim of the situation is laughing with you, we say it’s alright to indulge a bit from time to time. This trend is the perfect way to tap into people’s devious sense of humor and truly capitalize on shock factor. Coupling these stories with a dramatic audio like this one just adds to the laughability.
Call-Out: Look for quick and easy trends like this one that require no filming. All you need is the photo of Pepe and a crazy story to tell. (Pro Tip: Create a few different zoomed in/out, cropped versions of Pepe’s photo to add to the drama.)
Whether it’s regarding your loved ones, your life choices, or your career, we’ve all had someone say something kind of off-putting that makes us want to go “What would possess you to say that?” One creative user started a great trend for calling out these odd things using audio from a scene in the 2010 film Alice in Wonderland between Alice and Lady Ascot.
Lady Ascot: “The gardeners have planted white roses, when I specifically asked for red.”
Alice: “You could always paint the roses red.”
Lady Ascot: “What an odd thing to say.”
People related this back to their “WTF”-inducing conversations by stating a fact about their life, responding to themselves with a weird thing to say, and then lip syncing “What an odd thing to say…”
We’re not going to pretend these are funny examples. TBH…they’re all pretty real and sad. But, we recognize there was opportunity (which was probably taken elsewhere) for brands and creators to make this a little more lighthearted and laugh at weird things people have said to them about their business or content. Anyways, here you go:
Why it works: Not dissimilar to our last trend, this one offers a chance for creators to share their unfortunate experiences and for viewers to empathize with and relate to their story.
Call-Out: If you’re a brand or creator, look for trends like this that allow you to pinpoint a common misconception about your niche and call out the odd nature of that opinion you didn’t ask for.
Admittedly, this trend originated at the end of November with the release of Wicked: Part One. However, it spent plenty of time in December cracking the internet up and making its rounds on all kinds of brand/creator accounts. In an interview that is now engraved in every theatre kid’s brain, stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo were informed by their interviewer that a lot of people were “holding space” for one of the musical’s most well-loved songs, “Defying Gravity.”
As you can see in this playback shared on The View, Cynthia and Ariana seem to be overcome with emotion and thankfulness. Come to find out, both actresses really had no clue what the interviewer was getting at. The moment felt like it was supposed to be special, but no one (including the interviewer) seemed to know how to define what they meant by “holding space.”
Of course, the internet began rubbing their hands together menacingly and with delight at the sight of a new meme. People quickly began poking fun at the interviewer’s use of the phrase by creating content claiming to be “holding space for Defying Gravity” or whatever other random thing they’d like to hold space for in that moment. It’s truly one of those memes where you gotta have the context, and it did manage to confuse a lot of users. Nevertheless, quite the trend.
Oh, also, we forgot to mention that this meme was often paired with a cute little picture/video of Ariana holding Cynthia’s finger in an odd way, attempting to comfort her during this (seemingly) forced emotional moment.
Why it works: Wicked has always been a wildly popular musical, and with the release of Jon M. Chu’s movie version, the internet is still having the best time talking about the little intricacies of the Wicked world. Someone saw that interview and knew that awkward moment had potential, created a post, and made waves on the internet in the best way.
Call-Out: While it may be hard to start the joke, you can always hop on it in whatever way you see fit to relate it back to your content. If you’re a job-related platform like @girlboss, you can find ways to relate it to meetings, interviews or resumes. If you’re a–I don’t know–let’s say…marketing agency, you can implement this trend into something about content creation, working with clients, or using design software. The possibilities are endless with these kinds of joking trends, and we hope you’ll keep an eye out in the new year. (Especially with award season upon us. There’s always something funny that comes out of that.)
As @reelstips put it on Instagram, some people decided to skip the 2024 montage and make a simple before & after transition video to show how far they’ve come in a year. This presented a great opportunity for creators and brands alike to showcase their growth, their stats and their proudest moments in a fun and creative way.
Here are a few neat examples of this trend. There’s no dedicated audio, but rather just a theme that many creators picked up on and appreciated:
Why it works: Over the past few years, it became very common to do a montage of your year timed to a trending audio, creating a highlight reel of your best moments in the last 365 days. While many still participated in this tradition, creators/brands were won over by this “last year vs. this year” trend because it presented a fresh perspective to an already popular trend and required potentially even less effort.
Call-Out: If you come across a new trend that feels reminiscent of a previously loved one, be sure to consider how it might be beneficial for your social media presence. Not every trend has to be jumped on, but it’s certainly helpful to stay on the lookout for content styles that will send the right message.
As we wrap up our exploration of December’s standout social media trends, one thing is clear: the online world continues to deliver creativity, humor, and connection in ways that resonate deeply (or shallowly) with audiences. From quirky carousels featuring a crazed Muppet to heartfelt before/afters showcasing personal growth, these trends have not only entertained but also offered valuable insights into capturing a new audience and encouraging engagement.
Now, come on, let’s take these insights in 2025. 💪 Remember to look for opportunities to:
And, seriously… get ready for award season! It technically already started at the end of ‘24, but the real biggies have yet to commence. Award season is one of the most lucrative times of the year to catch a good meme, and we believe every social media creator ought to stand ready to jump on the next pop culture trend that arises from these events. They just objectively kill it nearly every time.
That’s all for now. Happy new year from That RANDOM Agency! 🎉
At That RANDOM Agency, we utilize two of our core values – curiosity and collaboration – to bring you consistent content helping you learn about the great digital landscape and how to operate like a boss within it. Check out our other blog posts on our Random Thoughts page or schedule a discovery call today!
