Weird is the new viral
Giant bags rolling through Paris.
A model covered in cucumbers.
A green owl gets killed, then comes back to life.
Welcome to the internet in 2025, where weird doesn’t just win, it leads. From Duolingo’s chaotic bird drama to Jacquemus turning fashion into a fever dream, the biggest viral moments are the ones that feel a little off. The rules are simple: make it strange, make it sticky. Forget polish, forget logic. Today, chaos is what cuts through the scroll.
Platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels are no longer rewarding perfection. They are built to amplify what makes people stop. And what makes people stop is the unexpected—the unserious, the surreal, the totally unpredictable.
Weirdness gets attention. But more than that, it makes us feel something. Confused. Entertained. Curious. Most of all, it makes us smile.
Weird helps us escape
In a world that feels overwhelming, and reality exhausting, weirdness is not just entertainment, it is a way out. Especially for Gen Z and Gen Alpha, who are constantly online, absurd humor distorts reality, making it unserious, unpredictable, and fun. It turns the chaos of modern life into something they can laugh at, not just scroll past.
Why weirdness resonates so well right now:
Absurd as a coping mechanism - Weird humor is more than just a trend, it is a way for younger generations to process the unpredictability of modern life. Absurdism takes the chaos of reality and turns it into something entertaining, making it easier to navigate an oversaturated digital world.
Authenticity over polish - Authenticity matters more than perfection. Gen Z and Gen Alpha gravitate toward content that feels raw and unfiltered rather than overly produced. Polished marketing feels artificial, while weird, unserious content comes across as real and relatable.
Community-building through weirdness - Shared absurdist humor creates an "inside joke" culture, where being in on the joke fosters a sense of belonging. In an internet landscape that moves fast and fragments even faster, these digital micro-communities thrive on humor that feels exclusive, niche, and completely unhinged.
Weird content disrupts the scroll, turns passive viewers into active participants, and creates entire subcultures built around in-jokes, absurd premises, and viral micro-trends.
As brands, creators, and algorithms prioritize this unpredictability, the real question is: how far can weird go?
How to get weird right as a brand
Weirdness works, but only when it is done with precision. The internet rewards chaos, but not all chaos is created equal. The brands that thrive in this space understand that weird content is not just about randomness. It is about creating a controlled sense of unpredictability that demands attention.
Rule #1 - Embrace chaos and randomness
Weird content thrives on unpredictability. It often lacks a clear punchline or logical flow, instead using random moments, surreal visuals, and layered irony to capture attention, creating something that forces engagement simply because it is too strange to ignore. People do not just consume weird content, they share it because it’s strange, unsettling, and impossible to ignore. They interact with it because they are trying to make sense of something that refuses to be decoded. That moment of complete confusion is exactly what makes it stick.
Rule #2 - Understand platform-driven behavior
Weirdness is not just a creative decision, it is a platform-driven behavior. TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts are designed to reward unpredictability. They push content that disrupts the scroll and generates immediate engagement. The rise of low effort and high impact formats like quick cuts, bizarre filters, and surreal soundbites has made chaotic storytelling the new default. With the potential TikTok ban looming in certain regions, this behavior is likely to shift even further onto platforms like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. Brands will have to adopt an even more TikTok-esque tone to stay relevant. The platforms may change, but the appetite for unpredictable and unserious content is not going anywhere.
Rule #3 - Look for cultural roots in Dadaism and Nihilism
Weirdness is not random, it has deep cultural roots. This movement follows a lineage that goes back to Dadaism, where rejecting logic and embracing absurdity was a way of breaking conventions. The modern internet has turned that philosophy into a form of digital surrealism that rejects traditional storytelling in favor of something messier, more chaotic, and more engaging. The internet is not just consuming weirdness. It is using it to reframe how we process the world.
Rule #4 - Make it interactive and participatory
Weirdness works best when it is interactive and participatory. The most successful weird content is not just watched. It is remixed, reinterpreted, and expanded upon by the audience. They want to contribute to it. The explosion of AI-generated memes has taken this even further. Users now play with machine-generated weirdness to create their own spin-offs. This participatory nature makes weirdness more than just a trend, it’s a digital language that keeps evolving.
Rule #4 - Partner with creators that get it
Not every brand can do weird well, and forcing it could backfire. The best way to tap into absurdity without missing the mark is to collaborate with creators who already speak the language. Internet culture moves fast, and the voices shaping it—meme accounts, niche TikTok creators, and digital trendsetters—understand the nuances of weird better than any focus group ever could. If weird is not in your brand’s DNA, find the people who can make it feel natural. Give them creative freedom, let them push the boundaries, and trust that their version of unhinged will land better than anything that feels forced. Marc Jacobs, for example, has successfully leveraged micro-influencers to create a highly engaging and authentic presence on TikTok, proving that niche creators can drive massive reach and cultural relevance.
Rule #5 - Be brave
Weird content works because it pushes boundaries, and playing it safe is the fastest way to get ignored. Offbeat, unhinged executions feel risky, but that is exactly why they resonate. In a digital landscape that is only getting stranger, brands that fully commit to absurdity stand out. Gen Z and Gen Alpha reward brands that go all in, whether it is surreal storytelling, chaotic humor, or campaigns that make no logical sense but feel impossible to scroll past. The key is not just being weird for weird’s sake, but embracing unpredictability in a way that feels bold, intentional, and unapologetic.
The future of weird
As TikTok faces potential bans and platforms like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts fight for dominance, the landscape of weird content will keep shifting. But one thing is certain: the internet isn’t getting less chaotic anytime soon. If anything, it’s becoming even more fragmented, even more hyper-niche. AI-generated media is already adding a new layer of strangeness to digital culture, making it harder to tell what’s real, what’s satire, and what’s just the algorithm running wild. The next evolution of weird content might not even be fully human-made.
Another indicator pointing to more weirdness is Demna now at the helm of Gucci. Expect even fashion’s biggest house to push the boundaries of surrealism in digital marketing, following the viral impact of Balenciaga’s bizarre campaigns in his tenure as Creative Director.
The future of social media isn’t clean, polished, or predictable. It’s experimental, surreal, and sometimes completely incomprehensible. Weird isn’t a trend, it’s the new foundation of internet culture. And in an ecosystem where everything is fighting for attention, the only way to stand out is to embrace the chaos.
Weird is the new normal on social media. And it is only going to get weirder.
@marcjacobs Marc Jacobs charms for dinner 🍜 @sibatable ♬ original sound - marcjacobs
