Unreality and Unsung Experiences Shape Creative Trends of AI in 2025

The new year asks for new strategies because we, humans, must keep up with every little minute detail happening in the world. AI in 2025 is set to blur the lines between real and unreal spaces, according to Adobe’s Creative Trends 2025 report. It’s a time when consumers want to interact with creatives that go beyond reality. 

The present state of creativity demands surrealism, ephemeral experiences for Gen Z consumers, and a dose of laughter and nostalgia. The trend of putting maximum effort into adding elements of brand persona to creative work is no longer in vogue and is fading slowly.  

However, incorporating laughter, avoiding controversy, raising the creativity bar with positivity, and tapping into nostalgia is not entirely unique or new for 2025. Meanwhile, the key player here is AI. Adobe’s report indicated clearly that these not-so-new creative trends will be shaped by AI in 2025 for a new-age consumer base and a tech-advanced market. 

Let’s dive straight into Adobe’s report to see what it delivers to strategists and marketing experts. We will also examine whether these trends are true disruptors and how Adobe’s products will support these shifts. 

Out-of-This-World, Out-of-the-Box Imagination Will Come to Life Through AI in 2025 

“Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it, we go nowhere,” said Carl Sagan. This sentiment rings true as creative trends increasingly lean toward infusing AI into the creative process, making 2025 a pivotal year for the convergence of technology and imagination. 

According to Claude Alexandre, VP of Digital Media, B2B Product and Campaign Marketing at Adobe, 2025 will see AI pushing the boundaries between reality and imagination. The upcoming trends aim to deliver maximum output with surrealist creativity while requiring minimal input—a testament to AI’s growing influence. 

Unrealism holds significant potential in today’s world, where people crave experiences that defy conventional reality or exist only in their minds. Efforts to craft bizarre, timeless, and otherworldly creations could captivate audiences. Image-generative AI modules have taken center stage as the tools to realize these visions. Generative AI empowers professionals to break norms, innovate purposefully, and create the unimaginable. 

Employing a “pique-my-interest” strategy for marketing agencies and brands will become essential for capturing consumer attention. Emma Chiu, Global Director of VML Intelligence, highlights how technology increasingly shapes human behavior. Studies reveal that consumers are twice as likely to buy from brands that evoke joy or surprise. Moreover, humorous content remains the most shared on social media, with creative posts ranking fourth in popularity among users under 35. 

As consumer behavior evolves alongside the creatives they encounter, the question arises: won’t AI be shaped similarly? 

While AI promises innovation, its reliance on existing data and art raises ethical concerns. Surveys and reports underscore a key issue: if human-created content is the foundation for training AI, how can brands and agencies trust its integrity? 

Adobe’s Firefly provides a solution. This generative AI tool is exclusively trained on Adobe’s extensive library of licensed and public-domain images, addressing copyright concerns that remain unresolved in the AI space. Furthermore, Adobe has taken a groundbreaking step by indemnifying its customers against copyright claims stemming from AI-generated content—a first for the generative AI market. 

While we are serious about ethics and AI, Adobe’s report hints at another creative trend: laughter and lighthearted content

TikTok’s research identifies “funny” and humorous content as a top motivator for purchase intent. Additionally, 90 percent of consumers prioritize humor in advertising. It’s becoming increasingly clear why humor remains a constant in advertising. From meme culture to Wendy’s Twitter trends and Duolingo’s unhinged marketing approach, consumers respond positively to such content, often turning it into viral trends. 

Brenda Milis, Principal of Consumer and Creative Insights at Adobe noted that agencies and brands could address significant issues such as mental health, sustainability, and political concerns without courting controversy or dividing their audience. 

However, setting aside the fact that DEI and representation data have not been fully disclosed, the backlash against brands showcasing minority groups and the LGBTQ+ community in their marketing often divides consumers.  

The overwhelming number of enraged and hateful comments on social media platforms in response to campaigns like those from Boots and Google illustrates the delicate line for brands to tread.  

Without anticipating or assuming, the question for agencies is here: How can AI help in marketing through laughter and subtle hints towards representation? 

Consumers are craving creatives packed with nostalgia and immersive sensory appeal 

The following big trends in marketing and design are retrofuturism and experiential engagement. Emma Chiu noted that consumers are eager to experience nostalgia they’ve never personally lived through. Fusing the past and future in art and design can captivate new-generation audiences by offering a fresh yet familiar aesthetic. 

In addition, the experience economy continues to grow as consumers prioritize moments over mere material possessions. They seek meaningful connections with brands through shared marketing campaigns and emotionally resonating creatives. 

Bobby Ford, Executive Creative Director of Havas Play, highlighted this shift: “We’re moving beyond visual elements to include sound, touch, and even smell in our communications.” 

The future of creatives is multichannel, humorous, nostalgic, and immersive 

Adobe’s Creative Trends 2025 doesn’t introduce entirely new concepts—humor, nostalgia, and immersive experiences have always been staples in any solid marketing strategy. However, it does shed light on how brands are evolving to invest in world-building and a multichannel approach to stay competitive. 

From physical spaces to digital and analog platforms, brands and agencies can no longer afford to overlook any medium. Yet, questions remain unanswered about how DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) will factor into these trends or how AI can improve its role in video creation (cue Coca-Cola’s backlash). Adobe, however, is playing it safe, ensuring it stays on the ethical side of innovation. 

Cut to the chase 

Adobe’s Creative Trends 2025 hints at new directions shaped by consumer demand—without crossing ethical boundaries—making it clear that the future is multichannel, immersive, and consumer-first. 

[To Read Report: Link]