Shutterstock has released its annual Creative Trends report predicting themes, creative projects and marketing campaigns set to dominate the industry in 2022.
The trend report features creative trends that have been heavily influenced by the pandemic disrupting concepts of time and space over the past two years.
Creative director Flo Lau said: “When we took a closer look at what the global Shutterstock community is searching for, it is clear that 2022 is set to be a year defined by pushing traditional boundaries and exploring the unknown.”
See also: Wunderman Thompson report predicts 100 major brand trends for 2022
“There is a sense of wanderlust and a desire to explore the fantastical and the uncanny, and this year’s trends captured just that.
“From the barren desert landscapes of the West to the neon reflections of a futuristic skyline, this year is ready to test the boundaries of our imagination,” she added.
The six Creative Trends for 2022 fall under two category themes: time and space.
Fantastic stems from the global obsession with the medieval world thanks to Game of Thrones and The Witcher.
Keywords such as medieval building (+6496%), vintage shield (+2858%) and templar (+831%) have seen a drastic uptick, as creatives and marketers turn back time to revisit a realm of drama and adventure.
Data from the global creative platform found The Macabre (Modern Era) theme, with elements of horror and thriller genre are making a comeback with a particular focus on dystopian and post-apocalyptic futures.
Way Out West have also had an uptick in interest – particularly with cowboy culture, wild west environments, prairie fields and “wild horses” – rising by 1961%.
Western-themed images and videos are fast climbing marketing wish lists, with Navajo patterns having grown in popularity by 225% over the last year.
The On The Road Again theme stemmed from millions of people staying indoors amid the pandemic with dreams of travelling and outdoors.
Searches for bikes on the road (+14911%), roads to mountain (+5763%) and the badlands (+487%) spiked in an effort to explore unknown territories from the comforts of their own homes.
The Cyberpunk Is Not Dead theme grow thanks to digital creatives turning to high-tech aesthetics with electrical outlets, webcams and LED getting the plenty of clicks.
Lockdowns inspired the What’s Cookin’ (Modern Era) theme as people all over the world got into their kitchen, inspired to create dishes from all over the world.
Searches for regional specialities and ingredients such as Porcini (+2566%), Takoyaki (+2024%) and Panna Cotta (+435%) are on the rise, as creatives and marketers look for gastronomical inspiration near and far. Content receiving the most clicks include pretzels and cupcakes.
Shutterstock has provides localised the trends report for the first time for top markets including Brazil, France, Japan, U.S., and the UK.