Backslash 2026 Edges Report reveals culture is searching for proof of human
Backslash, the cultural intelligence unit serving the agencies of Omnicom Advertising, has today launched its 2026 Edges report. The annual report identifies global cultural shifts with the scale and longevity to help brands capture a greater share of the future.
This year’s six new Edges point to culture’s search for ‘Proof of Human.’ After a year of AI slop infiltrating every corner of our world, audiences are developing a radar for what’s synthetic and what’s real. Now, the pendulum is swinging back toward craft, toward provenance, toward messy human fingerprints that signal someone actually cared and put in effort.
“We’re entering a moment where output is cheap, but meaning is not,” says Cecelia Girr, Director of Cultural Strategy, Backslash, and co-author of the report. “Technology can do more than ever before. The harder question is whether we want it to. In this next chapter, humanity itself becomes the differentiator.”
Says Renata Yannoulis (pictured below), Strategic Planning Director, TBWA, and Regional Backslash Lead, Oceania: “Australia and New Zealand are small enough markets to feel certain cultural shifts early. We are also countries built on DIY spirit and creative ingenuity, not to mention a healthy scepticism toward polish and perfection.
“In 2026, as AI continues to flood the feed, real craft and considered restraint are becoming powerful differentiators for marketers, as our newest Edges corroborate.
The Six New Edges for 2026
• Dark Mode: As algorithms flatten taste, people are retreating to private spaces and one-of-a-kind expressions. Meaning now lives in what doesn’t scale.
• Digital Friction: After decades of chasing seamlessness, culture is demanding tech that promises the opposite: intentional friction. Boundaries and built-in limits are being reframed as human preservation.
• Discomfort Zone: In an over-optimized world, struggle, risk, and discomfort are becoming aspirational again – because the payoff is feeling fully alive.
• Awakened World: Tired of running on auto-pilot, people are seeking experiences that deepen awareness and re-enchant the mind.
• Modern Civility: After dissolving every norm and throwing out every rule, culture is realizing that total freedom can be exhausting. Now, common codes of conduct are offering a route back to mutual respect.
• Archive Authority: Culture is turning its attention to who controls our digital footprint. The next battle will be a fight to decide what endures, what gets erased, and who can access our history.
Says Jen Costello, Global Chief Strategy Officer, TBWAWorldwide: “As optimisation hits its ceiling, the real disruption is knowing when to put the human touch first. Leadership now hinges on having the discipline to decide what to automate and what we preserve for human expertise and creativity. Strategic discernment is now our greatest asset.”
The full 2026 Backslash Edges glossary is available at www.backslash.com/edges.
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