NOW TRENDING: HOW I’D REACT TO X & “MILAN… SUCH A COOL PLACE!”
WHAT’S ON THE FEED THIS WEEK?
HOW I’D REACT TO X
This format is all about the face. Creators set up a scenario around a rising number, like "how we'd react if a client asked for this many revisions" or "how we'd react if this many people turned up to the meeting". Then they cut between close-ups of people's faces as the number climbs. One gets a polite smile, five gets a strained grin, and by twenty someone is staring blankly into the distance. There's no dialogue: the rising number on screen and the increasingly pained faces do all the work, which is why teams, families and friend groups are all joining in.
Brand opportunities
Any brand with a team and a relatable pain point can play. A café can react to "this many oat milk orders before 8am", a retailer to "this many returns on Boxing Day", or a real estate agency to "this many people at the open home". Line up a few staff, film tight close-ups, and let the faces get more pained as the number climbs. Keep the number at the centre of the joke and the reactions real.
“MILAN… SUCH A COOL PLACE!”
Dua Lipa's slightly wooden line from her Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics promo, "Milan... such a cool place", has been a meme since February. On 1 October she leaned all the way in, posting a TikTok of herself strolling through Milan and saying the line again, and fans happily poked fun at her Italian in the comments. Creators are now using the same deadpan delivery over footage of wherever they are, and the more ordinary the place, the funnier it is.
Brand opportunities
This one is made for Australian brands with a strong sense of place. Tourism bodies, venues and hotels can run "Melbourne... such a cool place" over a laneway coffee, a tram in the rain and a footy crowd. Retailers and hospitality brands can point it at a new store or rooftop bar. For a lighter take, aim it somewhere unexpected ("Aisle 7... such a cool place") and commit to the stiff, too-sincere delivery.
THE BUGONG MOTH
After a population collapse saw it listed as endangered, the Bogong moth is back in numbers not seen for years. It's swarming homes across Sydney and the NSW South Coast and flooding social feeds. The tone has flipped from "get them out of my house" to "leave them alone, they're endangered". Researchers are calling it "a story of hope", and Zoos Victoria's Moth Tracker got more sightings in September than in all of 2025.
Brand opportunities
Brands can join in as long as they stay on the right side of the story. Lighting and home brands can share tips on gently helping moths outside (switching off outdoor lights helps). Alpine tourism operators can tell the story of where the migration ends up, and wildlife-friendly brands can encourage followers to log sightings. Anything joking about killing them is a no-go, so pest control brands should sit this one out.
BRANDS DOING THINGS
CHIPOTLE MARGARITAS
Fans spent years begging Chipotle to bring back the margaritas it quietly dropped around 2020, so its Instagram tease sent them into a frenzy. Then came the details: the drink is only back for a five-city "Summon the Spirits Tour", one weekend each in Denver, New York, Dallas, Los Angeles and New Orleans during October. Excitement quickly turned to frustration, with fans commenting "You hyped us up just to only do select locations" and "It needs to be at every Chipotle".
Brand opportunities
Match the size of the tease to the size of the payoff. If a returning fan favourite is only a limited pop-up, say so upfront so the FOMO feels honest rather than like a bait-and-switch. Then give everyone else a way to take part, like a waitlist, a vote on the next city or an at-home recipe, so disappointment turns into participation.
SOCIAL UPDATES
META LAUNCHES MUSE FOR SMALL BUSINESS
On 29 September, Meta launched Muse for Small Business, an AI agent that works in the background towards a goal the business owner sets, like finding new customers. It connects to Instagram and Facebook business accounts, Meta ad accounts and tools like Canva, Shopify and Klaviyo. It can analyse performance and draft campaigns, though nothing publishes without the owner's approval. It's free with usage limits, but for now it's only available in the US and Canada.
Brand opportunities
Expect a lot more AI-assisted content in the feed, which makes real people, real opinions and a distinct voice even more valuable. Smaller brands can use the wait to get ready: tidy up your Instagram and Facebook business accounts, write down your brand tone and product information, and get clear on your goals. That way you'll get the most out of tools like Muse when they reach Australia.
