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Tommy Hilfiger joined TikTok's airball trend without forcing product messaging - culture earned, not owned
The Wire
Industry · Culture

Culture Marketing Lessons of 2026

Culture is no longer a channel. It's the price of entry. The brands that won in 2026 co-created with communities; the ones that borrowed sacred stories for sales paid for it in trust, sales and leadership.

WordsRobert Greeff
Published10 November 2026
Reading time2 min read

  • Culture is earned, never owned.

  • 50% of marketers prioritise authenticity.

  • Co-creation beats cultural cosplay, always.

  • Backlash costs trust, sales and leadership.

Culture is no longer a channel. It's the price of entry. In 2026, 50% of marketers say authentic, unpolished content will be a major trend, while social communities, not paid reach, drive brand discovery.

The lesson? Brands don't own culture. They earn participation in it.

The Big DO: Co-create, Don't Cosplay

Local - Citiq x Phiri Movers FC: Instead of "township-inspired" advertising, Citiq funded Soweto club Phiri Movers FC with bespoke kits from streetwear label Kasi Flavour - turning sponsorship into a genuine cultural drop, then scaling it through AFCON media.

International - Tommy Hilfiger: By joining TikTok's "airball" trend without forcing product messaging, the brand earned more than 2 million likes and praise in the comments.

Do this:

  • Cede creative control to local creators and communities.
  • Build with culture, not merely "for" it.
  • Let participation, not a tagline, carry the idea.

The Big DON'T: Borrow Sacred Stories for Sales

Local - The Glenlivet: Its Women's Month ad tied the 1956 Women's March and struggle icons to an 18-year-old whisky. The backlash was immediate; the campaign was pulled, apologies followed, and affected families called it "unauthorised corporate appropriation of a national heritage."

International - Starbucks Korea: A 2026 campaign perceived to reference the 1980 Gwangju Uprising triggered a "very significant" sales decline and the dismissal of Starbucks Korea's head.

Don't do this:

  • Treat trauma, liberation history, or identity as aesthetic.
  • Approve culturally sensitive work without community consultation.
  • Confuse attention with trust - deletion doesn't undo the damage.

The 2026 CMO Test

Before launch, ask:

Would the community recognise this as a contribution, or an extraction?

Culture rewards brands that show up with humility, resources, and shared authorship. It punishes those that arrive with a camera crew and a sales target.

CultureMarketingBrand StrategySouth Africa
Robert Greeff
Copywriter

Robert Greeff is a culture-obsessed copywriter-specialist who studies the world and marketing industry through anthropology, sociology, and philosophy. He asks "why?" more than most people are comfortable with, believing every trend is really a story about human behaviour. Off the clock, he's usually watching K-dramas, wearing kimonos, or hunting down the next pair for his sneaker collection.