Cultural Moments

The Oscars have long been defined by the red carpet, but in 2026, the story extends far beyond it.

While the 98th Academy Awards drew 17.86 million viewers across ABC and Hulu, down 9% year-on-year, the cultural impact of the ceremony moved in the opposite direction. Earned Media Value (EMV) surrounding the top five films on social media surged by 230%, while reach increased by 131%.

The implication is clear. Audience attention is not disappearing, it is redistributing from live broadcast to social media. And within that shift, a new layer of influence has become impossible to ignore – creators.

While the ceremony itself remains one of the most powerful cultural stages globally, the way its moments travel, scale, and generate value is being fundamentally reshaped by the creator economy.

For platforms like Netflix, Apple TV and HBO, whose films saw the most success at this year’s awards, engagement and EMV spiked greatly.

The Academy Awards have long been Hollywood’s most anticipated night. But for luxury fashion, the Oscars are something more: a rare convergence of culture, cinema, and global visibility that no other red carpet can quite replicate.

In 2026, that influence reached new heights. This year’s ceremony generated an extraordinary £553 million in Earned Media Value (EMV), a 41.4% increase year-on-year, alongside 413 million engagements (+62.2%) and a global reach of 2.23 billion (+43.4%).

At a time when every marketing investment is under scrutiny, the red carpet continues to prove its ability to deliver not just visibility, but measurable impact. For the maisons dressing the world’s most influential talent, the Oscars are not simply about appearances.

They are about authorship, of image, of narrative, and increasingly, of cultural relevance on a global scale.

The Winter Olympics 2026 in Milano-Cortina were not just a global sporting event, they were a defining moment for fashion, sportswear and brand visibility.

A data-led breakdown of the celebrity-led brand activations that generated the highest Earned Media Value (EMV) in the first 48 hours of Super Bowl 2026.

A data-led breakdown of how Valentino, Saint Laurent, Schiaparelli and Mugler dominated EMV, engagement and reach at the 2026 Grammys.

Deconstructing where luxury impact actually comes from.

Awards season remains a critical moment for luxury brands – but the Golden Globes 2026 data shows that impact is shaped less by presence and more by how value is generated.

From viral player moments to influencer-led brand campaigns, the Super Bowl has become one of the biggest digital marketing opportunities of the year. And as brands prepare for game day, one thing is clear:

The real wins happen in the social conversation.

In 2026, beauty influencer marketing is shifting away from reach-led strategies towards trust, relevance and measurable effectiveness. From dermfluencers to mid-macro creators and emerging skincare routines, these trends reveal how influence is evolving, and how brands should measure impact.

The Golden Globes 2026 produced $1.11B in Earned Media Value, a +119% YoY increase, confirming the red carpet’s evolving role as a strategic brand investment. While total engagements grew only marginally (+0.9% YoY), a 32% increase in content volume meant success was defined not by scale, but by precision talent strategy and cultural alignment.

In a defining move for both fashion and sport, LVMH has entered a landmark 10-year partnership with Formula 1. This collaboration isn’t just about visibility, it’s about rewriting the rulebook on how luxury brands engage in high-octane, global entertainment ecosystems.

Rabanne, Jean Paul Gaultier & More: The Luxury Labels Dominating ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2′

From Anne Hathaway’s shimmering metallic Rabanne gown to Emily Blunt’s Madonna-inspired Jean Paul Gaultier moment, these designer cameos aren’t just costume choices, they’re million-pound earned media value (EMV) moments, turning set photos into instant global headlines.

The ‘Formula 1′ movie premiere in London wasn’t your standard film rollout. Yes, the film and the stars drew attention, but what truly stole headlines, and dominated social feeds, was what the celebrities were wearing.

The UEFA Women’s Euros 2025 isn’t just another major championship, it’s shaping up to be a proving ground for the world’s most progressive, culturally attuned brands. With women’s sport growing at an unprecedented pace, the brands that show up creatively and meaningfully in 2025 will set the tone for the next era of sports marketing.

Year-on-year, engagement with WNBA-related content has skyrocketed, with Engagement Rate up by 52.29% and total Engagement increasing by 51.55%, despite a 29.69% drop in total reach, suggesting a more invested, active audience. Meanwhile, content volume rose over 24%, showing growing media interest and sustained storytelling momentum around the league.

Our official report explores the rising intersection between sports, fashion, and culture – driven by court star collaborations and stand out storytelling.

This year’s showcase was a lesson in substance over spectacle. Here, we examine three iconic luxury names that made a mark with poignant aesthetics and culturally relevant storytelling.