Chapter one: Next-Gen Hedonism

Meet the neo-hedonists.

Gen Z neo-hedonists are rewiring long-established rites-of-passage and social occasions (think: festivals, clubbing, dating) to suit their values, as well as finding entirely new ways of letting off steam. This cohort wants to live to the fullest while looking after their minds and bodies (not mention their communities and the planet). Pleasure-seeking is moving in a more mindful direction, weaving in wellness practices, fitness or cultural pursuits. Social media is galvanizing interest in, and building communities around, self-improving pursuits – from hiking groups to book clubs.  

We’ve unpacked the neo-hedonism movement into five key lifestyle trends, each presenting exciting potential for branded product, specifically drinkware. Here’s your guide to how Gen Z is cutting loose. 

Gen Z’s shift towards sober curiosity is well-documented; rather than turning off alcohol completely, it’s about a more moderate mix-and-match approach for many young people. The growing practice of alternating between strong and soft drinks on a night out has even given rise to a whole new lexicon – say hello to ‘zebra-striping’, ‘bookending’ and ‘damp drinking’.   

But today’s sober-curious consumers aren’t content to simply sip conventional sodas. They expect functional beverages to provide an alternative, booze-free buzz. Enter a slew of pre-mixed drinks with nootropic (cognitive enhancers) ingredients, like lion’s mane mushroom and yerba mate. Other Gen Z-targeting tipples layer in adaptogens (natural substances that may help the body manage stress) or CBD (a non-psychoactive compound from the cannabis plant) to support more chilled-out socializing. 0% ABV is getting adventurous. 

Straplines like ‘memorable debauchery’ (Noot Drinks) and ‘the joy of not drinking’ (Caleño) position the choice as pleasurable, not punitive. Trip Drinks even launched a line of branded merch, so fans can proudly display their mindful drinking choice.

• Alt-stimulants for the sober-curious: Co-founded by Bella Hadid, Kin Euphorics’ adaptogen-infused, immunity-boosting recipes encourage drinkers to pick their tipple by mood, from energizing to calming. Whether or not a swig of its High Rode mocktail (containing Rhodiola Rosea, 5-HTP, and GABA) secures ‘social magic’ or Kin Bloom’s blend of Schisandra, Damiana, and L-Theanine truly delivers ‘heart-opening joy’, the hazy aura-esque packaging and complex, botanical flavors are pitch-perfect for Gen Z wellbeing-seekers.   

• Merch meets mindful drinking: Encouraging fans to display their mindful drinking choices loud and proud, CBD-infused drinks leader Trip has branched out into branded merchandise, such as limited–edition clothing, accessories and drinkware – all part of what it dubs ‘The Calm Club’ (a nod to CBD’s anxiety-alleviating claims). 

• Spotlighting ‘zebra-striping’: Gordon’s October 2024 ad campaign, Mix It Up, leaned into the zebra-striping craze and aimed to normalize moderation by showing drinkers seamlessly switching between its Pink distilled gin and the 0.0% version. A split screen captured how different individuals choose to pace their night out. 

• Caffeine-fueled raving: ‘Dry discos’ and breakfast raves have been springing up from LA to London, with the latest iteration landing in Montreal this February. Blending coffee shop culture with dance music, the Croissound pop-up transforms local cafes into daytime dance venues, where DJs spin tracks and ravers are fueled by matcha and mushroom coffee instead of narcotics. Other Gen Zs are opting for luxury wine raves (note South African winemaker New Theory’s events) where the emphasis is on a quality-over-quantity approach to drinking.  

• Mood-boosting infusions on-demand: London Nootropics has created a nifty kit that combines a reusable stainless-steel cup and sachets of adaptogenic coffee blends, letting consumers infuse their hot drinks with wellness benefits on-the-go – whether they’re chasing a Zen (L-theanine and Ashwagandha Root Extract) mood or added Mojo (Cordyceps Sinensis Mushroom Extract and Ginseng).

• Arty amusements: Time Out has declared Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy to be “joyfully nostalgic… hands down, the coolest art exhibition to open in New York City this year.” Located at The Shed, the avant-garde funfair experience recreates fairground rides and other interactive installations designed by iconic artists: a mirrored dome by Dali, John Basquiat’s Ferris wheel, a Roy Lichtenstein labyrinth.  

• Museums go multisensory: Also shaking up New York gallery-going, the Mercer Museum of Art and Technology intends for displays to be “felt” rather than simply viewed. Its 36000sqft Experimental Institution features 15 immersive spaces that bombard the senses with high-tech light and sound effects, from laser projections creating immersive ‘paintings’ to a trembling chamber equipped with vibro-acoustic transducers. 

• Tech for time travel: Popping up in six cities this year, including Atlanta and Sydney, Horizon of Khufu is a shared, walk-through VR experience that whisks the audience back 4,500 years to ancient Egypt. After donning their headset, attendees explore the Great Pyramid of Giza, attend a mummification ceremony and sail down the Nile – all without leaving their homeland – in the archaeologist-designed immersive tour.  

• Roaming virtual worlds: A flurry of free-roam, multiplayer entertainment venues – aka VR arcades – is throwing Gen Zs into fantastical simulations, from fighting dragons and swimming with whales (at DNR VR) to surviving a zombie apocalypse (Zero Latency VR) to battling pirates (Sandbox VR). Cutting-edge haptics and full-body motion capture heighten the realism of these group adventures.  

• Feeling the film: 4DX immersive movie screenings of Twisters broke box office records in summer 2024, wowing audiences by letting them feel sensory effects like wind and rain during on-screen storms. Meanwhile, US cinema chain Alamo Drafthouse resurrected the idea of smell-o-vision using fragrance brand Joya Studio’s atomization technology, filling the auditorium with the aroma of blueberry pie during a scene featuring the dessert.  

• Sauna sessions: Promising “social self-care in the city” and to “shift our state and build belonging”, Othership has been rolling out immersive spa centres in Toronto and New York. Within these cavernous, moodily lit chambers, communality is emphasised; the brand hosts Evening Social sauna sessions, and has installed a four-person ice bath at its new Flatiron facility.  

• Wood-fired festivals: The Saunaverse, Britain’s first-ever community sauna festival, sold out in 2025. ​The event saw hundreds of Londoners alternating between saunas and ice-cold plunge baths, to the soundtrack of bands and DJs. 

• The bathhouse reborn: China’s traditional public baths are getting a sleek, new aesthetic and multifaceted entertainment to entice a younger audience. Decked out with cinemas, mahjong games, themed areas, dining destinations and even karaoke bars, these modernized wellness centers are “offering an affordable yet comprehensive escape for China’s stressed-out younger generation,” reports RADII Media. Shangchen Bathhouse in Hangzhou and Xu Bath House exemplify the trend. 

Hydration’s naturally a key opportunity within the social spa movement. Brands could elevate sauna-safe insulated drinkware by applying thermochromic effects – changing color after exposure to the heat to signal you’re ready for a refreshing refill. Likewise, a chameleon-like cup could indicate the optimal time to climb out of the ice-bath by taking on a cooler hue. A simple yet impactful way to inject some ‘fun’ into the functional, and maybe even spark conversations between bathers.  

Is your brand looking to tap into the Health Clubbing trend? Explore the possibilities with tms. 

• Spinning socials: After realising its members were self-organising group challenges on other social media sites, Peloton launched Public Teams in January 2025 – an in-app tool that lets consumers form groups around collective fitness goals. Each can accommodate up to 50,000 members, who interact on a shared feed, set leaderboard targets and track their progress. The move builds on Peloton’s existing social tools such as themed challenges and in-workout high-fives.  

• Run club romances: As Vogue recently reported, Gen Zers are trading conventional dating apps for flirtations at group fitness sessions. Helping to break the ice at post-run socials, New York’s Lunge Run Club encourages singles to wear black and those taken to wear white, while Chicago Run Collective offers creative signs such as “I am single, run with me.” In turn, “the apps” are creating their own versions; Tinder partnered with running app Runna to launch London-based run club SoleMates, while Bumble has buddied up with Gymshark on live events. 

• Mood-led movement: Brand comms from UK fitness studio chain Frame highlight the fact exercise triggers the release of feelgood neurotransmitters associated with pleasure (dopamine) and mood regulation (serotonin). “We lift moods. And butts” and ‘High on Hormones”, its website declares, in a characteristically insouciant tone of voice. Classes on Frame’s workout timetable are filtered by ‘need state’ – whether that’s to “Calm the f**k down” with a yin yoga class or chase a “happy high” in HIIT. 

• Self-expression spaces: Today’s festivals must have far more on the billing than music stages and beer tents. Several of 2024’s stand-out brand activations encouraged crafty, creative self-expression from festival-goers – at Lollapalooza 2024 (Chicago), body care brand Tree Hut ran a Self-Care Studio where festivalgoers could try arm marbling, while Dunkin’ Donuts housed a bracelet-making station. 

• Small is beautiful: “Over Glastonbury? Try an exclusive micro-festival,” suggests The Times, reporting on the rise of more intimate, often invitation-only, gatherings. For aspirational Gen Zs, the ultimate bragging rights may come from scoring an entry to such events as Mistress Mary, the little sister of Secret Garden Party, or Ondalinda, a roaming health and art-themed gathering (past iterations have happened in Mexico and Montenegro). Other boutique festivals to watch include Swiss ‘mountain boogie’ event Reconnect and Detour Disco, known for its remote, pop-up locations around Europe (2025’s will be Puglia, Italy). 

• Fandoms in the frame: Coca-Cola recently experimented with a generative AI experience that let music fans turn themselves into a pop star avatar. The Coke AI Studio, which toured to various US festivals, tied in AI video generation, ChatGPT and real-time game engines. Consumers chilled in a green room before creating their “Real Stars” identity, including an artist name, first track, album art and original songs, resulting in a shareable 35-second video.  

A record number of festivals worldwide have switched to reusable cups in a bid to be more eco-friendly, presenting an exciting opportunity for brands to create unique memorabilia. We’re thinking a branded festival pop-up that allows festivalgoers to design and print customised inserts for their drinkware, decorated with their choice of song lyrics, personal messages, emojis and patterns. The cup’s surface could change color in the sun, too, as part of those halcyon summer days. Sustainability, creative self-expression, personalisation, IRL memory-making – this concept hits all the right notes to engage neo-hedonists. 

Is your brand looking to tap into the Future Festivals trend? Explore the possibilities with tms.