Is 2026 the new 2016? Can sincerity make a come back? And what this means for cult brands.

Everyone keeps saying "2026 is the new 2016" like it's just another aesthetic cycle. Hand-drawn typography, messy collages, analog hobbies making a comeback. But this isn't nostalgia for nostalgia's sake.

In this solo episode, Andi unpacks why the return to analog is really about resistance—to AI sameness, algorithmic exhaustion, and a culture that's been stuck in constant performance mode.

2016 was the last moment before being "tapped in" became mandatory. Before every brand had to have a stance. Before sincerity started feeling risky. What we're seeing now isn't a desire to go backward—it's a search for something real again.

This episode explores what that shift means for cult brands in 2026, including:

• Why imperfect, hand-crafted aesthetics are becoming proof of humanity

• The rise of analog behaviors as a response to digital fatigue

• How cringe culture and constant optimization have exhausted audiences

• Why "real" is now the scarcest resource in branding

• What cult brands must build beyond the feed in a post-social era

This is the conversation cult brands need to be having—not about trends, but about how to build meaning in an increasingly artificial world.

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