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SINGAPORE – From bag charms and Taylor Swift’s engagement ring to ChatGPT and pizzas, The Straits Times Life part drills down 15 objects that made an influence in 2025.
More than 18 billion messages are despatched to ChatGPT each week.
PHOTO: KELSEY MCCLELLAN/NYTIMES
Generative AI has turn into a verb. Go to a pal with a query, and so they may shunt you with a “just ChatGPT it” or “Ask Chat”.
Verbing is that uncommon peak of success achieved by all endemic expertise – like Google, Facebook and Grab – although none within the historical past of the web have been so intensely personified by their customers as OpenAI’s chatbot.
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Accessorising one’s purse with bag charms has turn into the de facto strategy to categorical identification and private fashion.
ST PHOTOS: TARYN NG
It could have began with Labubus, however bag charms exploded into tinheritor personal class of merchandise in 2025.
From plushies to jewellery-inspired chains to beaded keychains to clip-on magnificence merchandise, you’ll be hard-pressed to discover a tote on the streets not lined in trinkets and toys.
Accessorising one’s purse turned the de facto strategy to categorical identification and private fashion. Carrying the identical bag at an occasion turned much less of a vogue fake pas while you “made” it your individual.
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SG60 Breakfast Plush by Play Nation.
PHOTO: PLAY NATION
Give your self a pat on the again in the event you walked away from 2025 and not using a single plushie within the form of native meals.
Kaya toast, particularly, was ubiquitous on this SG60 12 months, showing on so many types of merchandise that it’s a surprise we didn’t collectively develop sick of the breakfast favorite.
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Actress Sydney Sweeney seems in a “good jeans” marketing campaign poster at an American Eagle’s retailer in Times Square in New York.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Casual denim confronted some critical fees in 2025 as a massively viral American Eagle denims advert was variously labelled Nazi, MAGA – “Make America great again” being US President Donald Trump’s pet slogan – and a slam dunk in opposition to woke advertising and marketing.
The fractious marketing campaign, launched in July and taglined “Sydney Sweeney has good jeans”, stars the American actress in a collection of movies.
In one, the digital camera pans over a supine Sweeney squirming into her pants as she delivers a crash course in Mendelian genetics: “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair colour, personality and even eye colour. My jeans are blue.” Wink, wink.
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Labubu was China’s most internationally influential on-line popular culture mental property previously 12 months.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Labubu and different cute issues continued to carry the world by the throat in 2025.
A person in Australia was charged in October with stealing 43 Labubu dolls value over $7,500.
Earlier in June, the launch of snack-themed Labubu dolls in Singapore drew a queue of about 160 followers at retailer Pop Mart’s Ion Orchard retailer, with some arriving earlier than daybreak.
Labubu was China’s most globally influential on-line popular culture mental property previously 12 months, based on a report launched in November by Beijing-based think-tank Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies.
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Beverage large Coca-Cola revived the Share A Coke marketing campaign in 2025, with over 150,000 customised cans created within the first month alone.
PHOTO: AFP
Household legacy manufacturers are going all out with advertising and marketing gimmicks to remain related to shoppers. Who can blame them? In a time of content material churn, recollections are fickle bears. Faster than you may blink, one quirky development makes approach for the following.
In 2025, beverage large Coca-Cola seemed to its historical past for a advertising and marketing gimmick it hoped would last more within the minds of shoppers. It introduced again the Share A Coke marketing campaign, which originated in Australia in 2011 and was launched in Singapore in 2015.
The marketing campaign changed the Coca-Cola brand on its cans with over 170 well-liked names and titles, resembling “Lao Ban” (boss) or “John” or “Lim”. These have been bought at supermarkets and comfort shops islandwide.
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Suzann Victor’s fee Still Life on the National Gallery Singapore.
ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
The eggplant, or aubergine or brinjal, has all the time been a fruit with many names.
But does it odor candy? One is perhaps forgiven for considering so on the National Gallery Singapore, with so many guests hovering their noses so near its rotting flesh.
The purplish protuberances have been a part of a commissioned work created by Australia-based Singapore artist Suzann Victor, as soon as sidelined however in recent vogue in 2025.
Titled Still Life, the 200 eggplants have been catnip not only for Instagram but in addition gallery thieves. In August, they made headlines after some have been discovered to be lacking, prompting NGS to arrange signage warning guests in opposition to touching the wall-mounted commentary on drooping, futile masculinity.
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The Netflix collection Adolescence, starring Owen Cooper, piqued curiosity throughout the globe into the coded language of the manosphere.
PHOTO: NETFLIX
“How can you be involuntarily celibate at 13? Who isn’t celibate at 13?” says a police-inspector father within the Netflix crime drama collection Adolescence (2025).
This was in response to his baby expressing frustration that he doesn’t know what the “pill emoji” means, or what it means to be referred to as an “incel”.
Part of the present’s viral enchantment, past its cinematography and compelling appearing, is the way it faucets into how folks more and more talk by way of the lens of web tradition and obscure memes.
Adolescence piqued curiosity throughout the globe into the coded language of the manosphere, with phrases like “red pilled” and the “80/20 rule”.
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Taylor Swift’s bespoke ring includes a cushion-cut Old Mine Cut diamond, rounded on the corners, and bezel-set in a hand-engraved gold band.
PHOTO: TAYLORSWIFT/INSTAGRAM
The day Aug 26 noticed a fellowship of a distinct variety when Swifties throughout the globe zoomed in on one valuable commodity: Taylor Swift’s engagement ring.
The American pop star’s vintage-style rock is undoubtedly the one ring that guidelines over all celeb engagement rings of 2025 – minus the dying and destruction Gollum’s prized possession triggered in English author J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord Of The Rings trilogy.
Following the information that American soccer participant Travis Kelce, 36, had proposed to his sweetheart of two years, the distinctive jewelry on the 36-year-old singer’s ring finger instantly generated record-breaking searches.
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The conservative design of the Nintendo Switch 2 maybe captures finest what shoppers are searching for in a 12 months of world uncertainty.
PHOTO: REUTERS
In a 12 months outlined by uncertainty, one of many best-selling client merchandise of 2025 was maybe the most secure factor that console-maker Nintendo has ever created.
The Nintendo Switch 2, which was launched on June 26 in Singapore, bought greater than 3.5 million items worldwide in its first 4 days of launch. By September, it had bought over 10 million items, making it the fastest-selling console of all time.
And but, most reviewers agree that the Nintendo Switch 2 represents much less of a leap into the long run than a number of regular steps ahead (and one step again in relation to battery life).
This conservative design selection maybe captures finest what shoppers are searching for in a 12 months of world uncertainty.
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Monica Lewinsky (left) hosts the podcast Reclaiming, about taking again one’s identify after it has been dragged by way of mud, whereas Meghan Markle hosts enterprise and self-help present Confessions Of A Female Founder.
PHOTOS: AFP, REUTERS
The 12 months 2025 is the season of the feminine celeb podcast.
Socialite and tv persona Khloe Kardashian launched Khloe In Wonder Land. Royal member of the family Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, started Confessions Of A Female Founder and American activist Monica Lewinsky began Reclaiming With Monica Lewinsky.
Good Hang With Amy Poehler, hosted by the titular comedienne, additionally started life in 2025. IMO With Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson is the previous first girl’s third podcast since 2020, and is co-hosted together with her brother.
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(Clockwise from high left) Chinese epic fantasy Ne Zha 2, Chinese animated comedy Nobody and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle.
PHOTOS: ENCORE FILMS, SONY PICTURES
China and Japan is perhaps at loggerheads politically proper now, however earlier in 2025, their mixed powers broke Hollywood’s grip on animation.
The fantasy Ne Zha 2, an adaptation of the folks story Investiture Of The Gods, roared out of China to turn into the highest-grossing animated movie of all time with its world take of greater than US$2 billion (S$2.6 billion). It additionally took the crowns for being 2025’s highest-earning movie and the highest-grossing non-English movie in historical past.
In Singapore, it set the document for the very best first-day gross for a Chinese movie by taking in round $300,000 upon its March 6 launch. It went on to turn into the Republic’s most profitable Chinese movie by passing $6 million on the native field workplace.
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(Clockwise from left) Chefs Tsubasa Tamaki, Vincenzo Capuano and Bjorn Shen.
PHOTOS: PIZZA STUDIO TAMAKI, LIM YAOHUI, ARTICHOKE PIZZA PARLOR
The demand for pizza in Singapore is insatiable and purveyors are solely too glad to roll out pie after pie in each conceivable fashion.
Before 2025, town already had a thriving pizza scene, with many kinds and types. International ones embrace Il Clay Supper Club, L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele, Torno Subito, Fortuna, Anto Pizza e Aperitivi, Osteria Mozza and Roberta’s.
Home-grown ones embrace La Bottega Enoteca, Wild Child Pizzette, Blue Label Pizza & Wine, Bad Habits Provision, Chooby Pizza, Choice Cuts Pizza & Records, That’s My Pizza and Goldenroy Sourdough Pizza.
Pizzaiolos additionally promote pies from their properties, and these home-based meals companies embrace Long Weekend Pizza, JrPizzeria, PXZA and Wala Pizza.
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At a time when many F&B companies are fighting manpower and rental woes, working a merchandising machine has turn into a strategy to circumvent this.
PHOTOS: LIM YAOHUI, HEDY KHOO, HYPHA VENDING RETAIL, ST FILE, SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS, BERITA HARIAN
Conventional foods and drinks dispensers could also be pretty commonplace throughout the island, however a brand new era of brightly colored merchandising machines has gained instantaneous traction.
Their promoting factors: comfort, affordability, high quality and freshness, much like what one may get at a hawker stall, bakery or fast-service eatery – an unbeatable combo for busy and hungry folks around-the-clock.
At a time when many F&B companies are fighting manpower and rental woes, working a merchandising machine has turn into a strategy to circumvent this and supply a further income.
The 12 months kicked off with viral durian allotting machines, which debuted at Tampines MRT station in January. Durian vendor Kaki Kaki, which ran it, added three extra machines in Sembawang, Toa Payoh and Bukit Panjang.
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The Quan Jia Fu (All In One) dumpling bowl at Chuxin Wonton includes 15 wonton.
ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
As diners gravitate in the direction of meals which gives good worth and is handmade proper earlier than their eyes, dumplings have turn into one in all 2025’s trending eats.
The everyman staple drew renewed curiosity as new manufacturers showcased their founders’ dwelling city traditions, giving diners a style of the numerous various aspects of China’s dumpling tradition.
At these new ideas, glass-panelled open kitchens provided views of dumplings being wrapped to order – a transparent show of freshness and kitchen hygiene.
One of them is Guangzhou-based Yuen Kee Dumpling, which gives Cantonese-style dumplings, resembling its well-liked Shrimp & Vegetable Pork Dumplings ($9.80 for 10).
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This web page was created programmatically, to learn the article in its authentic location you may go to the hyperlink bellow:
https://www.straitstimes.com/life/2025-objectified-15-lifestyle-objects-that-captured-the-public-imagination
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