JWT's list of 70 trends for 2007

Marian Salzman has put her name to 70 trends that JWT suggest will define 2007. In the process she also publicises her recently released trendspotting tome, Next Now. The list has been met with a bit of derision by at least one blog for appearing to predict things that are already in full flow (e.g. VOIP) or simply bizarre (e.g. Iceland) or just plugging some of Salzman's catchphrases from yesteryear once more (e.g. Brand Sluts).

Personally, I think that's a bit hard on Salzman. The list is merely a teaser for the book and the press release clearly states that these are just things that are "in" rather than trends.

Still, for a global agency I would have hoped JWT could have made this list a little less Americentric.

The 70 items in full:

   1. Skype/VoIP
   2. Wii and the next-generation gaming systems
   3. The business of social networking
   4. Pop-up stores, restaurants and bars ... installation style
   5. Shrinky Dink technology (TVs are flat and hidden, iPods are down to
      half an ounce, speakers are smaller and less visible, and so on)
   6. The rise of nanotechnology
   7. Sustainable construction/green buildings
   8. Hydrogen fuel cell technology
   9. Veggie-bus: school buses running on biodiesel fuel
  10. Trans-fat fallout
  11. Reality show talent searches
  12. Ohio State's freshman basketball phenom, Greg Oden
  13. Fear of agri-terrorism
  14. Halal foods
  15. Participatory advertising (user-generated advertising and music video
      competitions)
  16. Premium-drink bars
  17. Organic fabrics
  18. Stem cell research
  19. Iceland
  20. Hybrid dogs
  21. Locally sourced produce
  22. Churchonomics: religion as big business
  23. Reunions of donor insemination siblings
  24. Hitting the off button: demanding downtime
  25. Indian cross-over actress Aishwarya Rai
  26. Home-schooling
  27. Natural building materials such as stone and wood
  28. Binge chilling
  29. Personalized diets
  30. Brand sluts
  31. Modernized tradition
  32. Chindia
  33. Alpha moms
  34. Internet TV
  35. Citizen journalism
  36. RSS feeds
  37. Fresh Direct
  38. Google domination (Google as acquirer, and Microsoft as Google
      follower)
  39. Mobile video
  40. Rachael Ray
  41. Inconspicuous consumption
  42. X-Factor's Leona Lewis
  43. Dreamgirls' Jennifer Hudson
  44. Environmental causes
  45. Companies going green
  46. Barack Obama
  47. Soft, natural hair
  48. Microgeneration (generating one's own energy)
  49. Party planning for teens
  50. Paying for user-generated content
  51. Higher-waisted pants
  52. iPhone
  53. Co-branding (think Nike plus Apple)
  54. Britain's Amy Winehouse
  55. The rebirth of raves
  56. Energy-saving lightbulbs
  57. Sacha Baron Cohen
  58. Mash-ups (music, Web sites, everything)
  59. Japanese apparel chain Uniqlo
  60. Promoting "Brand Me"
  61. Ensemble TV casts (Ugly Betty, Grey's Anatomy, Heroes, Criminal Minds)
  62. Multilingual cinema
  63. "Kidults"
  64. Transformers (the movie)
  65. Web-based microfinancing
  66. Generosity
  67. Al Gore, the environmentalist
  68. Unstrategic alliances (Paris and Britney, Tom and Brooke, Bush Sr. and
      Clinton)
  69. Europeans getting fatter
  70. Age shuffling (40 is the new 20, for example)