L'evasione nel marketing della moda: perché le tendenze fantasy surreali stanno conquistando il coinvolgimento

Escapism in fashion marketing has become a dominant force, transforming how brands connect with weary consumers. We are witnessing a clear shift away from traditional, reality-based aspiration.

Instead, digital feeds are flooded with dreamlike, surreal, and fantastical imagery. These campaigns capture attention far more effectively than standard product shots. But this is not just an artistic whim.

It is a calculated strategy reflecting a deep psychological need in the modern audience. Why is this pivot toward fantasy happening now, and how is it securing measurable engagement?

This analysis explores the new landscape of surreal branding. We will cover:

• What defines this new wave of “Escapism in Fashion Marketing”?
• Why are consumers in 2025 so receptive to fantasy?
• How are leading brands successfully implementing surrealism?
• What is the specific psychological trigger winning engagement?
• How does escapism differ from traditional aspiration? (See Table)
• What are the future risks and rewards of this strategy?

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What Exactly Is “Escapism in Fashion Marketing”?

This strategy moves beyond simply showing beautiful clothes in beautiful locations. It focuses on creating entirely new, often impossible, worlds for the consumer to mentally inhabit.

Think of it as selling a micro-holiday for the brain, rather than selling a handbag.

Traditional marketing tells you, “Buy this to become this person.” Escapist marketing suggests, “Engage with this to feel transported away from who you currently are.”

The goal is emotional release through visual disruption and novelty.

It leverages CGI, augmented reality (AR), hyper-saturated colors, and absurdist concepts. These elements intentionally blur the lines between the physical and the digital.

Escapism in fashion marketing values the vibe e il dream over the practical utility of the product itself. The product becomes a souvenir from that fantasy world.

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Why Is This Surreal Trend Dominating Feeds in 2025?

The answer lies in our collective exhaustion. Consumers are navigating a world of profound cognitive overload, facing economic uncertainty, digital saturation, and lingering post-pandemic social shifts.

People are not looking for marketing that mirrors their stressful daily lives.

They are actively seeking psychological shelter. Surreal, fantastical content provides an immediate, low-stakes exit. It offers a moment of wonder in an otherwise predictable or anxious feed.

Furthermore, we must consider the influence of digital-native generations.

Gen Z and Gen Alpha grew up fluent in the language of gaming, digital skins, and the metaverse. For them, a digital-only outfit or a CGI influencer isn’t strange; it’s normalized.

Their reality has always been “phygital” (physical + digital).

Brands that lean into this blurred reality are speaking their native visual language. They are meeting these consumers where they are most comfortable: in the space of the imagination.

How Are Brands Weaving Fantasy into Reality?

We see this strategy deployed in three major ways: hyper-real CGI, digital-first assets, and avant-garde runway concepts that prioritize the image.

The most viral examples often involve “Faux-Out-of-Home” (FOOH) advertising.

These are hyper-realistic CGI videos showing fantastical events in the real world. Think of Jacquemus’s giant, bus-sized “Le Bambino” bags driving through the streets of Paris.

Or the recent wave of “Maybelline” eyelashes affixed to London tube trains.

These clips are designed to spark debate: “Is this real?” That very question drives massive shares, comments, and media coverage, fulfilling the goal of engagement.

This approach is highly effective. Data on digital marketing trends in 2024 and 2025 shows that user-generated content (UGC) and “shoppertainment” formats that trigger surprise see vastly higher interaction rates than polished, static ads.

We also see fantasy in the rise of digital-only fashion.

Brands are successfully selling virtual wearables in gaming ecosystems or creating elaborate AR filters that function as digital try-ons. This allows users to participate in the fantasy, not just observe it.

The use of digital models and AI-generated ambassadors continues to grow. These perfect, surreal “beings” can inhabit any fantasy world the brand wishes to create, free from human constraints.

Finally, the runway itself has become a tool for escapism in fashion marketing.

Designers like Loewe (with their pixelated “Minecraft” hoodies) or Schiaparelli (with their hyper-surrealist hardware) are crafting garments that appear photoshopped, even in real life.

These pieces are designed to be “screen-first.” They perform spectacularly on Instagram and TikTok, becoming memes and cultural moments that transcend the garment itself.

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What Is the Psychological ‘Win’ for Brands?

The primary win is cutting through the noise. The human brain is hardwired to notice novelty. A surreal image disrupts the endless scroll and “pattern-interrupts” the viewer.

This disruption is the first step toward engagement.

It taps into what psychologists call a “need for cognitive expansion.” Consumers, especially those feeling bored or restricted in their daily lives, crave new stimuli.

Fantastical marketing delivers this stimulus efficiently.

This strategy also shifts the brand relationship from transactional to experiential. The consumer isn’t just buying a coat; they are buying into a creative vision and an emotional state.

This builds a stickier, more memorable brand identity.

It fosters a community around a shared dream. When users debate if a CGI ad is real or share a surreal runway look, they are participating in the brand’s world-building.

How Does Escapism Differ from Aspiration?

While related, these two strategies pull different psychological levers. Aspiration relies on social climbing, while escapism relies on mental transport.

Understanding this difference is key to understanding modern consumer desire. Escapism in fashion marketing recognizes that the ultimate luxury today is not status, but a moment of peace.

Here is a breakdown of the core differences:

Table: Traditional Aspiration vs. Modern Escapism

Caratteristica	Traditional Aspirational Marketing	Escapism in Fashion Marketing
Core Promise	“You will become better (richer, more beautiful).”	“You will Tatto different (transported, free).”
Psychological Driver	Social comparison; desire for status.	Cognitive relief; desire for novelty and release.
Key Emotion	Envy, desire, ambition.	Wonder, curiosity, surprise, joy.
Visual Language	Polished reality, achievable luxury, elite settings.	Surrealism, fantasy, CGI, impossible scenarios.
Consumer Goal	To acquire status associated with the product.	To mentally participate in the fantasy.
Primary Platform	Glossy magazines, exclusive events.	TikTok, Instagram Reels, AR filters, Metaverse.
Esempio	A celebrity wearing a watch on a yacht.	A giant inflatable purse floating over a landmark.

What Are the Risks of Relying on Fantasy?

This strategy is powerful, but it is not without significant risks. The primary danger is a potential disconnect from reality, which can erode trust.

If a brand’s fantasy feels too frivolous during a time of real-world crisis, it can appear tone-deaf. The fantasy must feel like a release, not an insult.

There is also the authenticity gap.

Escapism in fashion marketing fails spectacularly if the brand’s real-world practices are ugly. You cannot sell a beautiful dream while using unethical labor or harming the environment.

Modern consumers investigate. If the “fantasy” is just a veneer hiding a problematic core, the backlash will be swift and severe, undoing any engagement gains.

The “whimsy” must be backed by “worthiness.”

Brands must also be careful not to create imagery that is merely strange, rather than compelling. There is a fine line between captivating surrealism and confusing, alienating noise.

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What Is the Future of Surreal Engagement?

The trend toward fantasy is not slowing down; it is accelerating. The continued integration of artificial intelligence in creative pipelines will make generating these worlds easier and cheaper.

We can expect AR to play a much larger role.

This participatory escapism, where the user can step into the fantasy, is the next frontier.

In definitiva, escapism in fashion marketing works because it respects the consumer’s state of mind. It acknowledges that we are overwhelmed and offers a service in return for attention.

That service is a beautiful, temporary exit.

The brands that will win in the coming years are not just selling products. They are selling entire universes, one surreal, shareable, and wonderfully engaging image at a time.

For marketers, the mandate is clear. Stop reflecting reality; start creating a better one, even if only for a few seconds.

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Domande frequenti (FAQ)

Q1: Is “Escapism in Fashion Marketing” a trend only for luxury brands?

Not at all. While luxury brands (like Loewe or Gucci) get attention for high-budget runway shows, mainstream brands are using this effectively.

Think of colorful, whimsical TikTok campaigns or fast-fashion collaborations with animated characters. The principle is scalable.

Q2: How does this strategy relate to the metaverse?

The metaverse is the literal, built-out version of this concept. Escapism in fashion marketing uses CGI and surrealism in 2D media (like video) to suggest a fantasy.

The metaverse invites the user to live inside that fantasy with a personal avatar, making it the ultimate destination for this trend.

Q3: Will this surreal fantasy trend last, or is it a passing fad?

While the specific aesthetics (like ‘FOOH’ CGI) might evolve, the underlying strategy of escapism is likely permanent.

As long as the real world presents stress, consumers will seek mental release. Fantasy provides that. This strategy is less a fad and more a response to a permanent human need, amplified by technology.

Q4: How can a brand use this strategy authentically?

Authenticity comes from alignment. The fantasy you sell must align with your brand’s core identity. If your brand is about sustainability, your fantasy world should be biophilic and nature-centric. If your brand is about innovation, it should be futuristic.

The “authenticity gap” only appears when the fantasy feels disconnected from the brand’s purpose, as explored in Harvard Business Review studies on emotional branding.