This is part 2 of a multi-chapter trend report by Berlin-based creative impact studio Very Good Looking, uncovering some of the cultural undercurrents influencing how especially young audiences will react to marketing efforts and impact-driven storytelling in 2026 and beyond.
If you haven’t read Part 1 yet, start here.
The Decline of Moral Idealism
Not long ago, being a “do-gooder” — whether through ethical lifestyle choices or social activism — was celebrated among young adults.
Movements like veganism, environmentalism, and social justice (often clumped together and broadly dubbed “woke culture”) surged in popularity during the 2010s. Today, however, there are signs of burnout and backlash against these moral-idealistic pursuits.
For instance, veganism’s popularity has slumped after peaking around 2019. US sales of plant-based meat alternatives decreased ~19% in 2023, with alt-protein’s once-poster-child Beyond Meat having lost 98% of its value in 2025.1 Google searches for terms like “veganism” and “vegan diet” have steadily declined since the 2019 high point.2 This reversal comes after a period when 2019 was hailed as “The Year of the Vegan” by the Economist and vegan diets went mainstream.3 By 2025, however, even high-profile celebrity vegans have publicly backed away from strict veganism.4
While a part of this development can be linked to a growing appetite for unprocessed “real” food and isn’t ultimately a stand against a predominantly plant-forward cuisine, generally speaking, what was once seen as a virtuous, forward-thinking lifestyle has increasingly been mocked in the culture wars.
“Eating a steak has been recast as a rebellious ‘anti-woke’ statement.”
Right-wing media often frames veganism as a symbol of “wokeness” to be derided (coining slurs like “soy boy” for plant-based men), while touting an all-meat carnivore diet, an approach that feeds into a worldview that is prizing traditional gender roles and is outwardly skeptical of science.5 In this context, eating a bloody steak has been recast as a rebellious “anti-woke” statement — a rejection of liberal, altruistic food ethics in favor of personal pleasure or tribal identity.6
A similar pattern is evident with corporate and political activism on social justice issues.
A Harsher Zeitgeist
The early 2020s saw many brands and public figures loudly champion causes like LGBTQ+ rights, diversity, and environmental sustainability. But by the mid-2020s, America in particular appears to have passed “peak woke.” Polling and analysis by The Economist and others find that public enthusiasm for certain progressive social causes has ebbed.7
In the US, especially after 2024, there’s been a notable retreat from “woke” brand activism. Major companies that once ran Pride Month campaigns or diversity initiatives have toned them down or scrapped them under pressure.
“Where there used to be a lot of activity and discussion about social justice issues, there’s now a void of silence,” said one senior advertising executive interviewed by Wired in mid-2025. Indeed, 39% of corporations surveyed planned to scale back Pride celebrations in 2025 (and none planned to increase them). Several big-name sponsors quietly withdrew from Pride events that year, reflecting fears of political backlash.
“There’s a prevailing sentiment that ‘being the good guy’ doesn’t pay off like it used to.”
This corporate pullback mirrors a broader cultural fatigue:
Terms and ideas labeled as “woke” have been weaponized in political rhetoric, and many people (including some liberals) therefore now consciously avoid that label.
The moral idealism of the 2010s — “save the world” branding, purpose-driven careers, and personal virtue signaling — has been tempered by a harsher zeitgeist in the 2020s. Progressive movements have faced public backlash and “anti-woke” counter-movements, leaving some former supporters disillusioned or silent.
Whether it’s climate activists feeling ignored, or diversity advocates seeing rights rolled back, the result is a prevailing sentiment that being the “good guy” doesn’t pay off like it used to.
So, where do we go from here?
In the next chapters, we will look at some of the micro-trends pushing the above-described development as well as the global economic and political drivers — all to uncover what purpose-driven brands can do to address this paradigm shift.
Read part 3 of this trend report, “The Villain Era”, right here.
