For years, we’ve told founders to get on TikTok.
To be the face of the brand on LinkedIn.
To show up, speak out, and do it all with authenticity.
But lately, something’s shifted.
Welcome to the age of escapism—not just a consumer trend, but a cultural reset.
What is Escapism in Psychology?
In psychology, escapism is the act of seeking distraction and relief from unpleasant realities. It’s how people cope—by not engaging.
Not confronting. Not fixing. Just… zoning out.
And if we look at it through the lens of modern marketing?
Escapism means not dealing with your brand.
It’s ignoring the newsletter.
It’s skipping the ad.
It’s muting the influencer.
It’s downloading the adblocker.
It’s switching to Netflix instead of clicking on your YouTube pre-roll.
It’s doomscrolling just enough to drown out the noise of “buy this,” “follow that,” and “engage now.”
Escapism is often seen as a tool we use as marketers. A vibe we manufacture. A fantasy we sell.
But what if escapism is also the consumer’s defense mechanism against us?
That’s the uncomfortable truth:
Escapism is the art of avoiding marketing.
And that flips the game.
Because if people are using escape to dodge the noise—then the real challenge is:
How do we become the escape, not the thing they’re escaping from?
What is Escapism in Marketing?
At its best, escapism in marketing is the alchemy of turning brands into portals.
It’s the promise of a world that feels better than the one the consumer is currently in.
It’s not just storytelling. It’s story-living.
We build immersive worlds, dreamlike visuals, cinematic universes. We design experiences that let people forget their job, their inbox, their rent, their algorithmically-decaying attention span.
It’s luxury travel and meta-makeovers.
It’s brands collaborating with gaming platforms, building digital wardrobes, launching surreal campaigns.
It’s entire aesthetics you can fall into and forget yourself for a while.
Escapism in marketing is the subtle flex of “come disappear with us.”
No hard sell. Just soft surrender.
But here’s the catch:
The more we lean into escape, the more we risk creating fantasy fatigue.
If every brand is crafting dreamy CGI campaigns, AI-generated stories, ambient world-building—then eventually, it all blurs together.
When everyone’s offering escape…
What exactly are we escaping to?
And that’s where the tension lives. Between fantasy and fatigue.
Between escapism and authenticity.
But the truth goes deeper than that.
As McCann’s “Truth About Escapism” report shows, escapism isn’t just a mechanism to numb the pain of reality. It’s a universal desire, with 91% of people globally saying they need to escape occasionally. It’s a $9.7 trillion economy projected to hit $13.9 trillion by 2028. Travel, entertainment, gaming, even retail—every industry is now, knowingly or not, in the business of escape.
So the question becomes: is escapism a symptom of our burnout? Or is it a new kind of fuel?
AI Didn’t Just Enable Escapism—It Industrialized It
Was this all inevitable?
Sure, people have always wanted to escape. Ancient theater, fairy tales, even church ceremonies—they were all forms of disconnection. But today, escapism scales.
CGI. AI. TikTok filters. VR. Every brand now has the tools to build entire worlds. You don’t just sell sneakers—you sell a vibe. A lifestyle. A fantasy. Every ad is a portal. Every post, a doorway.
Even “authenticity” became a kind of performance. Founders went from building companies to building personal brands. It wasn’t enough to make great products—you had to be the product. Until it burned people out.
Maybe this isn’t just fatigue. Maybe it’s rebellion.
Is Escapism Just a Trend?
Remember the Metaverse?
People weren’t just buying NFTs—they were buying land. Literal plots in digital cities. Some of those folks were true believers. Others were chasing hype. But either way, the signal was clear: escapism wasn’t fringe. It was mainstream.
And just like that, escapism became self-aware. A parody of itself. Everyone chasing the next big exit from reality… but never asking why we’re all running in the first place.
So we have to ask:
Is escapism the result of all this tech?
Or is it the reason we keep building more?
For Marketers, Escapism Is the New Opportunity
It’s not enough to interrupt.
Or to “go viral.”
Or to pretend your founder is excited to post on LinkedIn every morning.
Instead, start here:
- What are your customers trying to escape from?
- What do they wish their lives looked like?
- Where are the micro-moments where your brand can offer relief—or even reinvention?
McCann’s framework breaks escapism into four quadrants:
- Micro Relief: Little joys (like a morning playlist)
- Macro Relief: Big getaways (like a luxury retreat)
- Micro Renewal: Small sparks of growth (like a new hobby)
- Macro Renewal: Deep transformation (like a career shift)
The smartest brands today aren’t selling products. They’re selling permission to feel good. And in a world this heavy, that’s a rare currency.
Escapism Meets JOMO
Not all escapism looks like fantasy.
Sometimes it looks like stillness.
Silence.
Choosing to log off.
That’s where the JOMO phenomenon enters the chat—The Joy of Missing Out. A cultural shift where people are no longer ashamed of skipping the party, ignoring the trends, or not keeping up with the algorithm.
JOMO is a quieter form of escapism. One that’s not about running into a fantasy, but away from the feed. It’s people reclaiming their attention and setting boundaries.
And for brands, that creates a paradox:
How do you reach people who are intentionally unreachable?
This is where escapism flips from being a visual style to a strategic mindset. The best marketing doesn’t just entertain—it respects. It offers people room to breathe. It becomes the thing they choose when they want to unplug, not another thing they need to mute.
JOMO isn’t anti-brand. But it is anti-bullsh*t.
And brands that understand that will win in the era of escape.
So, What Now?
Escapism has many readings. It can be emotional, psychological, or technological. It can be a need, a trend, a marketing strategy—or a mirror held up to a tired society. And honestly? Time will tell.
Maybe it is a global craving to disconnect. Maybe it’s just curiosity dressed up as insight. Maybe we, as marketers, fabricated the whole thing to justify a shift away from costly authenticity and toward scalable fantasy.
Whatever it is, brands are already reacting. Some are diving headfirst into AI-generated dreamscapes. Others are sticking to raw, human storytelling. A few are trying to do both.
So call it what you want—escapism, innovation, aesthetic fatigue, reality remixing—but one thing’s clear:
What we’re calling “escapism” might just be another reality altogether.
Escapism is Real. And AI Delivered It.
Yes—people want to escape. That much is clear.
The research confirms it: 91% globally say they need to escape occasionally. And technology—AI, immersive platforms, CGI, the whole lot—has delivered on that demand.
We’re no longer tied to our physical world. We can scroll into another life, filter into a better self, enter a digital dreamscape whenever we want.
From sleep tourism to fantasy fiction to AI-generated realities—escapism is happening. It’s real. And for many, it’s necessary.
If you support this angle then you will act accordingly. As a brand, as a agency or as an advertiser.
If your marketing still screams for attention—it’s time to hush.
If your founder still performs “authenticity”—let them rest.
If your brand hasn’t offered an escape—start now.
So go ahead: give people something to dream about.
Even if just for a moment.
Or Maybe It’s Just Curiosity in Disguise
But there’s another angle:
Maybe we’re not escaping reality. Maybe we’re just fascinated by what’s now possible.
We’re not running from something—we’re running toward novelty. The sheer creative potential of AI and synthetic media is thrilling. New tools. New playgrounds. New rules.
And maybe that’s not escapism.
Maybe that’s just… curiosity.
The problem? Curiosity fades. It doesn’t always convert. It burns hot, then burns out.
Because AI democratizes innovation. It’s shiny. It’s sexy. It lets anyone become a creator. And we’re in love with that possibility. But let’s not confuse curiosity with escapism.
Once the novelty wears off, once everyone’s feed is flooded with the same AI art, the same dreamy visuals, the same aesthetic clones—what’s left?
When the hype cycle cools, will people still want to “escape”? Or will they want something real again?
Or Maybe… We Fabricated Escapism?
Let’s go one step deeper.
What if escapism isn’t just a reaction to burnout or technology?
What if we manufactured it?
Think about it: for years, “authenticity” was the holy grail. We asked founders to be vulnerable on LinkedIn. To show up on TikTok with shaky hands and unscripted thoughts. To put in the work—because authenticity is hard. And expensive. And draining.
But now? Everyone’s obsessed with CGI storytelling, AI influencers, synthetic soundtracks, surreal vibes. You don’t need a founder anymore, you don’t need an influencer—you need a vibe model and a Midjourney prompt.
So here’s the question:
Did we invent this new era of escapism just to permit ourselves to stop being authentic?
Maybe we’re not escaping reality at all.
Maybe we’re just… lazy. And cheaper
Time (and Conversions) Will Tell
Maybe it’s all of the above.
Maybe it’s none of it.
Escapism is fluid. Messy. Evolving.
But what’s clear is this: Brands are already responding. The smartest brands? They’re not choosing sides. They’re blending the fantasy of escape with the trust of realness
Some are going all-in on synthetic aesthetics, others are doubling down on human voices, and some are blending both.
And as always, conversions don’t lie.
So whether escapism is a cultural need, a technological side effect, or a fabricated trend, one thing’s certain:
Calling it “escapism” when it might just be “another reality” is fascinating.
We’ll see soon enough what sticks—and what just scrolled by.
My 2” about authenticity
Still standing.
Still rare.
Still impossible to automate or replicate. And that’s why it will always be more expensive
And when everything starts looking the same, the realest thing in the room becomes the most valuable asset a brand can have.
So maybe escapism isn’t the end of authenticity.
Maybe it’s just a break before the comeback.
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Theodore has 20 years of experience running successful and profitable software products. In his free time, he coaches and consults startups. His career includes managerial posts for companies in the UK and abroad, and he has significant skills in intrapreneurship and entrepreneurship.
