InCZights 2025 Unwrapped is our annual recap of what we thought, learned, loved and side-eyed throughout the year...a collection of our most snackable, brand experience-related musings.

Over the past decade, we’ve watched a quiet but seismic shift in how consumers engage with automotive and tech brands. The classic showroom—with its polished floors, neatly lined vehicles or devices, and salespeople waiting to talk specs—is under pressure. Disruption is not coming from competitors alone; it’s coming from expectations. 

There was a time when “safe” made sense. When predictable campaigns and polished messages could still cut through the noise, but those days are gone. Audiences have changed — they’re more connected, more skeptical, and more emotionally driven than ever. What used to feel secure now feels stale. And what used to be “safe” now quietly kills momentum.

In the world of event marketing, there’s an unspoken competition on the show floor: who can build the biggest, tallest, flashiest structure? But here’s the thing—audiences don’t actually care.

Audiences no longer want to just attend—they want to feel. They expect events to mean something, to connect with them on a personal level, to create a spark that stays lit long after the venue empties. And for brands, this isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s a growth opportunity.