Why I'm Advising My Clients to Avoid the Pumpkin Spice Industrial Complex This Year

Stop using ultra-bright, shadowless lighting. Ditch the aggressive ring lights and over-exposed product photography. If your visuals look like they were shot in a brightly lit pharmacy, you are killing the mood.

Stop overdoing the “bright orange” pumpkin aesthetic. Pumpkin spice has transitioned from a seasonal treat into a corporate cliché. Lean away from neon oranges and primary yellows. See my photos above :-)

Stop posting generic, fast-paced video transitions. Fast cuts, frantic trending audio, and hyper-caffeinated “get ready with me” energy do not align with this trend.

Stop relying on purely digital storytelling. Sending just another automated discount email or static product ad grid feels empty to a digitally burnt-out audience.

Stop using generic, cheerful “Fall captions.” Phrases like “Pumpkin spice and everything nice” or “Sweater weather is finally here!” feel lazy and algorithmically generated.

Embrace Chiaroscuro lighting. Use single-source, directional lighting that allows deep, rich shadows to frame your products. Your imagery should look like a still from an indie film or a classic oil painting.

Pivot to the new moody neutrals. Ground your visual grid in deep chocolate brown, charcoal, and Transformative Teal, using sudden, controlled pops of tomato red or deep plum to draw the eye.

Lower the frame rate and slow down. Film raw, ASMR-style videos that focus on the physical weight and sound of your product—the scratch of a fountain pen, the heavy thud of a ceramic candle vessel, or the texture of a knit.

Inject tangible, analog touchpoints. Slip a heavy, beautifully textured postcard with a custom micro-poem into your shipping boxes. Give your customers something physical to hold, pin to a corkboard, or collect.

Write like an author, not a marketer. Trade short, emoji-stuffed captions for micro-narratives. Tell a story about a foggy morning, the scent of old paper, or the feeling of isolation in a cozy room. Treat your captions like brief, editorial entries.

The Look: Think heritage plaids, crisp collared shirts under prep school sweaters, structured tailoring, and vintage-inspired silk ties.

The Marketing Spin: Brands are staging campaigns that look like moody film stills from boarding school mysteries. Instead of organized student messaging, marketing focuses on intellectual curiosity and a pen-pal aesthetic.

The Palette: Deep eggplant; moody, grounding plums; chocolate brown; and Transformative Teal acts as the season’s new strategic neutral. These are accented by sudden pops of tomato red and controlled fuchsia pink.

The Marketing Spin: Visual feeds are shifting from ultra-bright, “vibecoded” lighting to rich, cinematic, shadow-heavy lighting that emphasizes the deep, emotional value of these tones.

The Look: Heavy cable knits, oversized cocoon silhouettes, fitted sweater vests layered over long-sleeved blouses, and “shrink-wrapped” designs where garments are clasped close to the body.

The Marketing Spin: Because consumers are craving analog, sensory experiences, brands are utilizing macro videography to showcase the actual weight and fuzz of the yarn. Live streams and creator-led short-form videos don’t just show the outfit; they focus on the sound and feel of the material—playing up the “sensory evaluation” of clothing.

Collectible Physical Hype: Try creating limited-edition, highly aesthetic physical “mascots” or desk toys. Think along the lines of the Starbucks Bearista or custom blind-box figurines dressed in your brand’s signature look or logo to drive secondary-market hype.

The “Soho House-ification” of Pop-ups: Retailers are launching short-term physical spaces styled like dark, cozy libraries or record lounges. Instead of just selling products, they offer an environment to write letters, listen to vinyl, and experience “undistracted engagement” away from screens.

Beauty & Apothecary: Move away from the hyper-glossy, “clean girl” minimalism of summer. Pivot your visuals to matte, velvety skin finishes, blurred deep plum or black-cherry lip stains, and metallic teal eyeliner accents. Frame your product photography against dark wood or textured stone, making creams and oils look like ancient, luxurious remedies rather than mass-market cosmetics.

Fashion & Apparel: It is all about “shrink-wrapped” layering and tangible weight. Style structured, preppy elements like vintage collared shirts and heritage plaids under fitted sweater vests. When creating video content, use macro lenses to zoom in on the literal fuzz of heavy cable knits, the weave of wool, and the crisp edge of a collar. Let the viewer feel the weight of the garment through the screen.

Candles & Home Decor: Transition your fragrance notes away from overly sweet, synthetic bakeries. Lean into atmospheric, rich scents like old book pages, worn leather, damp earth, tobacco leaf, and smoked vanilla. Swap out clear glass and white ceramic vessels for matte terracotta, deep teal clay, or dark tinted glass that casts moody, dancing shadows when lit.

Food & Beverage: The autumn palate is shifting from sugary pumpkin lattes to bitter, complex profiles. Highlight dark chocolate, spiced plum compotes, and botanical-infused teas. In your food styling, ditch the bright marble countertops. Utilize dark linens, rustic tarnished silverware, and moodier plating that makes a simple afternoon tea feel like a secret society ritual.

Travel & Hospitality: Stop marketing your spaces as summer-adjacent outdoor hangouts. Rebrand your boutique stays or local destinations as “unplugged writing retreats.” Focus your imagery on cozy library corners, record players, fireplace nooks, and mist-covered morning views. Frame isolation not as loneliness, but as a luxury.

The “Poet-in-Residence” Campaign: Co-market with a micro-influencer or local writer. Have them write short, nostalgic, typewriter-style poems or micro-fiction pieces inspired by your autumn collection. Share these as static images on Instagram, text graphics on Substack Notes, or printed cards tucked into shipping boxes.

The Sensory Evaluation Video: Ditch high-production slick ads. Have a team member film raw, iPhone-quality ASMR-style videos. Focus purely on the sensory sounds of your product: the strike of a match when lighting a candle, the rustle of a heavy knit sweater being unpacked, or the scoop of a thick face cream.

The Digital “Analog Hub”: If a physical pop-up lounge is too expensive, build a digital archive. Create a branded Spotify playlist of ambient dark academia jazz or vinyl rips. Send it out to customers with a beautifully designed, downloadable desktop wallpaper or a printable vintage-style reading tracker.