eight viral videos in 2025 that no one really understood

• To understand: British propaganda audio about disastrous holiday goes viral on social media
• Millennials x Generation Z: After all, what’s behind the TikTok trend that mixes trap and the 1990s?

Below, we show you some of the fashions that have exploded and left many people looking at the screen wondering, “What the hell is that?” “.

The Italian Brainrot (or simply “brainrot”) was one of the most bizarre phenomena of the year. Appearing in early 2025, this format mixes surreal images generated by artificial intelligence, generally strange creatures, improbable hybrids between animals, objects and even humans, with narrations in “Italian” (or something similar), absurd names and illogical humor.

The first big success of this movement, according to UOL, was Tralalero Tralala, a shark wearing Nike sneakers, whose original video combined surreal images, synthetic sound and speeches. Despite their weirdness, or perhaps because of it, brainrots gained fans around the world and quickly spread across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.

What was perhaps most intriguing: no one needed to understand what the videos meant, the effect came from the shock, the visual and audio overload, the “brain rot” that gave the meme its name.

2. Jet2 Vacation Audio

Another global craze: the audio of Jet2 Holidays, a British tourism brand, has become the sound of the July holidays on social networks.

This initially upbeat ad, with a cheerful voice and the phrase “Nothing beats a Jet2 vacation,” took on new life when TikTok users started using it to recount, say, disastrous vacations: lost suitcases, rain instead of sun, hotel confusion.

By 2025, the meme already has millions of videos and audio, transforming the tourism jingle into an anthem for “failed vacations.”

In the midst of these visual and sound waves, a more “physical” image of viral culture also attracted attention: the Labubu, collectible dolls from the Chinese manufacturer Pop Mart, which follow the logic of “blind boxes”.

Labubu has always had its fans, but in 2025 the fever returned in full force: reports of sellouts, expensive resales and viral collectors multiplied. The “ugly-cute” aesthetic – dolls with bunny ears, toothy smiles, big eyes – speaks to a Generation Z’s desire for a strange, self-deprecating and almost melancholy visual identity.

This contrast between “kindness” and “strangeness”, between childhood nostalgia and adult desire to belong, has helped transform Labubu into a symbol: 2025 lives not only on memes, but also on consumption, desire and social status, even disguised as a plush toy.

4. Children’s dance in Indonesia

Another trend that is difficult to decipher: the dancing of boys on the bow of a boat in Indonesia. Rayyan Arkan Dikha went viral when he danced on the bow of a traditional boat during a local race between May and June.

The seemingly simple choreography has gained trendy status under the label of aura farming: the idea of ​​cultivating a visual “aura,” a presence that attracts attention and suggests an “ambience” that is more than technical.

The impact was global: influencers, athletes and even celebrities replicated the style.

• The viral drink of the year: matcha is 5 times more searched on social networks than cappuccino; to understand

Bobbie Goods is a collection of coloring books created by American illustrator Abbie Goveia, featuring illustrations of anthropomorphized animals, everyday scenes and delicate lines.

In Brazil, the editions began to appear strongly in 2025: in the first seven months of the year, the series exceeded 2.5 million copies sold.

The success, fueled by “ASMR coloring” videos and influencers using the books as a symbol of a break from the digital rush, has revealed a growing demand for a “visual and mental detox”.

If Bobbie Goods calls for calm, Strawberry of Love stirs up exaggeration — and the palate. The dessert, a sort of reinterpretation of the traditional candy apple, consists of strawberries covered with white brigadeiro and a crunchy shell of colored sugar.

In July 2025, images and videos of this treat went viral on Brazilian social media, prompting sweet shops, sweet shops and even restaurants to include this treat in their menus, just to meet growing demand. The craze was such that the candy even surpassed the other “hypes” of the year in terms of volume of online searches.

7. High School Pose Challenge (high jump over unstable objects)

And if the viruses of 2025 have left us nostalgic for 2024, one of the most dangerous trends to emerge this year mixes nostalgia and real risk.

Inspired by Nicki Minaj’s 2013 music video for the song “High School,” the high heel “pose” was revived in 2025: TikTok users began balancing with one straight leg and crossing over cans, bottles, pans, nail polish boxes, and more.

The fad went viral, with videos racking up millions of views. However, the success was not without consequences: there were cases of falls, serious accidents and health professionals warned of the risks.

8. The 1×20 (or 1×30) debate

Perhaps the most controversial news of 2025. Appearing internationally with the web series Surrounded (from producer Jubilee Media), the format places one person – often with a “niche” opinion or strong profile – facing 20, 25 or even 30 opponents, with the clear objective of generating tension, controversy and lots of engagement.

In Brazil and around the world, adapted versions emerged with conflicts over political, social or identity views: conservatives versus progressives, vegetarians versus carnivores, billionaires versus workers – all of which created enough shock to dominate the thread.

The mechanism works like a ring: the person defends their vision alone while the crowd reproduces arguments, accusations and provocations, all with a rapid pace and editing designed to maximize impact.

Often, what matters least is the content of the debate, what really matters is the tension, the polarization, the “spectacle”.