What is your current role at Pinterest and how would you describe what you do?
My job is a writer’s dream! I manage our Core Brand Writing team at Pinterest, which sits on Pinterest’s in-house creative team within the marketing organization. As a team, we establish and maintain the brand voice of Pinterest—how we speak and how we sound—while working to solidify Pinterest as a key player in culture.
I spend about 50% of my time acting as creative director on campaigns, and about 50% of my time writing, editing copy and managing and mentoring my team. We’re spread across all types of different projects, from consumer to advertiser audiences — everything from how Pinterest shows up at industry events like Coachella and Cannes Lions, to the speeches that our marketing executives tell on global stages, to our business blog and thought leadership. And of course Pinterest Predicts—our annual not-yet-trending report.
How did you get your start, and what was your path into this role?
I started my career in the magazine industry (RIP!) where I worked as a writer and producer at InStyle.com, covering everything from fashion and beauty to celebrity parties. After five years in magazines, I went brand side to Ralph Lauren and then KENDO, which is a small beauty incubator that launches brands for Sephora. I started at Pinterest as a writer in 2018 and I’ve been here ever since, helping tell our company story at scale.
Pinterest Predicts is a major trend report that so many look to as a guide every year. Can you share the strategy behind it and a look into the process of creating it each year?
I have a special place in my heart for Pinterest Predicts. It’s our annual “not-yet-trending-report” featuring 20 trends we expect to spike in the year ahead. While so many platforms look back, Pinterest looks forward. Over half a billion people come here to plan each month, which means we have unique insight into what’s going to be really big, really soon. Predicts is truly a blend of art (storytelling, design) and science (data, insights). I love any chance I get to give a “peek behind the curtain” into the process.
We kick Predicts off every year in August and bring together a cross-functional team of marketers, writers, insights leads, designers and global leads. We dig into thousands of search terms—as well as visual searches—based on Pinterest's first-party data. We then categorize this data into buckets, which will ultimately become our 20 trend predictions for the year ahead.
How do you balance storytelling and reflecting data in this process?
We leverage a machine learning-backed methodology that allows us to effectively identify emerging trends from the billions of searches on Pinterest. This methodology doesn’t just speak to volume but acts as an growth indicator that this particular piece of data will continue to rise in the year ahead. And because Pinterest is a visual platform, we also bring in visual search signals that are powered by engagement with Pins on Pinterest.
Then comes the curation phase. First we look for patterns: What’s spiking so incessantly, we can’t ignore it? What’s taking over in multiple verticals? For this year, the clear answer was cherry—cherry EVERYTHING—from martinis to interiors to cars. When we see something continually pop up in our data, we know we’re onto something.
In addition to data repetition, we also look for the trends that make us say: “Isn’t this interesting? Isn’t this weird?” This year’s version: Rat cakes, up by 170% on our platform (yes, you read that right!). This search term was enough to make us all collectively go “huh?”—and we knew there was something to it. We continued to search our data for other surprising cake-related keywords—and the “Chaos Cakes” trend was born.
Once we have our list of 20 trends, we editorialize them. We give each trend a unique and sticky name to ensure it catches on in culture. My team of writers spends hours in "namestorms" (what we affectionately call a writing brainstorm) to get the names exactly right. We also look at the report in totality: We don’t want any repetition, so a good rule of thumb is only one “core” and “aesthetic” per year. We also love a good portmanteau, which is a word for when two words are mashed up into one (think “Athflow” or “Barkictecture”). And a thesaurus is our best friend throughout the process. I especially love Onelook for helping track down synonyms, idioms et al!
You mentioned that Pinterest Predicts is a team effort? What does this collaboration look like and how do you think it influences the outcome and impact of the project?
Pinterest Predicts is really the most collaborative team project I’ve ever worked on. Writers dig into data and weigh in on design, and our insights leads help us come up with trend names (fun fact, one of our lead researchers named Moto Boho!). Yes we each have our discipline, but there is an open and collaborative spirit that permeates the entire project—and I truly believe that it's for this very reason that the Predicts report shines every year.
What challenges have you run into working on Pinterest Predicts? And how have you implemented new insights from previous years?
One of our biggest challenges is how tight our timeline is every year. We pull the data as late in the year as possible—so it can be fresh and on the pulse—but this leaves only a bit of wiggle room in between when our trends are identified and when final names are due. During this time, we not only need to land internal buy-in, but consult with legal, I&D, and our trust and safety teams.
Luckily the process has become a well-oiled machine. We take an “all hands on deck” approach and enlist tons of creatives and cross-functional partners to hone our trends as quickly as possible. We also bring in an external consultant—Gauge—to help us identify any blind spots, ensure cultural and global relevance and spot any sensitivities. All of these process enhancements help us move quickly, while still maintaining our trend appeal and data integrity.
Which prediction (or predictions) do you feel has been most on-the-pulse? Were there any that surprised you?
Without bragging too much (!!!) we actually get most of our trends “right”! In fact, for the past five years, we have had an 80% accuracy rate—meaning, 8 in 10 of the trends we predict annually continue to climb as the year progresses. It’s actually one of the most fun parts of working on this project: Getting to see our trends come true in culture—from awards show red carpets to brands’ product assortments.
As for the most on-the-pulse? Last year’s Eclectic Grandpa trend was a really strong one (we’re especially proud of this Vogue coverage). This year, we’re seeing Fisherman Aesthetic take off, not just in fashion but also interiors. And as a new mom myself, I have a lot of love for Nesting Parties—a trend that people are moving away from the traditional baby shower and into supportive postpartum gatherings. A welcome shift!
How do you see Pinterest users interacting with Pinterest Predicts?
This year, we invited consumers to “try on” the trends of the future with our limited-edition trend drops—exclusive products and experiences inspired by our 2025 predictions. And we invited brands to get in on the action, too! In fact, we sell trend packages against our trends, which are specific ways that advertisers can “own” a piece of Pinterest culture. The power of Predicts!
How did you celebrate this year’s Pinterest Predicts launch?
We hosted a press event in NYC this year one day prior to launch day, where we invited editors and bloggers to experience our trends first hand. We also popped up with a Predicts-inspired experience at CES this year, featuring Pickle Fix and Rococo-adorned displays. And internally within our creative team we hosted a big toast, where we celebrated each team member’s contributions—and we even gave everyone a fun “trend inspired” nickname!
Photographer: Kelly Puleio
Can you share your favorite moments from this year’s campaign?
I’ve been working on the words behind Pinterest Predicts for five consecutive years, but this is the first time we actually produced a live action shoot for our campaign video. Seeing our trend worlds come to life was nothing short of surreal—a Rococo-inspired bedroom, Cherry coded world and giant “Sea Witchery” clamshell. There were so many moments during filming that I gasped. Our trends have always felt larger than life, but seeing them on the big screen was a career highlight. They truly felt larger than life!
Leah Gordon is a Bay Area-based writer, editor and creative director. Previously at InStyle.com, she now leads a team of writers at Pinterest. A born and bred New Yorker, she currently lives in Oakland, California with her husband and 2-year-old daughter.
What is your current role at Pinterest and how would you describe what you do?
My job is a writer’s dream! I manage our Core Brand Writing team at Pinterest, which sits on Pinterest’s in-house creative team within the marketing organization. As a team, we establish and maintain the brand voice of Pinterest—how we speak and how we sound—while working to solidify Pinterest as a key player in culture.
I spend about 50% of my time acting as creative director on campaigns, and about 50% of my time writing, editing copy and managing and mentoring my team. We’re spread across all types of different projects, from consumer to advertiser audiences — everything from how Pinterest shows up at industry events like Coachella and Cannes Lions, to the speeches that our marketing executives tell on global stages, to our business blog and thought leadership. And of course Pinterest Predicts—our annual not-yet-trending report.
How did you get your start, and what was your path into this role?
I started my career in the magazine industry (RIP!) where I worked as a writer and producer at InStyle.com, covering everything from fashion and beauty to celebrity parties. After five years in magazines, I went brand side to Ralph Lauren and then KENDO, which is a small beauty incubator that launches brands for Sephora. I started at Pinterest as a writer in 2018 and I’ve been here ever since, helping tell our company story at scale.
Pinterest Predicts is a major trend report that so many look to as a guide every year. Can you share the strategy behind it and a look into the process of creating it each year?
I have a special place in my heart for Pinterest Predicts. It’s our annual “not-yet-trending-report” featuring 20 trends we expect to spike in the year ahead. While so many platforms look back, Pinterest looks forward. Over half a billion people come here to plan each month, which means we have unique insight into what’s going to be really big, really soon. Predicts is truly a blend of art (storytelling, design) and science (data, insights). I love any chance I get to give a “peek behind the curtain” into the process.
We kick Predicts off every year in August and bring together a cross-functional team of marketers, writers, insights leads, designers and global leads. We dig into thousands of search terms—as well as visual searches—based on Pinterest's first-party data. We then categorize this data into buckets, which will ultimately become our 20 trend predictions for the year ahead.
How do you balance storytelling and reflecting data in this process?
We leverage a machine learning-backed methodology that allows us to effectively identify emerging trends from the billions of searches on Pinterest. This methodology doesn’t just speak to volume but acts as an growth indicator that this particular piece of data will continue to rise in the year ahead. And because Pinterest is a visual platform, we also bring in visual search signals that are powered by engagement with Pins on Pinterest.
Then comes the curation phase. First we look for patterns: What’s spiking so incessantly, we can’t ignore it? What’s taking over in multiple verticals? For this year, the clear answer was cherry—cherry EVERYTHING—from martinis to interiors to cars. When we see something continually pop up in our data, we know we’re onto something.
In addition to data repetition, we also look for the trends that make us say: “Isn’t this interesting? Isn’t this weird?” This year’s version: Rat cakes, up by 170% on our platform (yes, you read that right!). This search term was enough to make us all collectively go “huh?”—and we knew there was something to it. We continued to search our data for other surprising cake-related keywords—and the “Chaos Cakes” trend was born.
Once we have our list of 20 trends, we editorialize them. We give each trend a unique and sticky name to ensure it catches on in culture. My team of writers spends hours in "namestorms" (what we affectionately call a writing brainstorm) to get the names exactly right. We also look at the report in totality: We don’t want any repetition, so a good rule of thumb is only one “core” and “aesthetic” per year. We also love a good portmanteau, which is a word for when two words are mashed up into one (think “Athflow” or “Barkictecture”). And a thesaurus is our best friend throughout the process. I especially love Onelook for helping track down synonyms, idioms et al!
You mentioned that Pinterest Predicts is a team effort? What does this collaboration look like and how do you think it influences the outcome and impact of the project?
Pinterest Predicts is really the most collaborative team project I’ve ever worked on. Writers dig into data and weigh in on design, and our insights leads help us come up with trend names (fun fact, one of our lead researchers named Moto Boho!). Yes we each have our discipline, but there is an open and collaborative spirit that permeates the entire project—and I truly believe that it's for this very reason that the Predicts report shines every year.
What challenges have you run into working on Pinterest Predicts? And how have you implemented new insights from previous years?
One of our biggest challenges is how tight our timeline is every year. We pull the data as late in the year as possible—so it can be fresh and on the pulse—but this leaves only a bit of wiggle room in between when our trends are identified and when final names are due. During this time, we not only need to land internal buy-in, but consult with legal, I&D, and our trust and safety teams.
Luckily the process has become a well-oiled machine. We take an “all hands on deck” approach and enlist tons of creatives and cross-functional partners to hone our trends as quickly as possible. We also bring in an external consultant—Gauge—to help us identify any blind spots, ensure cultural and global relevance and spot any sensitivities. All of these process enhancements help us move quickly, while still maintaining our trend appeal and data integrity.
Which prediction (or predictions) do you feel has been most on-the-pulse? Were there any that surprised you?
Without bragging too much (!!!) we actually get most of our trends “right”! In fact, for the past five years, we have had an 80% accuracy rate—meaning, 8 in 10 of the trends we predict annually continue to climb as the year progresses. It’s actually one of the most fun parts of working on this project: Getting to see our trends come true in culture—from awards show red carpets to brands’ product assortments.
As for the most on-the-pulse? Last year’s Eclectic Grandpa trend was a really strong one (we’re especially proud of this Vogue coverage). This year, we’re seeing Fisherman Aesthetic take off, not just in fashion but also interiors. And as a new mom myself, I have a lot of love for Nesting Parties—a trend that people are moving away from the traditional baby shower and into supportive postpartum gatherings. A welcome shift!
How do you see Pinterest users interacting with Pinterest Predicts?
This year, we invited consumers to “try on” the trends of the future with our limited-edition trend drops—exclusive products and experiences inspired by our 2025 predictions. And we invited brands to get in on the action, too! In fact, we sell trend packages against our trends, which are specific ways that advertisers can “own” a piece of Pinterest culture. The power of Predicts!
How did you celebrate this year’s Pinterest Predicts launch?
We hosted a press event in NYC this year one day prior to launch day, where we invited editors and bloggers to experience our trends first hand. We also popped up with a Predicts-inspired experience at CES this year, featuring Pickle Fix and Rococo-adorned displays. And internally within our creative team we hosted a big toast, where we celebrated each team member’s contributions—and we even gave everyone a fun “trend inspired” nickname!
Photographer: Kelly Puleio
Can you share your favorite moments from this year’s campaign?
I’ve been working on the words behind Pinterest Predicts for five consecutive years, but this is the first time we actually produced a live action shoot for our campaign video. Seeing our trend worlds come to life was nothing short of surreal—a Rococo-inspired bedroom, Cherry coded world and giant “Sea Witchery” clamshell. There were so many moments during filming that I gasped. Our trends have always felt larger than life, but seeing them on the big screen was a career highlight. They truly felt larger than life!
Leah Gordon is a Bay Area-based writer, editor and creative director. Previously at InStyle.com, she now leads a team of writers at Pinterest. A born and bred New Yorker, she currently lives in Oakland, California with her husband and 2-year-old daughter.
Further Reading
