Custom emojis are taking over social media, and brands are fully embracing the trend.
From fashion and beauty to food and beverage, brands are filling social feeds with emoji-inspired content. They're creating custom emoji packs based on their products, redesigning familiar iOS icons, and building entire campaigns around the tiny symbols we use every day.
So, why now?
The trend has been fueled by Apple's latest AI-powered emoji generation tools, which allow users to create personalized emojis directly from their keyboards. As people experiment with custom icons in conversations, brands have been quick to adopt the format, turning emojis into an extension of their own visual identity.
One of the most popular formats is "The emojis we got vs. the emojis we deserve," where brands compare Apple's default emojis with playful, product-inspired versions. Others are designing full emoji keyboards or incorporating custom icons into familiar phone interfaces like calendars, alarms, text messages, in swipeable carousel posts. By placing products inside these everyday digital experiences, brands make themselves feel like a natural part of consumers' daily routines, in a culture that’s always on their phones.
Some are even bringing the trend into the physical world. Coca-Cola recently released a limited edition cup that closely resembles Apple's drinking cup emoji, strengthening the visual connection between its product and one of the internet's most recognizable symbols. As consumers continue using that emoji, the association with Coca-Cola becomes even stronger.
The resurgence also taps into the growing revival of 2016s internet culture. Nearly a decade ago, celebrity emoji packs like Kim Kardashian's Kimoji and Ariana Grande’s Arimoji became viral, allowing fans to download custom keyboards filled with branded emojis and stickers. Today's AI tools have made that same idea faster, easier, and accessible to everyone, giving brands a fresh way to participate in a familiar digital behavior.
What started as a simple messaging feature has evolved into a new creative language, one that brands are using to become more recognizable, more shareable, and more embedded in everyday online culture.
So, why now?
The trend has been fueled by Apple's latest AI-powered emoji generation tools, which allow users to create personalized emojis directly from their keyboards. As people experiment with custom icons in conversations, brands have been quick to adopt the format, turning emojis into an extension of their own visual identity.
One of the most popular formats is "The emojis we got vs. the emojis we deserve," where brands compare Apple's default emojis with playful, product-inspired versions. Others are designing full emoji keyboards or incorporating custom icons into familiar phone interfaces like calendars, alarms, text messages, in swipeable carousel posts. By placing products inside these everyday digital experiences, brands make themselves feel like a natural part of consumers' daily routines, in a culture that’s always on their phones.
Some are even bringing the trend into the physical world. Coca-Cola recently released a limited edition cup that closely resembles Apple's drinking cup emoji, strengthening the visual connection between its product and one of the internet's most recognizable symbols. As consumers continue using that emoji, the association with Coca-Cola becomes even stronger.
The resurgence also taps into the growing revival of 2016s internet culture. Nearly a decade ago, celebrity emoji packs like Kim Kardashian's Kimoji and Ariana Grande’s Arimoji became viral, allowing fans to download custom keyboards filled with branded emojis and stickers. Today's AI tools have made that same idea faster, easier, and accessible to everyone, giving brands a fresh way to participate in a familiar digital behavior.
What started as a simple messaging feature has evolved into a new creative language, one that brands are using to become more recognizable, more shareable, and more embedded in everyday online culture.