CES 2025: Warm Takes from the Floor

‘Everyday AI’: A Hammer Looking for Nails

Smart fridges and washing machines have become something of a meme at CES in recent years, yet the big household electronics brands - from the usual suspects of LG and Samsung to more recent challengers like HiSense and TCL - all leaned hard into how their AI-infused products can do things you didn’t know you needed done in your home (and probably don’t). From LG’s “affectionate intelligence” offering wellness insights to TCL’s child-friendly AiMe robot, these products aim to integrate seamlessly into daily life but toe the ‘creep’ line. While these innovations might remove some daily friction, they also raise questions about whether brands are prioritizing speed to market over meaningful user research, which has been on the decline in recent years as a result of shrinking budgets and pressures to ship products increase. As design thinking fades from vogue, a renewed focus on understanding human needs is more critical than ever.

A Golden Era of Learning?

CES 2025 highlighted the intersection of digital learning and physical applications, with Nvidia’s Jensen Huang introducing robot training in the metaverse and brands like Dassault and BHaptics showcasing advanced digital twins and sensory feedback technologies. Innovations like haptic devices that simulate real-world sensations suggest a future where learning trades or practical skills becomes more accessible and engaging, addressing the growing trade gap and putting real substance behind how we use digital to train for the physical world. For marketers, this signals a continued shift toward education-focused strategies that establish authority for machines to learn from you, whether that’s via summaries in search, offering AI-driven tutorials, virtual workshops, and skill-building content to foster brand loyalty and organic growth.

The Race to Replace Your Phone

Exhibitors at CES 2025 showcased Meta-like glasses and Oura-style wearables, all vying to break our smartphone dependency. Oura and Meta succeed by focusing on unique, high-value experiences (and yes, that first mover advantage and those network effects); Oura with precise health tracking and Meta with immersive VR/AR for both entertainment and work. While no game-changing form factor has emerged, brands like XREAL, with AR glasses for autonomous vehicles, and AARP, with real-time subtitle tech for the hearing impaired, are finding niche applications. Marketers should explore reframing XR/AR as tools for solving specific problems and leveraging partnerships to extend these technologies' utility and appeal.

Out of Home Meets In-your-Car 

Autonomous vehicles were a major focus at CES, with exhibitors reimagining car interiors as media-rich environments. LG offered personalized dashboards, while BMW’s minimalist iDrive and Sony-Honda’s Afeela EV highlighted immersive, AI-powered interfaces. For marketers, the car is poised to become a multimedia hub, transitioning from audio-driven content today to shared, screen-centric experiences tomorrow, creating new opportunities to engage consumers on the go.

Sustainability’s Coming-Out Party

Sustainability took center stage at CES 2025, with innovations like Flint’s paper-based batteries, Siemens’ sand-to-soil technology, and LowCarbon’s carbon-filtering “trees.” This shift toward tangible, impactful solutions emphasizes the importance of showcasing measurable sustainability efforts. For marketers, this means weaving real-world advancements into campaigns to resonate with eco-conscious consumers and position brands as leaders in tackling environmental challenges.