A unicorn sighting used to be synonymous with something rare, precious, and seldom-sighted. But, the appropriation of this mythical creature as a trendy emblem to emblazon iPhone cases, water bottles, and tote bags has rendered this symbol an out-of-control behemoth.
Thanks to the unicorn trend, this former rarity is literally everywhere. It's time for the unicorn trend to die once and for all.
SEE ALSO: Watermelons are the trendy Instagram accessory of summer 2017In the past few months alone we've seen unicorn Easter eggs, unicorn eyeliner, unicorn eyebrows, unicorn macarons, unicorn toast and unicorn lattes. Heck, you can even get yourself a unicorn dildo if you want to. Certainly all of these things aren't advertising for "unicorns" -- startup companies worth more than $1 billion.
The straw that broke the unicorn's back was Starbucks' kaleidoscopic monstrosity, the Unicorn Frappuccino. The blue-and-pink concoction, which transitioned from sweet to sour, was a veritable Instagram hit. But, the "fun" didn't quite end there. The buzz surrounding the drink gave rise to its own micro-trends. Unicorn Frappuccino-inspired hair art became a real-life thing. And, baristas began making spin-off concoctions like unicorn lemonade.
According to Google Trends, global search interest in unicorn reached its all-time highest point in April 2017, when Unicorn Frappuccinos exploded onto the scene. According to a Google spokesperson, the related searches in April were primarily focused on the Unicorn Frappuccino.
Credit: google trends Since peaking in April, search interest has dropped. But, interest is nonetheless still higher than it was at the start of the year.
Even despite peaking in April, unicorns are still everywhere. Go into any stationery shop or high street clothing store and I guarantee you'll spot something unicorn-related.
Credit: screenshot/paperchase Unicorn beauty and food trends continue to take Instagram by storm, with unicorn noodles and unicorn bagels the most recent examples.
But, perhaps Gordon Ramsay -- for once -- had a point when he proffered his thoughts on the trend. "Unicorns are meant for children’s tales, not food. Period," Ramsay told PopSugar. Amen to that.
"Unicorns are meant for children's tales, not food. Period."
You can have too much of a good thing. What was once a fun emblem for your gym tee has now morphed into a tired and overused symbol that many of us never want to see ever again. It's time to leave unicorns out of your food, your makeup, your fashion, and your stationary supplies.
It's time for mermaids, dragons, elves, phoenixes, griffins, fairies, and countless other mythical creatures to have their time in the sun.
The once-rare unicorn has been done to death, folks. And, we only have ourselves to blame. It was fun while it lasted.
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