Digital fatigue and the new luxury of touch

How Tactile Experiences Are Revitalising Brand Communication

Analogue Revival

In an era inundated with glowing screens and ephemeral content, a curious countertrend is emerging as brands and audiences rediscover the allure of the physical. Digital fatigue is real, and after years of endless notifications, people are craving tangible experiences that offer relief from the on-screen onslaught.

Gen Z, often labelled ‘digital natives,’ has ironically become a driving force in this analogue revival. They are buying vinyl records, instant film cameras, and beautifully printed journals, treating these tactile artifacts as status symbols of authenticity and focus. What was once old-fashioned is cool again.

The result is a cultural moment where holding something conveys a sense of calm and premium value that no algorithm can match. High-quality print magazines, for example, have shed their image as disposable media and are now being reframed as coveted luxury products; influencers enthusiastically share the joys of paper and ink with hundreds of thousands of followers; and ‘digital detox’ has entered the popular lexicon.

This message resonates: when everything is digitally available, yet nothing feels truly ours, a physical object can create a moment of pause and connection. After years of constant digital noise, people are craving moments of focus; the chance to stop scrolling, notice details, and experience a brand with more than just the eyes.

Physical media, once seen as outdated, has become a marker of care and creativity, and what began as nostalgia for analogue has matured into a full-fledged strategic choice for forward-thinking brands. It’s clear that print and physical design no longer sit on the sidelines. Touch, weight, texture: these things are no longer just ‘nice to have’. They’re becoming essential to how brands build trust, express quality, and create emotional connection.

The Psychology of Tactile Experiences

Why do these tactile encounters resonate so deeply?
There’s science behind it: studies show that we process information differently when it’s experienced physically. Touch and other physical cues tap into parts of the brain that visual or audio stimuli alone simply can’t reach, helping to shape memory and deepen connection. Physical interactions aren’t just practical, they’re emotional, and the strongest brand experiences aren’t just seen, they’re sensed and felt. Neurologically, when a brand engages multiple senses, it bypasses the purely rational mind and embeds itself directly into memory.

A handwritten note, a well-weighted invitation, or a customised PR package can all say more about a brand than any campaign line. These are the moments that really form in people’s minds, forging meaning, connection, and trust through keepsakes, not just comms. Psychologists refer to this as embodied cognition, the idea that our bodily sensations profoundly influence our thoughts and emotions

In an age of disposability, that kind of staying power matters.

Embracing the Physical

We know that great branding isn’t confined to pixels, it’s built across every interaction, and often the most lasting impressions happen off-screen. This isn’t just theoretical, many leading brands are already putting it into practice, weaving physical touchpoints into their strategy in insightful ways.

Aesop’s brand experience begins long before you use the product. Their stores are designed as sanctuaries, spaces rich with natural materials, warm light, a calming sense of order and texture everywhere: polished concrete, brass fittings, cedar shelves. Everything invites you to slow down, to notice, to feel.

COS applies the same principles through print. Its in-store magazine isn’t promotional, it’s editorial, crafted with exposed spines and layered paper stocks. One issue was even themed On Paper, celebrating the tactile nature of the format. Reading it feels like browsing the clothing rack and is considered, sensory, and built to last.

Soho House takes a similar approach. Their print magazine, sent to members globally, isn’t just about content, it’s about connection. It mirrors the spaces it comes from, tactile and thoughtful, something to pause for.

These examples underscore a key point: tactility works in diverse industries. From beauty to fashion to hospitality, forward-thinking brands are leveraging physical design. Tactile design allows brands to communicate in ways that words and visuals alone cannot. These physical details speak in their own language, give feeling in every sense of the word, and let the brand breathe.

Crafting the Tactile

For tactility to work, it needs to be more than aesthetic. It must be strategic. That means choosing materials that reflect the brand’s values. Creating print that’s not just beautiful, but purposeful, and building physical experiences that align with the story being told elsewhere.

Execution also matters immensely. So much of the magic lies in the craft: the production techniques and creative choices that make a physical interaction truly memorable. The grain of an uncoated paper, the soft resistance of a debossed mark, the satisfying click of a magnetic fold; they all say “considered” before the reader sees a single word.

These choices are subtle, but they’re never accidental. They’re rooted in brand thinking, and every physical detail is an opportunity to articulate brand values in a sensory language.

These details reflect a level of care that audiences notice, even if they don’t consciously know why.

The Case for Tactility in Modern Branding

In a world overrun by the virtual and instantaneous, the decision to invest in physical, tactile experiences has become a powerful point of differentiation. But this is not about abandoning digital, it’s about orchestrating a better balance.

In a screen-saturated world, physical touchpoints offer something digital can’t: presence. They hold attention longer, create emotional connection, and show care in ways no scroll ever will. It’s about creating a coherent experience across digital and physical touchpoints; where nothing jars, and everything fits.

These aren’t nostalgic gestures, they’re modern tools of engagement.

Our approach is always collaborative and brand-first. We consider the feel of a page alongside the type on it. We test weights, textures, and folds. We notice how it sounds when it opens, how it sits in the hand, and whether it’s worth keeping.

When done well, these moments become brand signatures: kept, shared, remembered.

Conclusion

For brands questioning why tactility matters, the answer is simple: it creates impact that outlasts attention spans. While digital flits past, physical experiences linger. A hand-bound zine, a sculpted invitation, or a carefully structured package offers more than presence, they offer permanence.

Tactility doesn’t just speak to the senses; it signals intent. A brand that invests in touchable, crafted experiences shows an attention to detail that no algorithm can replicate. It turns a transaction into a relationship, and in a marketplace where trust and authenticity are increasingly rare, these signals are powerful.

The return to physical acknowledges that people want something they can hold onto, and brands that meet that need will build deeper loyalty and a more enduring place in people’s lives. Those willing to slow down, craft with care, and create for the hand as well as the eye will lead.

The most memorable brands are the ones you can feel, literally and emotionally. That’s why we design for memory, not just for visibility.

 

Linassi+Co