What’s the real status symbol of 2025? It’s not what you think.

Picture this: At the 2025 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity—an event famous for cutting-edge brands and global trendsetters—the spotlight wasn’t just on luxury watches or designer tech. Instead, CMOs showed off surprising new status symbols, as captured in Business Insider’s deep-dive: wearables for wellness, fertility tracking rings, and even sleek, portable health kits. These aren’t just accessories. They’re a declaration of values, agency—and, for some, a roadmap to the future family.

But why the shift? And what does it mean for anyone navigating the tricky path to parenthood?

Let’s break down the data, the psychology, and the real trends reshaping what it means to “make it” today.

The Data Behind Modern Status Symbols

According to recent global surveys, traditional status symbols (hello, sports cars) are losing ground. In their place: items that signal insider access to optimization—from smart sleep bands to fertility biohacking tools. At Cannes, top marketers and influencers weren’t just seen, they were seen sporting Oura rings, discreet hormone monitors, and fertility kits designed for at-home empowerment.

• 68% of Millennials and Gen Z polled by Mintel in 2025 described "personal wellness devices" as “aspirational.”
• 42% of women ages 24-39 listed “fertility awareness” as a priority health metric for the year.
• The home fertility market has exploded, with self-directed insemination kit sales up 35% YoY since 2023 (Statista, 2025).

So why this pivot away from possessions to self-possession?

Wellness, Agency, and the New Parent Identity

The COVID-19 pandemic turbocharged a cultural shift: people want more direct control over their health, their bodies, and their timelines. Parenthood, once dictated by clinical gatekeepers or rigid social timelines, is now being reframed as an act of self-actualization. And this is more than a trend—it’s a transformation.

Let’s dig in:

• The “Instagrammability” of a moment is no longer about flash, but about meaningful milestones—from freezing eggs to unboxing a top-reviewed at-home insemination kit.
• Subtle, wellness-first fertility tools are becoming signals of empowerment. They say, “I’m proactive about my future.”
• Even the packaging matters. Discreet, unbranded shipments? That’s luxury through privacy—a value that resonates in our hyper-connected age.

The Surprising Intersection: Fertility Kits as Status and Solution

It’s not just for the ‘Insta crowd.’ Modern family-building tools—especially reusable insemination kits—are being adopted by:

• Career-driven couples delaying children but planning ahead
• LGBTQ+ families seeking agency outside of clinics
• Single parents-by-choice who want discretion and effectiveness

Platforms like MakeAMom’s resource-rich site reflect this reality. With a reported 67% success rate and specialized kits (think: CryoBaby for frozen sperm, BabyMaker for sensitive users, and Impregnator for motility issues), they’re not just selling a product—they’re offering a blueprint for self-determined parenting.

And with the spike in anxiety around “biological clocks,” these tools have become a quiet confidence boost. If the new status symbol is the ability to choose your moment, then DIY insemination kits might be 2025’s ultimate flex.

But Is This All Just Marketing Hype?

A fair question! The rise of fertility at Cannes could easily be dismissed as a trend-du-jour. But look closer:

• Reuse over waste: Eco-conscious consumers are favoring kits that can be used multiple times, bolstering sustainability as well as budgets.
• Real-world effectiveness: Data from MakeAMom and similar platforms show usage patterns and success rates that rival or beat some in-clinic benchmarks.
• Testimonial momentum: Community forums and expert panels are filled with reporting from real users, not just influencers.

So, is this the future—or a passing fad?

Your Move: Agency Is the Ultimate Status Symbol

If you’re trying to conceive, asking yourself these questions matters:

• Are you optimizing for your health, your finances, or your privacy?
• Would you feel more confident tracking your fertility with a ring, or testing with a home kit?
• What does “empowered parenthood” mean to you?

The answer isn’t one-size-fits-all. But as CMOs at Cannes demonstrated, the new markers of aspiration are tools that give you choice, knowledge, and control—not just for the sake of appearances, but for genuine progress.

Final thought:

The future of fertility is less about what you own and more about how you own your journey. Is it time you rethought the symbols and strategies on your own path to parenthood?

Sound off in the comments—what’s your personal status symbol for progress? And if you’re ready to explore new tools or testimonials, don’t miss the community-driven insights and resources at MakeAMom’s official hub.