Okay, be honest: when was the last time a brand’s “Gen Z campaign” made you actually care?
Not cringe. Not roll your eyes. Actually care.
Rare, right? That’s because most brands mistake using slang for actually understanding Gen Z.
Gen Z marketing has had a rough time because this is a tough crowd to crack. They’re a generation that has seen every trend and every meme.
And, crucially, they’ve seen every brand trying too hard.
But every once in a while, a few brands manage to get it so right!
Here are our picks of some of those campaigns.
NESCAFÉ | The Sound of Hustle
For Gen Z, hustle isn’t just work. It’s also the side quests and passion projects.
And more often than not, these pursuits run on the same two things: music and coffee!
So NESCAFÉ brought the two together to create The Sound of Hustle. Launched on Spotify and brought to life through an exclusive, creator-led experiential event, the NESCAFÉ Hustle Anthem gave India’s Gen Z a soundtrack for their everyday hustle.
This way, NESCAFÉ moved beyond talking to Gen Z and became part of the culture they’re creating.
Uber | Manifest Your Best Year Ever
Every back-to-school season, American teens get hit with a wave of “new year, new me” energy.
So Uber told them to manifest away because they’re there to help!
The films cover massive ground, from skincare to gym to crushes, basically every corner of a teen’s world.
Also yes! The films are packed with Gen Z slang, but none of it has that try-hard energy we’ve come to see and cringe at.
Currys | Let Gen Z Cook
Currys was basically like: you know what you like, so you write the ad.
Literally.
Instead of stuffing Gen Z slang into overworked brand copy (we’ve all seen that car crash), they let them write the damn thing.
Then Currys handed the scripts over to a not-Gen-Z employee: George!
For a brand that’s been around since 1884, breaking out of the traditional playbook was a good call, and they pulled it off well.
Coca-Cola | Nothing’s That Urgent
Feels, feels, sooo many feels.
Millennials and Gen Z both have a problem: everything feels urgent, so everything needs our attention right now.
Coca-Cola’s campaign calls that out!
The ask is simple: stop treating every notification like a five-alarm fire and prioritise the thing you actually want, i.e., having a meal with people you love.
Please watch this beautiful ad.
