Brands that get it
How to not be cringe...
A lot of online content – especially sponsored content, meant to drive eyeballs towards a specific brand, campaign, or individual – can feel cringe or disingenuous. But some brands, companies, and even a few politicians, are doing it the right way by meeting young people where they are (in all senses of the phrase) with authentic digital engagement.
Much of this is teaming up with or featuring the individual creators and personalities we’ve all come to know and trust. For example - I literally just opened Instagram and the first video on my feed was a post from Charli D’Amelio in partnership with Cerave.
Here are a few of the latest catching my attention online – and what to glean from their strategies.
Cosmopolitan
Look no further than this month’s Love Issue featuring Gracie Abrams. Described as “the voice of her incredibly online generation,” Abrams is a perfect example of how the iconic media brand is reinventing its wheel for a Gen Z audience.
The issue also features Macaulay Culkin and Brenda Song, who – as stars in Home Alone and Suite Life of Zach & Cody – hint at Gen Z’s collective nostalgia for the entertainment we grew up with while also getting us up to date on their lives as adults.
Kudos to Cosmo’s new EIC, Willa Bennett, recently brought on from Highsnobsiety, who now oversees both Cosmo and Seventeen. While Cosmo still has a print publication, its digital footprint is massive, and their recent cover stars appear face-to-camera on their social feeds.
But at the end of last year, Bennett told New York Magazine she still values print, too, calling it not just “a business card,” but also “a manifesto for what your brand stands for.”
Takeaway: Be smart about who you elevate – and it doesn’t have to be an A-list celebrity. In fact, if you want to be cutting-edge, it probably shouldn’t be. There are lesser-known figures whose relatability and humility will shine through. And just because you’re looking toward the future, doesn’t mean you have to forget about the past. Nostalgia can be an important part of building what’s next.
The Gap
It’s cool to be classic. For Gap, some of that is inevitable, given the brand’s history as a mainstay in American fashion. Understanding the current fixation with late 90’s and early 2000’s style, Gap is leaning into its roots, bringing back pieces from the 80’s, 90’s, and 2000’s as part of a new collective.
With an eye toward the next generation, The Gap is also partnering with fashion influencers like Coco Schiffer and Allison Bornstein on Instagram.
The takeaway: An oldies but goodie flair is now squarely in Gen Z’s zeitgeist.
Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez
However you feel about her politics, there’s no denying that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez has a knack for connecting with Americans online. AOC has 8.5 million followers on Instagram and regularly goes live on the platform to explain the ins and outs of life on Capitol Hill and what policy decisions mean for her constituents (and all Americans). While doing so, she takes questions from viewers in real time and breaks down political jargon so that anyone can understand what is going on.
Here are a few of the top comments on her latest livestream, which is posted to her feed:
“I love you AOC thank you. We need more democrats to be just as vocal and communicative as you are. The country feels like Dems unplugged their phones and aren’t listening”
“Never liked you because of what people told me about you. And I watched several of your videos, and I can say that I went from one of these guys that thought AOC was a liberal Looney to loving and respecting everything about you. Please keep up the fight, and just know that you’ve got a middle-age 1A dad in Texas who has your back.”
“thank you for this, AOC. is this on YouTube? gotta send it to my Mom :)”
Takeaway: Being real with — and being there for — your community matters. It’s not that hard to have a face-to-face, or face-to-camera, conversation. People are looking for authentic leadership, and the elected officials or community advocates who show up, listen to, and engage with their communities will be rewarded for doing so.
NowThis
NowThis was once known for it’s engaging videos on hard news. Now it's optimizing for entertainment with a new suite of social-first shows – including titles like ‘Are You Okay?’ to ‘Playing Hooky.’ With kitschy branding and sharp hosts, the shows utilize sarcasm and wit to resonate with those who are constantly online.
‘Are You Okay?,’ launched at the end of last year, asking young people if they’re “thriving or just surviving” amid such a charged political, cultural, and dating climate. The clips have racked up millions of views across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.
The show asks all the *hardest-hitting* questions like ‘Have you ever been ghosted?’ ‘Are you an ally to women,’ and ‘Do you believe you can change men?’ tapping into our generation’s collective anxieties, neurosis, and the fact that at the end of the day, we’re all just trying to get by – especially when it comes to navigating the Gen Z gender gap.
Takeaway: Be relatable. Everyone struggles with something. It’s okay to not be okay, and there’s room for levity (and arguably a need for it) as we navigate conversations about serious topics, like mental health and our futures.
Nutter Butter
On TikTok, Nutter Butter started going viral last year, generating headlines like ‘Nutter Butter, are you OK?’ (NowThis, maybe there’s a collab there?) One of their most-liked videos from last year has 12.3M likes… and their feral content is clearly a fan-favorite.
A 27-year-old social media manager at Dentsu Creative, which manages Nutter Butter’s accounts, told the New York Times that their best performing content is nonsensical: “If a piece of content makes too much sense, it doesn’t perform as well.”
‘It’s very with the gut. There’s not a lot of planning. That’s where we get the best result. There’s not white pages of concepts and story boards and going frame by frame. Because then you lose the lure and the magic that sparked that idea to begin with,” said another strategist behind their social campaign.
Takeaway: For a generation used to chaos, irrational eye candy has teeth… as the Nutter Butter team says, “commit to the bit” – it works.
Crown Affair
A pioneer in hair care, Crown Affair’s personalized online quiz helps you choose the products that are best for you. The brand also utilizes vertical short-form video alongside their homepage to demonstrate how any given product is used ‘live’ irl. They also emphasize that they’re a value-driven company: clean, vegan, ethically sourced, and cruelty-free.
Takeaway: There’s a market for value-driven products, and individuality matters. Helping consumers feel like they are getting something personalized to their needs helps build brand loyalty.
Saie
Saie blends clean beauty with issue-driven action – organically, given that social responsibility was a part of its mission from the get-go. First, the brand is a great example of the no-makeup makeup look that’s in vogue for 2025. But beyond that, Saie takes a stance on issues that naturally matter to its founder and consumers. Not only are the ingredients clean and the company cruelty free, but they are sustainability forward and collaborate with climate non-profits. They even have their own climate initiative.
Takeaway: The social impact space looks quite different than it did six, four, even two years ago. While not all consumers care about social action, many still do. Leaning into causes that align organically with your mission and ethos can help create a community around your products.
Noteworthy reads
Gen Z workers feeling isolated by tech are craving more in-person interaction: survey, Sawdah Bhaimiya for CNBC
Calling Dibs on Gracie Abrams for Valentine’s Day, Willa Bennett for Cosmopolitan
Mr. Beast’s Brutal Amazon Show ‘Beast Games’ Is Breaking Gen Z, James Hibberd for The Hollywood Reporter
Sportsbooks are getting creative to craft Super Bowl bets around Taylor Swift, Ashley Rodrigues, James Faris, and Mackenzie Meaney for Business Insider
First Gen Z state representative in Georgia speaks about landslide win, Savannah Sellers for NBC News