Tuned In and In Touch: Insights from Teaching Gen Z – Part 2

Culture is evolving at a pace to match that of technology. Individuality and equality are simultaneously demanded, celebrated and challenged. As a society, our views on big issues are far from unified. As brands continue to try to keep up and remain relevant, they are finding it increasingly important to pick a side. We’ve seen big wins and epic fails. A 2018 Edelman report Brands Take a Stand, found that 64 percent of consumers worldwide are “belief-driven buyers.” This is up from 51 percent in 2017. Without doubt, we’ll see more companies wearing their social beliefs on the outside. It takes a deft touch to connect a brand’s position to a volatile moment in culture. Luckily the next generation of creative professionals is getting involved.

Classroom Assignment: Fiat has a legacy of sexist advertising, leveraging the well-worn linkage between Italy and passion. They have been lambasted in the automotive press and social media for their surprisingly disrespectful humor. I leveraged these facts and the challenges faced by people of alternative sexual orientations, to create a campaign assignment whereby the Fiat 500 brand aimed to go beyond embracing gender neutrality to demonstrating widespread acceptance–and do it authentically.

One student team, reinterpreted select misogynistic scenes and placed women and queer actors in key roles, leveraging The Godmother, a renamed version the Francis Ford Coppola classic.

The most successful ideas remained provocative and on-brand–keeping sexy but losing sexism. One maintained the car’s reputation as a makeout mobile, but left a lot to the imagination, only hinting at the details of the participants. Another spun sexuality and gender ambiguity in a fun, fashionable way, linking sexiness to melting gelato.

Campaign executions as presented, featuring androgynous model Jazzelle Zanaughtti by Abigail Cotter and Leya Kutzer

More than one team adopted a “Fiat is for everyone” because “a car is just a car,” approach. While this may be true, I can imagine the response of the brand’s Italian marketing team, “Where’s the a-beauty?! Where’s the a-passion?!!”

Initially, I thought these students did not want to engage.  Quickly however, it became clear that the problem wasn’t their lack of enthusiasm. It was that the presumed bias against the LGBTQ+ community which the brief was hoping to address did not resonate with Gen Z. Moreover, overtly confronting the topic felt disingenuous. We are all the same, and a car is no more a reflection of one’s complex totality than any other product.

Turns out, getting my students to understand the perspective of people with bias was more difficult than helping them empathize with those with alternative sexuality.

Brands that can demonstrate a high level of self awareness and a willingness to be vulnerable might just succeed–especially with the Gen Z consumer.

Brands need to be true to their positioning, and live their purpose. Per Edelman, they should only confront a controversial issue that has a direct impact on them or their stakeholders. And of course, they should connect to culture authentically and not blatantly co-opt an issue.

As the most connected, socially liberal and multi-racial cohort of society, Gen Z has a good radar and good instincts for how to think about these things. They believe in diversity, equality, nondiscrimination and the alleviation of poverty. Gen Zers are more empathetic, and therefore understand more unique groups than generations before them. This is a big creative advantage.

Give your new juniors credit for their head-start and evolved perspective. They might make you look good.