targeting gen z: how to keep Up with the chronically online generation

Gen Z isn’t just online… they’re chronically online. They live in the constant scroll, shaping trends in real-time and expecting brands to keep pace. From fan-driven virality to inside jokes that spread like wildfire, tapping into Gen Z’s attention means meeting them in the digital spaces where culture is being created.

Instead of long-winded planning cycles, brands that connect with Gen Z lean into the moment by reacting to pop culture, viral memes, or trending aesthetics before the moment passes. It’s less about perfection and more about participation. Gen Z rewards brands that feel like they’re “in” on the conversation, not just observing from the sidelines. To reach them, you can’t always wait until a campaign is polished and neatly packaged. Sometimes, it’s about moving fast, joining the trend, and showing up where they are. 

Here are a few examples of recent pop-culture moments that well-known brands successfully chimed in on:

Taylor Swift’s Album Announcement (August 2025)

When Taylor Swift recently announced her album The Life of a Showgirl, on her boyfriend, Travis Kelce’s podcast, “New Heights”, Gen Z went wild. Instagram was flooded with orange glitter backdrops. Even Instagram itself got involved: if you commented her name on a post, a glitter explosion animation appeared. That kind of cultural takeover wasn’t just advertising… it was participation. Here are a couple of brands we saw chime in:

Scrub Daddy

Tic Tac

Ocean Spray 

Even brands like Nutella, Amazon, Nyx Cosmetics, Dunkin (and MANY more) engaged in the commentary within different brands' comment sections. Truly Iconic.

The Summer I Turned Pretty (August 2025)

Amazon Prime’s series became a Gen Z summer staple. The internet is in a serious divide between favorite characters – splitting between “Team Conrad” or “Team Jeramiah”. Well known brands are getting involved in the conversation by subtly (or not so subtly) admitting which team they support. Brands like Delta and Set Active used humor to announce their stance.

Delta

Set Active

Brands are also chiming in on TSITP conversations by designing their own “The Summer I…” campaigns. A great example of this is:

Duolingo 

Love Island USA (July 2025)

Few shows command Gen Z attention like Love Island. Brands cleverly repurposed viral quotes and moments from the show in their marketing:

When Huda told Nic she’s a “mommy,” brands turned the moment into a carousel highlighting products that pair perfectly together.

Gleamin 

Naked Juice

Another viral soundbite, when Taylor picks Clarke, gave small businesses an easy way to showcase products, going viral by using the trending audio in their reels

American Eagle Ad Gone Wrong (July 2025)

Another more subtle (and quite frankly, less funny) example is how brands reacted to the backlash against American Eagle’s Sydney Sweeney ad. The ad’s tagline, “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” was criticized for playing on the word “genes” in a way that many found tone-deaf and exclusionary. 

What followed was a wave of brand responses, Abercrombie leaned in hardest with a denim campaign spotlighting comfort, inclusivity, and self-expression. Their messaging reframed denim as something that should “feel like being comfortable in your own skin,” featuring diverse models who embodied that ethos. Old Navy and other retailers also jumped into the conversation with subtle nods to inclusivity in their campaigns.

Abercrombie

The lesson here is that Gen Z gravitates to brands that aren’t afraid to respond in real-time and flip a cultural conversation.

All of these examples prove that to truly capture Gen Z, brands need to be flexible, culturally fluent, and willing to move quickly in the online space.