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Advertising to Gen Z

by DOmedia on July 11, 2023 in Out-of-home advertising with Comments Off on Advertising to Gen Z

Gen Z can be a daunting group to advertise to, especially if you’re planning an OOH (out-of-home) ad campaign. 

Gen Z grew up consuming a plethora of media, and with that, have practically seen it all when it comes to advertising; plus, they’re technologically savvy, and spend hours a day online. 

From watching commercials on Nickelodeon between episodes of SpongeBob SquarePants during their childhood years to growing up alongside YouTubers with sponsored segments and pre-(and even mid-)video ads, Gen Zers are basically numb to many forms of advertising, recently even calling out influencers on social media platforms like TikTok for pushing product after product on the public. 

But here’s the good news: they prefer OOH to mobile, app, and web advertisements. OOH isn’t skippable or dismissable, and it doesn’t interrupt their scrolling or pollute their timelines. 

So now that we know OOH is a great way to reach a younger audience, how do you effectively tailor an advertising campaign to this age group? 

Use Humor to Convey Your Message

Gen Z is the self-proclaimed “unserious” generation—they love a good joke. By working humor into your ad campaign, you’re sure to both grab their attention and stick in their minds. 

Brands like Spotify have done a great job with this in the past, poking fun at some of their users’ listening habits. 

Taking the humor even a step further, by skipping the outright “sell” aspect, advertisements are more likely to be well-received by Gen Z. For example, if Spotify were to take a different approach with the above ad campaign, such as by doing something like outright promoting a sale or promotion, a younger audience would be less likely to engage, remember, or enjoy the campaign. 

Be Real 

Skip the polished, professional design and big, fancy words—Gen Z gravitates towards realness, and can tell when an ad has that “corporate” feel to it. 

Generally, Gen Z doesn’t resonate with complex or serious messages. Similar to the point above, using natural language and following modern design trends is a great way to appeal to this audience. 

Including lingo and slang is a great way to get them engaged, as well. If you write your ad to sound like an actual human being is speaking, you’re more likely to receive engagement from the Gen Z crowd, and they might even post about it online. 

Appear Trustworthy and Advocate for a Cause

Gen Z is big on sticking to their guns—they don’t tolerate sketchy practices or vague messages, and they love when brands they love advocate for causes they care about. 

This ad by Klarna is a great example of this. They used a simple yet peppy tagline, along with bright rainbow colors and an engaging photo to show their support of the drag community. 

TL;DR

OOH advertising is a great way to reach Gen Z, but creating an effective ad campaign is just as important as finding the right ad format. 

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