Only Gen Z brands can pull this off

Remember a few weeks back when I wouldn't shut up about Gen Z brands completely flipping the advertising playbook?

Well, I'm back on it.

Because what's happening right now is too wild to ignore.

These clothing brands are pulling 10s of millions views on what's essentially a product drop announcement.

wantsandneedsbrand_

241K followers

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No ad spend.

No influencer partnerships.

Only pure, unhinged creativity that makes you actually WANT to watch an ad.

Gen Z doesn't hate advertising.

They hate BORING advertising.

They hate DECEPTIVE advertising.

They hate INTERRUPTION advertising.

But advertising that's genuinely entertaining?

That respects their intelligence?

That doesn't pretend to be something it's not?

They'll watch that on repeat.

They'll send it to their group chats.

They'll actively seek it out.

the lo-fi revolution

You know what's even crazier?

These videos look like they were shot on someone's phone.

No production value.

Meanwhile, heritage brands are dropping £500k on campaigns that get scrolled past in 0.3 seconds.

The contrast is actually painful to watch.

One brand is spending millions to be ignored.

Another is spending nothing to go viral.

And the nothing-spenders are winning.

Attention in 2025 isn't about interruption - it's about invitation.

When you make something genuinely fun to watch, you're not taking someone's attention.

You're earning it.

And when someone CHOOSES to watch your ad? When they actively enjoy it?

You've just created a positive emotional connection that no amount of paid media could buy.

Traditional ad: "Ugh, skip."

These ads: "Wait, let me watch that again."

That's not just a different response.

That's a completely different relationship with the brand.

the trust equation

You know what builds more trust than any celebrity endorsement?

Making someone laugh without asking for anything in return.

These brands get it.

They're not saying "trust us because xyz wears our stuff."

They're saying "trust us because we're fun humans making clothes who don't take ourselves too seriously."

And that honesty? That vulnerability? That willingness to look a bit stupid for the sake of entertainment?

Doesn’t get better than that.

why only Gen Z brands can pull this off (for now)

You can't fake this energy.

You can't committee your way to this kind of creativity.

You can't focus-group yourself into this level of authenticity.

These videos work because they're made by people who genuinely think this way.

Who actually find this stuff funny.

Who aren't trying to appeal to everyone.

They're making content they'd want to watch.

And it turns out, so do millions of others.

And honestly?

It's about time.

The old way was boring anyway.

Look, I know I keep coming back to this topic...

But that's because it's literally reshaping how marketing works.

Entertainment IS marketing now.

Being genuinely fun to watch is the ultimate competitive advantage.

Whether you're selling hoodies or consulting services or B2B software - the principle is the same:

Make something people actually want to watch, and they'll want to buy from you.

It's that simple.

And that complicated.

But mostly that simple.

Remember, the creator mindset is all you need to grow 🌱

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