Funnel Vision Issue #009

Happy Friday! Welcome back to Funnel Vision 👀

Do you have a Gen Z in your life?

Of course you do. Maybe it’s your kid, your sibling, or that barista silently  judging you for ordering a latte without oat milk.

(Btw, have you tried an oat milk latte? Basically a hug in a cup. Just saying.)

Gen Z—born with smartphones in their hands and fully functional BS detectors—are also the gatekeepers of culture and cool on the internet.

And guess what? That really matters for your brand and your ads.

Let’s talk about it.

Reading time: 5 minutes

How to (Actually) Advertise to Gen Z

Gen Z. The iGeneration. Digital natives. Whatever you call them, their growing social and economic influence is undeniable.

Born between 1997 and 2012, Gen Z already makes up 40% of U.S. consumers, and their spending power is set to increase by 5x to $450B over the next decade. 

Yet they’re notoriously finicky to reach through traditional advertising. 

So, how do you capture the attention of this increasingly cashed-up, digitally savvy, and hyper-online generation? 

Here are some tips to help your ads resonate with Gen Z.

Be real. But be, like, cool about it

You’ve heard it a million times: “Be real, be authentic, be relatable…” 

But let’s be honest—you’re already doing that. You know it’s the foundation of good advertising. 

The real challenge to resonating with Gen Z is not just being authentic; it’s about blending seamlessly into the digital spaces they occupy.

Ads that perform align with the culture of the platform.

Whether it’s Instagram’s polished visuals or TikTok’s trend-driven UGC, the most effective ads don’t feel like ads. They match the culture, tone, and style of the content Gen Z is already engaging with.

Sure, Gen Z gets a lot of heat for having short attention spans, but can you blame them? Every day, they’re hit with a constant stream of content; brains in overdrive trying to filter out what matters. In fact, a recent study by Yahoo found that Gen Z loses active attention when viewing ads after just 1.3 seconds.

Why? Because unlike traditional media, ads today are skippable and avoidable. 

The days of sitting through a 30-second TV spot are over. If your ad doesn’t immediately capture attention—by being relevant, interesting, or relatable—it gets passed over without a second thought.

This is why being authentic isn’t just about building trust; it’s about grabbing attention. 

You have to stop the scroll. When your ad looks and feels like the content they came for, it has a much better chance of standing out in the firehose of information Gen Z is navigating every day.

Tap into trends (but do it right)

Piggybacking off trending themes and sounds in your ads can be a powerful way to make them feel organic and native to the platform. 

With the right approach, trends can help your brand connect with audiences more naturally, blending seamlessly into the content they’re already consuming.

However…

This needs to be done in a very demure, mindful, and considerate way.

(See what I did there?)

Getting the tone or timing wrong can backfire big time. 

Lazy or opportunistic attempts to hop on the bandwagon are easily spotted, especially by the eagle-eyed Gen Z.

But when you put your own spin on a trend—complete with a light touch of humor or irony—that can lead to a hit ad.

The key is in the execution. Ads that nail a trend almost tip their hat to the trend itself, as if the brand is acknowledging that they’re jumping in, aware of the risk that it could backfire.

Embracing the trend with intention and self-awareness signals to your audience: “Yeah, we know this is a trend. We’re in on the joke. But we believe it’s worth a shot.”

It’s balancing the fun of following the crowd with the savvy recognition that you’re playing with fire.

Take this ad from women’s health brand Hers as an example. 

It strikes the right balance by using the popular “of course we’re” trend, adding their own twist, and ultimately delivering a humorous and on-point piece of content; and it’s authentic because of this.

Trends offer a great opportunity. But you need to be swift, decisive, and bold in your execution. That’s what makes the difference between a forgettable (and sometimes embarrassing) attempt and a memorable win.

Embrace lo-fi content

Finally! Something Gen Z and Millennials have in common: perfection fatigue.

Never heard of it? It’s the general weariness of constantly seeing content that depicts perfect, curated lives. Both Gen Z and Millennials are feeling it, and it’s changing how they engage with brands.

Highly polished, perfectly scripted ads with high-production value have long been the standard. And while they still have their place in a diversified strategy, they’re not the only way to connect with today’s consumers—especially Gen Z.

This is where lo-fi, mobile-shot content comes into play. 

Recent research from Meta found lo-fi video ads shot on smartphones often displayed “significantly higher” performance than their polished counterparts.

Why? Because they tap into that innate desire for authenticity, relatability, and human stories.

There are also practical elements.

98% of Gen Z own a smartphone and are consuming lo-fi, mobile-shot content all the time. The sudden switch to a polished, scripted ad is jarring and incongruent to the smooth mobile experience to which they’re conditioned.

If you can deliver that native experience, they’ll stick around.

Don’t underestimate the pull of scrappy lo-fi content in a world that’s tired of perfection.

CLICKABLE LINKS

📈 This guide from Meta explains how to make high-performing Reels ads. Check it out.

🏈 TikTok kicks off the NFL season by announcing a renewed partnership with the league. Read more.

📱 The winners of the 2024 iPhone Photography Awards be like: Lofi? Nah…

AD OF THE WEEK ✨

Of all the awesome ads we shipped this week, this one rose to the top. Let’s break it down.

This is a top-performing ad, again from women’s health brand, Hers. Go on. Check it out. We’ll be here for the breakdown when you’re back.

This ad incorporates many of the elements we discussed above.

🤳 It’s shot in a gritty, lo-fi vlog style, with many shots taken by the talent herself.

👀 The intriguing hook “things I wish I knew about weight loss” catches attention quickly

🤸  It depicts a relatable and likable person sharing realistic results.

By debunking a popular myth about weight loss—that it’s not just about will power and that medical assistance isn’t cheating—it sets up a natural introduction for the product that doesn’t feel forced.

Why it works: The audience sees themselves in this story. Positioning the product as the tool that helps the hero achieve her goal is a powerful storytelling tactic that ultimately drives conversions.

Till next time…

As always, thanks for reading!

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