featured image: 8 examples to understand what makes Gen Z Ads work

8 Examples to Understand What Makes Gen Z Ads Work in 2025

Gen Z is the generation born between the late 90s and the early 2010s. It’s the most diverse generation in the world. Gen Zers are more mixed racially, sexually, and culturally than previous generations. Even their age ranges between 12 and 28, making them difficult to group.

This presents a real challenge when it comes to marketing. Gen Z doesn’t fit into the nice, neat boxes that demographers and marketers like to use.

They’re tough to market to, but the rewards are there for the brave few who crack the Gen Z marketing code. The buying power of Gen Zers is remarkable. Gen Z is increasing its spending faster than any other generation.  

Gen Z Ad Examples 

What makes Gen Zers unique is their relationship to technology. They are the first truly digitally native generation. They’ve grown up with the internet from the day they were born. They’re tech-savvy, too. 

For this reason, social media and online content play a big part in Gen Z marketing. They expect brands to connect with them on a personal level. 

To engage younger audiences, meet them where they are. Create engaging content and focus on social issues to foster brand loyalty. Think of account-based marketing (ABM) examples but with more emphasis on storytelling.

Here are some examples of brands who understood the assignment.

More Authentic, More Transparent, Buffer

Buffer have always put transparency at the heart of their business model.  

To show their dedication to this concept, they have a transparency page on their website. It’s dedicated to showing their company finances to the world. This includes stats like revenue per user, monthly revenue, and a full list of salaries from the CEO down. 

This is fantastic because it shows that they don’t just talk the talk; they walk the walk. They understand that Generation Z demands authenticity and knows how to find it. 

Additionally, you need to understand Gen Z’s digital interactions. Many companies use tools like heatmaps. These pinpoint where users click, scroll, and linger. Then they tailor their websites and content to capture Gen Z’s attention.

You also want to think about your communication methods. Text messaging improves transparency and community engagement. Businesses use SMS marketing platforms to quickly send updates about community initiatives. Or share details about product origins and ethics. 

Use marketing automation tools to make these efforts more efficient. They help you to deliver timely and relevant messages to each recipient.

This direct approach caters to Gen Z’s preferences for immediacy. It shows the brand aligns with their values of authenticity and social responsibility. All of this influences their purchasing decisions.

Save the World? Who Gives a Crap?

Continuing our theme of authenticity, check out toilet paper brand Who Gives a Crap. Their campaign aims to “uncrap the world” and save the planet from the bottom up. 

But they don’t focus on their product. Instead, their marketing campaign focuses on their core aims. To cut plastic packaging, only use sustainable materials, and improve global sanitation. To show they’re serious, they dedicate 50% of profits to water and sanitation projects. 

As a marketing campaign, this is perfect for environmentally conscious Gen Zers. They’ve grown up with the threat of climate change and are hyper-aware of social issues. They’re more likely to buy from brands that make them feel good about their purchasing decisions. Who Gives a Crap harnesses that to amazing effect.

So much so, it’s become a core part of their inbound marketing strategy. What is inbound marketing? It’s about using engaging and valuable content to attract customers. 

Who Gives a Crap does this with email marketing and interactive quizzes. They also write blog posts about the impact of their products. These aren’t only effective marketing tactics. They’re also clever ways to build brand loyalty.

Short Form Content – That’s the Way The Cookie Crumbls

The first 2 examples focus on expressing company values. But Crumbl Cookies are happy to let their product do the talking. They release weekly short videos teasing their products. 

There’s a whole lot to like about these short-form video ads, a key focus of savvy video marketing services. Video content taps into Generation Z’s favorite medium. It also aligns with their preferences and habits. 

The top 5 social media sites are Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat. They’re all primed for short-form videos that resonate with this digital-native demographic.

Crumbl uses this format to great effect, posting videos between 15 and 30 seconds long. Perfect for grabbing attention. But notice that they don’t say anything to push the product. They don’t tempt Gen Zers with an offer. In fact, they don’t say anything at all.

This shows a deep understanding of another shared aspect of the Gen Z psyche. They hate brands selling to them. It’s just so… disingenuous. Far better to showcase your stuff and let consumers decide if they want it. 

Build a Community with LEGO

In 2015, LEGO developed LEGO Ideas. It’s a platform where LEGO fans create designs and showcase them to the LEGO community. If the creator gets over 10,000 supporters, the LEGO board will review the design. The best ones become official products – for LEGO fan creators, this is a dream come true. 

This is a brilliant, heartwarming piece of marketing that drives engagement. LEGO has brought its fans into the business, allowing them to help shape the product they love.  

Notice how this isn’t just a competition, either. Other LEGO Ideas users comment and rate real people’s creations. This further engages their fanbase – it’s a super smart way to capture the imagination of Gen Zers. 

Don’t Go Amateur, GoPro

When it comes to the power of community, few companies do it better than GoPro. With their “Million Dollar Challenge,” GoPro pulled off a tremendous marketing feat. They got their community involved in a competition, with over 25,000 people entering in 2023.

But here’s the real genius. GoPro used the user-generated footage to showcase the product in inspiring ways. This is what Generation Z is all about. The sense of community. The authenticity of the video. The social aspect of sharing your story to create a genuine connection with others. 

So, if you want to reach Gen Z, sometimes the best way is to get them to create content for you. Consider running a competition that inspires content creation. You’ll be well on your way to generating new, relatable, and engaging original content.

Viral e.l.f. Care

Sometimes, you hit the jackpot. Your marketing reaches your whole target audience. This is what happened when e.l.f. Cosmetics created the #eyeslipsface challenge on TikTok

Users posted branded videos of themselves dancing to a tune adapted for the campaign. The result? Oh, only over 1 billion views in 3 days. 

The trick here was that it combined so much of what we have seen so far. It’s authentic, showing people doing their makeup rather than looking perfect. It was community-led, engaging millions without ever trying to sell to them. It even pulled celebrities such as Reese Witherspoon and Jessica Alba to join, without costing e.l.f. a penny. 

How to Sell Books and Influence People

The use of celebrities to market is nothing new in advertising. A brilliant example of this comes from Penguin Teen, a branch of Penguin Publishing. 

The marketing campaign centered around the book All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir. Penguin decided to showcase this book to teens by using teenagers to generate leads. They contacted teen influencers from #booktok, the bibliophiles’ section of TikTok. They asked users to discuss how they related to the book and its characters. 

Penguin Teen highlights another great truth of Gen Z marketing. Yes, they are the most diverse generation, but you don’t have to target them all at once. By using influencers, Penguin Teen targets exactly the people they want. And they’re also trading on the authenticity of influencers. 

Of course, this is a more challenging way of marketing.You have to reach out to new influencers for each new market. But B2B marketing software and social media tools make this task more manageable. 

Intimate Stories From Bodyform Intimate Care

The final example of Gen Z marketing is Bodyform’s #wombstories campaign. This outstanding ad shakes up 90 years of advertising. The 3-minute montage is funny, touching, and honest. Its openness and authenticity are exactly what Gen Z expects from marketing campaigns. 

It also emphasizes something else all marketers should never lose touch with. The power of story. Bodyform manages an incredible feat of visual storytelling in this ad. The montage of snapshots captures moments perfectly, making it engaging and entertaining. It never pushes the product; it creates a relatable story for people to engage with.

Generation Z vs. Millennials

Let’s start with what they both have in common:

  • Values: Both generations care about authenticity and social responsibility from businesses. They don’t want to have products pushed on them. They both appreciated ads that entertain and inform rather than sell. 
  • Channels: There was once a clear line between Gen Z and Millennial content consumption. But that divide has become less pronounced in the last few years. Many millennials only watch and listen to streaming platforms or social media. Email is also effective for reaching both generations. You need an email address for anything, including signing up for social media. So choose one from the best email marketing services and start sending engaging campaigns.

Differences:

  • Messaging: Millennials have grown up with traditional advertising. That makes them more susceptible to its charms. Yes, they want their ads to be honest, highlight the brands’ social awareness, and not push products. But they’re still open to you selling them the dream.  

Generation Z is much more cynical about ads. They will smell the sell a mile away and prefer user or influencer content. Still, it’s possible to reach them with traditional ads if you have a powerful story. 

  • Platforms: The type of channels Millennials and Gen Z go for is broadly the same, but the platforms aren’t. So you need to adapt social media marketing to match. In general, you’ll find Millennials on Facebook and Instagram. Gen Zers are likely on newer platforms like TikTok or Snapchat.

Gen Z Marketing Best Practices

  1. Be Authentic: Generation Z will spot inauthenticity a mile away. Nothing puts them off faster than a slick sales veneer. Tell it as it is, and let them decide. Don’t be afraid of tactics like influencer marketing. Just make sure influencers are genuine. And choose ones whose values align with yours. 
  1. Choose the Right Platforms: Where does your target audience hang out? Do your research to find out. Instagram, TikTok, or more specific game streaming sites or educational platforms. 
  1. Lead with Values: Every generation wants to change the world. Gen Z wants to do it better this time. Put social and environmental issues before profits and show that you mean what you say. 
  1. Be Entertaining: This generation grew up with access to nearly infinite content. If you can’t capture their attention, they will look elsewhere. That often means making a video. Make it snappy, and be sure to spice up your writing to make sure your message gets through. If you can’t create entertaining content yourself, look to user generated content. 

Wrapping Up

Gen Z is a diverse demographic. Their age alone makes it challenging to target them with marketing strategies. But their familiarity with technology and digital media is a significant common factor. They are the first generation of ‘digital natives’. And this influences how they respond to marketing.

When marketing to Gen Z, one word stands out: authenticity. They have had to navigate the internet’s maze of misinformation and become adept at it. They have grown up in a world with instant access information, and they do their research.

Choose the right platforms. Capture their attention with concise videos. Engage with Gen Z consumers and collaborate with influencers. Above all, be open and honest when telling your story.

FAQs

Gen Z audiences respond better to short-form content. It should be visually engaging and tell a story or provide value. Focus on entertaining or educational content with a personal connection. Ads that incorporate user-generated content are also effective.

Gen Z values authenticity and social responsibility. They grew up with social media. That means they prefer relatable, personalized content over traditional advertising. They like to discover brands naturally through social media, influencers, or recommendations.

To advertise to Gen Z, build trust. Be authentic and engage in two-way communication. Show your brand’s values by demonstrating genuine commitment to causes that matter. For example, show the direct impact of your donations. Generation Z hangs out on social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat. They like to engage with content on YouTube. They also use Discord for specialized areas of interest.

Mor Mester

Mor Mester is the Head of Content Marketing at EmailVendorSelection. He lives and breathes email marketing and marketing automation. After work, you can find him riding his bike or playing basketball.