The Ultimate Guide to Gen Z Marketing Campaigns (+ Strategies Analyzed)
Gen Z marketing campaigns are where authenticity counts, memes have become part of everyday culture, and brands that don’t adapt risk falling behind.
The majority of Gen Zers gainfully employed in full-time, part-time, or freelance roles, and they constitute a quarter of the workforce. So, they’ve been earning money for a while and are eager to spend it.
If you miss out on leveraging Gen Z ads, you might as well be handing your competitors a free pass to your market share.
Before diving deeper, here are 7 must-dos to win with Gen Z marketing:
- Create a positive impact on social justice, not just profit.
- Be transparent about your brand values.
- Use TikTok over Google for marketing.
- Prioritize storytelling for decreased attention span.
- Connect through influencer marketing.
- Act for your planet. (91% of Gen Z prefers sustainable brands!)
- Don’t overlook viral memes.
After this brief overview, as a hybrid Millenial and Gen Zer, I want to guide you to understand Gen Z and demonstrate successful Gen Z marketing campaign examples by numerous brands.
If you are up to a quicker start, you can click and jump to campaigns:
- A Closer Look at Digital Natives: Understanding Gen Z
- 6 Gen Z Marketing Campaigns & Strategies That Delivered
A Closer Look at Digital Natives: Understanding Gen Z
Gen Z, born between 1997 and 2012, is a generation that grew up online—and they expect brands to do the same.
They grew up in a digital-first world, where swiping through Instagram feeds and catching viral TikTok challenges is all in a day’s work. Their constant interaction with technology has shaped their desire for authenticity and transparency.
So, Gen Z doesn’t have time for generic campaigns.
Instead, they crave a personalized experience that speaks directly to their interests. That’s why personalization in marketing is essential for you to grab their attention.
There’s a strong bond between Gen Z and influencers. They want sincere recommendations from real people, not mediatic public figures with millions of followers, which makes evaluating your influencer marketing decisions essential.
Only the right influencer partnership can give your campaign the extra edge.
For example, if you have a fashion brand, you should consider the different types of fashion TikTokers to guarantee that your campaign will resonate with their authenticity. Sometimes, your brand’s need can be a partnership with a micro-influencer instead of a trendsetter.
Another key point about this generation is they care about the world around them, and they demand that the brands they support do too.
👉Issues like climate change, human rights, anti-racism, and LGBTQIA+ equality are at the top of their priority list.
If your brand isn’t backing these causes with action, don’t expect Gen Z to sit by and watch.
They want to see companies using their influence to create a positive impact, not just profit.
6 Gen Z Marketing Campaigns & Strategies That Delivered
Let’s see how famous brands kill it through their Gen Z marketing campaigns:
1.Play Big on TikTok 💸
As I mentioned earlier, about half of this generation prefers TikTok over Google as a search engine, and many brands know this very well.
Nike’s TikTok strategy is a great example of leveraging the platform’s power. They have more than 7 million followers and are growing every other day.
In their TikTok strategy, utilizing storytelling seems like their number one rule. This way, they appeal to Gen Z’s love for meaningful, creative, yet brief videos and connect easily with them.
2.Own the Feed 🫶
As Gen Z lives on social media, your brand should do the same.
A polished, corporate presence won’t help. You need relatable, fun, and real-time engagement to stand out. You must spark conversations among them, you must achieve to make your content sharable and laughable.
Ryanair knows how to push all these buttons to keep Gen Z engaged.
Their social media game is unfiltered, witty, and built for viral moments. From savage Twitter comebacks to meme-fueled TikToks, they know how to stay on Gen Z’s radar.
3. Make It Personal 🤭
🫸Give Gen Z content that feels like theirs, and they’ll do the marketing for you.🫷
Gen Z doesn’t do one-size-fits-all. They want brands that see them, get them, and deliver experiences made just for them.
If you’re not personalizing, you’re not connecting in your Gen Z marketing campaigns.
Spotify’s marketing nails this with its Wrapped campaign as we all know.
Every year, they serve up a custom recap of each user’s top songs, artists, and listening habits—turning data into a shareable, brag-worthy moment.
Image source: Spotify
Gen Z eats it up, flooding social feeds with their Wrapped stats and giving Spotify free, viral marketing on repeat.
4. Partner with the Right Voices 📣
Gen Z doesn’t trust traditional ads—they trust people.
That’s why influencer marketing works, but only when it feels real. They want everyday creators who actually use and love the products they promote.
Let’s take eBay as an example.
Their TikTok collab with @Carlita⚡️ taps into real, relatable fashion moments like calling a thrifted outfit “Zany Ballerina” just to run errands.
5. Lead with Purpose 💪
Gen Z of course cares about products but what makes them choose one over the other is what the brand stands for.
Climate change, social justice, and LGBTQIA+ rights should be your priorities. If you’re not taking action, you’re not in the conversation.
For example, Dr. Martens has cracked the Gen Z code and is spotted as the #2 hottest casual footwear brand for Gen Z without forcing trends or chasing fast fashion.
The brand has built trust with younger consumers by staying true to its rebellious roots and embracing communities.
For example, their year-round commitment to LGBTQIA+ rights, from amplifying queer voices to donating consistently to organizations that support the community.
(Speaking of the queer community, don’t forget to check out my LGBTQIA+ marketing guide to learn more about creating authentic campaigns to attract Gen Z!)
6. MMM: Make the Mundane Magnetic 🧲
If your content feels dry or complicated, they’re gone. Gen Z doesn’t do boring.
That’s why smart brands find ways to make even the most routine topics feel fresh, relatable, and easy to digest.
Here’s a brilliant example by Wise: Talking about money transfers isn’t thrilling for many, but Wise’s marketing flips the script with these two:
1- Making their audience truly learn about their product—fast and in a fun way.
2-Creating interesting content about their niche –money– to ensure they are shared with other people!
Short, witty videos break things down in a way that makes sense and keeps people watching. No fluff, just real value presented in a way Gen Z actually enjoys. By doing so, they attract new users and increase their brand awareness.
