By Sydney Deibert, Marketing, DOmedia
Gen Z can be an incredibly daunting group of people to advertise to. They’ve got strong opinions, grew up with the internet, and aren’t afraid to drop a comment on your Instagram post or make a TikTok sharing their thoughts—positive or negative—regarding your brand or your newest ad campaign.
But the harsh reality is that appealing to Gen Z is quite necessary: they make up 40% of all consumers in the U.S., and executing campaigns that appeal to them, especially if your brand calls for it, could heavily impact your performance.
The obvious route to go is to advertise digitally, right? Using their lingo, participating in a social media trend, hitting them before a Trisha Paytas YouTube video or striking a deal with their favorite influencer are sure to reach these digital divas, and when executed well, could go all sorts of viral and yield excellent results.
But the hidden route that seems to be less talked about is using out-of-home. Billboards have been around for hundreds of years, and we know they work, but they work so well for appealing to Gen Z because they love when brands and creators make bold statements.
Subtlety is not something that Gen Z thrives on, and the resurgence of bubblegum pink pop stars like Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift, plumping lip gloss, and individualistic fashion have shown that boldness is both appreciated and embraced.
And what makes a better statement than a giant sign in a bustling area of Los Angeles, or a billboard along a route leading to a popular concert venue? What about a huge digital screen outside of a shop like Urban Outfitters, or signs in a mall near Lululemon?
A recent example of using out-of-home to appeal to Gen Z is the queen of brat summer Charli xcx using billboard ads to tease collaborations on her latest album “Brat and it’s completely different but it’s also still brat.” Her fans (called “angels”) immediately took to social media posting new finds everywhere from Minneapolis, MN to London, England, quickly becoming engrossed in the search and awaiting updates from fellow angels.
Charli xcx’s team used out-of-home advertising to create an even stronger sense of community amongst her fans, likely with the knowledge that they could combine the perks of out-of-home with the perpetual onlineness of Gen Z, and it worked—”BRAT” billboards flooded social media feeds, and even the most casual fans were anticipating the newest collabs that included some iconic artists, like The 1975, Ariana Grande, and Billie Eilish.
And while Charli xcx’s example may be one of the more timely examples, creators and brands everywhere have been using out-of-home to promote their content and products. For example, HivemindTV used this Detroit billboard to promote their channel, and the Oppenheimer movie’s marketing team even used a billboard to create a countdown to the Trinity Test, sparking online engagement. Others have even just used bold statements to create buzz and traction, like this guy Mohamed who worked with the Muslim dating and marriage app Muzz to put up billboards looking for a wife, sparking online discussion that’s received thousands of views and comments thanks to online creators.
Plus, Gen Z is getting tired of being advertised to online. Born between 1997 and 2012, the vast majority of Gen Z grew up with regular access to the internet and social media; they’re accustomed to being regularly exposed to targeted online ads, and are increasingly skipping them or blocking them entirely: 99% of Gen Z skip ads if it’s an option, and 63% use ad blockers.
Long story short: don’t write off billboards and other outdoor advertising when it comes to reaching a Gen Z audience. When done boldly and innovatively, out-of-home is a great way to get the audience to take to their keyboards and post something online, or even just catch their eye with strategic placement near their frequented locations
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