When do marketing campaigns cross a line?

Get out of my DMs, IKEA

Welcome to the latest edition of The Gen Zer. This week, we consider whether brands are overstepping the line in an attempt to resonate with younger audiences. Plus, we look at young people’s eating habits, their confusing sex lives, and dissatisfaction amongst NHS workers in the UK.

Earlier this month, IKEA Canada launched a bizarre new marketing campaign that surprised customers with a DM message late at night. The text simply said: ‘u up?’ This playful mirroring of a midnight booty call caused a stir online, and anyone who did respond between the hours of 10pm to 5am received a free mattress. Yes, really.

Director of marketing communications at IKEA Canada, Jacqueline Wark, said that the company wanted to ‘find a way to engage with people when sleep and mattresses are top of mind - like when they’re literally having trouble sleeping.’ This approach was individualist, unorthodox and a clear attempt to mirror personal relationships in the name of brand recognition.

The company seems eager to stress the mischievous side of this advertisement, emphasising that it was a ‘fun’ promotion simply intended for laughs. While that may have been the genuine intention, it’s hard to shake the feeling that this kind of marketing campaign is a little invasive. Most branding campaigns or advertisements establish a clear line between personability and professionalism, usually existing in spaces that consumers are willingly occupying of their own volition. That may be changing.

IKEA’s messaging was targeted and sent late at night, a time usually reserved for ourselves, away from the pressures of commercialism and the working world. There will no doubt be some couples who were confused by the message and it may have even caused a few arguments. It’s this blur between branding and actual, human interaction that can generate problems and rile up controversy.

Take Deliveroo’s recent Valentine’s Day promotion, for example. Sent via London mail, the food delivery company posted ‘hand-written’ letters that were addressed to ‘my valentine’. When customers opened them, they were given a £15 discount off their next boutique. They were not, in fact, receiving a love letter from an admirer. The confusion caused a backlash online, so much so that Deliveroo apologised and described the advertisement as ‘misjudged’.

Toeing the line between being acceptable and encroaching is a game that more and more brands seem willing to play. We’ve all read the reports that Gen Z wants personal, specific marketing that is tailored to their individual needs, and there’s no doubt that some of IKEA and Deliveroo’s behaviour is fuelled by these studies. It’s easy to leave a lasting impression by causing a bit of outrage, or texting customers at midnight with a text that could easily be misread as a moment of weakness from a past lover. But should you be allowed to?

It seems that engagement and outrage is the currency of the modern era. We’re living in a world more divisive than ever, where leaders are elected based on their ability to offend rather than their policies. Brands are pivoting toward marketing that is absurd, designed to make a viewer feel disbelief that a company is posting in such a personal way. Duolingo, Currys, KFC and even the RSPB are jumping onto TikTok with this approach. It’s no longer about the product or the substance of your campaign.

In short - any publicity is good publicity. More so than ever.

New reports this week also indicate that Gen Z are fans of fluidity and informal language, opting for lower case lettering when messaging friends. This has already been noted by brands and is becoming a more commonplace aesthetic for copy across the board. IKEA’s campaign leans into this sentiment, ditching the traditional, rigid corporate image for a personal message that says very little about its actual mattresses.

So, what’s the takeaway here? IKEA and Deliveroo’s advertisements weren’t inherently evil, nor particularly offensive in the wider scheme of things. What they do represent, however, is the steady erosion of boundaries between our personal lives and corporate advertisements. Thanks to social media, our never-ending appetite for outrage, and the intuition of brands, it seems we’re falling ever further into a world where both are intertwined. Gen Z’s specific needs from brands and their fixation on hyper personalisation only makes this more likely.

Expect more confusing messages from marketers in the future. A late night text from Greggs? Perhaps a dating app match from Adidas? The sky is truly the limit. Which is either terrifying or inspiring, depending on who you ask.

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Gen Z around the Web

the latest stories in youth culture and changing trends . . .

Gen Z throw food away before it’s gone off (the telegraph)

According to new research by Harvard, Gen Z are more likely to throw food away before it has expired. These dates are for quality purposes and don’t necessarily indicate when a food product becomes unsafe, but it seems that younger people are increasingly misunderstanding what these labels are for. The study was conducted with over 2,000 people. Luckily, this handy guide can give you a few tips and tricks to understand when you can safely eat expired foods. Read more

The confusing sex lives of Gen Z (the spectator)

There have been a ton of studies and stories on the sex lives of Gen Z in recent years; they’re not having enough sex, they’re too kinky, they’re porn obsessed, they’re too socially anxious, the list goes on. But what does all of this really mean? Our rapid advancement in technology over the last few decades has reshaped how we approach dating - and young people are no exception. With the explosion of dating apps and pornography, Gen Z are both sexless and sex obsessed. It’s a confusing mess. Read more

New study shows Gen Z trust AI over humans (forbes)

The rise of AI is unstoppable. It’s rapidly becoming a mainstay tool for creatives, cutting corners and saving both money and time. However, current AI models are still prone to making mistakes and providing misinformation, so much so that even the biggest tech companies such as Google aren’t immune to its blunders. Despite its questionable reliability, Gen Z are apparently still likely to trust AI over humans, which could have wider ramifications within company teams and creative spaces. Read more

Dissatisfaction among Gen Z staff is ‘ticking time bomb’ for NHS (the guardian)

If you’ve any friends that work in the NHS, you’ve probably heard at least one or two grumbles about their workplace. With highly stressful day-to-day tasks, relatively low pay compared to other industries, and continual workplace pressures, it’s reported that young people are becoming increasingly unhappy. New research suggests soaring dissatisfaction rates among staff aged 21-30 and unhappiness toward salary rates. Read more

The death of capital letters: why Gen Z loves lowercase (the guardian)

Are you a lowercase texter? It turns out that many young people are ditching capital letters permanently, saying that it feels more relaxed, less forceful and more fluid. Music artists and brands are taking notice too, with big names such as Spotify adopting the aesthetic for its playlists and advertisements. Experts believe the change is a reflection of Gen Z’s need for self-expression. Whatever their motivation, it likely has ramifications for language moving forward. Read more

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