What’s your favorite movie, TV show, or song?  How about your favorite marketing campaign or fashion trend?  And more importantly– why?  Chances are these things– elements of pop culture– have helped shape how you interpret and interact with the world.

Pop culture loosely refers to the everyday objects, practices, events, and creative outputs that are prevalent in society and influence how people act and think.  Pop culture has historically been a way to describe– and even perhaps divide– generations, based on the set of cultural elements that are most resonant with age cohorts.  It’s how concepts like “80s kid” or the punk/emo/goth/grunge eras (choose your favorite) come to pass.

Pop culture can play a role in shaping youth identity, targeting the emerging generation at any given time.  And over time, you see reboots and nostalgic revivals to try to re-capture the same audience.

However, there are certainly cross-generational efforts that have emerged in more ways than one.  Sesame Street has long invited celebrity guests to their programming as a draw for parents in addition to kids.  Many children’s movies are created to captivate younger audiences while infusing subtle messaging that will also entertain their parents/caregivers (Inside Out immediately comes to mind– we all have big feelings!).  JK Rowling’s Harry Potter is billed as fantasy coming-of-age content, but many adults devour the books and films, which can be shared and appreciated across generations.

This shift in attraction, interaction, and engagement among generations in pop culture seems to be gaining traction.  And notably, rather than subtle undercurrents, cross-generational themes are headlining pop culture.  To cherrypick a few:

  • The Academy Award-winning movie Everything, Everywhere, All At Once explores intergenerational trauma and healing.  Animated Disney movie Encanto explores similar themes.
  • The new HGTV show Revealed embraces home renovation by fusing fresh and modern design ideas with a focus on heritage.  This is relevant given the uptick in multigenerational households in recent years.
  • The game show Generation Gap, while at times highlighting generational differences, nevertheless relies on intergenerational cooperation to earn cash and prizes.
  • The intergenerational dynamic between Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg has been a recipe for a memorable Skechers marketing campaign, podcasts, cooking shows, and Puppy Bowl.
  • Intergenerational musical collaborations have been created by celebrated artists, e.g. Lady Gaga and the late great Tony Bennett, and Elton John and Dua Lipa.
  • Taylor Swift.  (A cross-generational force unto herself.)

So what does this mean for branding?  It’s not new to see different generations interacting, but there seems to be a reframing going on towards a more multigenerational mindset.  An increasing number of producers of content/things are recognizing that there’s value in threading the needle to appeal to multiple generations.  By virtue of doing so, you’re reaching a broader audience.  That’s what a multigenerational brand can do for you, too– expand your reach and foster growth and longevity as a business.

If your brand is stuck in a bygone era, let’s chat– we can help you build a brand that bridges generations.