Behind the Gen Z marketing strategies of legacy brands State Farm, United Airlines and Levi’s

It’s been well documented how different Gen Z is from previous generations. To attract the group of young consumers, legacy brands are throwing out their old marketing playbooks and introducing new channels and techniques. The new strategies include putting a modern spin on an iconic campaign, as Levi’s recently did with its Beyoncé ad, or introducing a new spokescharacter, such as State Farm’s Jake, who resonates with young customers. (In 2024, Gen Zers are turning 12 to 27 years old.) Similarly, United Airlines is honing its Gen Z approach to offer targeted promotions to the group based on their travel behavior. Below, Ad Age breaks down each legacy brand’s Gen Z approach. State Farm In recent years, one of State Farm’s most valuable marketing assets has been Jake, the persona the brand first developed four years ago with actor Kevin Miles. (He was a new version of an earlier khaki-wearing Jake character that unexpectedly went viral.) Along with his friendly and approachable demeanor in TV ads, the character also shows up regularly in real-life situations where Gen Z consumers spend their time. Three years ago, Jake appeared as a non-playable character competing in an NBA2K Twitch stream. The insurer has also put more attention on its iconic “Like a Good Neighbor” jingle. “I think we got every 8-year-old on the planet as a huge fan and I’m kidding, but not really,” said Alyson Griffin, head of marketing at State Farm, speaking at Ad Age’s recent Business of Brands conference. “Putting that asset in places where young people go and have passion points, and then using the audio, the jingle, in those non-expected places, started over time to create synapses and memory structures around our jingle and Jake.” She noted that this was an authentic way Jake became a part of Gen Zers’ lives from an early age, a familiarity that may stick with the customers as they grow up and start to look for insurers. It’s a helpful strategy, since Gen Z has typically been a group agnostic about insurance brands. “The next thing you know, he’ll be the nostalgic character of their childhood,” Griffin said. “The talent and the media around the jingle and people understanding it, even though they were young, it’s been in their purview because of where we’ve had him.” United Airlines Much of United’s Gen Z playbook involves delving into customer data to see how the group is buying and where they are flying. In recent years, United has offered a 5% to 10% discount for certain flights for younger customers that is only available in the airline’s app, according to Maggie Schmerin, chief advertising officer, speaking at the Business of Brands event. She said United noticed that the group was making purchases on mobile while older customers typically buy via desktop. “The younger generations are obviously very comfortable on the app and we’ve only marketed that on Snapchat, TikTok … the places that you would expect so we’re trying a bunch of different things,” Schmerin said, noting memes about the desktop buying habits of older millennials and their tendency to use that option for big purchases. View this post on Instagram A post shared by United Airlines (@united) One of United’s challenges is figuring out how much to invest in marketing to twentysomethings who may change careers and geographies. For example, if a 22-year-old college grad gets a job in Chicago—where United has a big hub—they have a greater probability of being a United customer, unless they move. “If their company moves them to Charlotte or Dallas, they’re not going to continue to fly with United because there are other airlines that call those cities hubs,” Schermin said, adding that other marketers don’t need to consider the geographical aspect as much. Levi’s When Levi’s was devising its recent “Reiimagine” campaign, which shows Beyoncé recreating the brand’s iconic Launderette ad from 1985, it purposely created a video that could stand on its own, according to Kenny Mitchell, Levi’s chief marketing officer. Gen Z was not alive when the original ad showing a man stripping down to his boxers in a laundromat to wash his 501 Levi’s debuted. “This campaign needs to stand on its own as quality, as engaging and as relevant regardless of whether you’re familiar with the campaign or not,” Mitchell said. “There is a legacy and a foundation that it stands on, but if you had literally no knowledge of it, it’s still a really cool spot.” To specifically attract Gen Z in the new brand awareness campaign, Levi’s will use modern marketing mediums with digital, social media and creator storytelling, Mitchell said. Additional chapters, also starring Beyoncé with some potential guest appearances, will air in the coming months. NextGen Marketing Summit Join us for a crash course on Gen Z, DTC marketing and the creator economy Register today

Behind the Gen Z marketing strategies of legacy brands State Farm, United Airlines and Levi’s

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