Why Gen Z wants more live brand experiences

Love them or hate them, screens are here to stay. They’re inescapable and distracting but useful and, quite frankly, essential. They’re the first thing we pick up in the morning and the last thing we put down before sleep. So, why are brands turning away from screens and creating more live activations in today’s screen-obsessed world? According to a 2023 JCDecaux report, 88% of Gen Zers believe immersion is what makes an experience fun. Although immersion could be online via augmented reality, I prefer tangible, real-life experiences among friends, family and nature. I’m not alone. Post-COVID, Gen Zers are craving real-life connections. Meta’s trends for 2025 similarly highlight “sensorial connection”—more tactile, emotional experiences—as well as favoring a desire to revert to our pre-screen selves, moving past current brain-rot tech omnipresence. Also read: Ad Age seeks Gen Z column contributors Having studied theater, I understand the unique connection live experiences create. Through facial expressions, tone, gait, proximity, gesture and body language, the empathy and energy that trampolines from person to person in real life is incomparable to that of a screen. While I’m not a Swiftie, the collective effervescence felt at Taylor Swift’s ERAs tour proved how real events that unite people by a common fandom create an infectious joy and artistic megabrand. Ultimately, it’s these live events that accelerate our fundamental human traits of empathy and pro-social behavior. Brands are hopping on this train, heading full steam ahead to more live activation destinations. In East London, running brand HOKA has launched a targeted pop-up titled “Run Stop Corner Shop” in East London, encouraging runners to spend their “Hokens” on running gear and snacks and to test their new sneaker range IRL. Cosmetics brand Benefit has done it too, translating the marketing of their new BADgal Bounce mascara into a basketball-themed extravaganza called Club Bounce in London at the end of February. This type of immersion is not only fun but fosters trust, a duality of care and long-term loyalty. In New York the “severed floor” pop-up promoting Apple TV’s “Severance” at Grand Central Station was a true stroke of immersive genius, creating a landscape that invites audience members to deepen their connection with themes of detachment and the cult-like mundanity of modern work culture through seeing the world of Severance come to life. Mirroring the show’s concept of switching between the characters’ “severed” work and personal lives, the pop-up is acutely placed in a real-life transit hub, where daily commuters are mindlessly switching between lives. The activation was an accurate extension of the show; even though it was improvisation, the actors walked into the glass box set and performed their “microdata” refinement in character, never breaking the fourth wall. More Gen Z Voices What marketers can learn from Gen Z’s love of memes Gen Z doesn’t want your brand values—it wants your platform How Gen Z is reshaping workplace culture—from home Amplifying this immersive element, the “Severance” cast also surprised commuters in London in March after the season 2 finale. The cast and creators walked alongside the crowds on London Bridge, nonchalantly holding the show’s iconic “Lumon” blue balloons and making the Severance world feel eerily existent. Of course, social media is also essential to the success and impact of a campaign. No one outside of New York or London would have seen the Severance activations if it hadn’t been for the media attention they rightly attracted. But what’s exciting is the symbiotic relationship between these live immersions—which are arguably more impactful—and social media. These IRL stunts provide a new form of UGC for brands, making the consumers of these activations into essential everyday cocreators, driving brand awareness, advocacy and trust. This further spirals into a FOMO effect, sparking greater engagement from the broader community and in turn, making people watch the TV series. While sometimes we may all dream of disconnecting from screens and locking our phones away for a week, like the characters in the new series of “The White Lotus,” there is a definitive sweet spot in how brands balance online and offline interactions to craft their success. Theater and live activations thrive on expressing and transferring emotions at their peak, and the power of these experiences is unmatched. Also read: PepsiCo is set to move some in-house content studio duties to VaynerMedia However, people can’t yet be everywhere and see everything all at once, so while these IRL moments undeniably satisfy Gen Z’s newfound craving for more authentic, immersive experiences, social media plays a crucial role in driving outreach, community and allowing us to experience things we otherwise couldn’t. I am an advocate for immersing myself in real-life moments. Sometimes, the algorithms of,ntastic for broadening our horizons and, for those of us who work in agencies, fueling creativity. Brands such as HOKA, Benefit and Apple TV are showing they care about what we want, but I would love to see more brands building this loyalty and trust through more tangible experiential placements. With summer coming, I think the secret sauce is this cohesive omnichannel presence, with emphasis on getting Gen Zers outside. We’re communal by nature, so let’s stay connected IRL.

Why Gen Z wants more live brand experiences

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