Meet Gen Zalpha: The new generation up-starts reshaping consumer culture
Forget Gen Z, it’s Generation Zalpha whose commercial influence now matters in the advertising world, writes Ogilvy’s Amelia Torode in today’s Notebook
Advertisers’ new target market? Gen Zalpha
Are you sitting comfortably? It’s time to get uncomfortable and meet a generation you may have overlooked: Gen Zalpha, the emerging fusion of young Gen Z and older Gen Alpha kids.
Gen Zalpha demands serious attention. Not only are they notably energetic and opinionated, their commercial influence is staggering, whether through direct purchases or their persuasive power over parents. These digital natives can make or break brands with a tap, click, share or swipe. Think about those Tiktok-fuelled queues outside foodie hotspots, like Bunhead Bakery, Toad Bakery and Cafe Mondo, or the explosion of Zalpha-targeted brands like Little Moons, Starface and Cerave.
At Ogilvy, we’re immersed in this audience, and really understand what makes Gen Zalpha tick (and Tiktok), Snap and Story. Recently, I’ve been working on a fascinating project with Zalpha girls from around the world, pulling apart what sets them apart from their older sisters. Zalpha is undeniably a girl-power generation. 54 per cent of Zalpha girls say that they can be anything, vastly out-manifesting their boy counterparts who are much more pessimistic. However, Zalpha girls embody some fascinating contradictions. On one hand, they celebrate imperfection by adorning pimples with Starface stickers and embracing authenticity. On the other, we’re witnessing the rise of “Sephora kids”: girls under 10 purchasing and sharing anti-aging skincare hauls, desperately pursuing public beauty perfection.
This paradox defines Gen Zalpha: simultaneously authentic and aspirational, confident yet insecure, celebrating flaws while chasing perfection. Understanding these contradictions is crucial for brands seeking to connect with this influential generation. They’re not just future consumers; they’re today’s tastemakers, trend-setters and commercial kingmakers. Ignore Gen Zalpha at your peril; embrace them, meet them at eye-level and connect with authenticity to our most digitally native generation who are also out there “touching grass” more than their older brothers and sisters ever did.
What is Eyezegging?
These unavoidable posters, appearing everywhere from London buses to Piccadilly Lights, have been sparking lots of intrigue. A quick Google and you will find Redditters, Linkedin sleuths and the like theorising who or what could be behind this mysterious marketing campaign.
The only subtle clue is an Instagram account and website revealing the definition of ‘eyezegging’: “to look at something with intense interest and desire; to gaze at with captivated fascination”. Or used in a sentence: “your dog keeps eyezegging my kebab…”
Running is back in Style
Is there no end to the talents of Harry Styles? We all know Harry ran the Berlin Marathon last year in an extraordinary time of 2:59:13. This month, he is gracing the front of runners’ bible, magazine Runners World. This feels like a big cultural moment for running. Harry talked with celebrated author and fellow marathoner Haruki Murakami (What I Talk About When I Talk About Running). It’s a great interview that unpacks so much about fame, creativity and running. Run Clubs everywhere expect an influx of new members!
Quote of the week
“Running is a conversation with myself.”
Harry Styles; I love this, as I lace up my Asics Novablast and hit the streets of South London.
Guilty pleasure viewing
Like millions of women around the world, my recent guilty TV pleasure has been the Canadian ice hockey, gay love story Heated Rivalry. What is it about the male love story that just connects so much? It’s cheesy, ridiculous and heart-warming. Maybe it’s the story that we all need in stressful times like this. Escapism on ice? I am told that there were huge crowds at the ice hockey events at the Winter Olympics – organisers had never seen anything quite like it. And the disappointment when the players didn’t kiss at the end of the games was palpable!
What I’ve been reading
The Gods of New York by Jonathan Mahler
When I was starting out in advertising, I lived and worked in New York City, so it has a special place in my heart. The Gods of New York is quite simply a superb book chronicling the late 1980s in New York City and reminding me of that seminal novel The Bonfire of The Vanities. It’s a tale of big personalities such as Donald Trump, Spike Lee, Rudy Giuliani, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and so many more. A study of one of the world’s greatest cities at a time of unprecedented societal upheaval and economic transformation.
Amelia Torode is group head of strategy at Ogilvy UK