CHICAGO, Feb. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Early detection is essential when it comes to lung cancer, and early diagnosis can save lives. Today, the American Lung Association and the Ad Council are helping to address the nation’s leading cause of cancer deaths. As part of the ongoing Saved By The Scan campaign and timed to World Cancer Day, the organization, together with the Ad Council and creative agency Hill Holliday, released new public service advertisements (PSAs), “If Your Lungs Could Talk,” in an effort to reach eligible current and former smokers about the importance of lifesaving lung cancer screening.

According to the American Lung Association’s 2024 “State of Lung Cancer” report, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, and only 16% of people at high risk have been screened. The report also highlights that annual low-dose CT scans can reduce the lung cancer death rate by up to 20%; emphasizing the need to ensure that eligible high-risk individuals are aware of their risk for lung cancer and feel empowered to talk to their doctor.

“While lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S., there is hope. Lung cancer screening has played a critical role in the 44% increase in the lung cancer survival rate over the past decade,” said American Lung Association President and CEO Harold Wimmer. “This new campaign will continue to raise critical awareness about lifesaving screening and encourage more individuals to take action.”

Since its inception, the Saved By The Scan campaign continues to show significant impact with over 1.3 million Americans having taken the Saved By The Scan screening eligibility quiz to determine if they are at high risk for lung cancer. The campaign has exhibited significant increases across key measures since its launch. Among individuals eligible for lung cancer screening, there was a significant increase in those who discussed the scan with their healthcare provider, from 27% in 2021 to 43% this year. Likewise, individuals who spoke with their healthcare provider and underwent the scan increased significantly, from 21% in 2021 to 35% in 2024.

“By inspiring people to talk with their doctor about lung cancer screenings, we can offer hope for early detection, effective treatment and ultimately save lives,” said Heidi Arthur, chief campaign development officer for the Ad Council. “We are proud to partner with the American Lung Association and Hill Holliday to promote this initiative, using the power of creativity — and a touch of humor — to remind former smokers and other high-risk individuals of the importance of getting screened.”

The new PSAs bring to life a conversation between a former smoker and the personifications of their lungs, using humor to educate and encourage those who, even after they quit smoking, may still be at risk for lung cancer. The creative highlights the urgency of lung cancer screening since symptoms often appear late, stressing the importance of early detection. The PSAs will appear nationwide across broadcast, print, radio, out-of-home, digital banners and social media in donated media time and space.

“Our disarming new campaign shows former smokers hearing the potentially life-saving message about the importance of early detection in lung cancer directly from the source: their lungs,” said Dave Weist, Chief Creative Officer, Hill Holliday. “We are honored to continue our longstanding collaboration with the American Lung Association and the Ad Council to support the important and impactful ’Saved by the Scan’ campaign.”

To learn more and check if you qualify for a low-dose CT scan, visit SavedByTheScan.org. For media interested in scheduling an interview with a lung cancer expert, contact Jill Dale at 312-940-7001 or Media@Lung.org.

About the American Lung Association
The American Lung Association is the leading organization working to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease through education, advocacy and research. The work of the American Lung Association is focused on four strategic imperatives: to defeat lung cancer; to champion clean air for all; to improve the quality of life for those with lung disease and their families; and to create a tobacco-free future. For more information about the American Lung Association, which has a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and is a Platinum-Level GuideStar Member, call 1-800-LUNGUSA (1-800-586-4872) or visit: Lung.org. To support the work of the American Lung Association, find a local event at Lung.org/events.

About Hill Holliday Group
Hill Holliday Group is an independent agency whose business model is built for the modern marketer. The agency’s purpose is single-minded—to design growth for any ambition. Hill Holliday Group is a full-service marketing agency designed for specialization across five capability verticals: Integrated Creative; Social Strategy and Content Production; Media; Strategy Consulting; and Health & Wellness. Hill Holliday Group is part of the Attivo network, blending world-class creative, strategy, data science, and media talent led by deeply experienced practitioners across offices in Boston and New York City. The agency flexibly designs the right solution, at the right scale, for the right budget and timeline. For more about Hill Holliday Group’s people, work, and culture, visit http://hhcc.com

About the Ad Council
The Ad Council convenes creative storytellers to educate, unite and uplift audiences by opening hearts, inspiring action and accelerating change. For more than 80 years, the nonprofit organization and its partners in advertising, media, marketing and tech have been behind some of the country’s most iconic social impact campaigns – Smokey Bear, A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Waste, Love Has No Labels, Tear the Paper Ceiling and many more. With a current focus on mental health, gun violence prevention, combating hate and bias, the overdose crisis and other critical issues, the Ad Council’s national campaigns encompass advertising and media content, ground game and community efforts, trusted messenger and influencer engagement, employer programs and other innovative strategies.

For more about Hill Holliday’s people, work, and culture, visit
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/american-lung-association-and-the-ad-council-unveil-new-psas-highlighting-the-significance-of-early-detection-for-lung-cancer-302367305.html

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Former public defender Denise Lee is spreading the word about a lung scan that saved her life — and she learned about it from a billboard

Denise Lee, now 63, smoked for 40 years, starting when she was 14. A year after her last cigarette, she saw a public service announcement created by Hill Holliday for the American Lung Association’s Ad Council campaign, saying that former smokers were eligible for a special lung cancer screening. Lee got the scan, which led to a lung cancer diagnosis before she even had symptoms. Below, she shares her story with PEOPLE.

I started smoking when I was 14. My first cigarette was one of my mom’s cigarettes. She never smoked in front of us — she always smoked in the bathroom, in our basement.

One day, I just went in and got one of her cigarettes and smoked it. It was terrible. It was awful. But I viewed cigarette smoking as a weight-loss aid. I was heavy, and I figured that if I smoked, I wouldn’t eat — and if I didn’t eat, then I wouldn’t gain weight. I had huge body image issues.

Smoking was more acceptable back then. I went to an all-girls Catholic high school, and we actually had our own smoking area that the school provided for us, believe it or not.  The only person I didn’t smoke in front of was my mom. While I was still at home before I went off to college at Howard University, I developed a really bad cough, and my mother did mention, ‘You need to stop smoking,’ so she knew at that point.

In college, I used it as a stress reliever.  I was away from home, and it just became a way of life at that point.

After that, it would depend on what was going on. I don’t think I ever got under a pack. As a public defender, life never was really mellow. If things got really crazy, I could go up to two packs a day easy. As soon as I would wake up, I would have a cigarette. Before I quit, I could smoke a half a pack of cigarettes before I even got out of the house.

I did try to quit multiple times, but, you know, nicotine is pretty addictive. I got the brilliant idea that, because I hated non-menthol cigarettes, I would smoke non-menthol cigarettes — and because I didn’t like them, I wouldn’t smoke them. Well, we know what happened… I became addicted to non-menthol cigarettes.

I was 54, I knew I needed to quit. Did I want to quit? No, but I knew health-wise, I needed to quit.

I was able to quit with the help of the prescription drug Chantix. I was smoking, and the best cigarette was the first cigarette of the day with coffee. On April 20, 2017, I woke up and I didn’t want a cigarette.

A while later, I was driving and stuck in traffic on highway 880. I lived in Fremont, Calif., but worked in San Jose. I see this billboard that says that if you currently smoke or quit within the past 15 years, this test could save your life. I passed it probably about six times more, and I said, you know, I gotta talk to my doctor about that.

I went up on the website savedbythescan.org and took the quick quiz. It told me that I qualify.  I made the appointment for the day after I got back from a six-week vacation. It was a CT scan, real easy, and took maybe less than two minutes.

Less than 24 hours later, I got a call from a pulmonologist saying that they needed to see me ASAP. They told me that they found a mass in my upper left lobe. They suspected that it was lung cancer.  I will never forget that conversation. I was walking with a friend, and my primary care physician physician called me. I just kept saying, ‘I’m going to die.’ My friend just took the phone and she talked to my primary care physician, because I just couldn’t. She got all of the information.

After several tests, they took a biopsy. It came back cancerous. I had no symptoms.

I had my surgery on March 7, 2018, almost a year after I quit smoking. It was an aggressive surgery because the tumor was pretty big. They took the whole upper left lobe and 18 lymph nodes to make sure it hadn’t spread. Fortunately, it hadn’t. Afterward, I did four rounds of chemotherapy and qualified for a clinical trial of an immunotherapy drug, which was taken monthly for a year.

I haven’t had a recurrence and it’s been eight years.

The advantage of them finding it so early is that I had a lot more treatment options. I was able to have surgery, chemotherapy, qualify for a clinical trial. One of the advantages of early detection is that the goal of treatment becomes a cure as opposed to palliative. And I had so many treatment options.

I’m now 63. I’m great, still traveling, exercising, I’m working with other people diagnosed with lung cancer. I like being able to tell my story because if even if it helps one person then that’s worth it to me.

If you qualify, get it, please get it. It saved my life. If I had a page in Wikipedia, “Early Detection Saves Lives,” my picture would be right there.

For more about Hill Holliday’s people, work, and culture, visit
https://people.com/a-billboard-saved-me-from-dying-from-lung-cancer-11680325

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Like many of us, Jane immediately turns to the internet and social media to find answers and support.

Instantly her feeds are flooded with algorithm-fueled influencer posts and videos about the potential causes of and cures for her condition

Jane is not alone. According to a New York Times trend report, “People are increasingly turning to the internet to find answers to their common questions, and healthcare is no exception.” The report cites CDC research that 61% of American adults have looked for health or medical information online.

The information they are finding online, especially on social media, however, may not always be accurate.

According to a new study from University of Chicago, around 44% of health-related TikTok videos contained non-factual information.

A serious problem 

The amount of health misinformation online is alarming, considering that inaccurate information can cause real problems for patients and caregivers.

The Surgeon General says, “False or misleading information is causing people to make decisions that could have dangerous consequences for their health. Misinformation about diseases, illnesses, potential treatments and cures, vaccines, diets, and cosmetic procedures is especially harmful.”

Consumers are concerned about these risks.

As the New York Times reports, “Just because people are looking to the internet for healthcare information, doesn’t mean there isn’t skepticism about what they’re reading”.

How brands can help 

The need for reliable health information represents a powerful opportunity for brands to serve as a trusted source of clear, factual and human-centric information online.

Healthcare brands, like any regulated industry, have strict rules on how they can engage on social media that can make it intimidating and seemingly risky to maintain a consistent dialogue. But if brands aren’t communicating about health issues and conditions, the narrative and available information will be controlled by voices that aren’t always reliable. By meeting consumers where they are online, brands can take control of the conversation, ensure people receive accurate and actionable information, and foster long-term relationships built on trust.

But just showing up with accurate information isn’t enough.

In order to truly connect with consumers, brands need to – as Hill Holliday Quest’s Managing Director Christy Lopé, says – “speak human.”

Speaking “human” in healthcare marketing 

“At Hill Holliday Quest, we believe it’s critical to give people straightforward, easily digestible health information,” said Lopé. ““We know that healthcare is an emotional journey, and we craft human-centric communications that resonate and help people make informed decisions.”

“When it comes to health literacy, it’s not just about sharing facts and figures; it’s about empowering people with useful and reliable information, and giving them the confidence to make health decisions for themselves and the people they care about,” Lopé added.

“Many of today’s healthcare experiences are overly complicated or misleading, leading to confusion and a sense of disconnection for consumers,” she explains. “For healthcare brands, this is an opportunity to become allies by sharing clear and accurate information while also making emotional connections–a powerful combination that will build trust and inspire loyalty.”

Lopé noted that Hill Holliday Quest is powered by the integrated capabilities of the iconic agency, Hill Holliday, including strategy, creative, data and media, together offering a consultative approach to help meet consumer needs and drive results for healthcare brands while helping consumers throughout the journeys and their lives.

Learn more about Hill Holliday Quest: https://hhcc.com/hhquest

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Today’s marketers know the potential of real-time data that informs integrated marketing strategies, but not all have the tools and talent in place to make this a reality. The 2024 Agency Acceleration Report from Funnel found that 2 in 3 agency professionals believe advanced analytics is a critical opportunity, but few are going beyond performance measurement to inform decision making, such as mixed media modeling (26%), incrementality testing (26%) and predictive analytics (15%).

The partnership also benefits current Hill Holliday clients by introducing Funnel’s cutting-edge technology that simplifies the process of collecting, and analyzing marketing data for faster and more reliable analyses. This will enable Hill Holliday’s teams to better analyze campaign data in real time, enhancing performance and results.

“Hill Holliday has a legacy of evolving our offerings and investing in leading innovations to help our clients solve the biggest growth challenges they face,” said Chris Wallrapp, CEO, Hill Holliday. “Partnering with Funnel strengthens our ability to understand and leverage complex data in a way that drives bottom-line results.”

Hill Holliday’s Decision Science team, who specializes in marketing analytics and customer research solutions that help clients quantify marketing-driven ROI and uncover new insights, is building new solutions to extend the application of Funnel’s specialty in rapid data enablement.

“Our mission in Decision Science is to use the best data and technology to make faster, more effective evidence-based decisions. Our belief in the power of data-driven business growth is what led us to partner with Funnel,” said Jeff Cavallo, EVP, Decision Science at Hill Holliday. “This partnership opens up endless opportunities to extend the value of Funnel’s datasets for better client outcomes.”

Under the partnership, Hill Holliday and Funnel will create custom solutions to meet clients at every stage of data maturity and sophistication, as well as host a series of events in 2025 focused on the latest innovation and marketing science conversations and industry networking.

“Together we’re able to help clients make more data-driven decisions faster than ever,” added Cavallo.

“As we deepen our footprint in the U.S. market, we look to partners with a shared ethos on the power of actionable, data-driven marketing,” said Per Made, Co-Founder of Funnel. “Our new partnership with Hill Holliday offers businesses best-in-class data that accelerates the impact of powerful media strategies and integrated creative campaigns.”

Funnel has offices in Stockholm, Hamburg, Dublin, London, and Sydney, with U.S. headquarters in Boston.

The partnership with Funnel comes at a time of great momentum for Hill Holliday, which recently launched its healthcare practice, Hill Holliday Quest.

To learn more about the new offerings from Decision Science, get in touch here.

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Former Pfizer executive Christy Lopé will lead Hill Holliday Quest, and it will focus on DTC marketing in the health and wellness space.

Less than a year after Interpublic Group (IPG) sold Hill Holliday and Deutsch New York to global marketing services company Attivo Group, Hill Holliday is launching an entirely new healthcare practice.

Former Pfizer executive Christy Lopé will head the new unit, called Hill Holiday Quest.

The new practice is separate from Hill Holliday Health, which was consolidated into Rise & Run along with McCann Health New Jersey in May.

Lopé will bring her nearly 20 years of experience leading health and wellness brands at Pfizer to the managing director role. With her at the helm, Quest will tackle the challenges of the healthcare industry through the perspective of the client.

“Personally, health has always been my guiding light,” Lopé said. “I had the pleasure of connecting with [Hill Holliday CEO] Chris Wallrapp, and he started to share his vision for a new healthcare vertical… [He was] looking to bring somebody over from the client side.”

Quest will be powered by Hill Holliday’s “deep-rooted experience and legacy” in the direct-to-consumer (DTC) space, as well as a combination of its data science, strategy, media and creative teams, Lopé said.

Its focus will be on consumer healthcare and wellness brands — an expertise that Lopé knows well. Originally starting out at Kraft Foods and The Campbell’s Company (formerly The Campbell Soup Company) more than 20 years ago, she moved to Wyeth Consumer Healthcare, where she helped launch Advil PM and Children’s Advil.

After Pfizer acquired Wyeth in 2009, Lopé joined the women’s health franchise, which involved a stint as director, consumer lead of Premarin vaginal cream. She was also director, brand lead of smoking cessation drug Chantix and helped launch the Chantix “Slow Turkey” campaign.

Her experience at Pfizer also includes work in the company’s inflammation and immunology portfolio, such as the Xeljanz brand as well as ulcerative colitis drug Velsipity.

Lopé stressed that her background in consumer health and wellness brands will help build Quest’s foundation in the space — and ideally offer a fresh perspective. But Quest will also be drawing on Hill Holliday’s larger network of non-health verticals.

“Because the [healthcare] environment is so regulated, it can easily become stagnant — and that’s why you start to see things looking the same and feeling the same,” she said. “Hill Holiday is bringing vast experience from a multitude of different areas, from financial services and tourism to your typical consumer packaged goods (CPG) product lines, and we’re hoping it will infuse some new energy within the healthcare market.”

Lopé highlighted several challenges — like financial headwinds, post-pandemic headaches and generic issues — as being top-of-mind for pharma clients. With the unprecedented significant growth from the COVID-19 era stalling, industry players are seeking to drive revenues up again.

“Coming from the client side, I vividly remember the challenges that marketers are under to drive growth on a daily basis,” Lopé explained. “I’m excited to help clients do their advertising well, to help take some of the pressure off of them. Because if the advertising is working as it should, it will be driving those sales.”

It’s ultimately that perspective, as well as Hill Holliday’s legacy in DTC marketing, that Lopé believes will differentiate Quest.

“Speaking to a consumer is very different than speaking to a healthcare professional,” she said. “The fact that we know how to speak to consumers — there’s something real and tangible about that, and it will set us apart from others trying to get in the space.”

IPG sold Hill Holliday to Attivo earlier this year after owning the agency for more than two decades.

In a statement at the time, Wallrapp noted that “at a time of uncertainty for many well-known agency brands,” Attivo’s acquisition was a “strong vote of confidence in the power and endurance of the Hill Holliday name.”

Attivo was launched in 2020 and owns several marketing agencies, including 303 MullenLowe, Harvey Cameron and Gorilla Studios.

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Hill Holliday, the award-winning integrated strategy, creative and media agency, announced today that it has launched Hill Holliday Quest, a new practice custom-built to address the unique challenges of the healthcare industry. The agency has hired Christy Lopé, who has over 20 years of client-side experience in healthcare marketing, as Managing Director to run the new division.

“Health is not a straight line; it’s a goal that changes and shifts. Marketers must meet the consumer where they are on a daily basis,” said Chris Wallrapp, CEO, Hill Holliday. “Christy brings invaluable brand-side expertise to Hill Holliday Quest, enabling us to better anticipate client needs, navigate industry complexities, and deliver tailored solutions to drive results. Under her leadership, Hill Holliday Quest is uniquely positioned to make a significant impact on healthcare brands and the people they serve.”

Rooted in Hill Holliday’s health legacy, Hill Holliday Quest fuses behavioral science, strategic insight, creative, social and media to design human-centric solutions that resonate and drive behavior change. Whether it’s a large-scale campaign or targeted initiative, Hill Holliday Quest’s agile and consultative approach ensures brands stay ahead of the curve and deliver results that matter.

“Having spent over 20 years on the client side, I know firsthand what it takes to make a great agency partnership. By combining that insight with Hill Holliday’s expertise, we’re able to address the challenges healthcare marketers face in a fresh way and provide our clients with solutions that make a difference,” said Lopé.   “We’re not just another agency; we’re growth architects who understand that health is a dynamic journey, and we’re here to add value at every stage along the way. The name ‘Quest’ embodies our dedication to elevating everyday health and wellbeing, reflecting our mission to turn transactional interactions into meaningful relationships – helping people live healthier and happier lives.”

Driven by a passion for pushing boundaries and shaking things up, Lopé offers clients a blend of strategic vision, innovative thinking, and creative flair.. She has a proven track record of successfully repositioning, launching, and growing a diverse portfolio of iconic brands for Pfizer, Wyeth Consumer Healthcare, Campbell Soup Company, and Kraft Foods. Her work has earned her numerous accolades, including the prestigious Cannes Lion, solidifying her reputation as a forward-thinking industry leader.

About Hill Holliday

Hill Holliday is proud to be one of the top creative marketing agencies in the country, with over 200 cross disciplinary talents across the network. Since 1968, Hill Holliday has been on a mission to create transformative work that doesn’t just turn heads and stop thumbs, but consistently drives growth. Blending communications planning, media, and technology with superior creative, the agency approaches problems holistically to create work that punches above its media weight.  For more about Hill Holliday’s people, work, and culture, visit http://hhcc.com.

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“You’re the Best Person,” developed pro bono by Hill Holliday, highlights the ways that Gen X and millennial parents received health-related messages growing up, reinforcing that parents are the right people to speak to their kids about tough issues such as vaping.

Check out the agency’s “Narrator” spot below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqEWyqU1TPo

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The American Lung Association and the Ad Council have thus launched a national campaign to help parents of kids 10-14 years old understand that they’re the best person to talk to their children about the dangers of vaping. The campaign includes “You’re The Best Person” creative assets in broadcast, radio, digital, social, out-of-home and print, developed pro bono by creative agency Hill Holliday.

The campaign includes two humorous public service films directed by the Perlorian Brothers via MJZ–including this one titled “Narrator”–in which health-related messages are made through old-fashioned means that don’t resonate with kids today. In the case of “Narrator,” the title character from yesteryear’s health class films appears in a youngster’s bedroom to talk about the perils of vaping, citing statistics and sharing other info. The kid doesn’t relate to the narrator, underscoring that the person most able to break through and start a meaningful conversation is mom or dad.

“Vaping is one of those issues that’s been normalized. We wanted to point out the real health risks of vaping and do so in a way that someone might even pay attention to,” said Dave Weist, chief creative officer at Hill Holliday. “Still, this campaign is directed to the parents. When it comes to having a conversation about vaping, don’t let someone else do that job. The best person to talk to your kid about vaping is you.”

The PSAs will appear nationwide in time and space donated by the media.

“Our ongoing partnership with the Lung Association continues to bring critical awareness to the youth vaping crisis nationwide,” said Heidi Arthur, chief campaign development officer at the Ad Council. “Using the power of humor and nostalgia, our latest work reminds parents everywhere that no one can connect with their child like they can – especially when it comes to talking about the dangers of e-cigarettes.”

The campaign encourages parents to visit TalkAboutVaping.org for resources to help them speak to their kids about vaping, including a “Get the Facts” page and step-by-step conversation guide.

The post The Best Work You May Never See: American Lung Association, Ad Council, Hill Holliday Inspire Parents To Talk To Their Kids About Vaping In Perlorian Brothers-Directed PSAs appeared first on Hill Holiday.

Prior to joining Hill Holliday earlier this year, Weist was at MullenLowe, where he was ECD of the Boston and New York offices. He opened New York from scratch and helped grow that into a 180-person full-service global offering.

Aside from being a proven creative leader, Weist is all about the team. He loves partnering with all agency disciplines, clients and of course creatives. His teams have won every major international creative award many times over as well as the Grand Effie and three Gold Effies for the most effective campaigns in the world as measured over a five-year period.

“This is any creative person’s dream job,” said Weist. “Hill Holliday is a 56-year-old start-up. A place that’s as much of an evolving idea as it is an institution, the agency is filled with people who have an ambition that leads to the next great opportunity. I’m excited to work with Chris [Wallrapp, CEO] and the team and to be part of that growth.”

At MullenLowe, Weist shaped brands like JetBlue, Royal Caribbean, E-TRADE, Acura, Google, American Greetings, Hyatt, US Cellular, Burger King, KFC and many more. Prior to MullenLowe, Weist was creative director at Modernista, building brands like Cadillac, HUMMER, TIAA and (red). Before that he was a writer at Arnold Worldwide, where he started his career on Volkswagen, winning the Cannes Grand Prix and collaborating with Steve Jobs on the Apple co-branding effort, pods unite.

“Personally, I worked with Dave at Modernista,” said Wallrapp. ”I’ve seen firsthand what we can accomplish creatively, as well as the way he leads clients and his teams. His motto has always been if you want to go fast go alone but if you want to go far, go together–and I can’t think of a more perfect motto for us at this point in time.”

Weist is upped to CCO at a time of great momentum for Hill Holliday, which was acquired by the Attivo Group earlier this year. Recently the agency was selected by the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism to create its new tourism campaign highlighting the history, attractions, unique culture, and vibrant businesses of its home state.

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By Sarah Khan, Strategist, and Jacqueline Dieker, Associate Art Director, Hill Holliday

Through our endless scrolling from one viral video to the next, it’s common to come across a brand trying to hop on the bandwagon of a popular trend. As you naturally venture to the comment section, curious to see if other people had the same feeling of cringe that you did, sure enough, there’s unanimous agreement: the brand missed the mark.

When it comes to reaching Gen Z, advertisers and marketers often get lost in misconceptions and stereotypes.  In addition to having a close pulse on this endlessly buzzed-about generation, we work as strategists and creatives in the advertising industry, so we have a dual lens through which we see how brands struggle to connect with us.

It’s not that brands don’t grasp Gen Z’s impact; it’s that they tend to oversimplify and buy into a series of misleading myths that, too often, cause their marketing to fall flat.

Here are some of the biggest misconceptions marketers have about Gen Z – and the reality behind them:

Myth 1: Gen Z Is Out of Touch With Reality

Myth: Gen Z doesn’t comprehend the gravity of real-world challenges.

Truth: The world is challenging, and Gen Z knows that well. Gen Z cares about serious subject matters; but also takes an intentionally unserious tone to it without diminishing the meaning.

An example of this approach is the Smokey the Bear feed on Instagram, which uses humor and sarcasm to remind campers to extinguish fires before leaving. By infusing some levity, the campaign captures Gen Z’s attention while addressing a crucial issue. Similarly, the Ad Council’s campaign related to drug-impaired driving prevention, “Not Camping Day,” targets young adult audiences with light humor, acknowledging their rejection of common stereotypes of marijuana users and effectively resonating with Gen Z’s sensibilities.

Myth 2: Gen Z Wants Extraordinary Visuals

Myth: Visuals don’t have to be hyper-produced or conform to a perfect aesthetic for Gen Z to appreciate them.

Truth: Attention can be captured by visually reflecting what Gen Z interacts with daily in a more low-fidelity manner.

For instance, a simple yet extremely effective marketing strategy is to use screenshots of notes, exchanges with ChatGPT or social media posts. Some brands that use this technique effectively include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service talking about frogs and Leap Year and Sesame Street highlighting messages from Grover or Rosita.

Gen Z is also the number-one producers of user-generated content (UGC), on TikTok and beyond, which is the antithesis of traditionally cinematic visuals. If there’s a common thread in the media we seek and consume, it’s that we crave authenticity above all.

Myth 3: Memes Don’t Work for Gen Z

Myth: Gen Z thinks memes are for Millennials.

Truth: Gen Z embraces irony and personality, including appreciating well-executed memes. While memes are traditionally associated with Millennials, we see them differently, valuing their short-lived and rapidly changing nature. This reflects our quick embrace of what’s trending in pop culture and social media, showcasing Gen Z’s unique perspective on humor and cultural references.

One noteworthy approach is Panera Bread’s culturally relevant social campaigns. By leveraging viral TikTok trends, such as the Roman Empire menu, and partnering with popular creators on the platform, Panera Bread has effectively tapped into Gen Z’s affinity for irony and pop-culture references. Other brands like Chipotle, Burger King and Merriam-Webster have successfully utilized humor to transform tense or potentially negative moments into positive interactions, which, again, aligns with our preference for authenticity and relatable content.

Myth 4: Gen Z Is Glued to Their Screens

Myth: Gen Z is only concerned with devices.

Truth: We value in-person interactions and seek to seamlessly integrate them with digital engagement. This presents a unique opportunity for brands and agencies to bridge the gap between in-person and digital realms in their marketing strategies. For example, planning picture-worthy moments can amplify the impact of experiential events by harnessing UGC.

But proceed with caution. February’s immersive pop-up event featuring Victoria Paris x Fragille strongly resonated with Gen Z fans who sought an in-person experience – and an opportunity to purchase something from the jewelry line – however it also showed that pop-ups have to be done right. In-person events that are not well-executed will quickly be called out by Gen Z on social media.

To Reach Gen Z, See Them For Who They Actually Are

To really connect with Gen Z, you’ve got to let go of the myths and see us for who we actually are. When you start to see us clearly, you’ll also see success, because messaging that truly resonates will build engagement and win our loyalty.

For more about Hill Holliday’s people, work, and culture, visit
https://advertisingweek.com/what-do-marketers-get-wrong-about-gen-z-gen-z-marketers-weigh-in/

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