A new TikTok trend is taking over, perfectly capturing the generational divide between digital natives and their parents.
Creators are sharing screenshots of confusing, funny, or overly literal text messages from their parents, grandparents, and other relatives, revealing the endearing and chaotic miscommunications that occur when Gen Z and millennials chat with Baby Boomers.
The comments sections are full of people relating to the struggle – “My mom is the same!” – creating a sense of collective humour and community. It’s another example of how TikTok serves as a “secret club” for younger generations, a space to laugh about family life in a way that older relatives likely won’t ever see.
It follows a similar sentiment to the recent trend where creators pranked their parents with AI-generated “there’s someone in the house” images – playful, but rooted in highlighting the digital literacy gap.
Brand opportunity:
WhatsApp could lean into this with a lighthearted “Texts We Love” creator campaign, celebrating family communication chaos. Many creators see an increase in content views when they welcome family members to their channels – like Anastasia Kingsnorth and her Mother Julie – who would make the perfect partners for a campaign like this.
One of the strongest brand collaborations that has surfaced recently comes from Movember and Google Gemini. The campaign brings together an impressive range of talent from athletes like Phil Foden, Luke Littler, and Mo Farah, to artists like Lewis Capaldi and influencers such as Joe Baggs and Callum Goddard.
For every post shared as part of the campaign using the hashtag #gen_a_mo, Google donates £11 to Movember, a charity that supports men’s mental health. It’s a perfect example of a purpose-driven campaign that combines the mass reach of celebrities with the close-knit communities of creators.
The concept of Movember encourages men to grow a moustache for November, sharing their journey online and raising money in the process. The Google Gemini campaign encourages participants to use the image generation AI tools to “try on” different moustache styles before they fully commit.
Brand opportunity:
LinkedIn could build on Movember’s message through a “Conversations That Matter” series, spotlighting male leaders on the platform like Jordan Schwarzenburger discussing vulnerability, mental health, and balance at work. Partnering with influencers and mental health advocates, the platform could turn social awareness into a normalized corporate world discussion.
For some, the official start of the festive season is marked by John Lewis or Coca-Cola, but for others, it’s when Mariah Carey declares “It’s timeeeee” in the intro of her iconic Christmas song, All I Want For Christmas Is You. She still makes an estimated $2.5 million to $3 million in royalties from the song each year.
This year, Mariah has teamed up with Sephora for a social-first Christmas campaign that has a combined 200+ million views across TikTok and Instagram. The video opens with Mariah singing the first line of All I Want for Christmas Is You before launching into a funny skit with a Christmas elf – ultimately revealing Sephora as the ultimate gifting solution for the holiday season.
It’s a smart move for Sephora, which chose to skip the traditional TV ad route and instead meet their audience where they’re most active – scrolling for gift ideas and beauty inspiration on social media. The content has a high production value, but leans into social-native humour, making it super shareable.
Brand opportunity:
John Lewis could take note of this shift by experimenting with a social-first spin-off of their famous Christmas advert. Creators could reinterpret the storyline in their own style, extending the life of the campaign and inviting younger audiences to join in.
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