Welcome back to Funnel Vision, the weekly newsletter that puts performance creative & growth marketing in focus. Brought to you by the crew at Ready Set.

While we can’t be absolutely certain, it’s estimated that pets make up just 1% of all terrestrial vertebrates—animals that live on land and have a backbone. So the next time your pet gives you attitude, just remind them: you’re literally in the top 1% of all animals.

Here’s what’s inside today’s edition:

• 3 tips on marketing to Gen Z

• How to make ads that don’t feel like ads

• The latest marketing news you may have missed

Reading time: 4 minutes

CREATIVE STRATEGY

How To (Actually) Advertise to Gen Z

Got a Gen Z in your life?

Of course you do. Maybe it’s your kid, your sibling, or the barista silently judging your dairy latte order.

(Side note: oat milk latte = hug in a cup. Just saying.)

Born between 1997 and 2012, Gen Z already makes up 40% of U.S. consumers, and their spending power is set to increase by 5x to $450B over the next decade. Gatekeepers of culture and cool on the internet, they’re also immune to traditional ads.

So, how do you actually reach this cashed-up, digitally-savvy, hyper-online generation?

Let’s get into it. 👇

1. Be real, but make it feel native.

You already know authenticity matters. But with Gen Z, it’s not just what you say—it’s how and where you say it.

To stop the scroll, your ads need to blend into the platforms they’re on. The best ones feel like the content they came for—whether that’s chaotic TikToks or curated IG posts.

👍 Rule of thumb: If your ad screams “ad,” it’s already lost.

So don’t just “be authentic.” Be platform-native, culturally in tune, and stylistically aligned with what they’re scrolling through.

Case in point: Lemonade

Insurance is boring. Legacy brands dominate the market. Well, they did—until next-gen offerings like Lemonade came along. Lemonade’s playful, irreverent marketing speaks directly to their target audience: young people buying insurance for the first time.

2. Tap into trends (but do it right)

Jumping on trends can position your brand as organic and relevant. And it’s a smart way to speak Gen Z’s language—if you do it right.

Tone and timing are everything. 

Lazy or opportunistic attempts to hop on the bandwagon are a major ick. It’s giving… cringe.

(Am I doing it right?)

But when brands put their own spin on a trend, complete with self-awareness, humor, and even a little irony, it hits. Take the “of course we’re” trend—Hers nailed it by putting their own spin on it. It didn’t try too hard. It just worked.

That’s the secret: be in on the joke. Tip your hat to the trend. Make it fun, not forced.

While trends are a great opportunity to catapult your brand into the cultural conversation, it’s a little like playing with fire. To get it right you need to be swift, decisive, and bold in your execution.

3. Go lofi or go home

Gen Z is tired of polished perfection.

They’re raised on creators, not commercials. They want content that feels real. That’s why lofi, mobile-shot ads can often outperform high-budget creative.

98% of Gen Z own a smartphone. Scrappy, vertical content is the norm. If your ads feel like the stuff they already watch, they’re more likely to engage.

It’s not about cutting corners—it’s about creating content that feels native to a mobile-first world.

💡Quick tip: If your ad looks like something their favorite creator might post, you’re doing it right.

One brand that nails this native vibe is Duolingo.

TL;DR

Be native. Be nimble. Be real.

And maybe... try the oat milk latte. 😉

CLICKABLE LINKS 👆️

📺️ YouTube pushes ahead of Disney and takes the top spot for the first time on Nielsen’s Media Distributor Gauge, an aggregated view of total TV usage by media company.

🤸‍♀️ How brand brand marketers walk the tightrope balancing authentic cultural moments and political backlash.

🤳 Why more ad industry pros are becoming creators.

🚫 Remember the TikTok ban extension? Well, it expires in 12 days—and officials are pushing for the deadline to be extended (again) before TikTok is banned in the U.S. (again).

💨 Instagram rolls out 2x speed playback for Reels, meaning you can now doomscroll twice as fast.

📈 These are the 25 brands that Gen Z agree are “on the way up”.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Coca-Cola refreshes iconic campaign, but with a twist—in an attempt to sway a new generation to connect IRL to “share a Coke”, they’ve included a QR code… that opens a digital hub.

AD OF THE WEEK ✨

This ad from Lemonade does a great job at speaking to a younger audience. It’s casual, conversational, and curiosity-piquing—and was probably made in an afternoon.

Note: This is NOT a Ready Set ad.

Brand: Lemonade
Length: 55 seconds
Platform: Meta

WHY IT WORKS 🧠

🎥 It’s lofi with high impact. The green screen setup and casual creator delivery make this feel more like a storytime than a sales pitch—exactly the kind of native content Gen Z is used to engaging with on TikTok and Reels.

🗣️ It doesn’t feel like an ad. The creator’s tone is personal and unpolished, pulling you into a real-life emergency with her pet before seamlessly introducing Lemonade. It’s 55 seconds, long for a social ad, but it flies by because it feels like a friend sharing advice.

💡 Insurance can be confusing and corporate. This spot humanizes it—highlighting Lemonade’s ease, speed, and friendliness in a moment of panic. It’s a masterclass in making complex products feel approachable and emotionally resonant.

Thanks for reading!

That’s all for this week. Seeya next time 🫶 

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