Brands are no longer advertisers. They are builders of culture.

Don't try to hard

The numbers don’t lie.

• 83% of Gen Z can tell when brands try too hard to “go viral” — and call it cringe (Archrival / Ayo Ogunde).

• 50% of marketers admit their Gen Z campaigns aren’t landing (Digital Fairy, 2023).

The funnel is broken. Chaos is real.

For the first time in history, the world’s most connected generation rejects the logic that built modern advertising. They don’t follow a linear path from Awareness → Interest → Desire → Action. Instead, they zigzag between TikTok, Twitch, Discord, YouTube, checkout, and back again.

They don’t follow ads. They follow culture, emotion, and relevance.

From Passive to Power: What They Really Want

This isn’t rejection for rejection’s sake. It’s a redefinition of value.

• 85% of Gen Z want brands to enable real connection, not interruption (Sprout Social / NielsenIQ).

• Influencers work best when integrated, not transactional.

• They expect seamless journeys — TikTok today, checkout tomorrow.

• Participation = power. They want a voice, not a pitch.

From passive audiences to active participants, Gen Z has flipped the script. They don’t want to be targeted. They want to co-create.

A Generation That Plays Together

And Gen Z aren’t kids anymore. The oldest are in their early thirties, with many raising families of their own.

This is the first generation of parents who grew up digital — bringing their gaming, streaming, and creator habits into family life. Parents and children now play the same games, watch the same streams, and share the same playlists.

For brands, this isn’t two separate audiences — Gen Z and families. It’s a continuum. The same people who broke the funnel are now building the new campfires at home.

Proof the Campfire Has Moved

• Gaming is bigger than music and movies combined (Newzoo, 2023).

• 90% of Gen Z are gaming enthusiasts (Newzoo, 2023).

• 18.5M Nordics — 77% of the population — are active gamers.

• 93% of Swedes aged 18–29 stream music daily (IFPI, 2024).

• 80% of gamers listen to music while playing (GWI Gaming, 2024).

The campfire has moved — from TV nights to Twitch, TikTok, and creator-led spaces. In the Nordics, where gaming and music already overlap at scale, this shift is more visible than anywhere else.

Why Most Brands Miss

• Ad spend lags attention: Gaming still gets less than 5% of budgets despite commanding the largest share of leisure time (eMarketer, 2024).

• Intrusive formats erode trust: Ads that break immersion frustrate audiences — 80% of teens say harassment in gaming is a serious problem (Pew, 2024).

• Global misfires prove it: campaigns that fake culture backfire, while authentic, creator-integrated activations scale trust, love, and reach.

Ads that break immersion, break trust.

Culture Is the New Conversion Funnel

How to build cultural relevance at scale:

• LOVE (Access is granted) → Experiences worth joining.

• FAME (Attention is earned) → Distribution through creators and platforms people already love.

• ACTION (Movements are enabled) → Tech + culture turning participation into measurable results.

Don't make campaigns. Build platforms!

The Nordic Sweet Spot

The Nordics are uniquely positioned to lead.

• Digital-first: 77% gaming penetration, 93% daily music streaming among young adults.

• Cultural exporters: Spotify, Minecraft, world-class esports players.

• Natural overlap: 10–12M Nordics aged 18–40 live in the gaming × music crossover.

This is the low-hanging fruit: an underpriced, over-engaged audience waiting for brands that understand culture. Whoever moves first here won’t just win locally — they’ll set the global standard for relevance.

The Core Shift (Mic Drop)

Brands are no longer advertisers. They are builders of culture.

We are building the new cultural platforms that deliver what the audience wants — enabling them to opt in, and rendering brand love, fame, and action at scale. Outperforming traditional media - at icomparable scale. The funnel is inverted. Love leads. Fame and action follows. 

Get in touch. The race for cultural relevance is on.