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Adidas is making us want vertical video for Generation Z! #video

The future of content marketing is truly engaging the Generation Z audience. You think you heard enough about Millennials, well…try creating content for both Millennials and Generation Z simultaneously.

The Millennial generation is estimated to be born after the 1980 putting them in a huge area of consumer and work force focus. The Millennial generation have become a major focus for healthcare brands including hospitals, given the female Millennial demographics are the household decision makers for healthcare representing the whole family.

Consider this…the Millennial generation are parents to the Generation Z generation. Yes…the Millennials were born in the late 1990’s or early 2000’s.

Here is a quick breakdown surrounding Generation Z:

  • Generation Z – Born after 2000 (roughly)
  • Real stories from real people who are authentic
  • Like behind the scenes and “how-to” videos
  • Educate themselves about real issues
  • Attention span of 8 Seconds
  • Forward-thinking generation.
  • Don’t want to be talked at, or directed how to think or what to believe.
  • Video generation, so they like videos that engage a point-of-view production approach suitable for viewing on a smartphone.

Consider this Adidas video below. You can strip down the approach to their split content focus for both generations.

You find many of these points embedded in this Adidas video mixing peer-to-peer style production, behind the scenes viewpoints, forward thinking approach to presenting a brand, and not talking at the person yet letting peers share with peers.

But why talk about Millennials under the same breath? Well, notice some Millennials are not only presented in the video but also are gate keepers to the Generation Z audience.

Here is a quick breakdown surrounding Millennials:

  • Millennial Generation – Born between 1980 and 2000 (roughly)
  • Completely connected
  • Expect complete transparency and connectivity from brands
  • Content creators as earliest digital natives
  • Embrace authentic cause marketing slinging with brands with purpose
  • Like video as long as it matches with their worldview

Here is how the Millennial would engage with this video.

How about the tape over of the team name “Indians” showing the need to buck the system, embracing an authentic cause.

How about holding the shoe with a rainbow indicating embracing a progressive ideal of inclusion. This imagery posed with the lyric, “surfin’ on my own wave baby.”

Also..the physical production shows a mixture of full screen shots which fall in line with Millennial style video production, and vertical shots showcasing a peer-to-peer social media video. They have had a cell phone in their hands from the earlier of days, using vertical video for FaceTime calls, Snaps, and other vertical video recording.

Lots of fun things to watch as more and more content is going to be pushing the limits in the way audiences consume.

Many think Generation Z is going to push us away from traditional wide/horizontal video into a vertical based delivery system.