Younger Gens and AI Emerge as Key Themes at Advertising Week NY 2025
Two key themes emerged through the programming at this year’s Advertising Week NY event:
- Gen Alpha and Gen Z are reshaping what it means to connect with brands
- The rise of AI as a cultural and creative catalyst
Gen Alpha and Gen Z are digital natives born into participation, personalization, and purpose. They expect brands not only to mirror culture but to build it with them. This shift toward co-creation aligns perfectly with the rise of AI as both a cultural and creative catalyst. AI’s role is no longer about automation or efficiency—it’s about amplifying human connection at scale.
1. From Messaging to Participation
Traditional advertising is losing impact among younger audiences. Gen Alpha and Z don’t want to be spoken to—they want to participate. Brands should move from one-way storytelling to interactive, co-created experiences that invite contribution and feedback.
Takeaway for brands: Design campaigns and platforms that allow audiences to collaborate through user-generated content, open creative prompts,
product customization or real-time feedback loops.
2. Use AI to Listen, Learn, and Localize Culture
AI allows brands to track cultural signals across countless channels, decode audience sentiment, and predict emerging interests or subcultures. This “cultural radar” enables marketers to stay relevant in our fast-moving culture.
Takeaway for brands: Apply AI-powered social listening and trend analysis to understand micro-communities and regional variations. Use those insights to shape tone, timing, and creative direction.
3. Personalization as an Expectation, Not a Perk
For Gen Alpha especially, personalization isn’t impressive — it’s assumed. They expect technology to adapt to them in real time.
Takeaway for brands: Use AI to deliver dynamic creative and adaptive experiences (e.g., tailored messaging by behavior, time, or interest).
4. Build Human-Centered Brand Intelligence
AI can provide intelligent automation, but marketers must provide human empathy. The most effective strategies use AI insights to enhance human creativity, not replace it.
Takeaway for brands: Pair data-driven intelligence with brand storytelling rooted in emotion, humor and cultural truth.
5. Redefine Community as a Living Ecosystem
Gen Alpha and Z don’t form communities around brands; they form them around shared identity, purpose, and creativity.
Takeaway for brands: Identify where these communities already exist (e.g., creator platforms, fandom spaces, Discord servers) and add value through education, inspiration, or collaboration.
The intersection of AI, culture, and younger generations demands a mindset shift. Brands must evolve from broadcasting messages to building ecosystems where technology amplifies human creativity, storytelling becomes participatory, and community becomes the most valuable form of currency.
This article is featured in Media Impact Report No. 69. View the full report here.