Gen X KNOWS social better than Gen Z
Ok, not really. Well, kind of. WAit, Do we? Walk with me…
In May, DeMarcus Stinson of Raising Champions posted a video of his young son who was having a moment, and threw a bag of bread. To discipline him for acting out, his dad took a unique approach — he had his son give him 500 Dru Hills.
SIDENOTE:
* For those who know, the “Dru Hills” he was referring to are none other than the Dru Hill of Baltimore, one of the most loved late 90s/early 2000s R&B groups. Their debut album — which dropped 29 years ago this week, on November 19, 1996 — was led by their hit single “Tell Me”.
* The music video opened with Dru Hill onstage, and when the song starts, the four members hit what would become their signature dance move (IYKYK). This was a staple of their live performances, and guest appearances on hit 90s Black sitcoms, Moesha and The Parent ‘Hood.
The video of this life lesson went viral, driving 5M+ views, think pieces, comments from celebrities and influencers, and was shared 450K times, including by Dru Hill. The video put a spin on a previous nostalgia challenge paying homage to the iconic dance, and went viral across Instagram and TikTok, with media talking about this hilarious, and humbling, punishment for Gen X parents and Gen Z kids.
Fast forward to November 9 in Berlin. During the Indianapolis Colts vs Atlanta Falcons game, Camryn Bynum strip-sacked Michael Penix Jr., forcing a fumble that the Colts recovered. In celebration, Bynum — who was born two years after the “Tell Me” video premiered — led a crew of Colts players in recreating the Dru Hill dance that is etched into the hearts, minds, and souls of Gen X and Millennials. Anybody in the know immediately caught the reference (I was texting multiple group chats in the moment), and it started taking off on social media, with sports and music fans sharing the clip with nostalgia instantly unlocked.
Here’s where things got interesting.
The Colts social media team, sharing highlights in real time, quickly posted a video of the celebration, tagging a brand partner.
The video drove 4M+ views on X. People were talking. Dru Hill quoted it and shouted out the team, hitting 1.2M views.
A couple days later, Dru Hill even kept the Indiana love going with the Pacers. Cool moment in culture, and great active social engagement, right? Yeah…but there was a flag on the play though. The Colts comments were getting lit up. And not in the “ok, I see you!” way.
A reference to a ‘97 Will Smith song and dance.
For a post referencing a ‘96 Dru Hill song and dance.
People called out the misattribution of the wrong cultural reference confusing Black artists, and why that happened.
This is a something we’ve been dealing with for years in marketing. Agencies and brands always want to spark conversations and relevance in culture, and they quite often miss the mark. The reason is not rocket science:
THERE IS NO CULTURAL RELEVANCE WITHOUT CULTURAL REPRESENTATION.
Read that back. To get to it, Gen Z loves Black culture and Gen X nostalgia, though they may not realize it — and your brand may not either.
Joe Freshgoods is one of the top guys in fashion, and breathed new life into New Balance, making it a Gen Z go-to brand. His December 2023 990v4 “1998” collection was inspired by the cult classic film Belly, which was released that same year, paying homage to various movie elements. The drop, linking Gen X vibes with Gen Z kids, sold out instantly (per usual).
The current YG (Young Gentleman) TikTok trend, with young Black men switching up their Nike Techs and coffees for quarter zips and matchas, brings the Black boy joy / Black excellence vibes, is a recurring cultural trend that nods to the cultural shift JAY-Z started in 2003, with the bars “And I don't wear jerseys, I'm 30-plus” that had a whole generation of college kids trading their Mitchell and Ness throwback jerseys for button ups.
We saw the Dru Hill challenge first trend a few years ago, with fans and creators tapping into a cultural truth: as soon as we hear the opening notes to “Tell Me” everybody knows what it is, and what to do. The challenge was viral gold, with the videos bringing back that 96-97 feeling across Gen X and Millennials. The fact that this song, video, and dance that turns 30 next year continues to trend in various ways in 2025, is proof of the culture’s staying power.
Back to the headline. Gen Z are the social natives, and are rightfully the channel managers for brands. Gen Z drives what’s next on digital. Gen Z is also the most racially and ethnically diverse generation ever. Sowhen brands and agencies fumble moments in culture on social media, it’s the same reaction to hearing “Tell Me” start playing for a lot of us — we’re running to the comments, because we know there was no cultural representation in the rooms where those posts are green lit. The Culture has always been co-opted and commercialized. But brands can’t play in culture, if they’re not paying The Culture.
From AAVE that’s been jacked as Gen Z/TikTok slang, to fashion and footwear from the 90s/00s, and reboots of classic songs, movies, and TV shows, Gen X still holds high value influence on the culture Gen Z drives. As Q4 closes out, and brands map social and influencer strategies tap to in with Gen Z in 2026, make sure you don’t miss the Gen X Factor.
— Tony B.