How to Create Video Content and Ads That Actually Connect With Gen Z
Gen Z can smell an ad from approximately 47 miles away.
Okay, maybe that's not scientifically proven.
But if you've ever watched someone swipe past a beautifully produced commercial because it felt too much like an ad, you know what we're talking about.
Gen Z has grown up surrounded by advertising. They've seen thousands of branded posts, influencer integrations, sponsored videos, product placements, and traditional commercials.
They're not necessarily opposed to brands.
They're opposed to being marketed at.
For brands trying to reach Gen Z, that distinction is everything.
The good news? You don't need to abandon professional production or your brand strategy to connect with younger audiences.
You just need to understand what makes content feel worth watching.
At Take2Content, we create social-first video content and advertising for brands that want to connect with audiences on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. And when it comes to Gen Z, one rule tends to rise above the rest:
Make something people would actually watch—even if your logo wasn't on it.
First: What Does Gen Z Actually Want From Brand Content?
Gen Z isn't one giant personality with one giant set of preferences. They're a diverse generation with wildly different interests.
But there are some patterns brands should pay attention to.
Gen Z tends to gravitate toward content that feels:
Authentic
Entertaining
Relatable
Fast-paced
Personality-driven
Culturally aware
Interactive
Native to the platform
Notice what's missing?
"Perfect."
The days of making a glossy commercial, putting it on Instagram, and expecting people to stop scrolling are long gone.
Your content needs to earn the attention before it asks for the sale.
Stop Making Ads. Start Making Content.
This is probably the biggest shift brands need to make when marketing to Gen Z.
Instead of starting with:
"What do we want to sell?"
Start with:
"What would someone actually want to watch?"
Maybe it's a ridiculous sketch.
Maybe it's a brutally honest product review.
Maybe it's a founder admitting something embarrassing.
Maybe it's a character-driven story that happens to feature your product.
Maybe it's a 20-second video answering a question your customers are constantly asking.
The product can still be the hero.
But it doesn't always need to be the reason someone watches.
Humor Is One of Your Best Marketing Tools
Gen Z loves brands that don't take themselves too seriously.
That's great news for us because...
We're not exactly known for taking ourselves too seriously.
Humor can make an otherwise forgettable ad memorable. It can turn a product benefit into a joke, transform a common customer problem into a relatable scenario, or give a brand a personality people actually want to follow.
And the best part?
You don't need to make your entire brand a comedy brand.
Even a serious company can use humor strategically.
A law firm can make a funny video about the things clients should never say to their attorney.
A skincare brand can make fun of the 37-step nighttime routine everyone pretends to have.
A pet brand can acknowledge the fact that your dog has somehow become the CEO of your household.
The point isn't to force a joke.
It's to find the humor that's already hiding inside your brand.
The First Few Seconds Matter
On TikTok and Instagram Reels, your audience is constantly making a decision:
Do I keep watching or do I scroll?
That means your video needs a reason to exist immediately.
Instead of beginning with:
"Hi guys! Today we're going to talk about our amazing new product..."
Try starting with:
"Nobody told me this was going to happen."
"POV: You finally find the product you've been looking for."
"Three things I wish I knew before buying this."
"We made a terrible mistake."
"Your skincare routine might be doing the opposite of what you think."
The best hooks create curiosity.
They introduce conflict.
They promise information.
Or they make someone think:
Wait. What happened?
Make Your Ads Feel Native to TikTok and Instagram
One of the fastest ways to lose Gen Z is to make something that looks like it was created for television and then uploaded to TikTok.
Social platforms have their own visual language.
Vertical framing.
Quick cuts.
On-screen captions.
Conversational delivery.
Jump cuts.
POV storytelling.
Trending formats.
Creator-style production.
That doesn't mean every video needs to look like it was filmed on someone's bedroom floor.
You can create high-quality, professionally produced social ads that still feel completely native to the platform.
That's the sweet spot.
Don't Confuse "Authentic" With "Low Quality"
This is an important distinction.
There has been a huge shift toward UGC and lo-fi video content, but that doesn't mean Gen Z wants bad lighting, terrible audio, or a blurry product shot.
Authenticity isn't a camera setting.
It's a creative choice.
A professionally lit, beautifully shot video can feel authentic.
An iPhone video can feel painfully scripted.
What matters is how the content communicates.
Does it feel human?
Does it have personality?
Does the person on camera sound like a person—or like a marketing department wrote every word?
That's what audiences notice.
Give Your Brand a Personality
Gen Z doesn't just follow companies.
They follow personalities, creators, characters, communities, and people they find interesting.
That means brands have an opportunity to become more human.
Give your audience someone to root for.
Maybe it's your founder.
Maybe it's an employee.
Maybe it's a recurring character.
Maybe it's a creator who becomes synonymous with the brand.
Or maybe it's an entirely fictional character living inside a recurring social media series.
Suddenly, your audience isn't just following a company.
They're following a story.
Why Vertical Series Are Especially Interesting for Gen Z
One of the most exciting developments in social advertising is the rise of branded vertical series.
Instead of producing one standalone ad, brands are creating recurring characters, storylines, and episodic content designed specifically for TikTok and Instagram.
Why?
Because one video gets you a view.
A series can get you a follower.
A good vertical series creates anticipation.
People want to know what happens next.
They recognize the characters.
They share episodes with friends.
And eventually, the brand becomes associated with the entertainment itself.
For brands trying to build long-term relationships with younger audiences, that's a pretty powerful opportunity.
Don't Talk Down to Gen Z
One of the biggest mistakes brands make is trying too hard to sound young.
Please don't suddenly start saying "it's giving" in your boardroom because someone in marketing told you Gen Z uses the phrase.
Nothing makes content feel less authentic faster than a brand desperately trying to imitate the internet.
You don't need to use every trend.
You don't need to force slang.
You don't need to pretend your brand is something it isn't.
Instead, understand the culture and create content that feels like it belongs there.
There's a difference.
Build Ads Around Stories, Not Features
Features are important.
But stories are memorable.
Instead of:
"Our moisturizer contains three types of hyaluronic acid."
Try:
"I spent $400 trying to fix my dry skin before realizing I was doing this."
Now you've created a reason to watch.
The product information can come afterward.
This storytelling-first approach works particularly well for e-commerce brands because it lets you turn product benefits into relatable situations.
The product solves the problem.
The story gets someone to care about the problem in the first place.
What Should Gen Z Video Content Look Like?
There's no single formula, but here are some formats worth testing:
POV Videos
Put the viewer directly inside a relatable situation.
Comedy Sketches
Turn a customer pain point into a funny scenario.
Founder-Led Content
Let audiences meet the person behind the brand.
Creator-Style Product Videos
Show the product naturally instead of presenting it like a traditional commercial.
Educational Content
Answer questions your audience is already searching for.
Behind-the-Scenes Content
Show how the product, company, or campaign actually comes together.
Recurring Characters
Create personalities that viewers recognize and want to see again.
Episodic Vertical Series
Give your audience an ongoing story rather than another one-off advertisement.
The best strategy is usually a combination of several formats.
The Best Gen Z Marketing Doesn't Feel Like Gen Z Marketing
Ironically, that's probably the biggest lesson.
Don't make content for Gen Z.
Make content for people who happen to be Gen Z.
They're still people.
They want to laugh.
They want to discover things.
They want to learn.
They want to feel understood.
They want to find something worth sending to their friends.
And yes, they buy things.
Your job as a brand is to create something that earns the right to be part of their feed.
Looking for a Social Media Video Production Company in Los Angeles?
Creating great social content requires more than pointing a camera at someone and hoping the algorithm does its thing.
It starts with an idea.
At Take2Content, we help brands develop concepts, write scripts, produce video, and create social-first ads designed for platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
We're a Los Angeles-based creative production company specializing in personality-driven video content, comedy, branded storytelling, and social advertising.
Whether you need a single campaign or an ongoing library of content, our goal is the same:
Make something people actually want to watch.
Ready to Create Something Gen Z Won't Immediately Scroll Past?
If your brand is ready to rethink the way it approaches social media advertising, let's talk.
Book a new client call with Take2Content and let's come up with something worth stopping the scroll for.