The ugly aesthetic is beginning to trend in online advertising. Lo-budget-looking content is beginning to pop up on branded feeds, in contrast to the highly polished and glossy ads that young consumers have gotten all too used to. Amateur-feeling livestreams, and deliberately random or lower-quality GIFs, memes, and videos are standing out online as “the value of perfection” is decreasing among Gen Z and Millennials. As the director of creative at General Mills puts it, “Ugly can sell.” (WSJ)
