Get the Newsfeed sent to your inbox. Sign up for the YPulse newsletter.
Is Giftful Gen Z’s Pinterest? While older gens would scour and mark up catalogs to let parents know what they wanted pre-holiday, apps like Giftful, GoWish, and Giftster are teens’ wish list go-tos these days. Giftful is reportedly the most popular, letting users easily create wish lists (by just pasting the link to the products they want), follow other users to see friends’ lists and react to products, and add items from others’ lists to their own. TikTok is, naturally, full of posts about Giftful lists. While they’re of course using wish list apps for gifting celebrations like birthdays and Christmas, teens (especially girls) are reportedly also using them to make “aspirational lists for every aspect of teenage life”—from future events to dorm room décor. (Yes, like Millennials have done on Pinterest for eons.) YPulse data does support the idea that using wish list platforms is common for teens: 37% of parents of 13+ say their kids use an online wish list to tell them what they want for the holidays. (NYMag)
👀 Read more from YPulse: Holiday Shopping and Winter Plans report
Vaseline has “renamed” themselves in response to a massively viral video. In her post about the brand, creator Min Day Lee adorably shows Vaseline product after Vaseline product to the camera, punctuating each display with a mispronounced “Baseline!” (read, “Bhas-a-leen”). The internet took her content and ran, lighting up the comments, creating response videos, and making “Baseline” a meme. Not only did Vaseline jump into the comments on the original video, which has currently been viewed 16.6M times on TikTok and 3M times on Insta, they also created a lightning-speed response campaign. Within days, they “rebranded” themselves across socials, changing their logo to Baseline and posting a message that they agreed with fans who couldn’t stop saying “Baseline.” Importantly, they called Min Day Lee out by name in the post, giving her full credit and appointing her “CEO of Baseline, effective immediately, no interview required.” (Famous Campaigns)
👀 Read more from YPulse: How Fast Brands Need to Move on Viral Trends, According to Gen Z
The pumpkin spice latte might finally be facing some serious competition. A recent Google Trends report shows PSLs led searches in just three states last week—down from over 30 states this time last year and nearly 50 in 2024. And it’s not just search interest that’s shifting. MenuData (a service that tracks menus across the country) found matcha drinks are up 6.5% from last year, while pumpkin drinks are down 6.9%. Thanks to young, bev-obsessed gens, there have been more than enough drink options to consider lately. So, PSLs are no longer competing with other coffee drinks—they’re competing with an endless lineup of flavors that feel more exciting to try this fall. But food brands may have a hard time recreating PSL’s magic. After all, there’s a reason it’s been a fall staple for decades. (Washington Post)
👀 Read more from YPulse: Gen Z’s “Bevolution” is Changing the Fast Food Menu—in 3 Ways
Hershey’s KATSEYE campaign leans into Gen Z’s little treat culture. Hershey teamed up with the chart-topping girl group to promote its new salted caramel and affogato Creme Bars. The campaign centers on a one-minute video of the girls dancing on the subway to their hit “Pinky Up,” as fellow riders join in. The ad’s playful and over-the-top energy plays into Gen Z culture. As senior brand manager Katrina Vatter put it, the goal wasn’t to chase a viral moment but to find something “authentic and not cringy.” The “Pinky Up” campaign is part of Hershey’s broader push to engage Gen Z, after KATSEYE’s Gap “Better in Denim” campaign went viral last year. The campaign will roll out on national TV with sampling pop-ups, influencer partnerships, and an Uber collaboration coming this fall. (Marketing Dive)
👀 Read more from YPulse: Gen Z’s Treat Culture: What Brands Need to Know
Become a YPulse subscriber for as low as $199/month.
