Attention is currency: the principles of ‘interestingness’
Millennials and Gen Z are driving luxury sales, representing 45% and 20% of global luxury sales respectively as of 2024. For luxury brands, connecting with these younger consumers is no longer optional. But it’s not without its challenges. Noticing and remembering brands is incredibly difficult for consumers, with online traffic at an all-time high. In order to attract younger consumers, luxury brands are forced to immerse themselves in the mainstream social landscape, where they face stiff competition not just from each other, but from viral TikToks, meme culture, and entertainment content. This means that with digital content, attention is the currency needed to build awareness and loyalty with brands, ultimately resulting in purchase considerations. To grab attention, brands must leave their comfort zones, creating content that entertains, feels authentic, and embraces inclusivity and playfulness. Most of all, the content needs to be interesting.
The principles of “interestingness”
To win the attention of Millennials and Gen Z, luxury brands must break from convention and embrace the principles of “interestingness”. These guide brands to craft bold, culturally resonant campaigns that captivate the new generation.
Be interested
Younger consumers don’t want to be talked at; they want to be involved. They demand conversations that reflect their diverse identities, passions, and values. Luxury brands need to stop aiming at Millennials and Gen Z and start talking with them. This generation is diverse and expects brands to meet them where they are. Instead of treating their audience as a monolith, brands must recognise their individuality and create experiences that foster real connections. Couple that with tech innovations, and brands will start turning the heads of the generation that expects to be listened to.
By blending brand heritage with the values and voices of their audience, luxury brands can craft content that feels human-first and genuinely relatable. This isn’t just about innovation for innovation’s sake, it’s about making space for interaction, co-creation, and dialogue. The brands that succeed will be the ones that listen, adapt, and invite consumers to be part of the story, rather than just the audience.
Build momentum from cultural shifts
The cultural landscape moves quickly, and brands need to keep up. Injecting recurring energy peaks throughout the year keeps the momentum of the campaign, reengaging in the conversation with Millennials and Gen Z. out.
A prime example is Moncler's City of Genius campaign in 2024, which transformed cities worldwide into interactive brand experiences. Blending fashion, culture, and digital engagement, the campaign leveraged pop-ups, artistic collaborations, and immersive storytelling to create a continuous dialogue with consumers. By activating unexpected locations and fostering real-time interactions, Moncler demonstrated how luxury brands can move beyond traditional seasonal campaigns to remain culturally relevant year-round.
Some luxury brands recognised and reacted to the synergies of luxury and gaming. Both consumers want an escape from the mundane, to be entertained and shown a different or aspirational reality. Balenciaga and Fortine’s partnership and Gucci Vault launching on Sandbox demonstrate a playful approach to storytelling whilst talking to the new luxury consumers in their own worlds.
To truly build momentum, luxury brands need to be laser-focused on the cultural landscape, with out-of-the-box strategies to grab attention and truly engage with both Millennial and Gen Z audiences.
Photo: Courtesy of Epic Games
Engineer cultural moments
Luxury campaigns are more than advertisements, they’re cultural moments engineered for impact. They should demonstrate how bold creativity and innovative technology can bring luxury brands closer to younger audiences, creating stories that feel as much a part of popular culture as they are luxury marketing.
Take, for example, Central St Martins, which broadcast its MA fashion runway show to the city of London using a LED-screen mounted on a truck. This stunt challenged the exclusivity typically associated with fashion shows to promote the course to the whole city. The campaign promoted organic social content to drive awareness for fashion careers.
The best campaigns don’t just ride cultural waves, they challenge them. Sparking conversations with bold ideas makes the audience think differently about the world around them.
Photo: Courtesy of campaignlive.uk
Attention is earned
Millennials and Gen Z demand that brands know the value of the attention they give, and work hard to earn it. One moment of interesting content isn’t enough. The rapid pace of content generation means brands have seconds to engage a potential consumer, but it’s a long-term relationship you’re after.
Brands need a robust and resounding strategy for campaigns to boost content, with multiple peaks and dedicated community engagement. Only then will luxury brands achieve ‘interestingness’ and win over the new dominant luxury consumers.
By Chengcheng Li, SuperHeroes Deluxe Luxury Briefing, April 22, 2025