Need to Know
29 : 12 : 21

Our final macrotrend of 2021 offered a glimpse of an entirely new demographic, the Zalphas, who exist at the intersection of Generations Z and Alpha. As the climate emergency and inter-pandemic uncertainties spiral, we unveiled the key behaviours that are bringing the loudest generation yet to the fore of brands’ consciousness.

Aged between nine and 14, we revealed that these Zalphas are using their childhood – once a time of innocence – as a time for great productivity and education. The climate crisis has been central to this reckoning, with a staggering 45% of global youth saying that climate anxiety affects their daily lives (source: Bath University). As a result, Zalphas’ awareness of environmental, economic and social issues is an unavoidable reality as we enter 2022.

Consequently, this generation have no time for childhood wonder. From the rise of metaverse-inspired Immaterial Play to Planet-based Diets and the forthcoming wave of Positive Recklessness we could see in the coming years, our macrotrend revealed how youth is no longer innocent – it’s an exercise in salvation.

Youth marketing mostly took place on social media this year, with TikTok, Roblox and Instagram the vital channels for brands to reach young consumers. Fashion brand Zalando took note of this when launching its Luxury on Your Own Terms campaign, which applied Gen Z’s digital-first aesthetic and shopping tools to the luxury fashion sector.

Tapping into the video-first nature of Gen Z, the campaign included a shoppable film series, The Life of Liberty, featuring characters wearing products from Zalando’s luxury collections. Promotional TikTok content also formed part of the campaign, with diverse young creatives such as queer activist William Ernult acting as brand ambassadors.

With the campaign, Zalando paved the way for a future in which the luxury brands of tomorrow are built by young, social-first consumers. ‘By 2025 it is expected that Gen Z and Millennials will conduct the majority of luxury purchases,’ says Anaheta Metghalchi von Berenberg, buying director at Zalando. ‘We are uniquely positioned to provide our customers… with an incredible cross-category offering in an online environment.’

In the past year entertainment venues returned to city streets, with new leisure space such as cinemas and nightclubs popping up to capitalise on the resurgence of socialising and recreational activities with friends.

In August 2021, Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City welcomed the opening of the Beta Cinema. The new branch of the chain was designed to appeal to visually driven Gen Zs, with bold, colourful Art Deco design referencing architectural elements from the city’s historical roots as Saigon. Designed by interior studio Module K, the post-modern space features contrasting hues such as flamingo pink, sea green and bright orange.

Through the striking approach to placemaking, the cinema lends itself to being captured on social media platforms. ‘Mil­lennials and Gen Z don’t go to watch the movie,’ explains Jade Nguyen, CEO of Module K Vietnam. ‘They want to go together, talk and hang out.’ As friendship groups return to physical meetings, we can expect to see more examples of spaces that take inspiration from the social media behaviours of the next generation – especially after such a long period spent immersed in the virtual realm.

Now that you know what shaped 2021, discover what’s on the horizon. Download our Future Forecast 2022 report comprising 50 new trends across 10 key consumer sectors, insights from our analysts and interviews with global innovators.