The Millennial Aesthetic and Branding Industry

As we’ve heard over and over again in creative marketing and branding industry settings, Millennials are the biggest spenders right now. They are most brands and companies’ current target market. The Millennials are the generation of young people that represent the future of brands and industries. Millennials grew up watching the internet come into existence, grow and become what it is today making them a great blueprint to learn for the upcoming generation (Gen Z), as well as willing spenders because they appreciate all these information brands give them.

That all being said, the whole branding industry is looking at the Millennial aesthetic as their compass these days. Speaking of Millennial aesthetic, you’d probably imagine a lot of white space or pastel colors for a website or poster and that’s not wrong. But the Millennial aesthetic is not just that. In fact, it has evolved past that. As the Millennials matured, their aesthetic did too. It has gone from how something looks like, the way a brand makes them feel, to an experience – a connection that feels personal.

Less is still more but less isn’t always white space
Minimalist design still works. It’s a crowd pleaser as it is easy on the eyes and Millennial pink is going to stay for a little while. However, it’s not just that. Most Millennials are design-fluent and they are getting bored. So, they started playing with all different elements like combining green plants and neon plants with soft pastel walls for interior. Don’t forget the framed quotes printed in sans-serif fonts on the wall! And it’s shifting again now, even though Millennials are still sticking with the big minimalist theme.

Experience is everything
It’s not enough being eye-candy. It’s not enough being relatable. Millennials are now looking for experience in brands. Social media is a whole-wide world that forces Millennials to keep up with their friends who go on phenomenal vacations, have luxurious cars, and live in beautiful home. It’s inevitable that they want to experience all that too.

Brands need to be able to sell this idea. The new Millennial aesthetic is more than just about buying something looks good, something you need, or even want. It’s about experiencing something better, bigger; something other ‘cooler’ people are doing on social media. Storytelling is mostly responsible when selling experience. A solid and consistent storytelling is your new best friend.

Influencers instead of celebrities
Millennials believe in influencers more than celebrities. It’s because social media influencers feel more like normal people, closer to the Millennials. They are more relatable to the generation. If they can do what they do, then the other Millennials can, too. Real people market real brands better.

These are a few things about Millennial aesthetic these days that we, creative workers in branding industry can take note on. Understanding Millennial aesthetic is the key for any brand to succeed these days as the generation is the biggest spenders. We don’t know for sure how long the Millennial aesthetic is going to last but it looks like it’s going to stay for a while.