The lure of ads that don’t look like ads
George Bacon, Founder of GBM Group, argues that meme-native ads are rewriting marketing, with culturally attuned brands moving fast to reach audiences in ways they appreciate earning the most attention.
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Glossy TVCs were once the pinnacle of advertising. Now, in 2025, they increasingly feel like relics. Brands are waking up to a simple truth: audiences don’t want to feel sold to. That shift in attention is exactly what has propelled social media and lo-fi, meme-native ads into the spotlight.
Social media preferences are shifting across generations as audiences gravitate toward content that feels organic and relevant. Gen Z is leading the charge, with research showing that 40 per cent having made purchases based on social media ads. Millennials (29-44) are close behind, with 51 per cent favouring social over traditional formats. Among Gen X (45-60) nearly a third now prefer social platforms, while even Baby Boomers (61-79) are getting on board, with 18 per cent sharing the same preference.
Audiences (especially Gen Z) are now super savvy about being sold to, even actively avoiding adverts whenever possible.
The appetite for authenticity that social media can cater to over TVCs is universal; younger audiences may be leading the charge, but older demographics are increasingly demanding the same. They want ads that don’t feel like ads.
Campaigns for brands like Uber Eats and M&S have consistently racked up over 10's of millions of organic impressions through GBM's network. They’re often reshared in unexpected corners of the internet, from Jade Thirlwall’s Instagram account promoting her new record to niche subculture accounts that don’t even realise they’re engaging with an ad.
Above: Uber Eats' social campaigns consistently drive audience engagement.
Why lo-fi/meme content is winning
The main reason meme-based and ‘shitpost-style’ content works so well compared to polished ads is that audiences (especially Gen Z) are now super savvy about being sold to, even actively avoiding adverts whenever possible.
'Shitpost-style' content works precisely because it doesn’t feel like content designed to convert.
Recent data shows 76% of Gen Z avoid ads altogether, while other studies indicate 72% are most receptive to experiencing ads in their social media feeds. Meme-based and 'shitpost-style' content works precisely because it doesn’t feel like content designed to convert.
We’ve analysed the performance of every campaign across our channels, and the results are clear: the ads that perform best are the rawest, quickest-turnaround pieces that blend seamlessly into feeds. They’re the posts that feel like something your friend might share, not something meticulously storyboarded.
This isn’t just something we’ve been tracking internally. By 2025, it’s expected that 70 per cent of brands will incorporate memes into their marketing strategies, and 80 per cent of influencers already do.
Brands are chasing eyeballs, not airtime, pivoting to platforms and formats where audiences actually engage.
Platforms like TikTok continue to lead engagement metrics, with the highest average engagement rate at 5.38%, while Instagram Reels maintains a commanding share of brand interaction. Relatability and authenticity are no longer optional but essential.
Unbranded, socially native creative as OOH
This shift is mirrored in out-of-home advertising. Traditionally, OOH has been a static, scheduled medium: billboards, posters and transit ads that scream for attention. Today, the best OOH is the kind that lives IRL but spreads online organically. Campaigns like Specsavers’ "Welcome to Sydney/Melbourne" prove that great OOH can be shareable and earn media organically by leaning into being emotional or funny.
Above: TBWA\Melbourne extended the ‘Should’ve Gone to Specsavers’ platform, a success for the brand for 17 years, by giving airport visitors an amusing visual puzzle.
A campaign that sparks conversation, gets screenshotted, reposted and meme-ified is doing what TVCs never could: infiltrating feeds with the subtlety of a meme rather than the overt message of a commercial.
In essence, meme-native content has become the new OOH: pervasive, interrupting feeds in real-time rather than adhering to schedules. Digital ad spend reflects this shift. One forecast from Dentsu shows a 7.9% increase in 2025, reaching US$678.7 billion and a 68.4% share of total spend.
Agility – being able to respond to cultural moments in hours rather than weeks – is crucial.
Brands are chasing eyeballs, not airtime, pivoting to platforms and formats where audiences actually engage. This realisation is forcing a fundamental rethink of what brand storytelling looks like.
Learning from creators
Brands can learn much from content creators who operate in ecosystems built on trust and relatability; their content thrives because it feels genuine. In 2025, user-generated content is expected to surpass professionally produced content in ad-revenue share, according to assessment by WPP Media. Creators understand that subtlety and humour trump polish, while agility – being able to respond to cultural moments in hours rather than weeks – is crucial.
Brands that embrace this mindset, taking cues from creators about what resonates, can achieve reach and relevance far beyond traditional media. Those earning attention are the ones who understand culture, bring humour and move fast to reach audiences in ways they appreciate.
Meme-native, socially agile content is no longer a trend but a new category, a way for brands to be remembered for bold ideas rather than overly polished ads. At the end of the day, people want to feel part of the conversation, not just another consumer being sold to.
