How Gen-Z Is Changing the Way Campaigns Win
In recent years, political campaigns have undergone a drastic transformation — not in ideology, but in execution. And the shift is largely generational. Gen-Z, known for its fluency in digital storytelling, meme culture, and design-forward communication, is pushing campaigns to modernize how they engage with the public. From hyperlocal races to national stages, young people are not only voters, they’re campaign architects.
The 2020 and 2022 election cycles made one thing clear: Gen-Z is setting the tone online. In New York, Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani modeled how this can be done. With a team of young creatives behind his digital strategy, Mamdani deployed bold visuals and culturally resonant designs to connect with voters in ways that felt less like political messaging and more like community building. His campaign leaned into authenticity, transparency, and style — traits that Gen-Z now consider prerequisites for a candidate to earn their vote. The content wasn’t overproduced. It was real, quick, and designed for sharing.
Gen-Z influence has been felt at the national level as well. Kamala Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign, which ultimately did not succeed, made a conscious effort to engage younger voters by mimicking the Instagram slide-style format in campaign graphics and experimenting with progressive branding aesthetics, including custom typography and meme-informed captions. While the execution wasn’t always seamless, the intent marked a turning point: authenticity had become political currency, and campaigns could no longer afford to appear out of touch.
Gen-Z is unique in their approach to social media strategy, as well as their rejection of traditional political language and comfort with visual, short-form storytelling. They see that style is substance, and they understand that voters want to engage with people who are culturally literate. Mediums and applications like Canva, CapCut, Adobe and Instagram have, in some respects, lowered the barriers of entry for young strategists to create massive impact content without the costs and hurdles of an agency. A housing policy carousel post, or 15-second TikTok reacting to a municipal council decision, can very easily outpace the reach of press releases and op-eds.
Memes have also become a key tool in reshaping how campaigns respond to criticism and convey urgency, offering a way to be nimble, responsive, and speak directly to the electorate in a language they understand. As Gen-Z continues to occupy political offices, campaign teams, and communications roles, this aesthetic-centric, platform-native approach will only become sharper. The future of campaign culture is decentralized, collaborative and visually literate. It values design not just as decoration but as a delivery system for values and vision.
While Mamdani and Harris helped set the tone, other Gen-Z voices are carving out their own approaches to campaign culture. Victor Shi, a former Biden delegate and political TikToker, is one of the most prolific Gen-Z organizers online. Through explainer-style videos on TikTok and Instagram, he breaks down complex policy and legislative news into bite-sized, relatable content that feels more like a conversation than a campaign ad.
In Illinois, Nabeela Syed, who became the youngest member of the state legislature at just 23, has built a strong presence through Instagram Reels and short-form video. Her content is casual, engaging, and purposefully unfiltered, offering glimpses into her day-to-day work and demystifying the policymaking process.
As a young digital strategist and upcoming candidate for Arizona’s 7th district, Deja Foxx represents the strategist side of this movement. As the youngest staffer on Harris’ 2020 campaign, she helped shape its Gen-Z engagement efforts and now uses her platform to advocate for youth political power through aesthetic, purpose-driven storytelling. These voices, organizers, candidates, and digital strategists alike are pushing the boundaries of what political communication looks like and proving that Gen-Z isn't just participating in politics, they're redefining how it's done.
Political change doesn’t just happen through the ballot, it happens through how the message reaches people. Gen-Z is making sure that message is strategic and impossible to deny.