Vice President Kamala Harris is in her president-brat era, per the launch of Kamala HQ, the rapid response social platform for Harris’ 2024 campaign.
The Gen Z-coded launch of KHQ pays homage to Millennial singer Charli XCX’s latest album ‘Brat’ which encourages listeners to face the complex emotions of womanhood and to do so unapologetically by having a #bratsummer lifestyle.
From the use of leveraging pop star endorsement from Charli XCX to honing in on signature Gen Z branding elements such as MySpace-esq fonts and the use of memes -– KHQ is speaking a digital language that allows Harris to stand out as a candidate.
The brand extension is key to appealing to Gen Z, a generation that houses 41 million eligible voters in 2024.
As Gen Z excitement is brewing, additional support is being emphasized around Kamala’s identity intersections of being Carribiean-Black, Indian woman and an HBCU grad, which ultimately hits a multitude of marks for a generation that values diversity.
KHQ’s embrace of trending moments and Gen Z marketing psychology is allowing Harris to reach Zoomers in a way I fear the Biden-Harris campaign was not.
Just a few weeks before Biden stepped down from candidacy, his team was pushing “Zero Marlakey” water cans, branded as a secret sauce to keep him sharp at debates.
The use of a vintage phrase like “no malarkey” has been coined as a slogan for Biden since he ran back in 2020. The origins of the phrase can be traced back to its most popular era in the 1980s, around the time when Biden first entered the Senate.
While Gen Z loves a vintage moment, the production of these water cans felt forced to me and many younger Zoomers who may have had no idea what malarkey is.
What was likely meant to be a campaign gag product doubled down on Biden’s age being a topic of concern after his debate performance further questioned his cognitive ability.
Harris is a much younger candidate at 59 years of age in comparison to Biden, allowing her and her team to reach early-age voters
Keeping it gee, while the overuse of Gen Z trends or slang can become a cringe-worthy moment, Kamala’s initial approach is skewing well with Zoomers. With a little over 100 days left until the election, she might be able to sprint to the finish line with a good amount of Gen Zers cheering her on — as long as the authenticity and comedic energy remain.
Miranda Perez (she/her/hers) is a Jersey City, NJ-based journalist who covers the tech industry. Follow her on X and Instagram: @mimithegee.
Edited by NaTyshca Pickett