Archive · 28 Sep 2026
Legacy Brands Rewrite Advertising Playbook to Win Gen Z
Older brands are changing how they advertise so younger people will notice them.
Zandu Balm, for example, created a campaign about problems such as doomscrolling and tech neck.
Gen Z spends a lot of money and often discovers products on social media.
They may see a product on Instagram, research it on YouTube or Reddit, and then buy it online.
Because of this, companies are using creators, short videos, connected TV and shopping platforms together.
Experts say brands should not simply copy young people’s slang or memes.
Instead, they should be genuine and offer something useful.
The best brands will make all parts of the shopping experience work together.
Legacy brands including Zandu Balm, Bajaj Pulsar and Sunsilk are adopting Gen Z language and digital campaigns.
India’s 377 million Gen Z consumers account for an estimated 43% of national consumption spending, worth about $860 billion.
Digital advertising generated over 60% of ad revenue last year, while linear TV fell 10% and connected TV rose 42%.
D2C brands and social-media discovery are reshaping how traditional FMCG companies approach e-commerce and marketing.
Experts say Gen Z responds more to authenticity, usefulness and connected consumer experiences than forced slang or isolated engagement metrics.
- Who
- Indian legacy brands, traditional FMCG companies, D2C businesses and advertisers seeking to reach Gen Z consumers.
- What
- Brands are changing their advertising and commerce strategies toward digital, social, creator-led and connected-media campaigns.
- When
- The article discusses current trends and cites estimates for 2025, including a D2C market size of $12-15 billion.
- Where
- India, across social-media platforms, connected TV, commerce platforms and other digital environments.
- Why
- Gen Z represents a large share of consumer spending, spends substantial time online and is harder to reach through traditional advertising alone.
- Gen Z population in India
- About 377 million people born between 1997 and 2012.
- Gen Z spending share
- An estimated 43% of India’s consumption spending, worth about $860 billion.
- Digital advertising
- More than 60% of India’s advertising revenue last year.
- Television advertising trends
- Linear TV advertising fell 10%, while connected TV advertising rose 42%.
- India’s D2C market
- Estimated to have grown from under $5 billion in 2020 to $12-15 billion in 2025.
- Social-media purchasing
- Nearly 80% of Gen Z consumers have bought from brands they discovered on social media.
- Content consumption
- About half of Gen Z consumers spend around five hours a day consuming content across social media and other platforms.