In the wise words of Regina George, “Stop trying to make fetch happen.” Despite Gretchen Weiners’ attempt to introduce “fetch” — which means “cool” or “awesome” — as the latest and greatest slang in the 2004 comedy Mean Girls, Regina was right … it just wasn’t going to happen. But who can blame Gretchen for trying? After all, slang is a rapidly evolving form of language that connects an individual to a group and the way those within that group express themselves.
Inevitably, over the years, brands have tried (and occasionally failed) to ride the wave of coolness that comes with using the new “it” word. Budweiser jumped on the “wassup” trend in the 90s, and even more recently, we’ve witnessed brands like Skittles using slang like “cap or no cap” on social.
Every era has its unique slang. The “groovy” of the 70s became the “gnarly” of the 80s and the “fly” or “dope” of the 90s — and yet all of these words just mean “cool.” So why make up a new word for one that already exists and does the job just fine? Well, partially because slang is largely in the hands of the youth. To this day, the youth of the 90s may inadvertently date themselves by casually dropping a “my bad” or the bell-bottom-wearing youngsters of the 70s might casually reply with a “right on” — so NOT COOL. Today, however, the shelf life of slang is exponentially shorter.
“Youth culture has always been a significant driver of slang, as young people often seek to distinguish themselves from older generations through innovative and creative language,” as Yahoo!Life noted in a recent article. And we would be remiss if we didn’t note that so many of the slang terms we use today (and in the past) actually originated from African American Vernacular English (AAVE). Terms like “no cap,” “slaps,” and “finna,” to name a few, are all derived from AAVE and Black culture, but have become more mainstream and referred to as slang, usually without proper attribution.
In other words, slang isn’t just fresh new words to add to our vocabulary, it’s a reflection of culture and a particular moment in time. Slang serves a purpose.
Slang has always been a behavioral driver, satisfying our need for:
Today, social media serves as the Petri dish for slang, particularly among Gen Z and Gen Alpha. In fact, a recent study published in the European Journal of Linguistics found that “social media democratized language change, allowing diverse users to influence linguistic trends, and highlighted the emergence of micro-languages within online communities.”
And thanks to platforms like TikTok and Instagram, slang is evolving faster than ever. The 2023 “It starts on TikTok,” campaign is grounded in the idea that TikTok is the place to be inspired and discover new things — whether that’s a food recipe everyone is making (remember Gigi Hadid’s spicy vodka pasta?) or the cultural reset that came with “very demure, very mindful.”
So what does this mean for brands who want to slay on social media? Because internet slang evolves so quickly, brands must stay up-to-date and adopt this language just as swiftly on social media. This may be where the latest “reverse mentoring” trend can be useful, allowing more junior employees to inject their social savvy knowledge of the newest slang into their work. We’ve seen this come to life and “pop off” on TikTok with the “Let Gen Z write your marketing script” trend, where this generation writes a script for their more seasoned co-workers to read. The content is pure, wholesome internet gold.
In doing so, brands:
Still, in an effort to stay relevant, brands should consider whether the latest slang actually makes sense for their brand. Using slang just to use it doesn’t work if it comes across as inauthentic to the target audience. Consider the following before incorporating slang into your brand’s next social post:
Most importantly, slang is meant to be youthful and fun — remember to keep it cool and not kill a fun new word the youth has been workshopping.
