From Stuff to Status: How Interestingness Wins in a Post-Materialist World
One of my students wrote this in response to this question I posed to the class: Are we starting to love 'stuff' less?
Yes, I think that materialism is decreasing. People no longer value the way they are physically presented to the public, they care more about their online reputations and appearances. This creates more demand for things like social media and less demand for consumer goods. This has already changed marketing - you can see massive changes in the mediums that advertisers use to connect with customers. Most of the advertising 40 years ago was on paper, billboards, word of mouth, or TV. Now, advertising is primarily done on website pop-ups, social media posts, and other online locations that people see while scrolling, online shopping, or using technology of any kind (my cousin's fridge used to get banner ads!)
For a century, advertising was built on the idea that people wanted more stuff. More cars, more clothes, more luxury items. Owning things was a marker of success. But it appears today’s young consumers are rewriting that script. They’re shifting away from material possessions and investing instead in digital goods, experiences, and social capital. This fundamental change in values means advertisers might be wise to rethink their playbook. One way brands can stay relevant is to embrace interesting content. The kind that engages, sparks curiosity, adds meaning, and integrates into a consumer’s digital identity.
The Shift: From Buying Things to Buying Interestingness
At this point you may be asking is this shift from physical goods to digital goods real? There’s plenty of evidence that younger generations, especially Gen Z and younger millennials, are moving away from traditional materialism.
Status Through Interestingness
We may be entering a world where social capital is more important than material wealth. Young consumers don’t just seem to want physical products, they want meaning, identity, and experiences that cement their place in digital culture. Put simply, they want things that make them more interesting.
The brands that help consumers express their own interestingness will hold the most value in this landscape. Because in an era where status is earned through what you think, create, and share, rather than just what you own, advertising needs to evolve from selling stuff to generating status-worthy ideas and conversations.
What This Means for Advertising
If people are less interested in buying physical products for status, then advertising needs to do something different to capture their attention, and eventually purchase. Traditional techniques focused on aspiration and ownership may no longer hold the same power. Instead, brands that offer something shareable, culturally relevant, and intellectually engaging have more value.
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1. Make the Brand an Experience
Apple’s "Shot on iPhone" campaign is a perfect example of this shift. Instead of simply showing off the product, Apple invited users to participate in the brand's story. By showcasing user-generated content, Apple turned its product into an experience. One that consumers were eager to share and engage with online.
Similarly, Nike’s recent virtual collaborations with gaming platforms and digital fashion drops have positioned the brand as part of consumers’ digital lives, not just their physical ones. These campaigns reinforce Nike’s cultural relevance beyond sneakers and sportswear.
2. Tap Into Digital Identity
Gen Z isn’t just buying products—they’re curating their online identities. Coca-Cola’s "Share a Coke" campaign played into this perfectly by personalizing bottles with names and encouraging social media sharing. The campaign blurred the lines between a physical product and a digital experience, making it something people wanted to engage with and talk about.
Another example is Balenciaga’s partnership with Fortnite, where the brand released virtual fashion items for avatars. This move allowed consumers to express themselves in digital spaces, reinforcing the idea that personal style extends beyond the physical world.
3. Create Something Worth Thinking About
Advertising that makes people think sticks with them longer. The best brands today aren’t just selling, they’re sparking thought and conversations. Whether it’s Patagonia’s environmental activism or Burger King’s "Moldy Whopper" campaign that raised an important issue for young consumers, fast food preservatives, shows successful advertising gives people something to talk about.
Interestingness in advertising isn’t just about being entertaining, it’s about getting people to engage. If an ad can make someone pause, process, and share, it has already won in the attention economy, and that gives it a better shot at winning in the economy economy.