Strategy September 27, 2019
Trend Alert: ‘VSCO Girls’ and Promo
The product penchants of these Gen Z fashionistas could influence preferences in the promotional products space.
The “Valley Girls” of a new generation are here, and they’re called “VSCO girls.”
That just might be a good thing for promo. Consider: This Gen Z demographic is already – and will soon be an even greater – target audience for a bevy of brands’ promotional initiatives. Plus, VSCO girls’ tastes could prove increasingly influential on their peers. And just check out what some of their top product preferences are: name brand reusable water bottles, scrunchies, and oversized T-shirts and sweatshirts – all good news for promotional products companies.
Promo distributors would be wise to start positioning such products in pitches to end-clients targeting youthful audiences. Initiatives aimed at high school and college-age crowds in particular would do well to feature industry-equivalent products and corresponding styles. Counselor has previously written about the re-emergence of scrunchies and the Croc/sandal look. With more suppliers offering oversized T-shirts with vintage appeal and pastel colors, not to mention an array of water bottles with on-trend styling and high-performance insulation features, savvy promo distributors will be poised to capitalize on the VSCO girl phenomenon.
h2go force (91671) from ETS Express (asi/51197)
Garment-dyed crew neck T-shirt (1801GD) from Los Angeles Apparel (asi/67971)
If the term “VSCO girl” has you all …
Don’t worry. Urban Dictionary is here to help with a bit of a salty definition: A “VSCO GIRL wears oversized T-shirts or sweatshirts with Nike shorts. Has Vans, Crocs, Birkenstocks, and wears a shell necklace. She also wears tube tops and Jean shorts. She always has a Hydro Flask (the brand name reusable water bottle). She can't leave home without a scrunchie and her favorite car is a Jeep.”
We can help with some additional details. The term “VSCO” is a reference to the photography app, with flattering filters, these young women often used to snap images of themselves for social media posts.
The whole look is meant to give a laid-back beachy vibe, though ironically it takes quite a bit of effort – and cash – to pull it off.
Still, the VSCO trend is gaining a crazy amount of momentum – a Gen Z retro-inspired-yet-all-new creation that’s increasingly popular, as the savvier-than-us folks at Buzzfeed have previously reported. Sure, older folks may lower an eyebrow of disdain, as previous generations are wont to do with the style choices of younger generations, but such condescension, from a business perspective, is a waste of time. Rather, promo pros – and brands/marketers in general – should be cooking up clever ways to capitalize on a trend that, for the moment, is on the rise.