20 brands that are gaining popularity with Gen Z

Generation Z tastes like vodka

Several alcoholic beverage brands captured the attention of Gen Z last quarter, including High Noon Hard Seltzer and two vodka brands, New Amsterdam and Pinnacle Vodka, according to the survey. Alcohol “seems to benefit as more Gen Zers reach legal drinking age,” Johnson said. (Of course, there’s plenty of evidence that Gen Xers drink less than previous generations.)

Nonetheless, canned cocktails saw a resurgence in popularity last summer, especially with Millennials and Gen Z due to the convenience of a pre-mixed drink. High Noon, who placed 11th in the poll, has partnered with Barstool Sports since 2020, which targets the 18-34 age demographic. The 3-year-old vodka-based seltzer is now the largest spirits brand in the United States, overtaking Tito’s Vodka, according to a recent report by liquor trade publication Shanken News Daily.

New Amsterdam, which placed 16th, teamed up with mixed martial arts advocacy organization the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in November to make its Wildcard brand of canned ready-to-drink vodka the official UFC vodka.

PepsiCo’s Mtn Dew ranked 15th in the poll. It continued its long association with the games. Recent initiatives include sponsoring a national HBCU esports tournament in September in an effort to support black gamers.

Cosmetics and clothing stores

L’Oreal, which came in eighth, “continues to try to engage Gen Z in the media they hang out on,” Johnson said. This includes continuing to build her presence on TikTok, according to Harris Poll, as well as exploring metaverse platforms by working with Paris Hilton on Roblox through her Urban Decay brand to celebrate Halloween. The brand also partnered with metaverse platform Ready Player Me in November to allow people to use its specific products to create their avatars.