The Pandemic’s No Shame Era

The Internet, with its trove of individual searches, comments, purchases and creative self-expression is the closest thing we have to a repository of the human experience. Understandably so, people refer to “The Internet” as a proxy for society in general, a highly distracted being of sorts, that acts mostly based on the latest social trigger. And it is this precise ability to raise a red flag around what inspires us and what gets on our nerves that makes “The Internet’ an interesting tool for social observations. 

One of the behaviors the Internet and its digital cousins, the cell phone and social media have spun is a form of collective transparency around imperfections. While social media still presents heavy pressures to keep up with celebrities, influencers and our timeless Joneses, it has also given us access to what others grapple with. This creates a powerful sense of belonging and new possibilities. This questioning is part of a broader societal rebellion against restricting systems and hierarchies. This flow has grown more powerful since the onset of the pandemic as individuals have been pushed to new limits with expectations of success being spread wide to almost inhuman proportions. The pressure to do it all is great than ever, and so is the inevitable, sad downfall. A reset is sorely needed as a matter for many of life or death.

We simply want out from the pressures to conform. Younger millennials and generation Z consumers are driving forth this conversation, giving life to new brands that embody this progressive ethos and forcing other culturally-fluid brands to recalibrate their thinking and messaging to be with the times.

And no topic is off limits. 

Mental health, for instance, is an immediate wellness challenge for many during the pandemic and especially tough for youth additionally afflicted by cyber-bullying, an uncertain job market, and a healthcare system that has failed them. Talkspace, backed by Michael Phelps, for instance, provides a mobile-friendly means to connect with therapists. Lola in similar fashion is breaking the taboos around feminine hygiene products. Its approach is powerful, human-centered around peer guidance and sustainability, and its message is smart, real and warm. HIMS tries to do the same for guys around hair loss and other health and self-care categories.

The common theme with the examples above is an approach around the direct tackling of the issue at hand and turning that directness into a source of pride, contagious tonality and guidance for the relationship between the consumer and the brand.