Gen Z perspectives: Pink Dot's love capsule & trendjacking Lady Gaga

Happy Friday, MARKETING-INTERACTIVE readers and welcome back to Gen Z Perspectives, your go-to feature where we unpack the week’s top stories and trending topics through the eyes of Gen Z. From the biggest industry moves to viral moments and marketing controversies worth dissecting, we’re bringing the heat with authenticity, awareness and probably a few unfiltered takes.

This week, Pink Dot locked queer stories into a time capsule, Haus Labs dropped a Sephora collab, and local brands tried their luck trendjacking Mother Monster herself. We even roped in our in-house Gen Z conference producer Shiori, for her take on the Gaga trend takeover.

Let’s get into it.

Don't miss: Gen Z perspectives: Duolingo's 'rogue' takeover, Farrokh Madon & activations galore

1. Pink Dot seals stories of queer love into time capsule for future generations

Pink Dot, Singapore’s most visible LGBTQ+ movement, has launched a multi-year campaign that celebrates the diverse expressions of queer love between partners, among friends, and within chosen families. Anchored by a new community time capsule initiative, the campaign invites LGBTQ+ Singaporeans and allies to contribute personal objects that tell stories of love, with the goal of preserving these memories for future generations.

Set to culminate at this year’s Pink Dot event on 28 June at Hong Lim Park, the time capsule project will showcase selected submissions before sealing them away until 2050.

Read more here. 

2. Sephora and Haus Labs go Gaga for self-expression this Pride

Sephora is making Pride month a major brand moment with the launch of its “We belong to something beautiful” campaign, powered by Haus Labs by Lady Gaga and the Born This Way Foundation.

From 1 to 30 June, US$1 from every Haus Labs purchase across 20 markets including Singapore, the US, UK, France and Germany will be donated to Born This Way’s Kindness in Community Fund. The campaign also brings back Sephora’s “Brave Spaces” in 74 stores worldwide, including key markets such as Singapore and the US. 

Read more here. 

3. Lessons from Lady Gaga: Why trendjacking without rights hits a bad note

Trendjacking has become the second nature to brands especially during massive cultural moments. In Singapore, concerts often feel like the Super Bowl of brand relevance, as marketers rush to stay visible in the feeds and minds of fans.

However, when posts around Lady Gaga’s recent four-night concert in Singapore (18 to 24 May) were reportedly flagged and removed on Instagram, marketers were caught off guard. The big question quickly surfaced - why Lady Gaga, and why now?

Read more here. 

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