Revenge of disco dad

An amusing article in today’s Marketing about the search for authenticity meaning that parents, rather than celebrities, have become the heroes of Generation Y.

The “Damn right your Dad drank it” ad campaign for Canadian Club whisky is quoted as supporting this hypothesis.

I don’t know if I buy this argument about a new found affinity and respect between the generations. In support of the argument, the author quotes research from the World Values Survey that is said to show changes in personal values within generations with today’s parents being far more flexible in the way their value system changes.

I think a more convincing argument is that the values of youth (i.e. fun, creativity, individuality, etc) are shared with the wider adult culture.

There is a profound set of implications if these arguments are correct. It means that Gen Y is attracted to brands and products that have a strong sense of ‘realness’ or authenticity which means that old things, original things, or things that just have a very well defined sense of self.

In many ways authenticity has become the new cool and parents are proving to be about as authentic as it gets. Does this mean the generation gap has narrowed or indeed closed?
I don’t think so, however, it is food for thought. Dick Stroud