Young Blood 1 (2016) - The Book

1

Young blood, you’ve got Mad tech, mad heart New art, new funk New soul, you’re out of control There’s new styles, new trends Those old boys are dead men It’s new girls, new femmes In a brand new system There’s drones on, cams on Snapped up, chat’s gone Instantly forgotten Like old tweets, new beats Linked up, then beat Then ducked, swiped down To the city from the town Heart broke You spoke too soon Hope dreams come true Some don’t, some do Let yours Make you James Massiah

10

Foreword

12

Contributors

14

Introduction

Defining a Generation

24 Part One

Youth in Transition

40 Part Two

Consuming Youth

58 Part Three

Branded Youth

74 Part Four

From Council Estate to Catwalk

90 Part Five

Under the Influence

106 Part Six

In Pursuit of Happiness?

127

Creative Profiles

Foreword Every single one of us can remember the first time we explained the newest music or fashion trend to our parents, only to be met with that expression – a combination of confusion and disgust.

Counter to popular understanding, in the face of difficult political and economic challenges, they are optimistic, industrious, frighteningly mature and fervently socially responsible.

As we passionately advocated the merits of rock/ punk/dubstep/shell suits/on fleek eyebrows, they came back with the classic, “That’s not music/fashion! It’s just nonsense!” etc. etc.

More than anything, they are crying out for authenticity. Anything less and they reserve the right to turn off instantly. And authenticity is a theme that is ever present throughout ‘Young Blood’. These consumers are demanding that brands, personalities, politicians and anyone in public life become better global citizens. It’s simply incredible.

Just as their parents had said to them.

Just as we will say to our children.

And in a world of wall-to-wall 24/7 social media and digital communication, this scenario is no longer simply a parent to child experience.

It is being played out between global youth and the brands looking to court them.

I’ve been very fortunate to work with Amplify over several years. What marks them out is the rigour with which they research their work. The amazing level of detail and insight the research behind ‘Young Blood’ unearths will make any brand considerably better equipped to speak to this influential group.

In a world where the young have an unprecedented level of instant access to every opinion, view or brand the world over, there’s nowhere to hide. Misunderstand this unique and fascinating generation at your peril.

The following pages confirm that everything we as brands and communicators thought we knew is no longer the case.

‘Young Blood’ is a frank and eye-opening portrait of Britain’s 13-25 year olds in 2016. It’s not just written about them. Crucially, it’s written with them. By them. And what comes across most clearly is an almost frightening reality – they are nothing like anything that’s come before them.

This generation has moved the goalposts.

Take the time to learn how they think and act through research like ‘Young Blood’ and you future-proof your brand.

Fail to do so and you’ll very quickly find yourself on the wrong end of the teen vs. confused parent scenario. And that’s the last place you want to be.

Stephen Rosenthal | Head of Social Media, Google UK

10

This report paints a totally new picture of British

youth today. If you want to

understand the future, you have to read, understand and take on board the

lessons of ‘Young Blood’.

11

Contributors About Amplify

What is Young Blood?

Amplify is an integrated marketing agency.

We join the dots between people, brands and culture to help create meaningful relationships that turn consumers into brand fans.

Young Blood is Amplify’s follow up to our critically acclaimed 2012 thought leadership film FanCulture.

Over six months we interviewed 2,506 13-25 year olds, generating 7,000+ hours of interviews. The result is a white paper, a seven-part film series, a collection of talks in collaboration with The Soho House Group, and this companion book.

We put the audience at the heart of everything we do, starting with real people, not just demographics. We build integrated solutions, helping brands create authentic and long-term connections with their audience (and the things they love…).

Our research was born from our continued desire to understand the hopes, fears and realities of growing up in Britain today. We’ve all heard the stats, but it wasn’t enough for us just to know that ‘they spend four hours a day on their phones’.

About the Filmmaker Bexy Cameron is a creative director, filmmaker and academic – and Amplify’s Head of Insight and Content. Bexy’s career highlights include writing and conceptualising a Channel 4 TV series, being Head of Creative Strategy of MySpace during its heyday and directing and producing Amplify’s first documentary, FanCulture.

13-25 is a broad age span. As the age gap widens the differences increase, reflecting new and varying influences. To truly understand the behaviour of our young audiences, their attitudes and motivations, we needed to know ‘why?’. Importantly, we wanted to find out what this means for brands and marketers, as it’s vital we understand these nuances for today’s campaigns, and those of tomorrow.

As well as working across clients including Converse, Airbnb and Channel 4, she is currently working on a film about religious cults in America, examining the strengths and weaknesses of alternative education.

We at Amplify truly believe this generation gets a hard time in the media. Through having created collaborative campaigns for brands including Converse, Red Bull, PlayStation and YouTube, we know what a talented, positive and pragmatic group they are, despite some of the tough challenges they face.

About the Photographer Josh Gordon was the on-set photographer. He has shot campaigns for Carhartt as well as editorial for ID, Dazed and Law magazine, and is a member of Converse’s ‘Young & Laced Collective’.

Through Young Blood we wanted to give Britain’s youth a platform to say what they really think, helping them challenge the stereotypes they face and going beyond generic labels like ‘Millennial’ or ‘Gen Z’.

This year sees the release of his film and photography book, Zing Zing Zoom, which documents the motorbike scene in Northern Thailand.

Enough from us. Over to the people that matter…

Jonathan Emmins | Founder, Amplify

12

James Massiah

Vicky Grout

Nellie Eden

James Benenson

Jessica Skye

Bejay Mulenga

Lydia Ellery

Andres Branco

James Martin

Poet and DJ

Co-founder, Urban Nerds / Found Festival

YouTuber and Presenter

Photographer

Founder, Fat Buddha Yoga and DJ

Founder, Wavey Garms

13

Founder, BabyFace

Founder, Supa Academy

Founder, Sick Chirpse

Introduction

Getting under the skin of Britain’s Yout 14

th 15

The youth are drones.

16

Robotised.

17

They never look up, or go outside.

They are passive, have no long-term memories, an attention span of eight seconds.

18

They don’t know how to communicate without emojis, and words have been reduced to text speak.

They have a consumeristic and throw away culture.

19

These are some of the ways that the youth have been portrayed to us by the media.

But is this really the reality of their lives? And is this the way young people feel about themselves?

Are there more subtle and nuanced explanations behind some of these conceptions of British youth?

Is the future dark? Or are these young people triumphantly excelling beyond the generations before them? Could it be that they are actually less materialistic and more emotionally intelligent than we give them credit for?

20

21

We spoke to 2,506 13-25 year olds and here is what we found‌

22

23

Part One

24

Gender, identity and social media 25

For generations, Britain has been the home of tribal youth: from mods, punks, and soulboys to metallers, goths and hippies.

26

There was a time when young people made it clear what tribe they were in through their style and attitude. But those were the days when tribes, trends and cultures were clearly defined.

Which means as they connect with different people, their identities become built up by niche tastes and sub-cultural nuances. These days, people mix and match their identity influences… But is this a true identity?

And can their identities even be defined?

In comparison young people today have been called identity-less. They’re seen as a singular, homogenised cohort. Often, technology is blamed for this, as we see more people absorbed in their phones than the real world. However, it is precisely this technology that gives them access to different cultures, information and traditions, which in turn allows them to craft their own varied identities. It’s an unprecedented amount of information.

We could say that young people still conform to the idea of ‘tribal identity’, it’s just more transient and self-curated.

Technology makes it easy to form a community based around extremely complex personas. They are open minded.

About their careers, about gender, about work, about leisure. And whether for better or worse, these self-made identities are developed and validated on social media, providing the youth with new pathways when it comes to figuring out who they are.

27

“What a big question. What defines my generation? I’d say fluidity in terms of identity, sexuality, religious barriers…”

Nick, 19

28

“It gets really annoying when people see you on your phone and assume you’re staring into a blank void, but I’m actually learning and collecting all this information. So it means I can understand things better.”

Eric, 17

29

68% 30

think that clothes shouldn’t be gender specific

31

“People aren’t afraid to slip in and out of

identities

and scenes and communities.

I think that’s

brave.”

Nellie Eden

32

33

“I think our generation is definitely the most tolerant. You can’t get away with not being tolerant really. You’ll be connected with these actual people and hearing their stories, not being censored. It humanises everyone.”

Stevie, 21

34

38% have knowingly bought a product that’s targeted at the opposite sex

35

“Gender is one of the main battlefronts of this generation…”

James Massiah

38% don’t mind what gender a product is targeted at 36

37

38

39

Part Two

Instant gratification and disposable ethics 40

41

As consumers, young people today have often been accused of seeking instant gratification, seeing their possessions as disposable.

42

It’s easy to see why this opinion has been formed. On the surface, social media seems to create and validate this throwaway culture. As people try to be unique, they end up spending more money on their image than anything else.

faced with moral purchasing dilemmas.

They understand the impact of unethical behavior, and so sweatshops, supply chains and carbon footprints factor into their purchasing decisions. To navigate their desire to be ethical, but be mindful of the realities of saving money, they turn more towards the sharing economy as a way to gratify their consumer instincts.

But there’s more to the story than this.

Perhaps because of the mistakes of the generations before them, these young people realise they have to save more.

Despite their willingness to spend money on branded goods, more than 90% have savings of some kind. Rather than being fickle, they also pride themselves on their values and ethics, and what we’ve found is a push and pull between wanting disposable fashion but being

So, how do they manage to save as well as consume? Through creativity and innovation. As the ‘sharing culture’ develops, they have instant access to things they may want, without the huge price tag. They’ll stream music, share clothes and borrow pets. Whatever it takes to work-around their current situation.

43

Technology makes up

23% of all purchases 44

33% Clothes make up

of all purchases 45

“We have a lot more pressure to save money because of the financial crisis – we know that no job is totally safe.”

Bejay Mulenga

43% say money is their biggest fear for the future 46

47

have sa 48

avings 49

“I like it when a clothing brand shares my values, especially when it comes to the environment, healthy eating, sustainability and animal cruelty…”

Sally, 22

50

“I feel I’ll never be able to own a property – it’s actually insane how much houses cost.

I shouldn’t even know that, I’m only 18.”

Shirley, 18

51

“The push-pull between buying cheap stuff and buying sustainable stuff, it’s hard. If you want ethical and sustainable items, they tend to be more expensive.”

“If people want disposable fashion and to be ethical, that’s almost an impossible balance to have.”

Jessica Skye

52

53

54

“I don’t think being ‘the disposable generation’ is a bad thing at all.

It’s about constant progression, and updating everything.

That can only be a good thing.”

James Martin

55

56

57

Part Three

The knife edge of conte 58

ent and communication 59

Advertising used to be brash, loud and scream sex sells, with brands linking themselves to rebellion and constructs of coolness.

60

Today, the world lived online is transparent. Young people are more connected, sophisticated with their research and more savvy than ever before. The old ways of selling have become disconnected from youth culture.

increasing spending power of under-16s.

Content is an important tool in reaching these young people – but be wary. Only three in ten will post a video or advert from a brand on their social network.

And only then if they approve of the quality of the content. If they don’t approve then brands can expect to be made fun of and laughed about with friends – showing just how hard they can be to please. We live in an era of rapid connectivity and twoway communications between brands and people. The youth have power to be vocal with more platforms than ever before, so if a brand gets it wrong, not only can it be catastrophic, but it can happen in a matter of minutes.

These young people want to feel like they’re being spoken to personally and not targeted with a hard sell. This personal touch is often associated with personalisation and customisation.

They want brands to be authentic and responsive. In particular, it’s the younger teens who want this personal understanding and connection – which shouldn’t be overlooked, considering the

61

38% would try a new brand because of good advertising

31%

would swap brands if they disagreed with a brand’s behaviour

62

“The idea of sex sells, yeah I think my generation are over that.”

Jessica Skye

63

“I think everything that everyone does is so exposed – especially if you are a brand. As soon as you do one thing wrong, that’s it.“ Vicky Grout

64

5.5 Young people use an average of

social networks

30%

would stop following brands they disagreed with on social media immediately

30%

would share negative thoughts on social media 65

66

67

72% say the ability to customise products makes them feel more attached to the brand

26%

want brands to communicate with them about their shared attitude to the world

68

“Brand ethics are important to this generation – we’ve seen so many massive mishaps…”

Bejay Mulenga

69

“...brands these days that don’t try to align with their fans’ values are onto a losing game from the start.”

James Martin

70

71

72

73

Part Four

Brands – cultured or contrived?

74

75

Young people are subjected to over 300 marketing messages a day and rack up an impressive nine hours (or more) of media consumption.

76

and grime artist Stormzy as a standout partnership. Young people believe in the message – knowing that Stormzy loved the brand before he partnered with them.

As sportswear has become a major trend, we see clothing once considered the staple of council estates now walking down the catwalk. But this peoplepowered influence has to feel authentic.

Therefore, products and brands need to have relevant, authentic and grass roots cultural connections, to prove that they really care about the cultural influencers they’re working with – for a brand to simply jump on a trend, and miss the mark, is unforgivable. These days, where brand loyalty is dead, the best place to aim for is a solid brand fandom and to be incorporated into a young person’s repertoire.

But, what is actually persuading them to part with their hard earned cash? As we’ve already discussed, they’re both consumers and savers – meaning they’re savvy purchasers. As more people become comfortable making purchases online, they research everything from where to purchase to the meaning and ethics of brands before they buy into them.

They’re sophisticated and ‘always on’.

They want what’s happening in their lives to be reflected back at them through brands (and not the other way around).

In their micro-world, their opinion is king.

They want brands to create value for them, and even champion their cultural interests.

For example, in the sportswear market, we see the collaboration between Adidas

77

“A brand that is definitely one of my favourites is Adidas, because of the way it represents itself using public figures like Stormzy and Rita Ora.” Jordan, 16

“...if you can pick someone who really backs the ethos of the brand, it makes everything more authentic.”

Mikey, 19

78

“…art movements are always changing, influencers are always changing. As a brand it’s good to take a chance on young people.”

Vicky Grout

79

80

36% want brands to talk to them about their lifestyle

20%

value authenticity in brands

81

“Brands need to work with the young, cool kids and build a connection with them at street level…”

Andres Branco

82

83

68% 49%

have tried a new brand through personal recommendation 84

have recommended brands that they haven’t purchased

61%

find out about new products and brands through search engines 85

86

“I think that you’ve got to be seen to have an authentic, genuine message. That’s the most important thing. If you are consistent then that’ll filter through and you will earn long-term respect and drive a legacy for a brand…”

“Where previously brands had all the control and people were directly influenced by brands, now you’ve got a reverse. Brands are very much influenced by those kids. It’s the kids that hold all the power.”

James Benenson 87

88

89

Part Five

The evolution of power and the death of rebellion 90

91

Influence, authority and rebellion are subjects that have always been associated and debated when it comes to youth culture.

92

It’s often assumed that young people are easily influenced, hormoneriddled time bombs who must be monitored and curtailed. But perhaps these young people aren’t rebelling for the sake of it but because they have not accepted the status quo.

In short: they start to behave like influencers. As they get older, the youth of today generally believe themselves to be less influenced by placement and brands. But it turns out they are more swayed than they think they are (and actually, whatever your age, the theory is the less you feel you are influenced, the more susceptible you are to it).

In this era of hyper-connectivity, the old idea of ‘power to the people’ is enduring through an ever growing network of selfpublishing platforms. Individuals now have the potential to influence not only the circle around them, but the world.

So, influencers have changed, stemming less from celebrity culture, and more from the friends they surround themselves with. Celebrities provide entertainment, rather than serious role models and unless the product is worth buying the first place, few young people will be swayed on celebrity endorsement alone.

For these young people it’s the small, daily influences that are key, as they don’t feel as though they have much impact on the big things going on in the world.

Seeing an Instagram post from a friend is more likely to change the music they listen to and the products they buy.

But do the youth of today understand and harness their power? Or are they becoming more like sheep than ever before?

We found young people today are more confident than ever before. As they reach the ages of 17 and 18, they start to become more vocal, recommending everything from brands to nightspots. They realise they have opinions that they want to share.

93

“When I was growing up I guess I was influenced by celebrities such as A$AP Rocky, Kanye West. But as I’ve got older, I’m influenced more by friends, cultural influences and where I go…”

Nick, 19 94

53% are most influenced by their friends

20%

are most influenced by their culture

11%

are most influenced by where they hang out

95

“My friends will get certain drinks at the pub or do certain drugs – just because the celebrities they like are doing them.”

Mikey, 19

“You do get influenced, whether you like it or not…”

Rachel, 22

96

“From the ages of 17-19, I realised I didn’t have to be on the outside looking in at brands, music and everything I loved. I knew I could actually step in and help drive change in those industries.

I started to feel empowered.�

James Benenson

97

16%

say their identity is most influenced by the clothes they wear

12%

say their identity is most influenced by who they follow on social media

8%

say their identity is most influenced by what’s on trend

98

“When you go into a shop, you see so much choice. But because you draw on the same references you end up gravitating towards the same thing. Influence is about being aware of the illusion of choice.�

James Massiah

99

“Celebrity endorsement is a massive thing, it always has been and always will be. These days, a celebrity is seen as being completely different from what it was a few years ago. It’s not your big celebs – it’s the new guys on the scene in music and fashion.”

James Martin

100

101

102

James Benenson 103

104

105

Part Six

Welcoming a new 106

era of balance 107

Today’s young people share one clear ambition for the future: they want to be happy.

108

‘Success’ is a broad ideal, but two resounding concepts that came out of our research are that young people are searching for happiness and a stress free life. They don’t necessarily want to ‘create an empire’ or ‘win the lottery’.

From being exposed to celebrity lifestyles, they’ve seen that money doesn’t always mean happiness. Instead personal growth, close family, good friends and relationships are the ultimate goal.

With the media reporting that the rates of depression and anxiety amongst teens has increased by 70% in the last 25 years, it would be easy to see them as the opposite of their simple aspirations. The factors usually named as triggers are the pressures of the schooling system, the lack of NHS support and, inevitably, technology and social media.

As cyber bullying and body shaming become defining factors in this selfie driven world, the internet is often deemed a problematic (rather than positive) tool. But perhaps it is precisely

these technological tools that make young people more aware of issues like anxiety – and make it easier for them to discuss their problems with each other.

It is difficult for young people to find the balance between how they want to live, how they feel the world makes them behave and what they present on their social channels. Their social media accounts show crazy parties and hangovers, as well as inspirational quotes about wellbeing and working out, in equal parts. It’s confusing, but also suggests that technology has become an integral tool for young people to explore and understand what ‘balance’ really means.

What is clear is that overall health and a positive lifestyle are really important to this generation. They smoke less than previous generations, drink less, take fewer drugs, and underage pregnancy figures are as low as they were in the 60s. There are obviously some tensions and misconceptions at play, but one thing is for sure – happiness means success, more than ever before.

109

“I’ve seen so many big YouTubers doing vlogs, and talking about their anxiety.

Then you get so many young people saying, ‘I know exactly how that feels, I get that as well.’ It opens their eyes to recognising anxiety problems.”

“They think if she, with her 5 million subscribers and what could seem as a perfect life, can talk about her anxiety then it makes young people feel like they can open up…”

Lydia Ellery 110

111

28% define success through good health

112

34% feel that health is their biggest fear for the future

113

114

115

fit Jessica Skye

not thin.”

“People want to be

“It’s now becoming cooler to do regular workouts and be healthy instead of binge drinking... so the whole concept of ‘what is cool’ in terms of lifestyle has totally shifted.”

“Eat clean and train mean and all these hashtag mottos are becoming really big in culture.”

Lydia Ellery

116

117

20% worry about being lonely in the future

118

“Success is more about family, more about time, more about personal journey, more about memories…”

Bejay Mulenga

119

“Success isn’t just results based.

It’s inner happiness and peace…”

Jordan, 16

120

“As long as I can see my friends once a week, I’ll be happy. As long as I can sometimes afford to get a take-away, that’ll be nice. It’s sort of scaling down our expectations but then broadening them in other ways. For example, bigger friendships and creativity – because, what else do we have?”

Stevie, 21

121

122

123

124

125

126

Creative Profiles

127

Age: 25 Poet and DJ @JamesMassiah www.jamesmassiah.com

James Massiah

James is a poet and musician from South London. He has given readings of his poetry at the Tate Modern, the Southbank and the Houses of Parliament and has received commissions to produce work for the BBC and the Guardian.

He was shortlisted to become Young Poet Laureate for London in 2013. He is a regular on NTS radio spinning funk, soul, disco, house and everything in between as well as being a regular DJ for the cult Dalston night ‘WORK IT’.

On moving forward As much as science and technology have pushed the conversation forward, I definitely think that humans repeat themselves. There are common threads that run throughout all generations, and technology is just facilitating our need to innovate. People are constantly evolving – it just so happens it’s this generation that wants to have those conversations.

On being the ‘meme generation’ The language of memes defines our generation, in the way it makes sense of high and low culture. Like those Renaissance paintings with hip-hop terminology on them – I relate to that. It makes them specific to this generation because in the days gone by there might have been clearer boundaries between the classes, the races and the genders. Whereas the humour that exists over these memes just shows how much those groups have all merged – because the humour is borrowed from so many different sections of society. So, we’re the meme generation.

On being influential I definitely [have a] strong set of views and I’d say they’ve influenced other people’s ideas. And I think it is because of the conviction with which I say these things and because of the real-life experience there is to back that up. That has more to do with politics and philosophy than it has to do with fashion or lifestyle choices. In terms of my own strength, as an individual, I know that there are things that I’m not into, and I don’t feel like I’m obliged to do them in order to impress a group of friends, or society. I think that people can see that comes with a sense of strength. As someone who kind of exists ever so slightly outside of the main bubble of public opinion or consciousness, I think one can stand out and then offer an alternative for people to see.

129

Vicky Grout Age: 19 Photographer

@vickygrout www.vickygrout.com

At just 19, Vicky Grout is on track to become one of London’s biggest lifestyle photographers. Her work gets behind the scenes of youth culture – from shooting Adidas lookbooks with Stormzy to being Skepta’s official photographer on the Shutdown video. She shoots grime gigs, friends and London Fashion Week with equal skill and feeling.

Her dedication to analogue means her photos are raw, capturing the down-time moments of British youth in an unstaged and unscripted way.

On collaboration I think a lot of brands nowadays tend to lean towards youth culture. For example, Puma have had collaborations which are successful in tapping into cultural moments.

For their launch party, they got really into the hip-hop and grime scene. The fact that the brand got those artists to come and play at the party meant everyone related to them more. Brand collaboration is exciting, because art movements are always changing. I think it’s great to give someone younger an opportunity.

On generational mimicry I feel like my generation is mimicking the generation before – who were into the rave scene and British sportswear. But [at the same time] I feel like that’s tapping into something very relevant to my age group too. I always feel like music and fashion revolve around a specific genre – so obviously grime and garage are big now, and everyone’s wearing full on Moschino suits.

On getting it wrong I think everything that everyone does is so exposed – especially if you are a brand.

As soon as you do one thing wrong, that’s it. With social media, everyone has an opinion (even though those opinions can change very quickly!). So I feel like one little mistake can definitely do some damage.

130

Nellie Eden

@bby__fce www.bbyfce.com

Age: 24 Fashion writer / Founder, Babyface

Nellie Eden cut her teeth in the fashion world as deputy editor for ASOS before moving over to the US fashion and lifestyle giant Refinery 29, as well as writing for Wonderland and The Debrief. She is also the co-founder the all-girl collective and creative fashion agency BabyFace.

BabyFace is dedicated to giving girls a creative platform to shout about their projects and skills. Having worked with Nike, Champion and Baby G, they’ve proven they’re at the forefront of style trends. Their experience in the creative industries spans events, PR, casting, production and marketing.

On building identity I think it’s brilliant that young people are able to create their own identities online.

I don’t know why people feel so put off by it, or see it as less authentic. There’s so much borrowing from other cultures, places, identities – and that should be celebrated. I don’t see the process of identity formation as slowing down, I just see it as something that will continue to increase in velocity.

It’s something that’s going to have to be embraced. I think it’s great if some kid in their bedroom in Brazil is listening to rap music from Detroit and dressing like girls in Paris and reading a blogger in Venice who’s talking about civil rights in Atlanta. That’s brilliant, that’s life and it’s not something to look down on.

identities, scenes and communities – I think that’s brave. There are already indications that this generation will form communities that operate solely online. We’re seeing a new type of DIY punk attitude to art, it’s just moving towards platforms like Tumblr.

On brand fails I think when brands fail to connect properly with youth culture is when there’s an achingly visible gap between what they do and what they say. So if you’re a broadband company and you’re suddenly championing feminism I’m thinking… Why? And for who?

And don’t do it. It’s offensive.

On being rebellious This generation’s rebellious attitude comes from their radically niche self-identification.

They’re unafraid to slip in and out of 133

James Benenson

Age: 27 Co-founder, Urban Nerds / Found Festival

@urban_nerds www.urbannerdscollective.com

James has spent ten years driving British youth culture in London. At 22 he created FOUND, an electronic music brand that in just five years evolved into a series music festivals boasting +75k attendees across five festivals and four London parks, with 400 artist performances. At 17, James founded seminal club night Urban Nerds, throwing London warehouse parties and regular events at the likes of Fabric and a slew of European festivals, breaking talent such as Rudimental, Skepta and Katy B. Today, the Urban Nerds Collective specialises in connecting brands such as Converse, Beats By Dre, Puma and Heineken with that hard to reach youth audience.

On growing up I definitely felt a shift probably between the ages of 17 and 19. That’s when I realised that I didn’t just have to look in from the outside. I could be in the world of the brands and music I love. I felt I could actually step in and help drive changes in the industry.

It’s at that age I began to feel empowered.

On brands facilitating creativity To be a successful brand now you have to provide a hub for the people you’re targeting. Help people who don’t have resources – that’s the only way that you’re going to break through and earn respect to sustain credibility. You know the generation coming through, but are you thinking about the future generations?

They’re so savvy. You have to be involved in their lives, facilitating and encouraging creativity in the scenes they’re into.

On listening to your audience For brands to build the connection they just need to listen to their audience. Find out how to step in without dictating. Find a natural complement to your brand, and find those existing movements that are actually already driving with their own momentum.

On creating a legacy The best strategy is a long-term one.

Set up a process that can exist beyond one generation. Keep following through the next, as younger kids come through.

That’s how to create a legacy that works.

134

Jessica Skye

Age: 27 Founder, Fat Buddha Yoga and DJ @iamjessicaskye www.fatbuddhayoga.com

Jessica is the founder of Fat Buddha Yoga, a Nike yoga ambassador and resident DJ at Ministry of Sound and Soho House Group. In the last year she has been featured in Elle UK, Women’s Health, Harper’s Bazaar and been a face for Baby-G, Nike and Coca-Cola brand.

On short attention spans For me, success is about enjoying work. I was told that you go to school, go to uni, get a job, put on a suit for 40 years and that’s it.

If you can, buy a house and buy a car. But as I’ve got older, I realised I need variety.

It might be the way that our generation gets bored quickly. We’ve only got a short attention span. Yet that short attention span was what made me realise there was more opportunity to be creative in work. I don’t think my generation live with blinkers on.

On being health conscious I’m not so sure why my generation has become so health conscious, it’s a big thing and I think the media definitely has a lot to do with that, making it cool to be fit.

[For me] it’s about being healthy… A lot of fitness brands are collaborating with streetwear brands and artists, and doing really cool stuff. You can wear certain clothes in the gym or you can wear them out. It’s a massive thing. It’s definitely something that’s spreading and everyone’s picking up a new hobby or joining the gym.

On buying ethical My generation is more concerned with brands’ ethical policies because we’re so aware of how much damage we have done to the planet. I’m a lot more aware of what I buy, what I use and what I eat. As a typical yogi, I’m very mindful and obviously concerned about what we are doing to the environment.

On staying ethical I understand the push and pull between buying cheap stuff and buying sustainable stuff is hard. Sustainable brands tend to be more expensive. If people want disposable fashion but they want to be ethical, it’s an almost impossible balance to have.

137

Bejay Mulenga Age: 20 Founder, Supa Academy

@SupaAcademy www.supa-academy.com

Bejay Mulenga founded SupaTuck aged 14, an enterprise programme teaching students how to run and operate their own tuck shops in school. Over three years they reached more than 5,000 young people in 100 schools. At the age of 13 he raised £35,000 from his local borough to rebuild derelict rehearsal rooms and studio space for his youth club. Now aged 20, he is the co–founder of Supa Academy, an experiential training company with clients such as Facebook, Barclays, River Island and EE. He created the UK’s first youth-run pop up market last summer which he plans to expand. He also consults for Private Equity and VC investment firms around interesting companies to invest in.

On connecting Digital technology has enabled my creative capacity and vision to expand. It has allowed me and my peers, as we’ve grown up, to think up and realise ideas that we weren’t able to launch in a physical world. By connecting with other people doing cool stuff in other parts of the world, digital technology has up-scaled and really allowed us to find a lot more people accessible, which is wonderful.

On work/life balance We are looking at a generation that have lived through the credit crunch, so even when things are all booming and all looking good, we know it can change drastically.

It becomes relative to where you are at in your career, so the idea of success before

might have been one of monetary and materialistic things but now it’s more about family, more about time, more about personal journey, it’s more about memories. Purely because we have seen so much devastation and we have seen so many drastic things happen in society.

On having a social mission In this day and age, a brand must come 100% correct. You must be about a vision and a value. People are now conscious and aware of things that are happening within any brand – information is so widely available to everyone so there isn’t really an option for brands to mess up. We want brands to get involved in community work and to build trust on a local level.

138

Lydia Ellery Age: 26 YouTuber and Presenter

@squidgame youtube.com/squidgame

Lydia’s YouTube channel, Squid Gaming, is a gaming channel with a self proclaimed ‘weird twist’, giving reviews and commentaries on the latest releases. She has also presented for Sky and Ginx TV on all things gaming.

On understanding anxiety I have seen so many big YouTubers doing vlogs and talking about their anxiety.

It then allows young people to think ‘I know exactly how that feels, I get that as well.’ It opens their eyes. They realise if someone with 5 million subscribers and a (seemingly) perfect life can talk about anxiety, then they can open up too.

On eating clean and training mean Nowadays there are loads of Instagram accounts that are about exercising and taking pictures of your healthy meal.

The hashtag mottos like #eatclean and #trainmean are really big in culture now, too.

It’s becoming cooler to do regular workouts instead of going out and binge drinking.

It seems like the whole concept of what is ‘cool’ in terms of lifestyle has totally shifted.

On influencer endorsement Young people aren’t stupid – they can obviously understand that being an ‘influencer’ is also a business. But at the same time, they might think it’s not affecting them, but subconsciously speaking, they can’t help it. It just goes to show that if you look up to someone, you can’t help but mimic what that person does. Copying is the sincerest form of flattery. I think young people are definitely more influenced than they realise.

141

Age: 26 Founder, Wavey Garms @waveygarms facebook.com/waveygarmsog

Founded in 2013, Wavey Garms has become arguably one of the most influential fashion sites in the UK and is changing the way people shop.

It’s dictating catwalks from Tommy Hilfiger to Calvin Klein and is in part responsible for the widespread 90s streetwear resurgence. Andres has consulted and styled shoots for Nike, Vogue and Born n Bread.

On fast fashion I set up Wavey Garms about four years ago because I noticed how style moves at such a fast rate. Style is coming from the kind of people who go to charity shops, buy something for a couple of quid, then sell it on eBay for £60. So we made a place for the young, cool kids to do this together. It’s a place where kids can chill and talk to each other.

On keeping up with trends The group just sets the trend by itself these days. At first we set the levels, but now the trends are just born on their own. It’s weird, on Wavey Garms I have seen fashion come in and out within months, things change so quickly. It just happens naturally.

On the throwaway generation Wavey Garms is all about finding cheap gems from the 90s, which everyone else has got by paying a fortune. A lot of kids are grafting these days and earning their own money. I respect so much the way they’re making their own way. Wavey Garms has seen about 50-60 small businesses grow from our site. They started with us, now they have got their own website and that’s all they do. They go around charity shops, expand their money – so they’re not throwaway, they’re building full-time businesses!

142

James Martin

Age: 28 Founder, Sick Chirpse @sickchirpse www.sickchirpse.com

With 7 million monthly page views and a weekly Facebook reach of 22 million, Sick Chirpse’s success speaks for itself. Known as the editorial voice of this generation, they are the go-to site for breaking internet news and stories told from young people’s perspective.

On brands building communities I think brands can build a closer connection to people these days through creating a community. If you can create some kind of feeling with the consumers, where they feel like they are part of the brand, it’s going to pay off. People are going to respect your brand more and they are going to talk about your brand more. I think brands need to create communities as much as they can.

On defining a generation I think that the defining feature of this generation is their ability to create something so quickly and get it out there. I think the speed and power with which something can be made and put in front of millions of people is just unbelievable and it’s what our generation will be remembered for.

On generational differences I think the older generation most definitely sees our generation as easy come, easy go – a throwaway generation. I don’t think that’s a bad thing – we’ve just evolved. If you look at the way technology goes, a phone you had a few years ago is probably obsolete now. So it is just completely natural to have this short lifespan of possessions. It shows we are constantly progressing and updating – which can only be a good thing.

145

Thanks Jade French, Krupali Cescau, Elizabeth Cowie, Milla Harkness, Mark McDermot, Dan Minty, Frazer Howie, Tosh Ohta, Brady Kinghorn, Jessica Curtis, Sebastien Rabas, Jack Dixon, Georgia Hussey, Charlie Hood, Sarah Bishop, Stephen Rosenthal, Joe Stone, Matt McKenzie, and our 2,506 interviewees and contributors Principal Photography by Joshua Gordon joshuagordon.co.uk Additional Photography Fraser Thorne, Zoard HeuzĂŠ Book Design by 27 27london.com Printed by Twist twist-print.co.uk

Joining the dots between brands, people + culture. weareamplify.com | 27 Paul Street, London EC2A 4JU | +44 (0) 20 7382 6222

No part of this publication may be reproduced, either digitally or physically, without prior permission from the publisher.

Copyright and Intellectual Property is retained by Amplify. Amplify is the trading name of Louder Productions Ltd. Photography rights are retained by the original photographers.

All rights reserved. Š Amplify 2016.