Pluto Koehnen, contributor

While indulging in trends allows companies to increase profit, it also creates a parasocial relationship with consumers and excuses capitalistic billion-dollar companies. Within 2024-2025, specifically on TikTok, large corporations such as Duolingo, Nutter Butter and Sour Patch Kids have made a shift in their marketing strategies to include “relatable” and “Gen-Z” content. 

Duolingo, an app known for their free language-learning lessons, posted marketing videos relating to “mewing,” “Squid Games” and “Despicable Me” with their mascots. Through catering to “Gen-Z humor,” Duolingo has raked in hundreds of millions of likes and almost a billion views. Diverging from typical marketing that shocks viewers caused comment sections to fill with consumers —many being younger than 18— begging the company to notice them. Duolingo targeting not-yet adults who don’t understand that they are talking to a tycoon is unnerving. Duolingo knows that they are simply marketing, while the audience seems to be oblivious, asking to be “mutuals” or even “friends.”

Companies have also been using comment sections to promote themselves. TikToks that gain traction often are bombarded with corporate comments acting similar to teenagers. Even on a TikTok calling out brands commenting on videos, the comments were littered with companies. 

Cheez-It commented, “Is this play about us?” while DoorDash commented, “Please, this is literally all I have.” This form of marketing is free yet forced upon the unwilling creator’s video. Nothing comes out of their pockets like it would via commercials or billboards, and yet they received thousands of eyes on them. The creators of these videos get no profit, while the corporations may get hundreds. It’s important to remember that brands are not our friends; they are billion-dollar corporations that fund each other within this late-stage capitalism.

People, especially younger generations, want to feel understood by the companies they buy from and feel seen by the people who represent them. From this need to be seen, when corporations shift their marketing strategy to “Gen-Z humor,” they are praised for acknowledging said generation. However, these companies do not acknowledge us as actual humans; they acknowledge us as a unit of profit. Humor does not excuse potential exploitation.

In the current day and age, with social media and the internet in our pockets, it’s easy to blur the line between reality and marketing. Relationships of any sort are formed eerily fast due to everything being posted. Within a few minutes, a random person could know your friends, family and school. Corporations marketing on social media, blurs the line between marketing and friendships. Similarly to how fans of celebrities form parasocial relationships, consumers of corporations may do the same. Companies and celebrities can not care for an individual in their fan base. They can care about the unit, but not the singular person. 

It’s important to understand that, at the end of the day, these videos are not made by a person; they are marketed by a team of experts trying to increase profit. In moderation, marketing can be fun, as long as it’s not manipulating developing teenagers into a false sense of connection. Marketing should be thought out, not lazily commented under a video. One can appreciate a company and their products without associating further attachment to them.