iF Design Trend Report 2026: How meme culture helps Brands chase Gen Z

How culture develops depends largely on a fundamental human trait: If we like an action, image or gesture, we imitate it. Already in the 1970s, Richard Dawkins recognized this tendency (Dawkins, 2007) and called our use of culture snippets “memes.” The idea is simple: Like genes, memes spread through replication and certain selective processes. These behaviors are the result of a cultural evolution: the selection, mutation and spread of memes. And, just like with genes, only the “fittest” survive.

In a digitalized society, the infectious nature of strong memes is accelerated as more and more “channels for infection” are added. Websites, social media, apps, chatbots and messaging apps increase the channels for spreading memes exponentially. But what looks silly at first glance often has a political agenda: Memes are often methods of communication, ways to express criticism of the government and subversively show one’s values.

For marketing campaigns, they offer a way to develop a specific dynamic in social media. If trending memes are picked up and used successfully in a campaign, they could go viral. Internet users then become multipliers – consciously or unconsciously – and bring the brand content directly to the target group.

The conscious use of memes is only successful, though, if it comes with a good gut feeling, an openness to irony and quick action. The online culture of memes moves quickly, is hard to control and can be difficult to understand for outsiders. Its strength lies in compatibility: Successful campaigns use memes as a conscious rhetorical device: pointed, aware of context and with a clear position.