Around the World: Why Do It? Nike switches it up for Gen Z

Media expert Antony Young rounds up media news from beyond Aotearoa in a regular column for StopPress.

This week:

• Nike rejigs its iconic brand statement, Just Do It, to better resonate with Gen Z audiences.
• Leaked documents show that marketing and comms group Stagwell is secretly working with Israel.
• What was behind Nepal’s social media ban last week.
• Why the launch of new skincare brand Sincerely Yours was masterclass in connecting with Gen Alpha.
• Ads on streaming services Netflix, Amazon and Disney+ are seeing significant reach in the UK.
• MTV VMAs delivers its biggest audience in six years.
• The trend that is seeing agency CEOs phased of holding companies in favour of global client leads.

Nike – Why Do It?

Nike has stirred controversy by tweaking its iconic “Just do it” slogan into a new Gen Z-oriented version: “Why do it?”

The campaign, featuring global sports stars like Carlos Alcaraz and LeBron James, aims to resonate with young athletes who value questioning, authenticity, and purpose. While some branding experts applaud the move as bold and culturally relevant, others caution that altering such a recognisable asset risks diluting Nike’s brand identity. The debate underscores the tension between staying relevant to new generations and protecting a decades-long tagline.

Leaked documents show Stagwell secretly working with Israel

Global marketing and comms group Stagwell has sparked an internal backlash as it was revealed they are secretly working for Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The comms group owns agencies including 72 and Sunny, Anomaly and Harris Poll.

A leaked deck showing surveys and message testing to improve Israel’s global image forced the postponement of Stagwell’s London event due to safety concerns. The controversy has amplified longstanding unease among its employees about chairman and CEO Mark Penn’s political ties. This includes his support for Donald Trump, which has raised questions about how his views shape the company’s direction.

Insiders are saying the work has deeply upset younger staff and damaged morale, and increased the growing tension between Penn’s politics and the company’s creative culture.

What was behind Nepal’s social media ban

You all would have heard about Nepal’s government reversing a nationwide social media ban last week, after deadly protests left 19 people dead, hundreds injured, and forced Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign.

The ban, imposed on major platforms including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X, stemmed from the government’s push to enforce its draft Social Media Bill, which requires companies to register locally, set up offices in Nepal, store user data in-country, and comply with takedown requests within 24 hours. Officials justified the move as a response to fake accounts, hate speech, misinformation, and cybercrime.

However, the restrictions triggered a massive backlash, particularly from Gen Z, who viewed them as censorship. The rapid protests, coordinated via TikTok (which had eluded the ban), ultimately forced the government to back down.

A masterclass in promoting to Gen Alpha

Skincare brand Sincerely Yours and its co-founder teen content creator Salish Matter showed exactly how a brand should engage Gen Alpha. In teasing its launch, the brand didn’t rely on glossy ads or beauty editors. Instead it tapped directly into Gen Alpha’s appetite for community and creators.

The father-daughter team used a two-way texting platform to gain feedback and allow fans to help shape the brand before it even launched. They then started posting about their launch pop-up event, giving people one week’s notice to plan their trip.

That pop-up saw Sincerely Yours draw 80,000 fans to a New Jersey shopping mall, with some camping overnight to secure their spot. Merch sold out, Sephora shelves were cleared within an hour, 20,000 samples handed out, and TikTok flooded with 45,000 fan-made videos. By giving young consumers a voice and an IRL (In Real Life) moment with their favourite creator, the brand is exploding.

Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+ ads seeing significant reach in the UK

New Zealand subscribers to Amazon Prime will have seen ads now pop up on the streaming service.

Ad-funded subscription video-on-demand (SVoD) services in the UK have nearly tripled their weekly reach in the past year, now engaging 30% of adults compared to just 11% in 2024, according to the IPA’s latest TouchPoints report.

Netflix leads with a 16% reach, followed by Amazon Prime (15%) and Disney+ (7%), with adoption strongest among 16 to 54-year-olds. The surge in ad-funded tiers, now two-thirds of Netflix’s new subscribers reflects consumer demand for cheaper access amid rising streaming options, while advertisers benefit from new opportunities in an increasingly fragmented media landscape.

Meanwhile, live and recorded TV reach has dropped to 73%, down 23% since 2015, as UK adults now spend more time on smartphones than TV for curated commercial media.

MTV VMAs: TV ratings up 42% and 1 billion global video views

In what is a stunning reversal of slumping ratings of award shows, the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards was able to buck the trend. Hosted by LL Cool J and simulcast on CBS for the first time, it delivered its biggest audience in six years with 5.5 million viewers, a 42% year-over-year increase despite competing with Sunday Night Football.

Lady Gaga’s appearance helped fuel momentum, alongside performances from Sabrina Carpenter, Ricky Martin, and Mariah Carey. The show also broke records digitally, generating 1 billion global video views (up 21%) and 81 million social engagements (up 6%). Advertiser demand was strong, with Paramount securing 30 advertisers, 19 of them new and over 11 minutes of branded content.

Agency CEOs are becoming a threatened species within global holding cos

There’s an interesting piece in Ad Age on how the advertising holding companies are shifting power away from traditional agency CEOs toward global client leads (GCLs), as marketers demand more integrated, agency-agnostic solutions across networks.

Agency CEO roles are being phased out or merged, with holding companies like WPP and IPG centralising operations and emphasising client-focused leadership. GCLs, who oversee large global accounts worth billions, are increasingly seen as the real power brokers because they drive revenue, simplify client experiences, and align resources across agencies. While they don’t hold direct P&L authority, their ability to “lead by influence” makes them critical rainmakers.

Some are seeing it as a cost-saving measure to remove highly paid CEOs and reduce fiefdoms within the networks.

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