Last July, we were all living in a Barbie World. But now, it's officially a Brat Summer. What makes these pop culture moments so broadly appealing, and how are these eras defined? The answer to both questions is color.
Pink was ever-present – so much that the central hue became a co-star – in Greta Gerwig's cinematic ode to Mattel's iconic doll. And as the film quickly became a box office hit in July 2023, Barbiecore fashion, home decor and more draped everything from our clothes to social media feeds in shades of bubblegum and cotton candy.
Flash-forward to last month – Charli XCX releases her sixth studio album titled Brat while simultaneously ushering in Brat Summer and with it the "bratosphere" – a term coined by the singer herself – filled with acid green streetwear, cars, accessories and even food.
The British pop star told the BBC last month that the concept is both a look and a feeling. Wearing brat green or weaving it into your social aesthetic is a rallying cry and a symbol of self-acceptance paired with a bit of rebellion against the norm – sort of like Barbie pink – and Gen Z is all aboard.
The hashtag #bratsummer has been tagged in more than 40,000 videos on TikTok and more than 16,000 posts on Instagram.
The moment may have stayed social-first if it weren't for a move made by the singer on Sunday, when she turned to her X account to comment on Vice President Kamala Harris jumping into the presidential race. Charli XCX’s "kamala IS brat" tweet was noted in countless media headlines, breathless stories and think-pieces about Gen Z and the 2024 election, and was largely seen as a high compliment and the strongest endorsement amongst young influencers thus far.
Harris' X page quickly amplified the spotlight by draping her profile page in just the right shade of chartreuse, most certainly to appeal to Gen Z voters who are trying to live out their own Brat Summers. Then, Harris' official @kamalahq Instagram account posted a meme-like message on an acid green background, and gained more than 40,000 likes in a matter of hours, easily more than twice that of any other recent posts.
That her campaign can acknowledge and maybe even capitalize on a cultural moment just by using the color on social media says a lot about the power of visuals and imagery - specifically, that color alone can tap into our emotions, evoke strong feelings and communicate effectively without the need for words.
There's no telling how quickly all this green may fade now that brat summer has officially entered politics and the parlance of Gen X – making it far less cool, and maybe even cringe. But for now, there's no sign of this era coming to a crashing halt.
We'll dive more into color theory in a few weeks as Pantone prepares for its Color of the Year announcement this fall. Stay tuned for more on this subject!
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