As social media gains more and more popularity, politicians begin to use it to their advantage. Current Vice President and presidential candidate Kamala Harris is no exception to this.

After President Joe Biden announced he was stepping down and not seeking reelection, Vice President Kamala Harris began her campaign for presidency.

The brat-ification of a presidential campaign

Harris has begun to appeal to Gen Z voters after she went viral for a speech she gave in May 2023. “You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?” Harris states, followed by a laugh that has been dubbed as “iconic” according to the younger generations. “You exist in the context of all in which you live in and what came before you.”

After this clip went viral, a new light was shone around her, viewing her as a Gen Z icon. TikTok users even began to create edits and remixes of her and her viral “coconut tree” moment.

Following this viral moment, Harris began getting endorsements from not just politicians like Joe Biden or Barack Obama, but also from celebrities such as Charli XCX and Megan Thee Stallion.

Each celebrity has endorsed Harris in their own way, with singer Charli XCX posting on X, “kamala is brat,” in reference to her new album “brat” that has gained increasing popularity.

During a rally for Harris’ campaign, Megan Thee Stallion popularized a new hashtag, HottiesForHarris, which has gained traction on social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and X.

The way these strategies work

Harris’ marketing campaign may work out in her favor, as 41 million members of Gen Z will be able to vote in the upcoming 2024 election, an increase of 8 million since the 2022 midterms.

Recent polls have shown Harris in the lead with 50%, while former president Donald Trump only had 46% of votes. This comparison is striking compared to previous polls of Trump and Harris with Trump in the lead, 48% of voters as opposed to 46% for Harris.

These recent polls were taken in August of this year, while the former polls were from July.

Even more recent polls from September have shown Harris and Trump neck and neck, with Harris at 49% and Trump at 48%.

Her vice president

When Harris’ search for a vice president began, rumors spiraled everywhere. Social media speculated various options, including governors Roy Cooper, Andy Beshear, and Josh Shapiro, as well as Senator Mark Kelly or Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

These governors would be extremely useful to Harris’ campaign, as it would almost guarantee their respective state’s votes, which could come in handy with states like Pennsylvania (who has 19 electoral votes of the 270).

However, further down on the list, Governor Tim Walz was a possible running mate. He quickly gained popularity when, on July 23, Walz went on MSNBC and, in a very casual manner, said, “Those guys are just weird.”

This began an outroar of social media, with many Gen Z discussing Walz’ “dad-like” personality. Almost overnight, the TikToks came flooding in, with Harris’ own account even making memes out of it.

Only time will tell

Whether or not Harris and Walz’ social media marketing strategies will work out is unknown. Gen Z’s impact on the election will definitely be felt, but only time will tell how.