The summer of 2024 was Brat Summer.
To those unfamiliar with Brat Summer, the movement’s overall concept is based on Charli xcx’s new album, BRAT, which encompasses the unapologetic party-girl aesthetic of someone who doesn’t care what others think of her and speaks her mind. Somehow, throughout the course of Brat Summer and in the midst of political turmoil and drama, the term has become almost synonymous with Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign for president.
It seems that each year, as society develops and the use of AI and social media becomes undeniably intrinsically involved in politics and current events of our world, our government bodies have to constantly adapt to adjust to the new changes to keep up. All of these factors lead to a type of election that’s never been seen before, one with social media as an outreach strategy and tool to reach younger audiences.
Earlier this summer, on July 21, President Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race after pressure from fellow democrats and advisors to step down in the previous weeks. His age and mental acuity have been a concern for voters since the 2020 election and have only increased throughout his four years in office. After he stepped down, he endorsed Harris, sparking a mix of reactions from both parties. In the past, Harris has been seen as a colder and more analytical persona, but during the last month, she’s emerged as much more charismatic and relatable through her online campaign.
One of the main proprietors of this new perspective is the official TikTok account for Harris’s campaign: Kamala HQ. The account has been posting funny and humorous takes on some of the events that have ensued since she’s been endorsed, which are meant to give an easier-to-understand aspect to politics while uplifting Harris’s campaign. They’ve made videos about the Republican National Convention and the Democratic National Convention and have posted numerous videos using AI-created sounds and images.
The use of AI in a presidential election isn’t something we’ve seen before, but it seems that these methods of campaigning are more effective on Gen Z and millennials. These passive reminders and constant influences are meant to impact voters’ opinions on certain topics in a way they might not even realize. Let’s say that when Biden endorsed Harris, a voter has a neutral view of her, but each day, they see a piece of media that portrays her in a more relatable light. Bit by bit, this previously neutral voter might start viewing Harris differently as a candidate and gain a more biased opinion on what she does because of this formulated opinion created by the internet and external influences.
Even if this viewer is a minor or non-voter, they might mention the abundance of support they’re seeing to someone who can vote, and that would then influence and shape the other person’s opinion too. These videos, posts, and sounds are creating a larger representative view of what people think of Harris and her campaign, and when people have a personalized TikTok or Instagram feed that steadily feeds them these opinions, they begin to think that this is a widespread opinion shared by most, and many people like to be with the majority, so they may also adopt these views.
The same can be said about former President Donald Trump and how his supporters view him through their own individualized social media feeds and perspectives. Every single piece of media voters consume either has an outward or covert bias, and it’s important for them to be mindful of these biases, so they can make informed decisions.
These guerilla marketing techniques that are usually seen in products are being used to advertise candidates, and despite the debated morality of the method, the results are indisputable: it works well.
