Case Study #1

Dimensionalizing Individuality for Cash App with Gen Z and Millennials

Industry:

  • Retail

  • Tech

  • Finance

  • Luxury Fashion

My role:

  • Decision maker

  • Budget approver

  • Brand strategist

  • Cross-functional lead 

  • Contract negotiation

  • B2B relationship development

Objective: How do you effectively cut through the clutter during high-impact media moments and authentically resonate with a younger audience that has limited attention to spare?

Summary: Gen Z believes in financial freedom but often sees it as a distant goal, especially in today’s economic landscape. To bridge this gap, they seek relatable role models and resources. This is particularly true for Cash App’s core audience: men and women aged 18-24 with incomes under $50k. To build brand awareness and drive consideration, I partnered with luxury fashion designer Dion Lee—renowned for his gender-fluid designs—to host a series of events at Miami Art Basel 2023. Our goal was to celebrate authenticity with a curated crowd of creative trendsetters, using targeted strategies to capture and engage their attention. This approach strengthened positive brand associations, boosted awareness, and increased consumer engagement and product usage.

Execution

  • Who: Cash App x Dion Lee

    Partnered with luxury designer Dion Lee, popular among our target audience and influential figures like Taylor Swift, Ice Spice, Lisa, and Jeremy Pope. As an immigrant and small business owner opening his first U.S. store at Miami Art Basel, Dion Lee was an ideal collaborator to connect with creative, aspirational Gen Z consumers.

  • When: Miami Art Basel

    Miami Art Basel, a peak shopping moment and national media event, provided a high-impact opportunity. This setting enabled Cash App to leverage existing brand recognition and build on prior successful activations.

  • Where: Miami Design District

    Chosen for its high socioeconomic diversity (41% African American, 33% Hispanic) and strong presence of Gen Z and Millennials, this location offered Cash App exposure to a culturally rich and varied audience.

  • How: Integrated Digital, Experiential, Social Media, and PR Campaign

    • Launch Event Sponsorship: Cash App sponsored Dion Lee’s Art Basel launch party at ICA Miami, a museum championing free public access to art, reinforcing Cash App’s alignment with creative entrepreneurs and financial freedom. Our brand presence and targeted Instagram stories reached influential attendees like Ty Dolla Sign (7.8M), Victoria Brito (2.4M), Kelela (271k), and LSDXOXO (69.1k), building brand affinity through association with individuality and creativity.

    • Exclusive Gift Activation: Attendees received a follow-up email offering an exclusive Dion Lee Miami tee, courtesy of Cash App, enhancing post-event engagement and brand appreciation.

    • Cash App Pay Integration: Cash App was the exclusive payment partner, with a month-long in-store retail promotion offering a luxury gift-with-purchase for customers using Cash App Pay or a Cash Card, driving product usage and revenue.

By executing a thoughtfully layered campaign across multiple touchpoints, Cash App achieved meaningful engagement and strengthened brand trust, resonating with Gen Z consumers—71% of whom say they trust brands more after live interactions.

“71% say they trust brands more after live interactions.”
— Freeman Gen Z Trust Report

@Shenseea (8M)

@MeredithDuxbury (1.8M)

@yvesmark.chery (181k)

“This Cash App party was the most talked-about event at Basel all week.”
— CEO, The Fold

Results

Specific metrics are confidential and cannot be shared at this time.

  • Increased PR Momentum:
    Leveraged Dion Lee’s established media connections to drive visibility and boost PR within a week. The campaign received strong traction, with coverage in top fashion publications like Nylon, Dazed, and Paper Magazine, expanding our reach among influential young Black and Hispanic creatives.

  • Strengthened Trust with Core Audience:
    By connecting with celebrities, influencers, and stylists admired by our target demographic, we fostered trust in Cash App. This trust-building aligned with a key audience priority: finding financial partners they feel are authentic and reliable, especially crucial for neobank relationships.

  • Positive Shift in Brand Sentiment:
    A qualitative study conducted post-launch revealed overwhelmingly positive feedback, including remarks like, “This Cash App party was the most talked-about event at Basel.” Such responses highlighted an immediate uplift in brand perception.

Key Takeaways

  • Understanding the Gen Z Mindset:

    While Cash App’s audience has limited spending power, luxury fashion remains an aspirational driver. Based on consumer insights, I recognized that Gen Z’s purchasing is highly intentional, viewing their choices as a way to curate personal identity. This led me to reframe Cash App’s approach: shifting from traditional demographic targeting based on income to focusing on psychographics and lifestyle behaviors.

  • Revising Campaign Brief for Impact:

    From: "Drive awareness and product usage by signing a Q4 partner to integrate Cash App Pay into their operations."

    To: "Engage Gen Z at Miami Art Basel through a high-impact partnership that drives brand engagement, customer growth, and product usage by resonating with trendsetters and VIPs."

  • Contextualizing Brand Values:

    By partnering with a brand that shared values of creativity and individuality, Cash App sent a clear, nuanced message of financial success as self-expression. This approach allowed us to stand out during the high-traffic moment of Miami Art Basel, fostering meaningful connections and amplifying brand awareness.

Case Studies