AARP TikTok: "When Gen X _______" Series

How do you enhance perceptions of your brand and establish a connection with a generation that has often been overlooked? To effectively reach Generation X – once dubbed “America’s neglected middle child” – AARP developed a TikTok presence that resonates with Gen Xers and makes them feel seen.

Our first year on TikTok taught us that humor, nostalgia and relatability were key elements for success. And if there's one thing that brings a generation together, it’s the music of their childhood. With that in mind, we developed a new content series to engage our audience on a deep, personal level. Enter “When Gen X ____,” featuring “AARP TikTok Guy” Craig Moorhead taking center stage in a musical exploration of the Gen X experience.

Each video features Craig absentmindedly singing to himself, inserting his own lyrics into popular ‘80s and ‘90s songs as he goes about his day – getting dressed, making lunch, or even when he has a cold. The series captures a unique Gen X perspective through the lens of humor, nostalgia, relatability – and a soundtrack that defines a generation.

The “When Gen X ____” series has generated 3.1M views, 137K likes, 3.5K comments, and 10.6K shares. We've also moved the needle when it comes to building brand affinity among Gen Xers. The proof is in the comments:

“That’s our GenX superpower .. we can transform any activity into a song. I do it all day long”
“I’m simultaneously crushed that I’m watching an AARP account with such interest and looking forward to more of this very relatable content”
“I'm so glad I'm not the only one like this”
“I've never felt more seen in my life and I'm not sure how to feel about that AARP”
“AARP been doing their homework on genx.”
“I’ve been bamboozled!! How is @aarp this cool?!?!?”
“If AARP is the only one who really sees Gen X … I’m here for it”