The Slash Slash Generation

Inspiration for Slash/Slash came whilst I working at The Future Laboratory, defining the Slash Slash Generation in the MySpace 08 report. I first came across the term Slash Slash tea drinking in SoHo with SuperSuper magazine’s Steve Slocombe back in December.

The Slash Slash generation are best described as do it all teens and twenty-somethings that undertake multiple careers - often creating brand names for themselves. In the age of online communities and digital media, the mash up of platforms empowers online creatives to be good at a number of things rather than just one. Why just be the lead singer of your electro band when you can also have a YouTube channel, T-shirt line, club night, record label and you can DJ, sell illustrations and make remixes.

Slash Slasher Paul Griffiths, aged 20 from the small North West town of Nelson, has built himself a global fashion brand called Babycakes. Within 8 months, he sold 10,000 units through his MySpace page, is stocked in Tokyo, Sydney and New York and he’s even employed his best mates and mum.

But Babycakes is just the start of his empire; he also has his own modeling agency, promotions company, photographic studio and is working towards adding Babycakes TV to his existing YouTube channels; a live webcam, he’ll stream from his HQ to his network of friends, fan’s and in short customers (he’s got nearly 70,000 friends on MySpace and receives 500 messages a day).

Featured in the Telegraph recently, Paul thinks brands can take a lot from his way of working. "Normally you don't know who you are buying things from. With Babycakes, people know who I am and who works for me," he says.

Paul and others have a culturalprenuer edge, where making money is part captitalising on they’re creative talent - who can blame them. Money-wise, they’re certainly not in the minority, research by The Future Laboratory shows that 14% of 18 – 24 year olds in the UK make money online. But after speaking to him and others, being creatively or culturally affluent is what they trade on amongst their peers.

For a long period of time, Paul's MySpace read “Internet Stars are the new Rock Stars”. And of course, ‘internet’ is key here. The Slash Slash Generation are empowered by their media platforms. Kesh, Slash Slasher and East London ‘it’ girl uses her online platforms with great effects. Along with the skills she holds as a DJ, musician and stylist – she sells limited runs of her T-shirt label which she announces to her online network a few minutes before they go on sale through Big Cartel - on a first come first serve basis. Hip Hop icon Kanye West has even been spotted sporting one of her designs.

So inspiration for Slash/Slash?

Ever since university I have been interested in brands that co-create. Interactivity between brand and consumer is the essence of any brand which is lifestyle or culturally lead. The Slash/Slash generation have taken the co-create idea to the next level where 'expressing myself through the brands I like' is now about 'expressing myself through the brand I am'.

The Slash/Slash Generation are thus an inspiration for moving ideas forward to the wider audience in the co-creation of the brands of the future.