Lime green: a color that meant nothing four months ago, has now evolved into a cultural phenomenon. Even Vice President Kamala Harris is getting behind the trend.
On June 7, Charli XCX debuted “Brat.” The dance/techno-pop album was an instant hit, and “Brat Summer” was in full swing. This included fashion, dances, parties, and lifestyles; people could express themselves freely and bear confidence with songs like “Apple” and “365.”
On July 21, Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential election, and Vice President Kamala Harris was the expected Democratic nominee. Harris was left with the task of quickly establishing a brand for herself that is separate from the Biden Whitehouse.
That brand was “brat.”
Harris’s campaign wanted to appeal to younger voters. This trend hopes to get voters excited about casting a ballot for a middle-aged woman rather than an older man. Charli XCX endorsed Harris, tweeting, “kamala IS brat.” This led to Harris’s campaign team opting for a neon-green background with lower-case letters saying “kamala hq.”
Harris is doing this to gain popularity with younger voters. “Brat” is associated with being a cool, confident girl. When voters see Harris participating in social trends, they are more likely to want to associate with her and vote for her.
Harris’s campaign has established her as “meme-worthy” and is quick to post potentially funny videos or photos. This allows for increased facial recognition and viral moments shared online. These memes include the “Coconut Tree” video and montages of her viral laughs or dances.
During the period that Biden was still the Democratic nominee for president, many Gen-Zers were switching from identifying with the Democratic party to the Republican one.
However, when Biden endorsed Harris to be the nominee, this flipped. Suddenly, young people were excited to vote for Harris; in battleground states, her polling went up as much as 6 points. Donations flooded in, as did the endorsements.
According to the Harvard Institute of Politics, over 50% of young people have expressed that they are going to vote in the upcoming election. Their top three issues are: Israel and Hamas, the economy and the lack of confidence in public institutions. All of these topics Harris has made a point of talking about.
While “Brat Summer” may be coming to a close, Harris is still owning the “brat” theme with her viral, meme-worthy moments.