Making a statement, Hannah Spencer's gross green' is a political and TikTok winner

"As a political statement, it is very much A Deliberate Choice and a sign that Spencer is plugged into the taste of the high street and younger voters. A brief moment in popular culture that informs a political campaign? We've been here before. Someone on Kamala Harris's campaign team adopted the Brat aesthetic on social media and she caught the attention of the younger voter by successfully meme-ing a colour into a political symbol."

"And the more fractured our culture, the more we crave something universal to hitch our wagon to. Viral colours Barbie pink, brat green are the language of today and part of a modern practice of finding meaning in innocuous things with daft names."

Gross green, a chartreuse shade popularized on social media and high streets, has become a cultural phenomenon and political statement. New MP Hannah Spencer wore a gross green waistcoat twice within 24 hours, signaling awareness of viral trends and appeal to younger voters. This follows Kamala Harris's campaign successfully adopting brat green, the hit color of summer 2024, to engage younger demographics through meme culture. Politicians face risks when tapping into trends, yet social media has become the primary channel where the public receives information about public figures. At 34, Spencer represents a generation that is knowingly online and understands how viral colors function as universal cultural symbols. In an increasingly fractured culture, these trending colors provide shared meaning and connection across demographics.

Read at www.theguardian.com