Ragebait Humor: How Brands Are Captivating Gen Z with Controversial Ads

• Gen Z, accustomed to meme culture and online debates, responds to 'ragebait' ads that mimic chaotic group chats rather than traditional sales pitches.
• These ads disrupt scrolling with satire, controversy, or exaggeration, sparking emotional friction and encouraging active engagement like comments, reposts, and tags.
• Brands like Mokobara, Uber India, Tinder, and Cadbury 5 Star have successfully used exaggerated humor, irony, and self-aware provocation.
• Examples include Diljit Dosanjh on Mars for Mokobara, Bhuvan Bam's 'Angry Masterji' for Uber, and Rahul Dravid's 'Indiranagar Ka Gunda' for CRED.
• Successful ragebait is clever, culturally aware, and aligned with brand identity, creating a viral feedback loop and strong online discussion.

Why It Matters: Brands are effectively engaging Gen Z by using 'ragebait' humor that is provocative, culturally fluent, and encourages interaction.