How the “brat summer” TikTok trend kickstarted Kamala Harris campaign memes [Video]

On Monday, President Biden’s former campaign profile on social media service X became the home of a new neon green banner inscribed with “kamala hq.” Not only did this officially launch Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign, but it also showed the campaign’s full embrace of her as Gen Z’s “brat summer” icon.  

The phrase refers to British pop star Charli XCX’s June album “BRAT,” which invokes a summer of edgy fun, partying and the so-called messy parts of being a woman like complicated female relationships and jealousy. TikTok users first latched onto Harris before her campaign launch by making edits of her dancing and laughing, but these videos exploded as news of Biden dropping out and endorsing Harris spread. 

Harris’s campaign choosing a neon green banner for their campaign was a nod to the trend, mimicking the album’s cover art. The viral TikTok edits are often neon green, combining a popular song from the album and the wildly popular …