Stuff Gen Y Likes: J. J. Abrams in all his forms

November 6, 10:11 AMDallas Generation Y ExaminerSean Easley

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Generation Y seems to love J.J. Abrams
(AP-Chris Pizzello)

If you've been reading the "stuff" coming out of the Generation Y Examiner's office recently, you have probably been exposed to our series on the "stuff Gen Y likes."  This is a column devoted to the "stuff," be it funny, serious, ordinary, or unusual, that Generation Y seems to gravitate towards.

Today's SGYL is not so much a thing as it is a person.  J.J. Abrams, producer, director, screenwriter, promoter, and all around media mastermind, has truly captured the hearts and minds of Generation Y.  No, he's not a Gen Y'er himself, but perhaps he should have been. 

J.J. Abrams is the man behind the hit TV series LOST, Alias, and Fringe, and his influence is apparent on movies such as the new Star Trek reboot, Cloverfield, and Mission Impossible 3.

We're going to take a quick peek into a few of Abrams' qualities that may have had something to do with him becoming a pop media icon for Generation Y.

J.J. Abrams loves collaborative fiction.
From all indications, Abrams gets the fact that for Generation Y watching television is a social exercise.  As we've discussed before, collaborative television is a trend in Generation Y's media watching tendencies that seems to have more power and pull than much else.  People like to be able to talk about the television that they watch, to speculate, to join together in intense "AHHH!" moments.  J.J. Abrams has provided these moments over and over again.

J.J. Abrams understands marketing to Generation Y
One of the qualities of Generation Y that many marketers bemoan is the idea that many Gen Y'ers tend to tune out advertising that is recognizable or overtly manipulative. 

What Gen Y'ers truly like, however, is marketing that they spread themselves.  Word of mouth reigns supreme with Generation Y, and J.J. Abrams understands this.  Consequently, Abrams has pushed viral campaigns and word-of-mouth marketing to a new level, and Gen Y loves him for it.

J.J. Abrams loves mixing science fiction with drama
The trend toward science fiction as a mainstream genre of television is becoming a train that can't be stopped.  While many Gen X'ers shy away from science fiction because of it's lack of believability, Gen Y is embracing it.  Gen Y loves to dive into unexplored worlds, or see reality bent by new rules, and to see how various different characters handle the changes.  J.J. Abrams has capitalized on that, and created a number of media milestones for Generation Y to jump on.

So, Gen Y'ers, do you agree?  Is J.J. Abrams on your top list?

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