How Culted is rewriting the rules of cultural relevance

"Dler sensed an opportunity: what if you could use short-form video to connect with that same demographic while delivering valuable cultural insight in a way that didn't feel overly commercial or contrived? If that idea doesn't sound revolutionary by itself, Dler's masterstroke was to ensure the content would be produced by the very people whose attitudes, behaviours and tastes it represents."

"The result was Culted, a Gen ­Z-focused media and entertainment company launched auspiciously just as TikTok began its meteoric rise. Early on, Culted experimented with educational content - a prime example being a snappy rundown of Balenciaga's his­tory - on its website and socials. By early 2020, when TikTok reached out to invite Culted onto the platform, its ­videos were already consistently going viral."

A social-first content platform launched a creative agency, Rad Studio, to give luxury brands real-time insight into how Gen Z think, look and feel. Pavel Dler identified in 2019 that younger audiences were disengaging from traditional digital formats and that marketing remained stuck in pre‑TikTok long-form and formulaic influencer approaches. He prioritized short-form video created by the demographic it represents, combining cultural insight with authenticity rather than overt commercialism. That approach produced Culted, a Gen Z–focused media and entertainment company whose educational, snackable videos—such as a snappy rundown of Balenciaga's history—gained traction and attracted TikTok partnership by early 2020.

Read at Creative Review