Where I’m from, the stickers on your Hydro Flask dictate your social standing. The more niche, the more indie, the more sophisticated the arrangement—the higher you are revered.
The Hydro Flask is a staple in the Colorado uniform. Throw in a pair of Birkenstocks and a pine tree ankle tattoo and you’ve got yourself a native. But why carry around three pounds of stainless steel without making it a miniature Pinterest board?
Although Gen Z is labeled as self-absorbed, social media-addicted, depressed monsters, our real identifying factor is our obsession with personalization. Our generation grew up with online platforms in which our personality was displayed in whatever way we saw fit. No longer are online accounts mere usernames and passwords. They’re pages of what we want to display to the world and how we want that information displayed. From MySpace profile songs to Instagram captions, the internet has allowed, for better or for worse, an opportunity for detailed self-expression.
The rise in the popularity of stickers over the past few years is a direct result of this phenomenon. Of course, stickers didn’t just appear 10 years ago, but the creativity surrounding these tiny logos has flourished lately. Just look at Redbubble, a website where you can design, create, and sell your own stickers. Nearly every band, comedian, content creator, or politician has stickers for sale on their websites. Certain types of stickers can also be common in different regions. In Colorado, you’re bound to see “not all who wander are lost” stickers more often than parachute pants. In Hillsdale, you’re more likely to see a “facts don’t care about your feelings” sticker stuck to someone’s laptop (and boy are they excited when you notice it).
Stickers tell the world something without ever having to open your mouth. They’re the bridge between our online world and our reality. In the day and age of subtweets and inflated sense of self-importance, what better communication crutch could you ask for?
My own flask from high school, a 24 oz., slim blue off-brand water bottle, used to be covered in stickers from bands I interviewed for my music website. It was a silent display of my creative project and whenever someone would ask me about one of the designs, I’d immediately perk up.
When I was 16, I made stickers advertising my website, Roka, to give to people. I’d stick these anywhere I went and sent them to pen pals and estranged friends all over the world. Now, my stickers are in over 10 different countries, on famous artists’ amplifier cases, car bumpers, and concert venue bathroom stalls. I get texts all the time from people seeing a Rocka sticker on a toilet paper dispenser at a restaurant or on a pole in my hometown. My stickers are what generate a lot of interest in my website, and interest usually translates directly to traffic.
Everyone likes stickers. They’re a few steps up from a flyer or a business card and have so much advertising potential. When you’re at a farmer’s market or a local coffee shop and they have free stickers on the counter, you take one. And if you don’t, I highly doubt you’re a fun person to spend time with.
