The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
If you’ve opened up your phone this week, the story of the “Big Beautiful Bill” has probably infiltrated your algorithm at some point. Whether it’s the way the bill proposes gutting Medicaid or the nifty way it cuts taxes for the wealthy, so many people have a problem with this bill. In fact, some polls are showing over half of Americans in opposition to the bill — and many are fighting tooth and nail to keep it from passing.
The White House is well aware of the image problem the bill has — and it appears they’ve turned to what some would call unorthodox marketing tactics in order to make the BBB seem more appealing. One IG Reel posted late Wednesday night shows a Bumpit-themed ad (yes, the early-2000s tool for volumizing hair) edited to promote the BBB. In the ad, the post says the bill’s tax cuts will provide relief and “bump” people’s wallets.
A similar ad appeared over the weekend, using a bastardized version of the iconic “Now That’s What I Call Music” ad to try and sell this bill, putting “Vote Yes, NOW” on cassette and compact disk cases in the video.
The comments on these videos speak for themselves: “holy propaganda machine lmao” one user wrote. “WHAT ARE WE DOING?!? This is so weird!!!” said another.
If I squint, I can kind of see the thought process behind this campaign: The fact is, the early 2000s are in. Between Y2K throwbacks and low-rise jeans, it’s no secret that Gen Z loves nostalgia more than anything right now. The ads do ring that nostalgia bell, but if the White House is trying to win over anti-BBBGen Zers with these ads, they’re failing miserably.
As far as I’m concerned, the bill would be a complete disaster for Gen Z — and most of us know that. Between slashing Pell Grants, eliminating subsidized loans, increasing student loan monthly bills, the BBB would make the cost of higher education unattainable for many. Students wanting to pursue advanced degrees may also have to look outside of the federal government for help, as the bill eliminates the Graduate PLUS Program, which allows students pursuing a graduate or professional school to cover the full cost of attendance with loans. If the bill passes, they’ll be capped at $100,000 for graduate students and $200,000 for medical and law students.
The bill would also gut reproductive care. Between cutting Medicaid, defunding Planned Parenthood, and targeting abortion care, young people are going to have less access to reproductive care than their parents. And considering repro rights were consistently the No. 1-ranked issue of importance for Gen Zers during the 2024 presidential election — according to several Her Campus surveys — it’s evident that many young people do not want this to happen.
This is the official US White House account posting this 🤷♂️🆘️🤡
What ridiculous times we live in – and we’ve tried our national security to this hot mess. #auspol https://t.co/zRrGlaxsPw
— Anth 🌏 (@anth0888) July 3, 2025
Further, the legislation would also add a whopping $5 trillion to the national debt including interest, according to one estimate by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. The debt problem has been a looming issue for decades, only getting worse every year. This will almost certainly become a problem for Gen Z in the coming years. Not to mention that the deficit increase is coming from tax cuts that will benefit the wealthy… leaving the majority of college students in the dust.
As a low-income college student myself, this bill will directly affect me. I have benefited from the Pell Grants, Federal Work-Study, and federal loans for the entirety of college. And as someone with dreams to attend law school one day, this throws a major wrench in my plans. So, to the White House’s social media team: Instead of trying to appeal to Gen Z’s love of nostalgia, maybe try appealing to their love of healthcare and higher education. We may love social media and fun marketing tactics, but this generation cares about a lot more than just the meme of the week.