A symbolic–visual advertising framework for engaging China’s generation Z in sustainable consumption

In response to intensifying global environmental concerns, sustainable consumption has become a critical agenda in both academic inquiry and advertising practice. While advertising plays a pivotal role in shaping consumer values and behaviours, conventional green campaigns often struggle to resonate with Generation Z—particularly within China’s hybrid economy and digital-native media ecosystem. This study conducts a thematic and cross-case analysis of three representative campaigns from China—Ant Forest, FOTILE’s Letters to the Earth, and CAFA’s Buy the Hell Out—to identify key mechanisms for designing culturally resonant sustainable consumption advertising. The findings reveal three core communicative strategies: symbolic encoding, visual immersion, and participatory orchestration. Grounded in theories of symbolic consumption, visual narrative, and participatory culture, this study proposes a tri-dimensional SCA–SVI framework. This model integrates (1) culturally embedded sustainability knowledge to strengthen symbolic identity; (2) immersive, mobile-native visual storytelling to evoke emotional resonance, and (3) subcultural expression and peer co-creation to foster behavioural transformation. The SCA–SVI framework offers actionable guidance for advertisers, designers, and sustainability communicators seeking to translate environmental messages into symbolic meaning, affective engagement, and social relevance. It contributes to bridging value-based sustainability communication and Gen Z’s evolving symbolic ecosystems in China. Future research may expand this model by incorporating generative AI, immersive environments, and platform-specific dynamics to enhance the adaptability and scalability of symbolic sustainability strategies.