America250: What version of America do consumers want brands to celebrate?

Conventional wisdom says patriotic marketing has become a liability. The data says otherwise. A new Zappi survey of 2,000 U.S. consumers finds that nearly half (49%) say patriotic branding makes them view a brand more positively — compared with just 16% who react negatively. Only 3% think brands shouldn't celebrate America at all.

The opportunity is real. But so is the trap.

Consumers haven't turned against patriotism — they've turned against performance. Brands that get this wrong in an America250 year will pay for missing the moment. 

For decades, patriotic advertising ran on autopilot: flags, eagles, red-white-and-blue. The formula worked until it didn't. Zappi's data shows that shorthand has lost its power. What moves consumers now is patriotism expressed through people, communities and real investment — not imagery.

Nearly two-thirds (63%) say they trust companies that invest in local jobs more than companies that simply run patriotic ads. Fifty-nine percent say brands that celebrate people and communities feel more genuine than brands leaning on national symbols.

The signal is unambiguous: show the work, or don't bother showing the flag.

That distinction sharpens when consumers are asked what brands should actually celebrate. History and heritage (20%), people and communities (19%), diversity (16%) and values (16%) all rank ahead of products and manufacturing (8%). Consumers define America through people, not things — and they expect brands to do the same.

The biggest fault lines in this data aren't political. They're generational.

Among adults 56–75, 56% say they're very proud to be American. Among adults 18–25, that figure is 29%. The gap in sentiment maps directly to behavior: older consumers respond to traditional patriotic branding; younger consumers are largely unmoved by it.

That's not the same as rejecting patriotism. Only 7% of Gen Z report no pride in being American. What they're rejecting is the shorthand. Younger consumers want brands to demonstrate patriotism — through community investment, action and relevance — rather than signal it through imagery.

The numbers make the split concrete. Older consumers are nearly twice as likely as Gen Z to want brands celebrating national pride around July 4 (28% vs. 17%). Gen Z is nearly three times as likely to want brands standing up for social causes (18% vs. 6%).

A single patriotic campaign can't straddle that gap. Brands that try to please everyone will connect with no one.

When asked which brands best represent America, consumers didn't reach for the biggest names on the stock market. They reached for the ones woven into their lives.

Ford led open-ended responses with 11% of mentions, ahead of Nike (7%) and Coca-Cola (6%). Chevrolet, Walmart, Apple, Budweiser, McDonald's, Amazon and Levi's rounded out the top 10.

The pattern cuts against assumptions. Auto, retail, CPG and apparel brands outperformed Big Tech across the board — Apple landed at 3%, Tesla and Google at 1% each. Cultural presence drove perception, not market cap.

For brands outside the top 10, the implication is direct: American identity isn't claimed through scale or category dominance. It's earned through familiarity, consistency and showing up in everyday moments. That's a standard any brand can compete on — and one that most are underestimating heading into America250.

The appetite for patriotic branding is real — but it doesn't override the economic realities consumers are living with.

Nearly half of Americans say patriotic branding improves how they view a brand. July 4 remains the country's single strongest source of national pride, with 51% naming it among the moments that make them most proud to be American. And nearly two-thirds (64%) say they'd pay more for products made in America.

But when consumers say what they actually want from brands around July 4, the results are instructive. Value and discounts come first (27%), followed by support for local communities (22%). Celebrating national pride ranks third (19%).

Patriotism opens the door. Price and community keep people in the room.

For brands planning America250 activations, the data points to a clear formula: lead with value, anchor it in community, and let the patriotic storytelling carry the emotional weight rather than the commercial ask. Consumers are ready to welcome brands into this moment — they'll reward the ones that earn it.

Download the full report for generational breakdowns, campaign benchmarks and practical recommendations for July 4 and America250 planning.