With the return of school on the horizon, brands are beginning to roll out back to school campaigns aimed at students and parents. With that in mind, we decided to round up our favorite ads and campaigns of the past few years. Besides inspiring some school spirit, they’ll show how creativity can shine through savvy marketing and advertising.
Fat Guy Media’s Favorite Back to School Campaigns and Ads
First Day Feels by Converse
Converse enlisted Millie Bobby Brown from Netflix’s Stranger Things to roll out their 2017 back to school campaign. To encapsulate all of the “First Day Feels,” the video shows the child star going through a gamut of emotions while showcasing Converse’s fall line of clothing.
Not to mention, Converse even broke up the video into dozens of fun GIFs to use on social media. All in all, this was a masterclass in influencer marketing by Converse. These days, there are few bigger or better stars to connect with their 9.6 million Instagram followers and fans around the world.
Little Moments by HP
Instead of putting promotion front and center, HP instead decided to tug at viewer’s heart strings. This sentimental back to school campaign showed a typical school morning for a regular American family. In the video, the brand highlighted how their products seamlessly fit into the everyday lives of ordinary people.
This advertisement exemplified emotional marketing done right. It just goes to show that not every campaign needs a big moment or punchline to hit its target. Marketing and advertising is all about connecting with your audience in any way that you can.
Being a Teacher with Crayola
For their back to school campaign, Crayola used the opportunity to thank the real masterminds behind the organization: teachers. This minute-long spot showcases the amazing, important work that teachers are doing in the lives of their students.
Shying away from outright promotion like HP, Crayola instead opts for emotional marketing to get their point across. And it came just in time to reach teachers, students and parents shopping for back to school products.
https://youtu.be/ifwCwblHAq4
Bed Bath & Beyond’s Starter Packs
If you spend any amount of time on the internet, by now you’re familiar with the “starter pack” meme. Basically, it’s a compilation of random items that correspond to certain types of people. For instance, the Suburban Dad starter pack includes Hawaiian shirts, sandals and his favorite light beer. Get the idea?
Well, for its back to school campaign, Bed Bath & Beyond broke down their products by types of students. Its ‘College Starter Packs’ included planners, speakers and lamps for the “Super Planner,” yoga mats, fitness trackers and blenders for the “Fitness First” student and so much more.
Instead of having users look for what they need, this brand decided to bundle their products with similar items to take out some of the guesswork. After all, there’s nothing better than brands simplifying the buying process for users.
If you’re looking to appeal to students, parents or teachers, take some inspiration from these back to school campaigns.
