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4 Brands Going Full Gen Z for Back to School

It’s back to school season, and these four brands have gotten creative to make sure Gen Z is a part of the equation…

Written and Edited by the YPulse Editorial Team

Aug 27 2026
North America

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Urban Outfitters and Cora released their first-ever commercials, targeting Gen Z with student-focused campaigns
UGG recruited MUNA to bring a music-forward, Gen Z-favored spin to its back to school marketing
Fiji Water collabed with RushTok sororities, connecting with Gen Z’s growing interest in the annual recruitment tradition

We know brands are thinking about back to school shopping before the previous semester has even ended. But August is still the biggest BTS month for students, parents, and campaigns trying to reach those two groups. As always, it’s a prime time to make a bid for new fans—YPulse’s Back to School Shopping data shows 86% of middle / high school students and 84% of college students agree, “I try new products / brands when back to school shopping.” Our data also shows that word of mouth from friends and social media are the biggest drivers of what students doing BTS...