Walmart

School Style Decoded

In 2023, back-to-school spending reached an all-time high, creating urgency for Walmart to redefine its position for 2024. While parents turned to Walmart for school supplies, they overlooked it for fashion—assuming they couldn’t find the quality, styles, and brands their kids actually wanted. This perception kept Walmart on the sidelines of the lucrative apparel market.

CASE STUDY FILM

But back-to-school shopping isn’t just about stocking up—it’s about sending kids off feeling confident and excited. Parents felt the pressure to get it right, but there was one problem: they felt out of touch with the latest trends, leaving kids rolling their eyes at what their parents picked out for them.This dynamic mirrored the “Millennial vs. Gen Alpha Challenge” phenomena that took over social media last summer, where kids taught their parents what's "sus" and what’s "sigma." It was the perfect metaphor for how parents saw our brand –– out of touch with what’s on-trend – and it was happening in real time. This cultural trend inspired us to create the School Style Decoded campaign: a 5-minute runway masterclass for parents.

An ordinary elementary school was transformed into a vibrant runway and kids took over the playground, cafeteria, hallways, and classrooms – each space becoming a stage for their self-expression. Our cast of confident kids weren’t just modeling trends; they were defining them, curating their own looks from 100+ Walmart styles. To fuel more excitement, we invited Gen Alpha fashionista, Taylen Biggs, and social mega-mom, Kat Stickler, to the runway, adding star power and credibility to the conversation.

We turned the occasion into a spectacle told through the lens of Gen Alpha, translating what’s cool in a way that was playful, bold and undeniably entertaining. Our content was designed to break through at every touchpoint – from co-viewing entertainment to scroll-stopping, shoppable moments that dominated social feeds.

This campaign cemented Walmart as a leading destination for back-to-school fashion. We saw thousands of comments and likes pour into our organic and paid social content, with many people expressing their love for the brand in emojis and Gen Alpha slang. By flipping the script and making kids the ultimate style authorities, we created an experience that was fresh, fun, and undeniably authentic – helping parents ace the back-to-school shopping assignment.

LONGFORM FILM