JanSport’s unconventional approach to back-to-school marketing continues to pay dividends as the brand reports noteworthy performance metrics for its second “Always With You” campaign. The strategy features backpacks as protagonists in short musical spots designed specifically for TikTok and YouTube, using puppetry and handmade effects rather than digital alternatives.

As Modern Retail reports, this year’s 15- and 30-second videos showcase singing backpacks in scenarios ranging from romantic elevator encounters to being hurled at insects. One particularly successful spot begins with a startling scream as someone spots a cockroach, followed by the brand’s pink bow-embroidered bag being tossed across the wall.

“As a team, one of our strategies was to make the viewer think, ‘What the heck am I watching?'” Brandon Panneton, JanSport’s Global Bond Communications Manager, said in a statement. “That repetition can plant a seed and ideally, they remember the brand.”

Performance Metrics

The campaign’s effectiveness translates directly to consumer behavior. According to Modern Retail, viewers exposed to the ads are 4.5 times more likely to search for “JanSport” on Google compared to those who haven’t encountered them. The current campaign boasts a 99% view-through rate on TikTok, while YouTube metrics show engagement up 86% over last year’s already successful campaign.

JanSport’s 2024 initiative generated a 71% increase in purchase intent and nearly quadrupled year-over-year engagement in its first month. The strategy previously delivered the brand’s highest-grossing sales day in its 57-year history.

Social Commerce Drives Spending

The approach aligns with broader shopping trends identified by Deloitte, which found that back-to-school shoppers using social media typically spend 1.8 times more than non-social shoppers. The research indicates 75% of Gen-Z parents and 46% of millennial parents incorporate social platforms into their purchasing decisions.

“We’ve seen comments like, ‘I’ve watched this five times,’ and that tells us we’re hitting the right notes and weaving into the humor that they’re looking for on a platform like TikTok,” noted Lindsay Read, JanSport’s Head of Marketing. The brand measures success not only through traditional metrics but also through what Read terms “emotional currency,” such as saves, shares, and comments.

Balancing Heritage With Innovation

While embracing contemporary humor, JanSport continues to uphold its foundational brand message of durability and reliability. The campaign subtly reinforces these qualities through storytelling rather than direct messaging.

“It’s not really just about the products we use, but it’s also about telling the story of it being a companion, a memory keeper and a constant,” Read explained, connecting the current strategy to the brand’s 1967 origins. “Youth cultural alignment is something that we’re always trying to keep our pulse on and stay ahead of, and that’s the homage to our three hippie founders from the ’60s.”

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