In Summer 2024 alone, back-to-school content generated 5.1B views on YouTube. The 2025 season is around the corner and brands are ramping up for one of the most important moments in the marketing calendar.
Drive Successful Back-to-School Ads on YouTube
More than just a key sales window, back-to-school time is a chance to build lasting connections with kids and families. With its massive reach among both parents and students, YouTube remains a standout platform for impactful back-to-school campaigns, especially as brands look to stay relevant and align with the ever-evolving trends related to the younger audience.
Key Stats to Know for the Upcoming Season:
- Spending on back-to-school is projected to reach $41.5B in 2025
- Spend per child is estimated at $253
- 2024 saw a +450% YOY increase in searches for "Back to School Shopping"
- 353K videos featuring #backtoschool were uploaded across 136K YouTube channels in 2024
This data solidifies the opportunity and positions YouTube as a must-have part of your 2025 back-to-school media strategy to maximise impact and reach the ready-to-spend audience.
The Back-to-School Opportunity for Advertisers
- High Purchase intent: Parents, students and educators actively seek products during this time, an opportunity to maximise timely targeted messaging
- Early Brand Loyalty: Become a part of the younger audience’s yearly routine building long-term loyalty
- Sales Boost: A single campaign can span multiple touchpoints from clothing to supplies to financial support for parents
- Content-Rich Connection & Engagement: Drive authentic connections with highly engaged audiences through ads that feel native and relatable
Check Out These Effective Back-to-School Ads from Last Season
Walmart & Publicis Groupe: “School Style Decoded”
Walmart’s Gen Alpha coded back-to-school campaign launched with the help of Publicis Groupe, features an energetic music video style ad, poking fun at giving parents a “runway show masterclass” in the lead up to term time starting.
The influencer-led ad features names that resonate with both Gen Alpha (TikTok fashion influencer Taylor Biggs) and Parent (Kat Stickler) audiences widening the reach and engagement of Walmart’s back-to-school collection including 250 products featured in the ad.
The campaign drives authentic engagement with the Gen Alpha audience through prominent reference to Gen A fashion, slang and trends throughout.
The full ad along with 15 and 30 second variations ran across YouTube and other key social platforms.
GapKids: “Just Dance”
Created with agency Invisible Dynamics, Gap’s back-to-school campaign inspires kids to be themselves through dance, fashion and music, featuring the brand’s latest fashion pieces.
The ad was created off the back of new findings from GAP’s survey revealing 86% of parents found their child’s confidence increased when expressing creativity through fashion and 85% believe their children feel better about the first day of school having picked out their own clothes.
The ad follows a group of kids doing a choreographed dance routine in a school gym followed by star studded appearances from Efren Ramirez and Jon Heder, best known for their roles in Napoleon Dynamite.
The ad ran across YouTube and various social channels alongside a lookbook.
Key Considerations for Back-to-School Campaigns
Back-to-school ad campaigns are essential for brands looking to connect with students and families at a high-intent moment. YouTube offers a powerful platform to engage this audience through creative visuals, influencer content, and targeted, interactive formats that drive both reach and relevance.
This year, the growing role of AI in classrooms and at home—from homework helpers to personalized learning tools—adds a new layer of context. Consider how your messaging aligns with this shift and speaks to today’s evolving learning environments.
Get in touch to discover how Precise TV can execute effective back-to-school YouTube campaigns for your brand.
