It’s the time of year that kids hate and advertisers love: back to school. But for brands, especially retail brands, that means dollar signs in the form of back-to-school specials and promotions and all of the attendant social media chatter.
As a result, even brands that don’t sell school supplies or clothing are trying to get in on the #backtoschool buzz. Check out these five companies that have forced themselves, some more awkwardly than others, into the conversation.
Who’s ready to go back to school? (Shoes: @SOPHIAWEBSTER_) https://t.co/CGCNJhlPaP pic.twitter.com/QgnfEuOhNY
— Saks Fifth Avenue (@saks) September 3, 2013
Because every 4th-grade girl needs t-strap high heels and over-sized crayons for her back-to-school swag.
Back to school supplies – Back to football supplies. #BeesFanZone pic.twitter.com/v9RBfmKgjP
— Applebee’s (@Applebees) September 3, 2013
Offsides!
Whether you’re going #backtoschool or want to look sharp on the job, RT for a chance to win a designer tie. #FreeTieTuesday
— Men’s Wearhouse (@menswearhouse) September 3, 2013
RT if you wear ties to AP English, #thatoneweirdkid
Dear mom & dad, #backtoschool is much better w/ Wingstop! #FlavorFollowsU pic.twitter.com/Yl2RpAtmp2
— Wingstop Restaurants (@wingstop) September 3, 2013
Because spicy habanero wings are an essential part of every balanced back-to-school meal.
Happy First Day of School! We hope your class schedule is as fun as ours… pic.twitter.com/eJr4b0TQTW
— Southwest Airlines (@SouthwestAir) August 26, 2013
Oh man, we were never good at pretzel geometry.
Image via Flickr.
More in Marketing
Lowe’s wants to do more with AI shopping in 2026
Mylow, a shopping assistant powered by ChatGPT that launched in March, is already driving double the conversion rate for online shoppers.
‘This isn’t the old pre-roll world’: YouTube has been talking TV — now it’s selling that way
YouTube is ramping up efforts to get TV’s largest advertisers to move more of their budget into its platform.
As every screen becomes shoppable, attribution problems resurface
As more media environments become points of purchase, attribution and measurement remain the thorn in the side of commerce execs.