Smart brands are capitalising on the rise of Gen Zalpha slang as a subgenre of intergenerational comedy content particularly present on TikTok. Campaigns demystify slang for bewildered parents while nodding to Gen Zalpha’s superior knowledge, evolving last year’s take on ‘cringe culture’ – see Youth Speak: Cosy Anime, Candour + Cringe-Made-Cool Bridge Credibility Gap in Back-to-School Brand Strategies 2023.

With children and teens living in an increasingly polarised world – and often finding themselves at the centre of toxic debates – brands leveraged the youth-pulling power of cult TV shows and movies via irreverent film and TV parodies, providing a shared comfort blanket in troubled times as well as ensnaring existing – sometimes parental – fandoms. 

Several brands centred fathers in their back-to-school advertising, both actively countering damaging racial stereotypes around Black dads and simply quietly featuring dads over mums during everyday childcare routines. This reflects the rising hours men are putting into family life, particularly post-pandemic, and the majority view that mothers and fathers should share paid work and parenting equally (see Key Stats).

Responding to the overwhelming majority of parents feeling burnt out and the already exorbitant cost of raising children spiralling (see Key Stats), brands are crafting campaigns that recognise the behind-the-scenes pressures of family life, from the mental load of school life admin to the financial woes behind back-to-school purchases.

Smart brands are tapping into the college mindset. Dorm-room-centric activations support new – and anxious – arrivals by encouraging the carving out of an expressive, home-from-home sanctuary, while jubilant video campaigns shrug off dull summer jobs, welcoming returning students back to the fold.