Building on the momentum of its recent U.S. back-to-school campaign, JanSport has launched a new global initiative to reintroduce America’s No. 1 backpack brand to a global Gen Z audience. Developed in collaboration with advertising agency Party Land, the “Always With You” global campaign reinforces JanSport’s status as an everyday fashion staple for a global audience looking to embrace American youth culture.
Designed for social platforms, the RUNNING INTO 2 campaign includes four films that celebrate JanSport’s rich American heritage by highlighting the small, everyday journeys that accompany the backpacks on a daily basis. Each vignette captures the essence of classic American culture, with universally relatable experiences that resonate across cultures. Whether it’s friends grabbing a snack on a road trip or teenagers frustrated when their keys are locked in the car, the JanSport backpack is everywhere. Like the U.S. campaign, Party Land taps into Gen Z’s penchant for frivolous humor, focusing on the comedy found in life’s mundane moments.
“As an iconic American brand, we wanted to leverage our rich heritage to grow and reach people in other markets,” said Alexandra Reveles, vice president of global brand JanSport. “In our 57 years, JanSport has always been there. Our bags have been through a lot. The subtle humor of this campaign manages to highlight small, poignant moments surrounding our bags and extend them to the lives of Gen Z worldwide through incredibly relatable moments.”
Party Land’s strategic use of humor capitalizes on consumers’ strong preference for relatable and funny content: 78% of Gen Z are more likely to share ads on social media that they find humorous and relatable, while 61% believe brands that use humor in their advertising are more trustworthy (according to Marketing Hustle). Jansport’s early BTS results prove that humor is an effective strategy: The target audience shows 71% higher purchase intent, 385% higher engagement (shares, likes, etc.) year-over-year, and double the TikTok CTR: 2x over benchmark and 2.7x LY.
Additionally, 90% of people are more likely to remember funny ads and 72% say they would choose a humorous brand (according to Oracle). This creative direction underscores JanSport’s commitment to being an integral part of Gen Z’s daily lives.
“This campaign highlights the ubiquity of JanSport on a global scale,” said Natalia Fredericks, Creative Director of Party Land. “As a bag you take everywhere, your JanSport backpack can say a lot about who you are. While Gen Z may express themselves and their humor differently around the world, their connection to their bags – and how they use them – forms a common denominator. We drew on the humor of everyday moments and continued our strategy of being an American icon who acts anything but, translating it for a much larger audience through the simplicity and mundanity of using a JanSport, revealing something unique and fun about the wearer.”
The global campaign “Always With You” will roll out in Latin America (Argentina, Chile), APAC (New Zealand, Philippines, South Korea), EMEA (UK, Ireland, Germany) and the United States with a strong focus on social and digital platforms such as TikTok and YouTube. The media plan also includes outdoor placements.
Party Land has been competitively selected as JanSport’s new agency partner in 2023.
