It’s that time of the year again when schools and colleges reopen. The autumn leaves begin falling as we hear the screams from the school playgrounds again, not forgetting it now takes us 2 hours to get somewhere it would usually take 40 minutes, from all the school traffic. The sweet smell of parents' tears flood the streets as they finally have some alone time and we marketeers patiently await the back to school campaigns.

So, let's take a look at some of my favourites from this year…

BRAND AWARENESS FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF DERBY

A proud moment for Rise at Seven, with a groundbreaking social media campaign to put the University of Derby at the forefront of minds when thinking about applying to University. What better way to do this, than through a super strong Influencer plan? The campaign saw young and engaging TikTokers go on tours, show the best places to visit and even creating POV’s for getting into University, a real range of content that flows organically within the platform.

The campaign gained a huge 2.5m+ impressions with 30k+ engagements and 26k clicks through to the site. Not only this, but the content was nominated by TikTok to appear in their Creative Centre for best performing ads. A huge win for Derby, and a huge win for our amazing social team.

ASDA: UNIFORM FOR THE PEOPLE

With the cost-of-living increasing, Asda spotted the impending problem of sending your children back to school and paying for all new uniforms. Their new George campaign ‘Uniform for the people’ sees school children rapping about the more affordable and highly durable range, bringing pride and excitement back to families across the country. This ad ran across socials, TV, video on demand and radio from July - August.

Asda has made a step towards removing the stigma surrounding price-conscious shopping and we’re here for it.

LIVING STREETS: THE WALK TO SCHOOL CHALLENGE

Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking has partnered with over 1500 UK schools to create the Walk to School challenge.

With pollution and CO2 emissions creating more and more damage to the environment, it was time to create a stand and promote getting active to save the environment.

Children will self-report how they get to school everyday using the interactive WOW Travel Tracker, and if they travel sustainably once a week for a month, they’ll receive a badge - designed by pupils themselves.

So, what’s the benefit? In addition to getting more children active, WOW schools also have seen a 30% reduction in car journeys taken to the school gate and a 23% increase in walking.

The results speak for themselves, sign us up!

A short and sweet recap, to break open the next section of marketing campaigns, as we now hit Autumn, brands are ramping up their marketing budget to get noticed in a sea of campaigns.

Back to School campaigns are the perfect way to break the ice and get noticed before the rest and we’re impressed. Each campaign from the round up had a clear and concise message and purpose, gaining brand awareness and making a difference while they’re at it.

We have to say, Back to Schools can be a difficult campaign task to take on. Often with not only one target market, but two, aiming for school children and parents attention, needing to secure both to solidify the brand messaging.

Have you seen any show-stopping Back to School campaigns this year?