Ugg on Thursday launched a back-to-school campaign that celebrates art and the way it can inspire confidence and individuality.
The effort is supported by paid media across Meta, TikTok, Snap and Pinterest.
At the centre are alternative-pop band Muna and a cast of young creators, artists and students, with the campaign turning school spaces into creative studios.
"Back-to-school is more than a shopping season — it's a cultural moment. It's a time when students discover who they are and express themselves through fashion, music, art, and creativity." — Tracy Paoletti, general manager and vice president of Ugg North America
Muna is fresh off releasing a new album, "Dancing on the Wall," in May. The trio is featured alongside young students in content captured at Santa Monica High School in Los Angeles, with creative direction by Tastebuds Creative.
Muna's three members identify as queer and have made self-expression a theme of their art and aesthetic.
Ugg is partnering with emerging creators as part of a college ambassador program, including students from:
Throughout the back-to-school season, creators will showcase Ugg fashions via content inspired by disciplines including animation and printmaking.
A creator program featuring artists from art and design schools across the U.S. and Canada runs alongside it.
Ugg has a year-round partnership with Queer|Art, a nonprofit supporting LGBTQ+ artists, helping to empower LGBTQ+ creatives through grants, experiences and community programming.
As part of the back-to-school push, Ugg donated to Chicxs Rockerxs South East Los Angeles (CRSELA), a nonprofit focused on music, mentorship and social justice, to build on that ongoing commitment and support underrepresented communities.
While such purpose-driven marketing has taken a backseat for some major brands, those working to engage Gen Z consumers have often stayed committed to the causes they have championed.
Per an earnings report by parent company Decker Brands, Ugg brand net sales increased 8.2% to $2.74 billion for full fiscal year 2026. The company shares Q1 2027 earnings after the market closes on Thursday.
Treat back-to-school as identity formation, not a shopping season. Framing it as "a time when students discover who they are" is positioning that exits the discount race — for the same season solved from another angle, see From Yamal to the Mall: Inside American Eagle's Back-to-School Marketing.
Recruit ambassadors as practitioners, not influencers. Using SCAD, FIDM and SAIC students and having them work in their own disciplines — animation, printmaking — is the point. Production capability, not follower count, became the casting criterion.
Keep purpose work on a standing contract, not a campaign line. The year-round Queer|Art partnership is what stops the CRSELA donation reading as sudden seasonal marketing. Swapping causes per campaign produces the opposite.
Design the giveaway as an extension of the concept. A coloring book and crayons at $150 spend is cheaper than a discount and physically carries the "creativity" theme forward.
Price cultural authenticity honestly. Fronting a band whose members identify as queer reads as risk in some markets but as proof of consistency to a Gen Z brand — the same calculation as Hanes' Risqué Rebrand.
Use space as a content device. Converting an actual school — Santa Monica High — into a creative studio costs less than building a set and reads as real. For another narrative use of space, see Why FX Rebuilt a Mall in 1980s Form.
Art and how it inspires confidence and individuality. Alternative-pop band Muna appears with young creators and students, turning school spaces into creative studios, supported by paid media across Meta, TikTok, Snap and Pinterest.
Ugg partners with student creators from institutions including SCAD Atlanta, FIDM and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, who showcase Ugg fashions in content inspired by disciplines such as animation and printmaking throughout the season.
Ugg continues its year-round partnership with Queer|Art, a nonprofit supporting LGBTQ+ artists, and donated to Chicxs Rockerxs South East Los Angeles, a nonprofit focused on music, mentorship and social justice.
From Aug. 1, spending $150 or more at participating stores earns a custom coloring book and crayon pack while supplies last, plus 10% off for students via Unidays and 10% off for teachers and educators via SheerID.
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