Don’t call it a dorm room.
The modern college student lives in a 100-square foot space they call home, but according to a panel of 5,000 consumers that Urban Outfitters regularly taps for insights, the Gen Zers leaving for school this August want their school-year living quarters to serve as “multifunctional sanctuaries.” They want a place where they can “do their writing, cry and meditate, and make it [their] own,” said Cyntia Leo, senior director of brand at Urban Outfitters.
To enable that, Urban Outfitters is launching a three-stage campaign called “Shift Happens.” To kick it off, it will host a two-day event in partnership with Pinterest at New York City’s Chelsea Factory. At the event, guests will be able to explore 10 rooms, each curated by creators selected by Urban. These include florist Studio Hayat, with a theme of “Bouquet Getaway;” multidisciplinary artist Anya Tisdale, dubbed “Plushie Playground;” plant expert Paige Tailyn, via “Potting Paradise;” and Tinashe, with “Freak Fort.” These spaces will also be shoppable via QR codes.
The goal of the campaign is to introduce Urban Outfitters’ home product to more consumers and to build relationships, according to the company. Per the National Retail Federation, back-to-college spending this year is expected to reach $94 billion, about $20 billion more than last year’s record, with an estimated spend of $1,347 per household.
As part of the collaboration, the creators will be onsite to showcase their rooms and chat with attendees. The July 11 event will be open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis — people can sign up to attend on Urban Outfitters’ website. Tinashe, the artist behind the viral hit “Nasty,” will also have a room at the event, and will also be performing. A trend on TikTok, social posts featuring the “Nasty” lyric “Is somebody gonna match my freak?” can be expected.
“Whether it’s to design their new dorm room or to furnish their first apartment, Pinterest helps Gen-Z students explore new aesthetics and discover fresh ideas. This partnership helps bring them to life,” said Sara Pollack, global head of consumer marketing at Pinterest. Urban Outfitters and Pinterest will share the cost of the event. For its part, Pinterest also recently partnered with Urban Outfitters’ sibling brand Anthropologie.
Urban Outfitters and Pinterest are also hosting a Back to College contest, through which five winners will be awarded $5,000 to decorate their own dorms and apartments. The companies are partnering with the college-student-led publication network Her Campus to tap 10 college-student creators with 10,000-40,000 followers to promote the contest on Instagram and TikTok. To enter, participants will be invited to create a board on Pinterest titled “Back to College Contest” including at least five Urban Outfitters pins. They will also be encouraged to share their board on Instagram using the new board-sharing feature on Pinterest, though doing so is not required for entry.
The event is just phase one of the “Shift Happens” campaign. Come Fall, Urban Outfitters will open 20 Campus Essentials pop-ups in destinations adjacent to big campuses including Georgetown University, the University of Wisconsin, the University of Texas, Arizona State University and NYU. Showing up on college campuses is baked into the brand’s DNA, Leo said — Urban Outfitters’ first store location was on the University of Pennsylvania campus in Philadelphia. The retailer has tapped brand partners for the campaign who will create limited-edition products for these pop-ups. They include Ugg, Baggu, Birkenstock and Oakley.
Finally, the third phase of the campaign, dubbed UO 100, is best described as the brand’s take on a youth ambassador program. “It’s not your typical influencer program, and it’s also not your typical college ambassador program,” Leo said, “We needed to take a different approach to connect with Gen-Z consumers.” The initiative will involve 100 “Gen Z-relevant” artists, musicians and creators who “empower individuality,” she said.
Urban Outfitters aims to work with geographically diverse creators and ambassadors, Leo said. “We’re not focused on college ambassadors and influencers from just New York and L.A.,” she said. “We’re taking a localized approach by popping up in campuses across the U.S. — places like Tucson, Madison and Georgetown.”
In May, Urban Outfitters reported a 13.7% decrease in net sales. It opened four new stores in the first quarter of the year.
