Brief:

• Fast-fashion retailer Forever 21 partnered with 7-Eleven on a social media campaign to promote a clothing line inspired by the convenience store chain's products, including its signature Slurpee and Big Gulp drinks. The promotion focused on Instagram and TikTok includes a dance challenge, polls, games and a sweepstakes to win the gear, according to an announcement.
• The duo are offering a chance to score $100 worth of merchandise from the #F21x7Eleven clothing line that's only available via the Forever 21 app and website. To enter, Instagram users must follow Forever 21 and 7-Eleven's accounts and write a post that tells the difference between two pictures on each of their feeds. The post must tag two other Instagram users.
• Forever 21 also added an exclusive Slurpee AR hologram on its mobile app that lets fans take a selfie with hip-hop dancer Natalie Bebko to share on Instagram after tagging the @forever21 and @7eleven accounts, per the announcement.

Insight:

Forever 21 and 7-Eleven's joint marketing effort on TikTok and Instagram comes after the brands teased the merchandise on July 11, or "7-Eleven Day," and started selling the #F21x7Eleven collection online.

By offering a sweepstakes and dance challenge, the brands aim to reach a younger audience of people who are most likely to shop at Forever 21 as back-to-school season gets underway. Almost 80% of U.S. consumers ages 13 to 16 use Instagram, while almost half of the age group uses TikTok, according to Morning Consult research. Among consumers ages 17 to 21, more than 80% use Instagram and about one-third use TikTok, making the apps popular with the youngest consumers.

By hosting a dance challenge on TikTok and running a contest on Instagram, Forever 21 and 7-Eleven can engage their target customers with a branded experience that's shared among friends and followers. The Instagram contest requires entrants to tag friends in the post, urging others to participate in the sweepstakes and broadening the campaign's reach.

Branded hashtag challenges are a central part of TikTok campaigns, as seen with recent promotional efforts by Aldo, E.l.f. Cosmetics, GT's Kombucha and NYX Cosmetics. Trident gum and Ferrara Group's Sweetarts candy have run contests on Instagram in the past few months to reach younger consumers.

7-Eleven is the latest company to develop merchandise based on its branding for a promotional effort. The strategy aims to form stronger emotional ties with key fans while offering incentives to remain loyal customers.

Burger chain McDonald's has used the merchandising strategy in several campaigns in recent years, including a contest on Twitter that urged people to order food through Uber Eats. Other chains such as KFC and Taco Bell also have created branded clothing lines to attract millennials and Generation Z consumers. Forever 21 previously developed a capsule collection for Taco Bell.