OshKosh B'gosh reimagines Mariah Carey, Muhammad Ali as kids

Dive Brief:

OshKosh B'gosh on July 23 will debut a new back-to-school campaign entitled "Today is Someday" that imagines trailblazing celebrities as children, per a press release.
Kid versions of Mariah Carey, Muhammad Ali and Outkast appear in the 30-second spots, dressed in OshKosh clothing and reciting monologues about confidence and determination. The 10-year-old Carey is portrayed by her daughter, Monroe Cannon.
"Today is Someday" is the first retail creative work from the brand's agency, Majority. The campaign will span digital, connected TV (CTV), YouTube online video and social and arrives in advance of what the brand describes as a "watershed" back-to-school season.

Dive Insight:

OshKosh B'gosh's new campaign finds the 125-year-old brand preparing for what is expected to be a bumper year for back-to-school shopping as the country continues to emerge from the depths of the pandemic. Apparel sales are expected to rise 78% compared to the depressed 2020 season and 11% from the 2019 season, per Mastercard's SpendingPulse survey.

"Today is Someday" takes a modern-yet-nostalgic approach to creative, reimagining legendary celebrities as children. The Ali spot alludes to the boxer's red bicycle, the theft of which spurred him to begin boxing, while Carey's ad features her own daughter, and the Outkast clip was scripted with members André 3000 and Big Boi. The straightforward spots embrace simplicity and authenticity, an approach that counters the growing number of brands that are relying on controversial deepfake technology to utilize celebrities and other nostalgic elements in their ads.

The campaign will see "robust" investment across digital, CTV and social, channels that will likely hold onto gains seen during the pandemic. Social is especially key for the apparel brand: OshKosh and parent brand Carter's earned 71% of all engagements on Instagram across the category in Q1, during which the company saw net sales and earnings exceed those of Q1 2019, per Carter's most recent earnings report.

"Today is Someday" is the brand's first creative work from Majority, the agency co-founded earlier this year by Shaquille O'Neal. Majority's focus on diversity is apparent in the ads, which feature celebrities who are Black and biracial. Majority recently earned buzz with its "Vax That Thang Up" campaign for dating app BLK.