Honest Kids Lets Children Roast Their Parents for Back-to-School Campaign

Organic juice drink brand Honest Kids, has kicked off back-to-school season the only way it knows how - with a little honesty.

This week, the brand will launch a new campaign that leans into the one thing no parenting checklist can prepare you for: the brutally honest things kids say about their parents.

This Sunday, Aug 9th, the brand will be capturing these hot takes live to fuel conversation and community amongst Honest Kids parents, popping up with a limited-time activation at Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo. From 8:15am-1pm, local kids will have a chance to stop by and share their most honest takes about their parents. While parents will have the chance to leave notes of their own on Honest Kids' limited-edition back-to-school packaging, which features a blank space on each box for personalised lunchbox notes. Resulting in a two-way exchange that's equal parts heart warming and hilarious - see here for the teasers on social.

In a category that often feels like an unnecessary treat or guilty compromise, Honest Kids stands out with USDA organic certification and no added sugar. And this campaign leans into that authenticity, highlighting the fact that today’s parents don’t crave perfection. They crave honesty.

The campaign was created in partnership with the brand’s agency partner, Havas Chicago with Annex Chicago handling all content creation and production. It will roll out across @honestorganic on Instagram; with partner content from Sharpie, influencer attendees, and paid social amplification highlighting content captured from the event including parent and kid interviews, product tastings, and the note-writing experience itself.

This marks the first brand activation from Havas Chicago for Honest Kids since the start of their partnership in November 2025. The campaign will run through back to school season, wrapping up in mid-September.

"Parents don't need more ‘perfect parent’ propaganda pushed at them. They need to laugh, feel seen, and know they're not alone," said Ashley Rosenow, EVP, head of client services at Havas Chicago. "Honest Kids has always stood for something real. This campaign leans all the way into that. Kids are the most honest critics in the world, and their parents wouldn't have it any other way."

"We wanted to create something that felt true to who Honest Kids is and the community around the brand," said Claire Dean, senior director, creative strategy and integrated Campaigns (Nutrition), of Honest Kids. "The back-to-school season is hectic and messy and beautiful, and this campaign captures all of that in a fun way that we think will really resonate with parents.”