Journeys Turns Back-to-School Into a Surreal Celebration of Self-Expression

Most back-to-school advertising treats school like a place. Shoe retailer Journeys ‘Life on Loud’ has turned that narrative around to treat the return to the classroom as a statement of self expression. Powered by the line 'Don't Just Show Up. Turn Up,' the work prioritises craft and imagination, transforming an ordinary school day into an explosion of imagination where creative confidence literally reshapes the world around you.

Developed in partnership with Anomaly, Journeys imagines the first day of school through the dream-logic of a music video where teenage imagination replaces reality. The work builds on the ‘Life On Loud’ brand platform that Journeys and Anomaly debuted last year, which celebrated self-expression through the energy of music and featured Gus Dapperton's reinterpretation of the teen anthem ‘You Get What You Give’.

Journeys evolves that core idea this year by turning the first day of school into a surreal expression of confidence, creativity, and personal style. In the face of typical back-to-school tropes, the films lean on absurdism as a tool for celebration and imagination. Director Max Siedentopf, a visual and installation artist first, shot the film's effects largely in-camera. Where they weren't, they were hand-rendered by animation partner Slow Bureau, not generated.

In this world, hallways become skate parks, headstands and breakdancing take the place of hall passes , students arrive on horseback or atop speaker-stacked bicycles – every corner revealing another unexpected surprise.

'Don't Just Show Up. Turn Up.' celebrates the idea that when young people fully express themselves, the world doesn't stay ordinary; it tunes to their frequency.

"Back-to-school is one of the biggest retail moments of the year, but it's also one of the most competitive," said Journeys chief marketing officer Stacy Doren. "We wanted to create something that captured the confidence, excitement, and possibility that comes with a new school year. At its core, this campaign is about celebrating self-expression and positioning Journeys as a place for young people to discover and define their personal style.”

“Most Back to School ads ask young people to fit in or prescribe to some sort of archetype. We wanted to celebrate what happens when teens lean into their own unique imagination and self-expression,” said Anomaly group creative director Leanne Amann. “There’s a tendency to dismiss teen’s surreal humour and absurdity as ‘brain rot’. We see that differently. Underneath the absurdity is inspiring creativity. And rather than ask young people to tone it down, we built a campaign around turning it up.”

The hero :30 spot is set to a custom hard electronic beat from music producer Star Slinger, and features an eclectic montage in school hallways. The films capture the peak of teenage imagination as pro skateboarder and two-time Olympic medallist Sky Brown skateboards to class, musical artist Inji rides a bicycle with massive speakers attached to host a DJ set during a lesson, and actress Madison Bailey plays a set of triplets, each with her own distinct style and personality, bringing to life the idea that today's teens express themselves in multiple, ever-evolving ways. The campaign also includes a longform film here.

The campaign includes three :15 cutdowns of the hero spot, as well as multiple :6 social spots. Crafted specifically for TikTok and short-form social platforms, this series of spots features an outlandish collection of attention-grabbing visuals. Individual clips include a student hanging by one arm from a parking lot light pole, a student presenting a literal plate of shoes, and a bulldog wearing a denim vest while riding a scooter.

The work explores personal style and gives teens the spiritual jolt to turn up the volume on their exploration and expression. The entertainment of a music video acts as content for teens to choose to hit replay on rather than reach for the skip. While the execution is entirely new, the belief remains the same: when young people express themselves unapologetically, their world turns all the way up.

The campaign is live across social and TVC channels, including an influencer component.