Ross Dress For Less - 2026 BTS

McKinney | Creative Brief | Strategy & Creative

TL;DR

The Ask:

Bring a fresh focus to back to school fashion in a campaign that makes Ross the go-to BTS destination.

Audience:

Resourceful Creator parents (25–49) who experience back-to-school alongside their kids: little ones (5–6) or tweens (10–12)

Strategic Approach:

Back to school at Ross is where you meet this year's version of your kid.

The Opportunity:

Have Ross be THE destination for every BTS need and list.

The Challenge:

Kids grow 2–3 inches every year in elementary school. But parents don't feel that growth day to day. They feel it all at once, the moment last year's jeans won't button. Growth is invisible until it suddenly, undeniably isn't. It really hits you like a ton of bricks.

And it’s not just physical; they've spent the summer watching, absorbing, and quietly deciding who they want to be this year. BTS shopping is the annual reckoning. where size becomes real, style shifts become visible, and the kid standing in front of the mirror isn't quite the one you dropped off last September.

It’s a goodbye to the child you knew and having to re-love this new version of your kid.

Goal:

In the world of Work Your Magic and rewind stories. Let’s one up last year’s Bus.

The Insight:

You don't notice your kid changing. Then one morning, you do, all at once.

Background:

Back-to-school retail ads usually center on the shopping trip or first day

—and put the kid front and center.

My Role:

Researched BTS trends, audience, and competitive landscape surrounding BTS clothes and feelings
Helped to craft the strategic approach and opportunity for the campaign
Briefed in the creative team