It’s almost September, which means “back to school” season is in full swing. But this year it’s not just British schoolgoers being bombarded with uniform reminders and lunchbox ideas. The classroom comeback now extends to university students. Welcome to a new era of the commodification of the campus.
Previously, it was easy to differentiate between UK and US campus culture. US students had frat parties, drank from plastic red cups and slept in shared dorm rooms. Meanwhile, UK freshers had house parties, drank cans on the bus and congregated in communal kitchens. But thanks to social media the lines are becoming more blurred. Algorithms have influenced everyone to dress the same and now this is affecting campus culture. Social media is peppered with US and UK students doing room makeover tours and library fit checks, and the only difference between them is their accents and labels. Now, as the illusion of campus life becomes more powerful than the reality of it, brands are attempting to monetise it.
This month Kim Kardashian’s all-powerful shapewear label Skims pivoted from selling Hannibal Lecter-esque face-sculpting wraps to PJs for students to bed rot in. Its first dedicated “Campus Collection” features “dorm-approved and lecture-ready” pieces such as jersey capri pants, cropped hoodies and cotton poplin micro shorts modelled by a group of real students (dubbed the “Skims Class of 2025”). On Asos you can browse a “Student Edit” comprising over 2,000 pieces that promise to “look on-point in the lecture, library and beyond” – because nothing says reading week like a sheer maxi skirt.
PrettyLittleThing’s “Back to Class” edit includes an advertising campaign shot in a library (a gear shift from their usual poolside settings) complete with models wearing preppy polo tops and rugby shirts. The accessories brand Charles & Keith has teamed up with students from Central Saint Martins, photographing them on the fashion school’s campus in their favourite pieces from the brand. Even Shein, the mega fast fashion company that churns out up to 10,000 new pieces a day, is hopping on the trend with a “Campus Babe” programme where students can apply to be ambassadors for the online retailer and earn a commission on sales. Presumably by never wearing the same piece twice.
“Students have become a crucial audience because they’re tastemakers,” says Nick Drabicky from January Digital, a marketing agency. According to Drabicky, this particular cohort appeals to brands as “they’re early adopters, hyper-connected, and influence household and peer spending.”
The campus-focused trend is a knock-on effect from RushTok (an amalgamation of rush week – which is a bit like freshers’ week – and TikTok) , a corner of social media where applicants for elite Greek sororities in the USA document the process of getting a “bid” (i.e. membership). The recruitment phenomenon first went viral on TikTok in August 2021 with PNMs (potential new members) sharing their experiences at the University of Alabama, including game nights and synchronised dances. However, it was outfit of the day videos posted from dorm rooms that really captivated viewers. These 60-second videos featured predominantly thin, white, 18-year-olds with bright blond hair and obvious fake tans name-checking brands such as Steve Madden shoes, Kendra Scott earrings, Golden Goose trainers and The Pants Store – which, it turns out, didn’t just sell pants – in a distinctive southern drawl. Viewers who prior to the videos were blissfully unaware of what a Panhellenic sorority is – and lived in countries such as the UK where they don’t even exist – began to mimic them, while phrases such as “My jewelry is normal” were then commoditised and turned into merch.
Four years later and the yearly event has become akin to a reality TV show, with brands keen to get involved.
While brands such as Skims and Asos don’t directly reference rush week, the timing of their launches allude to it. “RushTok has set the stage for brands to package college culture in an aspirational but relatable way,” Drabicky says, adding, “Skims’ Campus Collection shows how you can tap into the energy of RushTok without needing to mimic it outright”. He expects to see more brands emulating its strategy – “It’s the new playbook for youth marketing,” he says.
The campus as catnip comes at a time when it has never been more politicised nor expensive to attend. This has only fuelled interest in traditional campus signifiers, especially those rooted in a preppy subculture. Perhaps there is an element of nostalgia to it. With boat shoes, cable knit sweaters and varsity jackets all having a resurgence, many seem to be dressing for a uni experience that is entrenched in the past. One of the biggest bestsellers this season at M&S is a cropped rugby shirt-type top that feels very fresher. Parke’s £95 eponymous emblazoned sweatshirts, which riff on the typeface of merch from Ivy League universities, have become a status item among the collegiate it references as well as non students. H&M is selling a £19.99 Yale sweatshirt. Primark offers a UCLA version for £18.
While it is common to think of university students as being broke – especially since uni fees were raised to 9k per year in 2012 – Drabicky says we shouldn’t underestimate their spending power. “Students are more brand-conscious and willing to invest in identity-driven purchases than people think.”
They are also using this new interest in campus life to their advantage. While a part-time job at the local pub or stacking shelves in a supermarket used to be a typical avenue for students looking to earn extra cash, a new type of side hustle is emerging that doesn’t even involve leaving their halls of residence. Student influencers are in demand, with day in the life videos documenting lie-ins, lectures and partying until 6am racking up hundreds of thousands of views on social media platforms. On TikTok, #UniStudent brings up over 260,000 videos while #CollegeLife results in over 2m.
Tim Leslie, managing director of Campus Group, a company that specialises in youth marketing, says student influencers rewarded through sales commissions can earn anywhere from a couple of hundred pounds a month to up to four figures. “The student demographic presents a unique opportunity, as universities often operate like micro-cultures in their own right,” he says.
Drabicky credits TikTok with accelerating interest. “If brands can achieve success in this age group, it has a halo effect on others outside this demographic. Students create content that feels authentic and instantly viral. This attention has always been there; now they have an outlet to share.”
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