Inviting the Community into the Story
Belief: Influence works best when built on trust, not reach.
Overview
As SKIMS looked to engage a younger audience during the back-to-school season, the Campus Collection presented an opportunity to deepen the brand's relationship with college students in a more meaningful way.
Rather than relying solely on traditional influencers or models, SKIMS partnered with real college students from across the country to become the faces of the campaign. Students were flown to Los Angeles to participate in a national brand campaign, create content documenting their experience, and share the collection through their own perspectives and communities.
My role focused on talent sourcing, creator strategy, campaign development, talent management, content direction, and onsite experience execution.
Insight
College students don't want brands speaking to them. They want brands inviting them into the story.
Instead of marketing to a community, the opportunity was to invite the community into the campaign itself. By giving real students ownership within the campaign, SKIMS could create a level of trust, relatability, and cultural relevance that traditional casting alone could not achieve.
Strategy
The campaign extended beyond a single photoshoot through a broader ecosystem approach. Student talent participated in the campaign, documented their experience through behind-the-scenes content, and shared launch assets with their audiences. Additional paid creator partnerships and gifting to key sororities further expanded participation across campus communities nationwide.
Rather than speaking to college students, the campaign empowered students to tell the story themselves.
My Role
Talent Strategy & Campaign Development
Sourced and recruited student talent nationwide
Led negotiations and managed talent relationships
Collaborated on campaign concepts, character development, and creative storytelling
Developed creator content strategy and briefing materials
Experience & Community Building
Served as primary onsite contact for student talent throughout production
Coordinated talent communication, travel logistics, gifting, and accommodations
Supported talent during fittings, styling, content creation, and production
Captured behind-the-scenes content and managed creator deliverables
Reviewed content and managed launch-day approvals and tracking
Challenge
Unlike traditional campaigns featuring professional models or experienced creators, many participants were navigating a large-scale brand campaign for the first time.
The challenge was creating a professional production environment while ensuring students felt comfortable, supported, and confident throughout the process. Balancing operational needs with a highly personalized talent experience became critical to maintaining authenticity both on set and in the content students created afterward.
Impact
Community Impact
Cast 13 real college students from universities across the country
Expanded participation through additional paid creator partnerships and sorority gifting initiatives
Generated overwhelmingly positive sentiment around SKIMS involvement in campus culture
Content Impact
Student talent generated 5.2M impressions through bonus organic content beyond campaign requirements
Top-performing creator content reached 1.8M views
Campaign content extended beyond launch-day deliverables through organic participation and advocacy
Business Impact
Campus Collection campaign marketing email drove 42K sessions
Generated $152K in attributed revenue
Key Takeaway
This project strengthened my belief that influence works best when built on trust, not reach.
The campaign's success wasn't driven by celebrity or scale—it was driven by representation. By inviting real students into the campaign and giving them ownership of the story, SKIMS created a level of authenticity that traditional marketing could not replicate.
Communities outperform audiences when brands empower the people already living the culture.