Claire’s is entering a new phase of its brand as it tries to respond to a generation that no longer separates physical space from digital experience. Its new summer campaign, A Girl SMR at Claire’s, developed with agency We Are Social, is not a traditional seasonal activation, but the first major signal of change since the company joined the Ames Watson portfolio.
At the center of the campaign is Gen Alpha, an audience raised on ASMR content, blind-box openings, slime, squishy toys, and short-form video formats where touch, sound, and surprise become content. Claire’s is now translating that logic into retail through the Summer Sensory Shop, a product assortment that includes slime, squishies, accessories, and scent-led items.
The most important part of the campaign is not just the products themselves, but the way they are used. Selected stores will feature ASMR recording stations where customers can create their own content using different textures, sounds, and sensory elements. In this way, the store stops being only a place of transaction and becomes a small production zone — a space where shopping turns into an experience that can be recorded, shared, and further distributed across social platforms.
For Michelle Goad, chief brand officer at Claire’s, who was appointed earlier this year, the campaign represents an attempt to adapt the brand to new rules of growing up. As she explains, Gen Alpha is redefining modern girlhood, while the brand’s role is to create a world where girls can explore, express themselves, and experience joy through every sense.
That statement reveals the broader strategic framework behind the campaign. Claire’s is not simply trying to sell a summer assortment, but to redefine its relevance at a moment when tween retail is facing an audience that discovers brands through creators, trends, challenges, and platforms before encountering them through storefronts.
That is why the campaign extends beyond stores. Claire’s will activate on Coverstar, a social platform designed for children and teenagers, alongside collaborations with YouTube creators, product integrations, and live experiences. Additional collaborations focused on slime, blind-box content, and the “squishy hunting” trend – in which consumers document their search for squishy toys, have also been announced for the summer.
The brand will also appear at VidCon through a co-branded pop-up running from June 25 to 27, further connecting retail, creator culture, and fan experiences.
This repositioning comes after a difficult business period. Last year, Ames Watson acquired the North American operations of Claire’s for $140 million after the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in August, marking its second bankruptcy since 2018. At the time of restructuring, the goal was to preserve at least 800 stores and stabilize the business, but the new campaign shows that the survival of a physical retail network alone is no longer enough.
For Claire’s, the question is no longer just how many stores can remain open, but what role those stores play for a generation that expects content everywhere. A Girl SMR at Claire’s therefore functions as a test of a new retail model: the store as a space for play, self-expression, content creation, and emotional connection with the brand.
