• by Sarah Mahoney , Yesterday

Back-to-school is Great Clips’ busiest time of year — but it’s not the brand’s biggest marketing spend. So the hair-cutting chain is doing more with less, using a TikTok-heavy strategy to lean into what it calls its “most efficient” moment of the year.

The new campaign aims to calm overwhelmed parents and elevate relaxed kids, enlisting them to bring “calm, clarity and smarts” to the chaos of fall prep, says Lisa Hake, vice president of marketing.

It also invites kids to apply for a newly minted role — Chief Back to School Officer — in exchange for $10,000 toward their education fund. TikTok personalities Big Boom A.J. and Big Justice, along with six other family influencers, are helping deliver the message.

“We’re always trying to use influencers in ways that feel authentic to our audiences and bring some energy to the brand,” Hake says. “Big Boom A.J. and Big Justice are doing that — with their own voice and tons of energy.”

The campaign is a notable pivot from earlier efforts, including one with *NSYNC alum Joey Fatone. “We wanted to try something different,” and have the focus be more about Great Clips, and less about a celebrity,” Hake tells Marketing Daily.

While the company performs nearly 100 million haircuts a year across its 4,400 salons in the U.S. and Canada, it faces a highly fragmented market. Besides some national competitors, including JCPenney, the chain also contends “with barber shops and independent salons pretty much on every street corner.”

Great Clips also invests in bigger broadcast-driven moments like NCAA basketball, college football and NHL partnerships, which claim a larger share of the marketing budget. “So while back-to-school isn’t our biggest spend,” she says, “it’s probably our most efficient. This is where we really leverage earned media.”

The campaign also highlights fresh hair trends. This year, boys are asking for low taper fades and regional spins on the Edgar, while girls are into shaggy layers, updated wolf cuts, and ‘70s-style blunt cuts.