• by Sarah Mahoney , Yesterday

An airport lounge for broke Gen Z travelers. A stress-reducing romp in a Nike bounce house. Smarter wish lists. Urban Outfitters is betting that new experiential marketing events will remind young shoppers that the holidays don’t have to be quite so difficult. The activations — including a high-profile lounge in Chicago’s O’Hare Airport and a puffer-themed bounce house in New York — fit into its ongoing “Everything, Everywhere, All You Want” campaign and draw on the brand’s latest research.

This year’s survey, based on a panel of about 10,000 Gen Zs, surfaced three overwhelming insights, says Cyntia Leo, head of brand marketing. “They are very stressed during the season, wish lists are really important to them, and they love to be together IRL.”

More than half — “over 54%,” she tells Marketing Daily — build wish lists this time of year. Many are overwhelmed by travel, delayed flights and finals. And almost all want to create new traditions with their friends and communities.

That shaped the year’s holiday strategy, including bringing back last year’s airport and bounce-house activations. “We want to make sure we are bringing them something that will be of service to them,” she says.

At Chicago O’Hare, the brand has opened Club Holiday, a free lounge running Nov. 19 through Dec. 14 in Terminal 2. Many young travelers can’t access premium lounges — they don’t have high-reward credit cards or frequent-flyer status — so UO created its own. Part igloo and part sandcastle, it includes games, swag and surprises from Gen Z creators.

It also offers a free Canva wish-list integration, with templates populated with more than 100 of the brand’s top gift items. “You don’t need a credit card to come in,” Leo says. “It’s free, it’s easy, no special card needed.”

In New York, UO is partnering with Nike next month on a bounce-house experience celebrating the brand’s latest puffer collection. “We also heard they want to have fun and stress-free joy,” says Leo, who previously worked on Nike’s brand marketing. A giant bounce house “felt like a way to take that stress away” during a hectic stretch of the season.

The company also launched community-focused “holiday nights” events nationwide — from New York and LA to campus pop-ups and social-impact collaborations.

While UO doesn’t expect experiences like these to drive immediate sales spikes, Leo says the value comes from deeper relationships. “We want to make sure we’re connecting with our customers,” she says. “Our brand is meant to be lived and felt and not just seen.” KPIs include engagement, reach and brand health. “We want to authentically create that joy, connection and that core memory.”