Journeys announced “Turn It Up,” its new back-to-school campaign starring Madison Bailey, Anna Cathcart, Sky Brown, Ocean Brown, Samara Cyn and INJI. The latest chapter of the brand’s “Life on Loud” platform celebrates experimentation, individuality and the journey of self-discovery.
Rather than telling young people who to be this school year, Journeys is encouraging them to try on as many versions of themselves as they want.
Set inside a school transformed by the unexpected, “Turn It Up” turns familiar back-to-school rituals upside down. Hallways, cafeterias and school buses become spaces for creative disruption as Bailey plays three versions of herself, Sky and Ocean Brown skate through the chaos, and ordinary school-day moments are remixed into something louder, unexpected and more alive.
The campaign responds to a tension facing young people today: despite having more ways than ever to express themselves, teens are constantly being categorized, optimized and served more of the same. “Turn It Up” pushes back against the algorithms, conformity and perfectionism that can stifle exploration, positioning personal style as a space to experiment and Journeys as the place to try on what comes next.
“Young people are constantly being told who they should be and what they should look like,” said Stacy Doren, chief marketing officer for Journeys. “We want Journeys to be the place where they can tune out that noise, try something new and figure out what feels like them. ‘Turn It Up’ is about giving the next generation the freedom to turn up the volume on who they are.”
The cast reflects that idea. Rather than center the campaign on a single spokesperson or one definition of what is “in,” Journeys brought together actors, musicians, creators and athletes whose careers and personal styles resist easy categorization.
“What I love most about Journeys is that it celebrates self-expression without putting you in a box,” said Bailey. “We’re all constantly growing and evolving, and this campaign captures that so well. Playing three different characters was a lot of fun because it reflects the way I express myself through style and how I’m always experimenting with new looks.”
Cathcart, an Adidas ambassador, sees playing characters on TV as a great way to experiment [with] style without fear. “Getting to play characters is a fun time to try something out,” she said. “It feels like I can be a little bit more courageous and a little bit more fearless.” The campaign is also a full-circle moment for Cathcart, who grew up shopping at Journeys.
The campaign will come to life across connected TV, digital, social, retail and experiential, supported by an expanded social content series that takes audiences behind the scenes with the cast, including Bailey’s three characters, Sky and Ocean Brown’s sibling dynamic, original skate content and more.
“Turn It Up” builds on strong momentum for the Life On Loud brand platform and marks Journeys’ biggest expression to date, advancing its position as the place that helps young people move from one version of themselves to the next.
The campaign was created alongside creative agency Anomaly.
