How Claire's Left the '90s to Reach a New Generation

How Claire’s Left the ‘90s to Reach a New Generation of Youth 

With a new campaign, Claire's has dusted off its image as a dusty mall store

For women who grew up in the 1990s or 2000s, retailer Claire’s may trigger a wave of nostalgia. Once a fixture of suburban shopping malls, the store was a mecca for tween girls: the place for first ear piercings and a treasure trove of glittery scrunchies, butterfly clips and berry-flavored lip gloss. 

As those girls have entered new phases, so too has the brand. After a rocky period in which it filed for bankruptcy in 2018, Claire’s has reinvented itself, branching out from the mall to Parisian boulevards, Walmart and the metaverse.

Its latest campaign, “The Collab,” is a year-long effort to cement that transformation and connect with the next generation of youth.

Headshot of Brittaney Kiefer

Brittaney Kiefer

Brittaney is Adweek's creative editor based in London.