What does the world looks like for our trailblazers of tomorrow? To find out, OshKosh B’gosh believes we can all benefit from taking a look back at where some of our icons began. On Tuesday, an inspiring new back-to-school campaign, Today is Someday, was unveiled by the much-beloved babies and children’s apparel brand, paying homage to pop cultural phenomenons Mariah Carey, Muhammad Ali and Outkast.
Per a press release provided to The Root:
The campaign reflects a bold new direction for the more than 125-year-old brand, introducing a modern, style-forward approach just in time for the watershed 2021 back-to-school shopping season. With this brand campaign, OshKosh B’gosh is unveiling a back-to-school assortment that highlights both timeless and trend-forward styles alongside a bold new brand identity. With Today is Someday, OshKosh B’gosh spotlights notable trailblazers as children in a series of powerful vignettes celebrating their confidence and determination...Viewers will hear inspiring inner monologues from Ali, Carey and Outkast as children, dressed in OshKosh B’gosh, encouraging the next generation to dream boldly about who they’ll become someday.
“This campaign represents a new, fresh take for OshKosh B’gosh—one that bridges past to present and champions the dreams, courage and determination of children,” said Executive Vice President of Global Marketing, Jeff Jenkins. “OshKosh has been a childhood staple for generations. As we look to the future, we want to celebrate these inspiring trailblazers with a nod to who they were before they were icons—aiming to encourage children everywhere to dream big as they head back to school.”
The campaign also benefited from the participation of its famed honorees and their families, including André 3000 and Big Boi, who helped script the Outkast spot, which “nods to the duo’s beginnings in Atlanta through references to their history together,” according to the release.
“It was fun to be part of this campaign, for a brand that was part of our childhood,” the hit-making duo said in a statement.
Ali’s ad references the beloved red bicycle that was stolen from the boxing legend in his childhood; an incident which purportedly inspired him to enter the ring.
“Muhammad used to say, ‘don’t count the days, make the days count,’” said Lonnie Ali, widow of Muhammad Ali. “This is how he lived his life, and it’s the message at the heart of this campaign that we wish to pass to the next generation of kids daring to dream big.”
The entire campaign is adorable, but one of its young models has an extra special connection to the icon she embodies: Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon’s daughter Monroe Cannon portrays her famous mom in her first-ever brand campaign. “Cannon appears as her mom at age 10, paying tribute to Carey’s childhood, her songwriting, and her profound impact and influence on generations of young dreamers,” says the brand’s release, noting that Carey’s spot references her bestselling memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey, as well as her renowned singles.
“As a little girl, I was determined to realize my dreams,” Mariah told the brand. “Now as a mother, it brings me so much joy to see my children visualize and develop the dreams they hold in their own hearts. We did the campaign because we love the message of empowering kids to dream boldly and blaze their own path.”
A part of children’s powerhouse and parent company Carter’s, Inc., OshKosh B’gosh’s new Today is Someday campaign will officially debut Friday, July 23, with spots across digital, social and traditional media. Notably, this is the first retail creative work between OshKosh B’gosh and its new creative agency, the Atlanta-based agency Majority, co-founded earlier this year by CPB, Momentum vet Omid Farhang and Shaquille O’Neal.