Old Navy sees boost from MrBeast deal
Back to school is a key moment for retailers, and for Old Navy, the 2026 season has higher stakes than usual as it tries to break a sales slump. However, a revamped strategy emphasizing creator content is showing early signs of promise.
According to Damon Berger, senior vice president and head of shared marketing services at Old Navy’s parent Gap Inc., “creators are the ones that are driving culture more than almost anything out there in the world of marketing.”
Partnership with MrBeast
For this year’s back-to-school campaign, Old Navy partnered with MrBeast, one of the top internet stars worldwide, in a multiyear deal. The effort resulted in a 22% jump in traffic to Old Navy kids’ assortment online in the days immediately following its launch.
The MrBeast videos have generated over 100 million global views and 1.4 billion impressions on YouTube, boosting Old Navy’s viewership and engagement on other platforms, including TikTok. Berger said, “The numbers are staggering. It shows that it really resonated with the people that we wanted it to resonate with.”
Shift in Marketing Strategy
The MrBeast tie-up is part of a larger shift at Old Navy to recognize changing habits among its customers, particularly the gravitation toward creators. This is the first back-to-school campaign from the brand anchored on a single creator, focusing less on glossy advertising and more on storytelling from an authentic lens.
Old Navy has been rewiring its marketing to try and turn things around, according to Gap Inc. CEO Richard Dickson. Dickson pointed to Old Navy’s MrBeast collaboration and a recent campaign with Cardi B as signs of a more effective approach in action.
Broader Trend
The marketing change-up aligns with a trend that has seen retailers adopt more social- and creator-led tactics to connect with Gen Z and Gen Alpha consumers. Among surveyed parents, 91% report their teenage children influence their brand preferences, research from HarrisX and Allison Worldwide found.
MrBeast brings a massive audience to Old Navy, with over 515 million subscribers, as well as an emotional connection through his charitable work. This factors into Old Navy activations, such as giving away free lunch for a year to a middle school in Kansas and cash prizes and Old Navy gift cards to students.
Future Plans
Shoppers can expect a higher volume of creator content coming from Old Navy heading into the final stretch of the year, including the holiday window. Old Navy is further bolstering the strategy established with MrBeast, with Berger saying, “We’re starting to get much more confident in how we think about really working with creators as a centerpiece to the go-to-market strategy for the brand.”
