Bubble’s Latest Play for Gen Z Loyalty? A College Tailgate Tour

Bubble Skincare has earned a coveted spot in the skincare routines of Gen Z and Gen Alpha with its colorful packaging and social-first marketing approach. Now it wants to drive more loyalty among younger audiences through real-world activations, starting with college campuses.

This weekend (Sept. 14) will see Bubble launch its “Face the Gameday” college tailgate tour at the University of Florida, followed by stops at Louisiana State University (Sept. 21) and Auburn University (Sept. 28).

Shai Eisenman, Bubble’s founder and CEO, told ADWEEK that tapping into sports marketing on the collegiate level will offer high visibility and brand awareness, ultimately allowing the brand to reach a wider audience and build consumer devotion.

“Bubble’s college tailgate tour isn’t just a marketing tactic; it’s a strategic move that positions the brand where we know our audience and community are already heavily engaged,” she told ADWEEK. “We’re diving headfirst into the heart of Gen Z culture, where sports and skincare collide.”

Each tailgate will display a Bubble-branded immersive space, inviting students to interact with the brand’s products including its new Tell All lip balm and Fresh Start gel cleanser, play tailgate games, and educate themselves on their skincare needs.

“Face the Gameday” builds on the success of “Bubble on Campus,” the company’s exclusive college ambassador program for students across the U.S. “Last year, we conducted a series of experiential meet-ups at various national campuses, which led us to recognize the need for a more substantial presence within the collegiate community,” shared Eisenman.

Bubble — which has retail partnerships with Ulta, CVS, and Walmart — plans to use its TikTok and Instagram accounts to promote the tour. It will measure its impact through on-site engagement, social media sharing, products sampled distributed, and Bubble on Campus sign-ups.

“By monitoring the use of the hashtags #FacetheGameday and #BubbleonCampus, we’ll be able to assess real-time social media engagement, and following the experience, we will monitor foot traffic at nearby ULTA stores to determine if the college event significantly impacted retail sales,” said Eisenman.

Beauty’s sports boom

Skincare is big business for the so-called “TikTok generation.” As per Fortune Business Insights, the value of the global skincare market is projected to rise from $115.6 billion in 2024 to $194 billion by 2032.

Gen Z is fueling this growth. A 2023 study from payment firm Klarna found skincare to be the category 41% of Gen Zers and 40% of millennials spent most on. Gen Alpha isn’t far behind in its obsession, with tweens increasingly tapping into the “pre-juvenation” trend.

Since it was founded in 2020 Bubble has grown from a direct-to-consumer (DTC) brand offering five SKUs to one available in over 9,000 doors, including big-box retailers. Over that time it’s become a staple in Gen Z’s bathroom cabinets, with Eisenman stating it was accessible to over 90% of the U.S. population.

Behind the cruelty-free brand’s success is a network of nearly 5,000 teens who give feedback on everything from new product development to packaging via a group chat.

With a mission to provide guidance and transparency, the Bubble brand acts as a “trusted older sibling” on all consumer touchpoints, its executive creative director Lindsay St. Clair recently told ADWEEK.

It’s not the first brand to muscle in on the college experience. Stanley will also embark on a college tour this fall, showcasing its best-selling drinkware products with an immersive space. Coca-Cola Zero Sugar also partnered with EA Sports for a fall football marketing campaign.

Bubble’s tailgate tour also comes as women-centric beauty, skincare, and fashion brands invest more heavily in sports marketing, capitalizing on a growing, captive audience.

These include e.l.f. Beauty and L’Oreal’s NYX, which both advertised during Super Bowl 58. More recently, Fenty Beauty partnered with the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics, while Charlotte Tilbury linked with F1 Academy to promote women participation in motorsport.

Kim Kardashian-owned Skims, meanwhile, shifted from a women-centric shapewear brand to a lifestyle brand for all after inking a partnership with the NBA, WNBA, and USA Basketball.