Kris Kross' "Jump" is heading back to the classroom, this time as a jingle for cut-price school shoes.
Clarks has launched "Jump into Clarks," a Back-to-School campaign running across multiple channels and in stores as families gear up for the new school year.
The push takes a nostalgic route, reworking Kris Kross' 1992 hit with new lyrics tied to Clarks' school shoe range.
Its goal is to tap into the excitement parents and kids feel at the start of a school year.
The campaign arrives alongside Clarks' most accessible school offering to date.
Shoes will start at £25 (approx. $28), plus a promotion in which families buying two children's pairs get a third pair at half price.
It follows a run of good news for the brand.
Independent research from YouGov named Clarks the UK's favorite school shoe brand among parents surveyed earlier this year.
@clarks Are you ready to Jump?! We're taking it back to the 90s with a back-to-school campaign drop you won't want to miss. 👀 Stay tuned… #JumpIntoClarks#BackToSchool#ComingSoon#2026♬ original sound - Clarks Official
This ranks it highest among competitors for trust, materials quality, durability and fit.
Dawn Porto, Clarks' chief product officer, sees the range as an answer to families who want value without giving up quality.
"We know families are looking for great value, but they don't want to compromise on quality.
"Our school range is designed to deliver both, giving parents more choice than ever before while staying true to the comfort, durability and expert fitting Clarks is known for," she said.
The campaign marks one of the season's more nostalgic entries in back-to-school marketing, using a song parents remember from their own school days to sell shoes to their kids.
The Track Gets New Words
At the center of the creative is the Kris Kross remix, with updated lyrics that swap the original's references for lines about Clarks' school range.
Young talent from Somerset, Clarks' home county, stars in the spot, carrying over the bounce and energy of the original song.
The ad makes use of bold, high-energy visuals to match the music, aiming for a spot parents will recognize and kids will still enjoy on their own terms.
Apart from the film, the campaign spans social media and Clarks' owned digital channels, alongside in-store activity tied to the value promo.
Other footwear retailers are taking their own routes into the season.
Shoe retailer Journeys is embracing teen absurdity with its "Life On Loud" platform, casting Olympic skateboarder Sky Brown in a surreal film made with agency Anomaly.
Where Clarks banks on parental nostalgia and a clear price point, Journeys is aiming to win over teens with the humor and unpredictability Gen Alpha has come to love.
The contrast shows how differently retailers are reading the same season, whether that means a parent managing a budget or a teenager chasing self-expression.
Parents Brace for Pricier School Shoes
According to a 2026 survey from AlixPartners and the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America, kids' shoe prices are up the most in almost four years.
Meanwhile, half of prospective buyers expect prices to climb further over the next six months.
The National Retail Federation projects families will spend an average of $863.86 on back-to-school supplies this year.
Notably, rising shoe and electronics prices were also cited as the biggest drivers of the increase.
This backdrop makes Clarks' value messaging a pointed move.
With parents already anxious about rising prices, a shoe under £25 and a stacked discount give the brand a concrete answer to customer woes:
- Put a real number in the headline, not a value slogan. Clarks leads with £25 and a specific discount structure instead of a vague promise of quality.
- Give an emotional hook a functional reason to convert. The Kris Kross remix earns the attention, but the discount gives shoppers a reason to act on it.
- Borrow third-party credibility instead of asserting it. Clarks cites an independent YouGov ranking and doesn't claim to be the best on its own. Marketers can apply this by sourcing an outside study, award, or ranking to back a trust claim.
A recognizable song can get a school shoe ad on the radar, but this year, the brands converting attention into sales are the ones that show their pricing.
Our Take: What Is Clarks Really Selling Here?
We think Clarks understood that pulling "Jump" back from 1992 does something a discount code alone can't.
It's an emotional hook that sends parents back to the time when they were the ones jumping around a playground, not worrying about the bill.
@clarks 📼 The wait is over! The nostalgia? ✅ The energy? ✅ The excitement of new school shoes? Absolutely. 👟 It's time to Jump into Clarks. With our lowest ever priced school shoes from £25, trusted expert fitting, and styles for every personality, getting back-to-school ready has never been easier. Make summer stress free with Clarks.🎒✨ #JumpIntoClarks#BackToSchool#90sVibes#SchoolReady#2026♬ original sound - Clarks Official
And what can recreate that magic for the new generation? Clarks hands these parents the answer, and at an affordable price.
Nostalgia marketing can often feel flat, but the shoe brand found a way to make a '90s jam feel fresh and catchy like it was the first time around.
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