Kids acting like adults is definitely not a new concept; however, the use of sophisticated kinder in advertising campaigns and viral videos is. Though previously, the appeal of using children in advertising came solely from the coveted cute factor, the new approach shows more of a twist.
Whether it's literal child models in reputable fashion publications or products, such as pre-teen spas, targeted towards helping kids feel like grown-ups, this fad is manifested in many forms. The most noteworthy examples of this strategy include the recent Target ad based on the hit move The Avengers; the spot showed each of the characters of the movie depicted by (rather talented) child actors. A recent promotion video for fashion label Opening Ceremony took a similar approach.
21 Examples of Kids Acting Like Adults
20
Shocking Childhood Captures
Mary Ellen Mark's Photography is Heart-Wrenching
19
Mature Child Models
The Kid is Hot Tonight Photo Series Stars 7-Year-Old Nastya
18
Raining Kidswear Ads
The Burberry Childrenswear AW12 Campaign is Absolutely Adorable
17
Hipster Child Photography
'Fashion Portraits' by Achim Lippoth Show What the Future May Hold
16
Edgy Baby Fashion Labels
'Jessie and James' Creates Designer Clothing for Little Ones
15
Kid-Friendly Cooking Tools
'Kitchen Kids' Releases Safe Supplies to Prepare Snacks
14
Badass Children's Eyewear Campaigns
Very French Gangsters Recruits Rebellious Youngsters
13
Classy Kid Couture Collections
The Gucci Children Autumn Winter 11/12 Line is Playground-Chic
12
Kid-Size Comic Book Characters
The 'Young Avengers' Ad for Target Plays to its Market
11
Stylish Kiddie Lookbooks
The Sons and Daughters Eyewear Collection Shows Hip Looks for Youngsters
10
High Fashion Tots
The Kids by Phillip Lim Fall 2011 Collection Creates Uber Stylish Children
9
Child Boxer Captures
The Vice Style 'Kiddie Battlers' Editorial is Ready to Fight
8
Fashionable Kiddie Footwear
Fiorentini + Baker Launches a Juniors Line With Adorable Campaign
7
Run-Amuk Children's Fashion
The Mini & Maximus 'Rock Paper Scissors Collection' is Sassy and Sweet
6
Tech Tot Prodigies
Thomas Suarez is an iPad App Developer at Age 12
5
Arithmetic-Inspired Hairdos
Parents in South China Give Their Quadruplet Boys Numbered Haircuts
4
Tween-Targeting Spas
The Sweet & Sassy Salon and Spa Lets Girls Feel Like Grown-Ups
3
Child Stand-In Shorts
Opening Ceremony Releases 'An OCTV Fairy Tale' Video
2
Half-Pint Scientists
The Anatomy Apron Promotes Early Learing and Little Doctors
1
Child Activist Redefinitions
Bilaal Rajen Tells TEDxToronto to Say No to No
Related Ideas
Nostalgic Winter Intimates Campaigns
SKIMS' Holiday Campaign Was Inspired by Vintage Magazines
Heavy Metal-Inspired Kid's Clothing
nununu's Spring/Summer 2023 Line Boasts Edgy Designs
AI-Generative Chocolate Campaigns
KitKat Takes a Break and Taps Marketing Advice from AI
AI-Driven Dreamy Fashion Campaigns
ETRO's Spring 2024 Ad Campaign Uses Artificial Intelligence
Doll-Themed Fashion Collections
Bloomingdale’s Celebrates the Barbie Movie with New Capsule
AI-Influenced Fashion Campaigns
Heaven by Marc Jacobs Fall 2023 Stars Bella Hadid
Anti-Consumption Natural Ads
The 'Girls Just Wanna Grow Plants' Ad Aims to Reducing Consumption
Teddy Bear Outerwear
Build-A-Bear Cuddly Couture Shares Cozy, Warm Styles
Oversized Designer Kidswear
Jacquemus' MINI ME Line Shrinks Adult Fashion to Kid-Friendly Sizes
Celebrity-Fronted High-Fashion Campaigns
Versace's 2024 Icons Campaign Embodies the Brand's Ethos
AI-Generated Fashion Campaigns
Casablanca Spring/Summer 2023 Conveys a Hopeful Future
Cartoon-Themed Apparel Collections
This 'Teletubbies' Apparel Collection is 90s and Y2K-Inspired
Ingenious De-Influencing Ads
Cuyana's De-Influencing April Fool's Campaign Highlights Greenwashing
Luxuriously Artistic Homes
Child Studio Taps Mid-Sentury Modern Sensibilities & Art Deco Motifs
Kid-Powered Imagination Campaigns
Lunchables' A.I. vs K.I. Proves Kids' Limitless Creativity
Color-In Photo Cameras
The 'Potto' Toy Camera Concept Encourages Kids to Color in Prints
Distorted Burger Campaigns
Burger King's A.I.LLOWEEN Features Unsettling People Eating Burgers
Empowering Body-Confidence Sports Ads
Dove's 2024 Super Bowl Ad Will Inspire Young Girls
Eco-Friendly Bath Essentials
Bebo Seeks to Reimagine the Packaging of Kid's Bath Products
Emotive Fried Chicken Campaigns
KFC's Enjoy, It's Beautiful Captures Expressions While Eating
CGI-Created Fashion Campaigns
Coach's Find Your Courage Campaign Stars Virtual Human imma
Age-Appropriate Skincare Campaigns
Dove's #TheFaceof10 Addresses Unsafe Gen Alpha Skincare
Sporty Fashion Spring Campaigns
adidas Originals Introduces the 1000 Back Campaign
Children's Beauty Collections
Zara Launches a Beauty Collection for Children with Diane Kendal
Fake Ketchup Campaigns
This Heinz Campaign Exposes "Ketchup Fraud"
Convention-Challenging AC Campaigns
Samsung's WindFree Ad Stars a Savvy Grandma-Fluencer
Gen Alpha Marketing Campaigns
Claire's is Targeting TikTok Growth for its Latest Ads Spending
Gen X Influencer Campaigns
L’Oréal Paris Taps 10 Influencers for Its Age Perfect Rosy Oil-Serum
Undone Luxury Fashion
AVAVAV FW23 Ripped Clothing Right Off of the Runway
Grayscale Burger Restaurants
Burger King France Made a Visually Striking Anti-Bullying Initiative
Cinematic Fashion Campaigns
Norse Projects Partners with Mikkel Karstad for Its New Campaign
Adaptable Kid's Outerwear
Craghoppers Grow with You Collection is Functional and Cost-Effective
Cosmetic Criminal Commercials
Elf's Cosmetic Criminals Ad is a 15-Minute True Crime Parody
Streetwear Experimental Kids Capsules
The Ksubi 'Kids' Collection Arrives Ahead of the Holidays
Connected Gamer Campaigns
Heineken's Just Another Night Out Shatters Anti-Social Stereotypes
Mental Health-Protective Films
Dove's Cost of Beauty: A Dove Film Protects Teen's Mental Health
Opulent Baby Expansive Collections
Louis Vuitton Presents its First Baby Collection
Y2K Shopping Campaigns
Klarna's That's Smoooth Campaign Stars Paris Hilton
Futuristic Shapewear Ads
Skims' First-Ever TV Ad, Skims Lab, Stars Kim Kardashian in Every Role
Friendship-Promoting Fashion Campaigns
Tommy Hilfiger's Spring 2024 Features Kendall Jenner
Vibrant Children's Fall Fashion
nununu Recently Launched Its Fall 2023 Capsule & Its Eye-Catching
Gen Alpha Fitness Influencers
ASICS' Little Reminders Inspires Adults to Make Movement Joyful
Creativity Time Capsules
Crayola's Campaign for Creativity Reunites Adults with Childhood Art
Targeted Gen Alpha Skincare
Hi!papa Makes Personal Care for Kids Ages Three to 12 in China
Child-Friendly Camera Concepts
The Camera for Kids Concept Reimagines the Digital Camera
Kid-Envisioned Urban Environments
The Little Big Playmat Takes a Creative Path to Design Problems
Channel-Switching Commercials
This Tubi Super Bowl Ad Tricked Millions of Sports Viewers
Theater-Inspired Children's Stores
Vives St-Laurent Designs the Interior of Billie Le Kid
Adventure-Inspired Outerwear Campaigns
Canada Goose & KidSuper Drop an NBA All-Star Collection
AI Fashion Photography
Adstronaut AI Creates Stunning eCommerce Images for Fashion Brands
Transforming Imaginative Furniture Designs
The Kiddie Couch Encourages a Sense of Play
Celebrity-Fronted Fashion Campaigns
The New Calvin Klein Campaign Features Many Celebrities
Gen Alpha Bodycare Brands
Australian Gen Alpha Brand 'Allkinds' Made its United States Debut
Spring-Ready Sophisticated Streetwear
Kith Spotlights Bryan Cranston in the Spring '23 Collection
Play-Based Learning Collections
Staples Launches the Curated Kids Learn + Play Collection
Reinvigorated Cognac Campaigns
Larsen Cognac Challenges Traditional Images & Outdated Views
Children-Catered Luxe Festive Collections
The New Louis Vuitton Holiday Capsule is Made for Kids
Anthropomorphized Bath Products
Uoga Uoga Kids' Packaging Can Be Customized with Stickers
Humanitarian-Inspired Luxe Fashion Campaigns
Prada Presents In Conversation with a Flower for FW23
Maturity-Inspired Fashion Campaigns
Kachorovska Recently Launched Its Fall/winter 2023-24 Campaign
Adorable Holiday Campaigns
Burberry's Holiday Campaign Spotlights Dogs and Ducklings
Ultra-Stylish Tween Clothing Collections
Hayden Girls Offers a Diverse Range of Tween Clothing
Unfiltered Beauty Campaigns
#NoFilterJustMilani Champions Beauty Online and in Real Life
Cringe-Worthy Photo Campaigns
Sour Patch Kids is Challenging Fans to Choose "Cringe or Candy"
Kindness-Encouraging Soda Campaigns
The Coca-Cola 'The World Needs More Santas' Ad is Festive
Kid-Focused Skincare Collectons
The Aveeno® Kids Has Recently Launched in Canada
Summer-Ready Toy-Branded Clothing
The Mattel Barbie Film Merch Collection is Expansive
Gen X Candy Campaigns
Klondike's Bar-cade Campaign Engages Gen X Consumers
Angelic Toilet Paper Packaging
Angel Soft is Swapping Its Photorealistic Baby for an Animated One
Empowering Fashion Films
Victoria's Secret World Tour Reimagines the Iconic Show as a Feature Film
Secondhand Fashion Editorials
Vinted Styled a Shoot Exclusively with Vinted Finds
Contemporary Kids Clothing Collections
Cat & Jack Clothing is Arriving at Hudson's Bay in Canada
Doll-Inspired Kids Collections
The PatPat x Barbie Collection Features About 60 Unique Styles
90s Toy Holiday Trees
Furbtrees are Introducing the Next Generation of Furby Across the UK
Shoppable Luxury Fashion Films
Tom Ford Allows Consumers to Seamlessly Shop Its Spring 2024 RTW
Artistic Multi-Beverage Ads
The Coca-Cola Family is Spotlighted in this Unique Ad
Luxury Handheld Camera Bags
KidSuper Designs This Louis Vuitton-Branded Camera Bag
Actress-Backed Sensory Apparel
Shilpa Shetty Launches the Zip Zap Zoop Kids Clothing Line
Gamified Custom Kidswear
Supermix Studio Empowers Kids to Create Their Own Apparel & Accessories
Children's Activewear Capsules
Children’s Label Hanna Andersson Launches Activewear for Kids
Celebrity-Backed Bag Campaigns
Coach Debuts the ‘In My Tabby’ Campaign with Celebrity Inspiration
Senior Self-Care Campaigns
L'Oreal Paris is Celebrating the Aging Consumer with 'Age Perfect'
Film-Themed Retailer Collections
Target x Disney The Little Mermaid Collection Arrives This Month
Wholesome Accessible Kids Foods
Good & Gather Baby and Toddler Foods are Well-Priced
Life-Size In-Store Countdowns
Toys R Us Asia and Craig & Karl Created an Advent Calendar for All
Elevated Contemporary Sportswear Lines
Admiral Sporting Goods Co. Re-Interprets Classic Designs
Mature Fashion-Forward Brands
'Wit & Wisdom' Launched for Older Consumers to Stay Fashion-Ready
Kid-Friendly Customizable Bags
Pop ‘n’ Swop Bags Can Be Decorated with Badges, Handles & More
90s-Inspired Tween Fashion
John Lewis' New Collection Will Outfit Gen Alpha
Recycled Ad Campaigns
Mars is Reusing Fan-Favorite Ads to Bring Attention to Climate Change
Girlhood-Inspired Clothing Drops
Peachy Den's 'Sweet Cheeks' Collection Pays Homage to Girlhood
Empowering Car Ads
CarMax's New Ad Campaign Takes a Witty Approach
Planet-Friendly Organic Clothing
Toby Tiger Offers Ethical and Affordable Kids Clothing for All
Blockbuster Shopping Campaigns
Walmart Reunited the Mean Girls Cast for Its Black Friday Ads
Child Creator Casting Calls
Kid-Focused Social Network Zigazoo Hosts Casting Call for New Creators
Sleek Kid-Oriented Apparel
Authentic Brands Group Partners with Kidz Concepts for Aéropostale Kids
Spooky Street Ad Experiences
These Fanta Halloween Projections Took Over a Busy Stockholm Street
Nostalgic Shopping Ads
The Rakuten Big Game Campaign Revives Alicia Silverstone as Cher Horowitz
Novela-Inspired Liqueur Ads
Kahlúa's Spots Bring Excitement to Everyday Occasions
Sustainable Kids Apparel
Kidly Debuts a New Eco Denim Collection for Toddlers and School-Age Kids
Kid-Friendly Canned Alt Milks
Kiddiwinks Offers a 1:1 Nutritional Replacement for Cow's Milk
Kid-Focused Finance Apps
ABN Amro Launches a Financial Literacy App for Children
Minimal Californian Fashion Brands
A Paper Boy is Defined by its Minimal Oversized Versatile Looks
Youth Art Campaigns
Sun Bum Taps Into the Gen Alpha Market with an Innovative Art Contest
Gen Z Advertising Tools
YouTube Launches a New Music Tool to Connect Advertisers with Gen Z
Red Carpet Chocolate Giveaways
Kinder Bueno Unveils Hollywood Screening Giveaway with Paramount
Animated Turtle Clothing Collections
Shein's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is Kid-Friendly
Personalized Child Education Apps
Sandbox Group Launches the PlayKids+ Application for Ages 2-12
Child Protection Partnerships
Balenciaga Announces Work with the National Children's Alliance
Tween-Friendly Apparel Capsules
John Lewis Debuts its First Tween Fashion Collection for Ages 7-12
Youth Intern Social Stunts
Louis Vuitton Hires a 13 Year Old Intern After Sketches Went Viral
Promotional Influencer Videos
Activision Recruits Multiple Creators to Appeal to Gen Z Consumers
AR Voter Campaigns
Snapchat & the Dutch Ministry Engaged and Inspired Gen Z Voters
Youth Culture Telecom Campaigns
Deutsche Telekom's Summer Campaign Connects with Gen Z
Vintage Floral Bedding
Pottery Barn Kids and Teen Debut a Floral Collection with LoveShackFancy
Empowering Visual Content Campaigns
Getty Images and Hiki Launches #AutisticOutLoud
Parental Social Controls
Snapchat Debuts New Parental Controls for Parents Monitoring Their Kids
Collaboration Kids Home Decor
The National Geographic for West Elm Kids Collection is Wondrous
Review-Based Marketing Campaigns
These Amazon Campaigns Bring Real Reviews To Life
Transparent Healthcare Campaigns
Kaiser Permanente Aims to Support the Modern Aging Consumer
Inclusive Chosen Family Campaigns
Calvin Klein's 'This Is Love' Campaign Emphasizes True Family
Whimsical Kids Furniture Collections
Oeuf Presents the New Moss Collection of Modern Looks
Plant-Based QSR Campaigns
Burger King's Confusing Times Campaign is Made with DAVID Madrid
Home Decor Apps
Pottery Barn Kids and Pottery Barn Teen Launch Mobile Apps for E-Commerce Sales
Childhood Memory Capturing Apps
Dear Little One Allows Parents to Record Messages for Their Child
Color-Changing Fall Fashion
Anrealage Unveils New Clothing Designs at Paris Fashion Week
Kid-Friendly Cartoon Bedding
Brooklinen Teams Up with Sesame Street on a New Kids Collection
National Trafficking Awareness Ads
The See the Trafficking Signs Campaign Aims to Raise Awareness
Opulent High-Quality Garments
Nobody's Child Introduces its All-New Premium Collection for Summer
Growth-Inspired Spring-Ready Fashion
FACETASM's Coming of Age Capsule Readies for SS24
Chic Baby-Focused Collections
Banana Republic Expands its All-New 'BR Baby' Collection to Canada
Comforting Oat Bar Ads
Humanaut Launches a Campaign for Bobo's, Highlighting Home-Baked Taste
Tween-Oriented Content Series
Claire's Launches a New Media Partnership with Sony Pictures TV-Kids
April Fool's Lifestyle Collections
Nugget Introduced Its 'Most Trendiest - High Endiest' Line Yet
Tween-Targeted Weekly News Shows
Kelsey Russell is the Newest Co-Host of First Stop News
Haunting Tech Safety PSAs
The Canadian Centre for Child Protection Releases 'The Horse'
Summer-Ready Kidswear Subscription Boxes
Kidpik Releases Its New Summer-Styled Subscription Box
Contemporary Kids Eyewear Capsules
Aéropostale Launches a Kids Eyewear Collection with A&A Optical
Parent-Focused TV Campaigns
NatureFresh's TV Campaign Explores How Active Parenting Benefits Kids
Advanced Kids Sizing Tools
Makip Introduces the New Unisize for Kids Sizing Technology