# Confidence-Boosting Back-to-School Campaigns Matalan Big Them Up Instills Confidence for Kids By Michael Hemsworth | Published 2026-07-10 | Marketing Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/matalan-big-them-up References: [retailtimes](https://retailtimes.co.uk/matalans-new-back-to-school-campaign-celebrates-the-confidence-of-a-fresh-start/) & [matalan](https://www.matalan.co.uk/)  The Matalan Big Them Up campaign is the UK-based retailer's latest marketing endeavor that encourages consumers to tackle the task of prepping for the upcoming school year in a way that instills confidence. The campaign is based on the belief that parents will feel confident when kids feel confident and thus aims to take the stress out of [back-to-school shopping](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/backtoschool-campaigns). This is done by taking a holistic approach to school shopping and taco;ong [uniforms, outerwear, footwear and accessories](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/deichmann-back-to-school-range) at [affordable price points](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/walmart-backtoschool-program) to help kids feel confident and thus support parents who might be feeling stressed. This whole family approach to marketing understands the complex nature of seasonal shopping needs and tackles it with a fresh approach. The Matalan Big Them Up campaign is running now alongside the entire collection that consumers can shop online as well as in-store. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 8.4/10 - Popularity: 91% | Activity: 76% | Freshness: 84% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Marketing](https://www.trendhunter.com/marketing) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Confidence-led Retail:** Retail campaigns centered on emotional readiness are creating openings for brands to differentiate seasonal shopping through family wellbeing rather than price alone. - **Holistic Back-to-school Shopping:** Bundled school essentials across uniforms, footwear, outerwear and accessories point to new value in simplifying high-stress purchase journeys for parents. - **Family-centric Marketing:** Messaging that connects children’s self-esteem with parental reassurance reflects a growing opportunity for retailers to build deeper relevance around shared household needs. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Children's Apparel:** Affordable confidence-focused schoolwear highlights potential for apparel brands to pair functional basics with emotional benefits that resonate with families. - **Retail Marketing:** Seasonal campaigns using wellbeing-driven narratives signal room for more empathetic brand positioning in competitive omnichannel retail environments. - **E-commerce:** Integrated online and in-store access to complete school collections illustrates how digital commerce can reduce friction in time-sensitive family shopping occasions. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Back-To-School Fashion Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/backtoit-campaign.md) - [back-to-school retail campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/backtocollege-campaign.md) - [Simplicity-Focused Back-To-School Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/backtoschool-shopping.md) - [Cost-Conscious Clothing Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/primark-never-basic-campaign.md) - [Low-Cost Back-to-School Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/target-backtoschoolidays.md) - [Self-Expression Retail Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/growth-with-youth.md) - [Christmasy Customer-Rewarding Retailer Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/one-stop-2025-christmas-campaign.md) - [Retail Conversation Marketing Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/need-anything-from-tesco.md) - [Diversity-Celebrating Brand Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/champions-for-champion.md)