Dive Brief

“A Girl SMR at Claire’s” celebrates girlhood and represents the brand’s first major push since being acquired by Ames Watson.

Published April 30, 2026

Dive Brief: 

• Claire’s today, April 30, announced a summer campaign themed around autonomous sensory meridian response, or ASMR. “A Girl SMR at Claire's” targets Gen Alpha and showcases a new brand mission of celebrating girlhood in its various forms, per details shared with Marketing Dive. 
• Key to the campaign is a Summer Sensory Shop product lineup and ASMR filming set ups in key locations that invite consumers to make their own content. Creator and brand tie-ups will focus on blind-box reveals, slime and “squishy hunting.” 
• The tween retailer will also activate on Coverstar, a social media app designed for kids and teens, and have a presence at VidCon. The campaign, made with We Are Social, is the first major push from Claire’s after joining the Ames Watson portfolio last year.

Dive Insight: 

Claire’s is entering a new chapter focused around what it bills as Gen Alpha “Claire’s Girls” and the celebration of girlhood with “A Girl SMR at Claire's.” The multichannel campaign is inspired by the younger generation’s appreciation for ASMR content and sensory-stimulating experiences, along with the cohort’s desire for more in-person opportunities. 

“Gen Alpha is rewriting the rules of modern girlhood, and Claire’s is evolving with them,” said Michelle Goad, who was named Claire’s chief brand officer in February, in a press release. “This new era is about creating a world where girls can explore, express, and experience joy through every sense.”

Key to the campaign is in-store ASMR recording stations that will roll out at select stores nationwide and give consumers the opportunity to create their own ASMR content using a variety of textures, sounds and sensations. The campaign promotes Claire’s Summer Sensory Shop, which includes products like slime, squishy toys and scent-forward items.

As part of its new brand mission, Claire’s is also prioritizing showing up in new spaces, including Coverstar, a social media app for teens and kids that is designed to combat endless scrolling with creativity-focused challenges, livestreaming and avatar gaming. Additionally, exclusive brand collaborations will drop throughout the summer and prioritize slime, blind-box content and “squishy hunting,” a viral shopping trend where consumers document their search for squishy toys.

Claire’s will also collaborate with popular YouTube creators for product integrations and in-person fan experiences. Supporting its efforts, Claire’s will be part of a co-branded pop-up at VidCon, an event for digital creators and fans that will be held June 25-27.

The campaign from Claire’s represents its first major effort after its acquisition by investment firm Ames Watson for $140 million last September. At the time, the firm worked with RCS Real Estate Advisors to keep at least 800 stores open and said it “is committed to preserving Claire’s heritage while positioning the company for sustained growth.” Claire’s filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in August, its second bankruptcy since 2018.

Correction: In a previous version of this article, the name of Claire's summer campaign was misstated. The title of the campaign is "A Girl SMR at Claire's."

Correction: A previous version of this article misstated the agency behind Claire's summer campaign. Claire's worked with We Are Social for "A Girl SMR at Claire's."

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