中文title: “DJ Khaled and Snipes Turn Back-to-School Into a Cultural Moment” seo_description: “Snipes launches Pull Up Fresh, a back-to-school campaign with DJ Khaled and a national sweepstakes, blending community and streetwear culture.” seo_tags: [“Snipes”, “DJ Khaled”, “back to school”, “footwear marketing”, “streetwear”, “Pull Up Fresh”] seo_slug: “snipes-pull-up-fresh-back-to-school” original_url: “https://footwearplusmagazine.com/unlaced/snipes-launches-pull-up-fresh-for-the-back-to-school-season/”
DJ Khaled and Snipes Turn Back-to-School Into a Cultural Moment
Back-to-school shopping rarely gets described as a cultural moment. Snipes USA is determined to change that. The global sneaker and streetwear retailer has launched “Pull Up Fresh,” a back-to-school campaign that blends celebrity firepower, community activations and a nationwide social challenge into something far bigger than a seasonal sale.
At the centre of the push is a celeb-stuffed hero video built in-house by the Snipes creative team. It features Snipes Chief Creative Officer DJ Khaled, rapper JT, fashion and lifestyle personality Azzy Milan (Khaled’s goddaughter), and Twitch streamer Reggie Travers. The film captures the chaotic energy of a school day — exploding chemistry experiments, locker-lined hallways, an unsolicited visit from mum, and a “style counselor” who makes the case that the right look can change everything, starting with a kid’s confidence.
But Pull Up Fresh is more than a video. True to Snipes’ mission of supporting and empowering local communities, the campaign includes community activations, a nationwide social media challenge encouraging students to post their freshest first-day looks, exclusive rewards experiences, and a sweepstakes. A Snipes-branded school bus will roll into key markets for school visits and community events that put essentials directly into students’ hands.
The #SNIPESFresh Sweepstakes invites kids and teens across the country to post their first-day outfits and tag Snipes. Each week through August 30, randomly selected participants win a $1,000 Snipes gift card and other prizes. One grand-prize winner receives a VIP experience for themselves and two friends at a special October concert. It is, in effect, a loyalty programme disguised as a party.
The strategy reflects a deliberate consumer-first philosophy. “Pull Up Fresh reflects Snipes’ consumer-first approach to reach a diverse audience — utilizing various talent, social, and community to meet each audience where they are by blending entertainment, community engagement, and cultural storytelling,” says CMO Kelley Walton. Back-to-school, she notes, is one of the most important moments of the year for Snipes’ customers, and the campaign is built to “go beyond retail to create a connected experience to build confidence and reward individuality.”
Khaled, for his part, frames it in characteristically motivational terms. “Back-to-school is all about showing up with confidence and letting people know who you are before you even say a word,” he says. “Style is part of your story; this campaign is about inspiring students to go after their goals and step into the school year feeling fly.” For Khaled, appearing alongside his sons Asahd and Aalam and his goddaughter Azzy is personal: “teaching them confidence, self-expression, and watching them evolve is important to me.”
Beyond footwear, the back-to-school collection spans sweatpants, graphic tees, hoodies and hats from Nike, Adidas, Timberland and others — a full lifestyle basket aimed at the family spend. The bet is that by showing up authentically in the neighbourhoods and schools it serves, Snipes evolves “from a sneaker retailer into a cultural force that is creating opportunities for young people.”
Whether the campaign moves the needle on sales, only the autumn numbers will tell. But in a category where brand affinity is won young, Snipes is playing a long game — and playing it loud.
Source: Footwear Plus Magazine (July 16, 2026)
