Apparel Brands Showed Up in Style on Retail Media

Amazon Held the Lead, While Others Rallied for Back-to-School

Amazon continued their reign as the top retail media network (RMN) for apparel in August, extending the lead they’ve held all year. While Amazon’s impressions peaked in July surrounding Prime Day, category momentum shifted to other major retailers in August, particularly those leaning into back-to-school messaging. Target’s apparel impressions soared +157% MoM, Walmart’s jumped +138%, and Macy’s grew +86%, as brands ramped up their efforts during the key school shopping season.

Levi’s was the Top Apparel Brand on Retail Media

With back-to-school in full swing, the top apparel advertisers in August represented a wide range of products, from denim and sneakers to backpacks and eyewear. Levi’s led the category with 61M impressions spread across four different RMNs. Many of the other top advertisers gained visibility through multi-brand, back-to-school initiatives. Crocs, for example, was featured in video ads at Walmart where kids shared what’s at the top of their shopping list. Crocs was the only apparel brand in the campaign, running alongside school supplies like Elmer’s and Paper Mate.

Levi’s Went Beyond Branding with Product-Focused Campaigns

Levi’s, the top apparel advertiser in August, tapped into multiple RMNs to showcase their range of denim fits. Rather than running broad brand awareness campaigns, Levi’s opted to highlight specific products, like using social media ads at Macy’s to promote their Western Wear lineup. At Amazon and Target, Levi’s used display ads to drive sales with creatives focused on trending jean fits like Superlow Loose and Cinch Baggy. At Sam’s Club, they took a more value-driven approach, highlighting “Campus-ready instant savings” on girls’ denim.

Apparel Brands Adjusted their Strategies by Retailer

In the apparel category, brands adjusted their media strategies based on where they were advertising. At Amazon and Macy’s, OnSite Display was the go-to channel for directly driving conversions. The large share of OTT and YouTube activity occurred at Walmart and Target, where hero video creatives for back-to-school often featured multiple brands. At Target, for example, Champion appeared alongside E.L.F. Cosmetics in a co-branded video ad with the tagline “For all of the above, it’s back to school at Target.” The unexpected pairing reinforced how apparel fits into a larger story about self-expression, especially as students prepare for the school year ahead.

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