Last month, we rounded up five mobile tours that pulled into college campuses to capitalize on the hype around back-to-school season. Now that classes are in full swing, brands are still making their way around the country to reach Gen Zers where they are and offer some respite from studying for midterms. From makeup moments to fashion freebies to retro arcades, here are nine more campus pop-up experiences.
CLINIQUE
Clinique fired up its Back to Campus Tour for a second year, stopping at George Washington University, Georgia Tech, University of Miami, Florida State University and University of Texas at Austin throughout September. Students entered the pastel-colored activation through an oversized, branded arch and met with brand experts to get “skin-typed” for a personalized Clinique 3-Step skincare routine.
They also interacted with a “Who’s Your Honey?” vending machine and explored Black Honey, Pink Honey and Nude Honey products. Giveaways included Clinique lipsticks, samples, and branded totes and sweatshirts. The tour engaged more than 1,850 students. (Agency: North Six)
Photo credit: Clinique
DR.G
K-beauty brand Dr.G has been traveling up and down the West Coast since Aug. 26 with its College Tour. Twenty schools in Washington, Oregon, California and Arizona are on the schedule through Oct. 30, and students are waiting in long lines to get their hands on Korean skincare products and totes earned by spinning a wheel. A beachy lounge photo op with oversized logo letters rounds out the experience.
EDIKTED
Women’s clothing brand Edikted kicked off its College Tour this week at the University of Chicago, one of 10 schools on the tour’s route this month. The heart-themed, pink-washed activation is drawing students in to spin a wheel for coupons and gift cards, stop by the Campus Crush food truck, take photos under a heart-shaped arch, and collect candies, water bottles and branded totes. At its Northwestern University stop, the Edikted social team posted a video with the caption: “We said free edikted totes and the campus went feral.” Students love a good tote.
Photo credit: Edikted
KOSAS
Cosmetics brand Kosas aimed to put out “really good vibes” for its Soulgazer Campus Tour in September and early October. It visited Florida State University, the University of Alabama and the University of Georgia for two days each. The dreamy, purple portal footprint featured several stations where attendees could try Soulgazer Mascara at a mirror, discover “What’s Your Number?” at a tablet, and leave with a corresponding numbered postcard and a press-on nails set (purple, of course).
Photo credit: Kosas
POPPI
On Thursday, State College, PA, welcomed prebiotic soda brand poppi into town as the first stop on the Major Flavor Tour. At Champs Downtown sports grill, Penn State students 21 and older enjoyed limited-edition merch, dj beats and poppi drinks. The viral, newly launched “Amaya Papaya” flavor inspired by “Love Island USA” cast member Amaya Espinal was available “for Sensitive Gangstas,” and the reality TV star made an appearance at the event. Swag included branded trucker hats, cups, stickers, totes, tees, sweatshirts and sweatpants. (Agency: BMF)
SHEIN
Apparel brand SHEIN took over the East Coast with its seven-stop Campus Tour that traveled from Ohio State to Florida State in three weeks. On social, SHEIN promoted the tour with “Freebies. Games. Photobooth,” and the pop-up featured three stations for students to engage with.
Inside a green, metal photo booth, attendees snapped a pic that was printed with a SHEIN frame, and if they shared that image on their socials and tagged the brand, they received a prize. Merch could also be earned through a reflex game. The number of falling sticks caught dictated the prize participants won. Fans of the brand had a chance to apply on-site to be an ambassador for the SHEIN Campus Program.
UBER ONE
After running its first back-to-school college campus tour last year, Uber has returned with a new concept to promote its student membership program, Uber One for Students. The One Arcade is popping up at 15 universities across the country, inviting students into a yellow and gold footprint to play arcade-style games from Taco Bell, Dunkin’ and Sephora. Along the way, participants collect Uber One-logoed coins, redeemable for a goodie bag.
Open exclusively to Uber One Student members, the activation is making two-day stops at Penn State, the University of Alabama, Ohio State, the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Miami through Nov. 12. (Agency: CNC Agency)
Photo credit: CNC Agency
ULTA BEAUTY
Ulta Beauty launched the College Glow Up Tour, presented by HerCampus Media, on Sept. 16 at the University of Miami and wrapped it at Savannah College of Art & Design on Sept. 26. The six-city program was anchored by the Ulta Beauty truck, and supported by partner experiences with Polite Society, Isima, Snif, Anua, Digi Beauty and Black Girl Sunscreen.
At each stop, beauty fans had a chance to sample and learn about products, score free gifts, snap photos, rub shoulders with influencers, enter to win major prizes, and participate in a sweepstakes that yielded the grand prize winner two tickets to Ulta Beauty World 2026. –K.S.
YUZU
Understanding that college is a time of new experiences and self-discovery, Yuzu, Match Group’s dating and social app for the Asian community, partnered with lifestyle brand Odd One In (OOi) on “Feel Real,” a multifaceted campaign that reassures Gen Zers, “It’s okay to feel it all.”
An in-app, co-branded personality quiz invites users to reflect on their feelings and behaviors for a personalized, shareable result. Those who complete it are entered into a raffle to win one of 2,000 limited-edition, blind-box bag charms, inspired by the viral Labubu craze and themed to four core emotions from Yuzu’s personality quiz. The plush bag charm creatures are also central to the campaign video.
“Charms tone down the seriousness, making us feel approachable—like a friend who gets you,” says Cindy Lim, Yuzu’s head of brand.
Yuzu engaged more than 100 content creators, including college students and nano-influencers, to show how they’re styling their purses with the charms and share their own “Feel Real” stories. Lastly, the brand brought the community together at the “Feel Real Gallery,” an art gallery activation that presented the campaign’s “plushsona world” through playful, interactive installations.
Photo: Courtesy of Yuzu
