Chew on This: How a Campus Gum Campaign Scored Big with Gen Z
From March to April 2025, UB Media’s Campus Network lit up with a playful, high-energy campaign from one of the most recognized leading gum brands. This wasn’t just any ad drop — it was a 15-second digital blitz strategically placed in student hubs on campus and off-campus housing to capture the attention of Gen Z where they live, study, and hang out.
The creative was as fresh as the product itself — fun, visually dynamic, and impossible to ignore. But the real story? The numbers prove that this wasn’t just about getting noticed. It was about driving genuine interest, shaping perceptions, and influencing future purchase decisions.
From Notice to Next Purchase: The Campaign’s Impact
Even in a crowded media environment, this gum campaign delivered standout results:
Interest that pops: Among students who recalled the ad, over half (52%) said they were interested in it — 6 points above industry benchmarks.
Brand image boost: Exposure to the campaign lifted positive brand perceptions by +34 points, landing the brand in the top 10% of all campaigns measured.
Consideration on the rise: Students who recalled the ad were +34 percentage points more likely to say they’d consider buying the gum in the future — again, a top 10% performance compared to benchmarks.
Message clarity: 55% of exposed ad recallers could correctly identify the brand behind the ad — a full 6 points above benchmark for attribution.
Efficient Reach, Lasting Impressions
With a cost per lifted user of just $0.19 and a total reach of over 9.7 million impressions, the campaign delivered not only in effectiveness but in efficiency. The impact score of 59 placed it firmly above average, showing that strategic placement plus creative execution can drive both scale and quality.
Why This Worked
Gen Z audiences are notoriously quick to scroll, skip, and tune out — but this campaign tapped into moments of pause: waiting in lobbies, walking through residence hallways, grabbing a coffee on campus. The fun, quick-hit creative perfectly matched the product’s appeal… fresh, energizing, and instantly gratifying.
By pairing right-place, right-time media strategy with engaging creative built for short attention spans, the gum brand didn’t just reach students. It gave them a reason to remember, talk about, and ultimately choose their product.
The Takeaway for Brands
The success of this campaign underscores a powerful truth: campus media isn’t just a channel — it’s a cultural touchpoint. When brands meet Gen Z in their daily environments with relevant, well-crafted messages, the results go beyond impressions. They shape perceptions, inspire trial, and plant the seeds for loyalty.
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