Journeys recruits Madison Bailey for ‘anti-algorithm’ back-to-school campaign

For this back-to-school season, Journeys wants its Gen Z consumers to push back “against the algorithm,” the brand said in a statement.

On Thursday, the company unveiled “Turn it Up,” a new campaign that brings “Outer Banks” star Madison Bailey playing three versions of herself, alongside Anna Cathcart, Sky Brown, Ocean Brown, Samara Cyn and INJI. According to Journeys’ chief marketing officer Stacey Doren, the idea is to promote self-discovery to all students.

“Young people are constantly being told who they should be and what they should look like,” Doren said. “We want Journeys to be the place where they can tune out that noise, try something new and figure out what feels like them. ‘Turn It Up’ is about giving the next generation the freedom to turn up the volume on who they are.”

The campaign, created alongside creative agency Anomaly, is set inside a school, where regular moments are “remixed into something louder, unexpected and more alive.”

“What I love most about Journeys is that it celebrates self-expression without putting you in a box,” Bailey said in a statement. “We’re all constantly growing and evolving, and this campaign captures that so well. Playing three different characters was a lot of fun because it reflects the way I express myself through style and how I'm always experimenting with new looks.”

A division of Genesco Inc., Journeys will push the campaign across CTV, digital, social, retail, and experiential, supported by an expanded social content series. “Turn It Up” also gives continuity to the brand’s “Life On Loud” platform.