Back to School: Parents Trust Parents

The Challenge

Epson faced a critical challenge in the structurally shrinking printer category during the back-to-school period. With economic pressure delaying household purchases and intensifying competitor activity from Canon and HP, traditional product-led creative had reached a performance ceiling.

The Strategy

Epson partnered with Mediaplus UK and creator agency JOLI to deploy a UGC-first performance strategy. The strategic insight was behavioural: parents trust other parents more than brand messaging. Rather than leading with technical specifications, UGC demonstrated how EcoTank printers facilitated real family moments.

Execution and Innovation

Investment was split across three creative approaches: bespoke commissions on TikTok Creative Exchange, Epson-sourced creator content, and business-as-usual creative.

Results

UGC assets significantly outperformed previous brand-led creative across year-on-year comparisons, with TikTok Creative Exchange content delivering strong uplifts versus business-as-usual assets. Attention metrics confirmed the creative was actively noticed, not passively scrolled.

Judge's Verdict

"A smart creative choice to reframe printers as lifestyle products, building genuine emotional connections through authentic family storytelling."

"Seamless collaboration, excellent use of TikTok's Creative Exchange, and rigorous A/B testing, a campaign that easily exceeded its goals."