Carter's unveiled a new brand identity and marketing campaign on Tuesday, as the children's clothing company works to attract a younger generation of parents and build on a recent business turnaround. The rebrand centers on a new brand promise, "Let every child's light shine," and a refreshed logo in which a shooting star replaces the apostrophe in the Carter's wordmark, with a new 60-second film called "Watch Them Glow" debuting across connected television as the first major marketing expression of the new direction. Chief Marketing Officer Sarah Crockett told CNBC that the company sees a significant shift in its core customer base, with Gen Z expected to account for a large share of new parents over the next several years. The new identity will begin rolling out across Carter's channels in 2026, with additional retail, product, and packaging elements to follow in 2027, alongside a creator program called Light Makers and expanded partnerships with organizations including Outward Bound and Boys & Girls Clubs of America. The rebrand comes as Carter's works to recover from a difficult stretch: over the past three years its stock has lost more than half its value, leaving a market capitalization of roughly $1 billion, and in fiscal year 2025 it posted adjusted net income of $126.1 million, down from $210.7 million the year prior. Since cutting 15% of corporate staff and closing 150 stores across North America, Carter's has pointed to a 10.5% rise in U.S. comparable sales during the first quarter of 2026 and a mid-teens percentage increase in Gen Z customers in the second quarter, and Sharon Price John, formerly the CEO of Build-A-Bear Workshop, told CNBC the generational change in who is buying children's clothing represents the most significant shift in the parent demographic the company has encountered in a quarter century.
Carter’s IncNew brand identity and 'Watch Them Glow' campaign aim to attract Gen Z parents, building on a 10.5% rise in U.S. comparable sales and mid-teens growth in Gen Z customers.
Build-A-Bear Workshop Inc