Lifestyle brand Pacific Sunwear of California (PacSun) found creative ways to reach out to teenage and young adults online in a digital-first strategy focused on everything from livestream shopping and gaming, to buying pre-loved clothing items.

The metaverse and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), such as Pac Mall Rats, are also on the list. 

PacSun the Game launched earlier this year in the App Store. In the game, players can explore underwater worlds and join PacSun’s guide Puck in search of coral and resources to unlock new levels and underwater worlds guarded by an underwater serpent.

Insider Intelligenceforecasts U.S. mobile gaming ad revenue to reach $6.26 billion in 2022, up 14% from $5.49 billion in 2021.

But digital is incomplete without physical store locations, so this year the company will “rebalance” its strategy “to improve the experience,” says Alfred Chang, co-CEO at PacSun.

The company last week announced appointing performance media specialist Tinuiti as its paid media agency of record to increase awareness and reach more buyers, focused on Gen Z, with its message through content and campaigns.

Tinuiti will oversee analytics, creative, display, paid search, paid social and shoppable media.

“We needed a media agency that understands the entire funnel, and embrace and understand what are brand stands for,” Chang says. “It was a long process. Not just in the selection, but the experience that got us to this point.”

Chang says the company’s success is based on the entire community, including customers, associates, and key partners.  

Pre-Loved Pac comes as part of a recent initiative and partnership with ThredUp’s Resale-as-a-Service program in which the technology company builds white-labeled resale channels for brands.

The program encourages consumers to rotate their wardrobe, buy second-hand products like jeans, and receive credit to either buy new or used.

Thousands of PacSun products exist in the ThredUp ecosystem. A search on the website reveals about 1,784 items, from jeans to swimsuits. Site visitors can search based on condition and material, as well as color and whether an item is in someone’s cart.

This service provides something the Gen Z community wants, and encourages recycling, Chang said. “It would be great to recycle everything, and have a zero-carbon footprint, but we know every little bit helps,” he said. “The still have the option to buy new.”

The financial impact of the agreement is not clear at this time. One thing is for certain — Tinuiti will promote all of PacSun’s key initiatives, from what the company stands for as a brand, to its extended line of products.

Chang found his way to becoming co-CEO after spending many years in merchandising working at companies such as The Gap.

“It piqued my interest after seeing consumer interactions and all the sociology behind it,” he said, adding that he entered collage as a computer science major. “What’s impacting overall markets and trends.”

When asked what fictional character he relates to most, Chang pointed to an affinity to classic superheroes.

“I’m a diehard fan of that genre,” he said. “I like some of the storylines that take you to a place you don’t see in real life, like Superman, Spiderman, and Captain America. They all have a commitment to good and have an understanding that not everything is always black and white.”

Tinuiti takes the lead for PacSun’s analytics, creative, display, paid search, paid social and shoppable media initiatives to increase awareness and reach more buyers with its message through content and campaigns.