Coach, a brand of Tapestry, Inc., is rolling out a series of Tabby pop ups globally to support its spring 2026 campaign, “Explore Your Story”, beginning in Japan at Sapporo Daimaru and activating its most ambitious co creation strategy to date. The pop ups feature a giant Tabby bag installation on the roof, an evolved co creation bar including a curated selection of 12 miniature readable book charms inspired by literary classics, and immersive storytelling moments that bring the campaign’s themes of identity and self expression to life in store.
A Campaign Co Written by Gen Z
“Explore Your Story” is what Coach describes as its most co created campaign to date, developed hand in hand with Gen Z communities from the US to China, Japan, and Korea, who shaped the insight, narrative, book selections, and cultural expression of the campaign from the very beginning. The 12 book charms are miniature, readable versions of titles chosen collaboratively with Gen Z consumers, including Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility and Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and are debuting alongside the Tabby bag as wearable cultural statements.
Joon Silverstein, CMO of Coach, said, “It is our most co created campaign to date, from start to finish. It has been done in co creation with Gen Z communities, from the U.S. to China: defining the insight, crafting the narrative, selecting the books, defining how it shows up in culture and in communities.”
Star Power Meets Storytelling
The campaign includes two films directed by Marcus Ibanez, featuring brand ambassadors spanning film, music, and sport: Academy Award nominated actor Elle Fanning, Emmy winning actor Storm Reid, Korean musician Soyeon, Japanese singer songwriter Lilas, WNBA star Paige Bueckers, and Chinese singer Shan Yichun. In both videos, each ambassador sees their world transformed after reading a book, a visual metaphor that ties the campaign’s storytelling theme directly to Coach‘s broader brand positioning around individuality and self expression.
Community Partners and a College Tour
To bring “Explore Your Story” beyond advertising, Coach has partnered with a wide network of Gen Z focused cultural organizations, including Sunnie, the Gen Z arm of Reese Witherspoon‘s Hello Sunshine brand, China Youth Daily, Penguin Random House in the US, independent bookshops in China, Japan, and Korea, the WNBA, and Bilibili, China‘s top Gen Z video platform. [web:null] The campaign also includes a college tour across the US, Asia, and beyond, retail activations turning customization bars into Coach Book Nooks, and events through the Coach Foundation‘s annual Dream Day.
The results are already showing up in the numbers. Coach saw revenue increase 25% in fiscal Q2 2026 and increased marketing spend by approximately 40% versus the prior year to support top of funnel brand building. Joanne Crevoiserat, CEO of Tapestry, said, “Our relevance with Gen Z is influencing all other generations, and we’re driving healthy gains from existing customers, reflecting broad and increasing brand desire and reach.”
