Ibotta assembles CPGs for BTS freebies

Ibotta is once again bringing together various CPG manufacturers for a themed freebie bundle aimed at helping families financially as they rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Building on the success of last fall’s Thanksgiving program at Walmart, the mobile rewards platform is now filling backpacks and lunchboxes with up to $20 worth of back-to-school shopping season staples through its “Back to School Free for All” program, which launched July 14.

Participating products eligible for 100% cash back span ACCO Brands' Five Star notebooks, Dixon Ticonderoga Co.'s Ticonderoga pencils, Newell Brands' Paper Mate erasers, Kimberly-Clark's Kleenex tissues, Flowers Foods' Nature’s Own bread, Hormel Foods' Skippy peanut butter, J.M. Smucker Co.'s Smucker’s fruit spread, and unspecified fruit cups. Walmart — which is currently preparing to launch a digital offers program in partnership with Ibotta — has returned as a partnering retailer and remains the only one offering the freebies in stores, but this time the offers are also available more widely online via fellow mass merchant Target, regional grocer H-E-B, as well as delivery platforms Instacart and Shipt.

“By coming together with so many household names to help ease the burden of back-to-school shopping costs, we hope that every family — whether their children are going back into the classroom or continuing virtually — can take advantage of this free program,” Ibotta chief marketing officer Richard Donahue said in a media release.

Ibotta will launch dozens of additional cash back offers on more back-to-school essentials July 30, spanning discounts on products from a slew of brands including Clif Bar & Co.'s Clif, Northwest Dairy Association's Darigold, Beiersdorf's Nivea Men, Kellogg Co.'s Keebler, Coca-Cola Co.'s Fairlife, Galderma Laboratories' Cetaphil, K-C's U by Kotex and PepsiCo's Quaker.

Adding an overt cause component, Ibotta is also donating more than $100,000 to AdoptACassroom.org to fund school supplies for students in underserved classrooms across the U.S.

Want to participate in Ibotta’s next back to school program? Click here to learn more.