Starring Actress Elle Fanning Across Four Films, Each Co-Starring and Soundtracked by Musicians PinkPantheress, SOYEON, Lilas, and Shan Yichun.
Coach introduces “Live Your Story,” the brand’s Fall 2026 campaign celebrating how style and music enable self-expression and real-world connection. Building on Coach’s ongoing exploration of identity and personal narratives, the campaign moves from self-expression as an individual pursuit to connection as a collective experience, turning to music as a powerful expression of both individuality and community. “Live Your Story” introduces a new global cultural partnership with Spotify into the campaign as a core pillar and features five Coach global ambassadors, including four musicians with deep cultural resonance and combined global reach. The campaign spotlights Coach’s iconic Tabby bag, including five special-edition Tabbys inspired by the starring talent, and a new collection of concert ticket bag charms designed to invite personalisation and spark conversation.
The Concept
“Live Your Story” was inspired by in-depth conversations with Gen Z consumers, who shared a desire to spend less time on screens and more time connecting in the real world—and a belief that music, particularly live music, can be a powerful conduit for self-expression and community. At the heart of the campaign is the idea that real connection requires courage: the vulnerability to show up as yourself, let yourself be seen and participate fully in moments unfolding in real time. In this way, “Live Your Story” brings Coach’s purpose, the Courage to Be Real, to life across campaign films, custom product, personalised playlists and in-person experiences around the globe.
“At Coach, we start with the people, not the category—listening closely to what matters to them and how they are navigating the world. In our conversations with Gen Z, we heard a powerful tension: they long to spend less time behind screens and connect more deeply in real life, but stepping out of digital comfort and into the vulnerability of being fully present takes courage,” said Joon Silverstein, Coach Chief Marketing Officer.
“Music is uniquely powerful in creating space for real connection. It is deeply personal—a soundtrack to identity and emotion—but it also creates a shared language that helps people find one another and feel they belong. ‘Live Your Story’ brings our purpose, the Courage to Be Real, to life by showing what can happen when people take that step together—when individual expression becomes shared experience.”
The Campaign
The four films anchoring the campaign each feature a different trailblazing musician with deep cultural resonance and a distinct sound. Beyond starring in the films, each artist contributes one of their own songs to the soundtrack—including a newly-released solo single from SOYEON—allowing their music and personal style to shape the story onscreen. The musicians include PinkPantheress, a new Coach global ambassador and British singer-songwriter and producer whose innovative sound and genre-defying production have made her one of music’s most exciting young artists. She is joined by returning global ambassadors: Korean singer-songwriter and producer SOYEON, Japanese singer-songwriter Lilas and breakthrough Chinese singer Shan Yichun.
As a narrative through-line, Oscar-nominated American actress Elle Fanning appears in every film, driving the story figuratively and literally. In a first for Coach, 12 Gen Z music lovers from around the world also appear in the film and stills—each has a personal story about the ways live music has changed their lives and their sense of self.
Directed by Emmy-nominated director Vincent Haycock, the four campaign films underscore the power of music and style to enable self-expression and connection in the moment. Elle Fanning appears as the driver of a bus on its way to a music festival. As the other cast members board and the featured musician’s song begins to draw them together, the passengers transform from isolated individuals, each absorbed in their own world, into a community united through style and music.
Coach’s iconic Tabby bag also plays a starring role in “Live Your Story,” acting as a conversation starter that helps foster connection in the films and appearing across campaign content in key silhouettes. A special assortment of five Tabbys inspired by Elle Fanning, PinkPantheress, SOYEON, Lilas and Shan Yichun reflects each talent’s personal style. The bags are complemented by a new selection of concert ticket bag charms, designed to evoke keepsakes from live shows and invite customers to become part of the moment: collecting them, using them to personalise their bags, or sharing a set with a friend.
The Partners
“Live Your Story” reflects how Gen Z already moves through the world, using music and style to figure out who they are and connect with others. Coach champions the courage to explore and express who you are, while Spotify, one of the least regretted places young people spend time online, helps people discover music, artists and creators in ways they genuinely value. They’re bringing those worlds together through live experiences and on Spotify, including a bespoke “Live Your Story” hub on Spotify where fans can discover how courage shows up in their relationship with music, discover and share their personalised listening persona, and explore playlists shaped by their music tastes.
“This fall, Coach and Spotify come together in a first-of-its-kind global cultural partnership built around a clear insight: Gen Z doesn’t separate identity into categories,” said Silverstein. “What they wear, what they listen to and the communities they belong to are all part of the same personal story. Coach champions the courage to explore and express who you are, while Spotify shapes how people discover and engage with music, artists and creators. Together, we’re creating shared experiences at the intersection of music and style that bring people together and come alive through participation—as people shape them and make them their own.”
As a global campaign rooted in cultural relevance, “Live Your Story” comes to life through partnerships tailored to the platforms and communities shaping culture in each market. In China, Coach is partnering with QQ Music, the country’s leading music streaming platform, to create a market-specific expression of the campaign through curated playlist integrations and original programming. Local storytelling will also extend the brand’s existing work with video-sharing platform Bilibili through a series of video podcast episodes featuring leading Gen Z creators discussing the power of music and style to foster self-expression and connection.
“Spotify is where fans are engaged, not just passing through. Our partnership with Coach taps into that positive attention by giving fans real ways to connect across music, fashion and culture. These are the kind of integrated experiences that create meaningful impact for fans and brands alike,” said Brian Berner, Spotify’s VP of Advertising Partnerships.