JCPenney's Rebranding: A Surprise for Shoppers

JCPenney is challenging consumer perceptions of the 123-year-old department store with a dynamic marketing campaign. This new brand positioning aims to surprise shoppers with the value and range that loyal customers already appreciate.

While many hold nostalgic memories of the brand, others have neutral or negative opinions. JCPenney seeks to change these perceptions and capitalize on the resurgence of mall shopping among Gen Z. Building on its $1 billion turnaround plan, the company aims to dispel negative preconceptions and showcase its diverse offerings, from family fashion to in-store salons.

Marisa Thalberg, Chief Customer and Marketing Officer at JCPenney's newly formed parent company, Catalyst Brands, describes these moments of realization as "huh!" moments.

I don't know that I've ever distilled an entire marketing strategy into a single utterance, but it came down to something so universal. When I was sharing with partners of ours from other parts of the world, they understand the language of ‘huh!’

Standing Out in a "Sea of Sameness"

JCPenney's initial marketing push featured anonymous out-of-home ads in high-traffic locations like Times Square. Stylish looks were displayed without overt branding, accompanied by the copy "It's from where?" and QR codes revealing the source: "Yes, JCPenney."

This "Anonymous Ads" concept, a collaboration with creative agency Mischief, social agency VaynerMedia, Dentsu X, and FleishmanHillard, addresses what Thalberg calls a "sea of sameness" in retail.

We're not going to use the same old retail marketing playbook. I wanted to be fresh, self-aware, and acknowledge that it's time to get in the know and stop sleeping on JCPenney.

New TV spots continue the "Yes, JCPenney" conversation, highlighting trendy items at budget-friendly prices. One commercial showcases a woman receiving admiring glances after purchasing a stylish outfit for a fraction of its runway price.

Another spot features a woman buying a discounted Dutch oven, earning silent approval from her boyfriend's mother. These ads, emphasizing the "We've got the receipts" tagline, began airing during high-viewership events like the NBA postseason.

People think off-price retail is where the deals are. We've got the deals, and we've got the receipts to prove it. That is really what this whole new campaign is meant to better articulate, and in a way that should make you feel smart versus talked down to. You want to feel smart for being savvy enough to know where to get something.

Big Deals, Big Laughs

Reinforcing the value proposition, JCPenney revived its "Really Big Deals" campaign, previously successful during Amazon's "Thursday Night Football." This time, the deals are featured on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" with Kimmel's sidekick, Guillermo Rodriguez, revealing a new deal each Thursday.

This unique integration with the late-night show aims to provide both value and entertainment during challenging economic times.

We gave them creative license, and of course, that takes both confidence and a little bravery, but I think people need a little laugh right now.

Thalberg emphasizes the importance of honoring JCPenney's customer relationships, especially in a difficult sociopolitical and economic climate.

Some of these bigger macros are daunting, and I would be remiss if I didn't call them anything but that, but at the same time, we have an opportunity here to really be who we are, which is to give people what they really want and need. This market is only going to exacerbate the need of that for consumers, so we're going to stay very, very humble and very, very agile, but hopefully this is the right way to be telling our story right now.