J.C. Penney builds on promising brand push with ‘Back-to-It’ campaign

Dive Brief:

J.C. Penney launched a campaign, “Back-to-It,” that includes two new spots on cable TV and Hispanic broadcast channels, per details shared with sister publication Marketing Dive.
The campaign, with creative by Mischief and paid media by DentsuX, includes premium audio, social and video, including buys on podcasts like “Good Hang” and “Armchair Expert” and a TikTok Branded Mission.
The effort looks to expand the scope of back-to-school marketing and is part of a “Yes, J.C. Penney” positioning that launched in April and has already boosted several brand metrics.

Dive Insight:

J.C. Penney isn’t just going back to school: The retailer is positioning itself for “Back-to-It,” a season in which all consumers — not just kids — can reinvent their fashion sense. The campaign builds on the “Yes, J.C. Penney” positioning and tone that the brand established in the spring.

Two new spots use the same construct as previous ads and feature the same value-oriented, “We’ve got the receipts” tagline. A 15-second “Drop Off” ad focuses on a $200 skirt and blouse purchased for $60 that also nets a mom a “morning drop-off mic drop” moment. The 30-second “Morning Routine” shows a $120 back-to-school outfit purchased for $64 that also gives the parents a morning where their kid is dressed on time.

“Back-to-It” will run on traditional TV along with targeted, high-impact digital placements across audio, social and video channels. Ads on popular podcasts such as “Good Hang” (the new offering from comedian Amy Poehler) and “Armchair Expert” (hosted by actor Dax Shepard) could help extend the reach to on-to-go consumers, while a TikTok activation encourages users of the platform to share their own “Back-to-It” story.

The “Yes, J.C. Penney” positioning is part of what Marisa Thalberg, chief customer and marketing officer at the retailer’s parent company Catalyst Brands, has called a new approach that rejects “the same old retail marketing playbook.” As part of the effort, the retailer brought back its successful “Really Big Deals” campaign in partnership with Kimmelot and “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” 

“Yes, J.C. Penney” helped boost in-store traffic, especially among younger, single shoppers, according to data from Placer.ai. Similarly, the campaign caused a bump in metrics including ad awareness, per daily tracking data from YouGov BrandIndex. The early results suggest the position could be a durable platform for efforts like “Back-to-It.”