Hasta La Creative!

mcgarrybowen, which was appointed as creative agency of record for JCPenney last October, launched a new online spot for the brand entitled “Here I Am.”

Featuring singer/songwriter Mary Lambert, style blogger and designer Gabi Fresh, writer Jes Baker, designer Ashley Nell Tipton and yoga practitioner Valerie Sagun, the spot celebrates body positivity for women of all body types. “Could my life be better if I were thinner?” Baker asks at the beginning of the spot, answering the question with the line, “No, but it would be better if I wasn’t treated so poorly because I’m not,” which functions as a kind of thesis for the spot. The lengthy ad includes Lambert explaining that a family member discouraged her from pursuing a career in music because of her body type and the other women in the spot adding their own struggles with how others have treated them before they came to accept and celebrate themselves for who they are. 

This kind of approach may seem familiar, as so-called “Femvertising” has taken off in recent years. Dove’s ongoing “Real Beauty” campaign has been mining a similar tactic for years. A recent effort last October from creative content agency Evidently asked girls what they would choose if they could “Change One Thing” to highlight the problems adolescent girls have with self-image and confidence and promote the Dove Self-Esteem Project. Leo Burnett, meanwhile, redefined “Like A Girl” for Always, continuing the approach with “Unstoppable” last year.

The message is a nice one and the approach fits the brand well enough. But the spot just seems to drag on, even by the somewhat loose standards of online ads. Without editing to bring down the runtime, it feels at times like viewers are hearing the same thing repeated, albeit in slightly different ways, throughout the spot, diminishing its impact. Even allowing for the five different women featured in the ad, it seems like it would have been easy enough to shave off a significant chunk of time and still leave enough room for each to get sufficient time onscreen.

Credits:
Advertising Agency: mcgarrybowen, New York City, USA
Chief Creative Officer: Matthew Bull
Executive Creative Directors: James Cheung, Cliff Skeete
Art Directors: Simon Woodham, Paula Figueroa, Erik Jansen
Copywriters: Danny Wantz, Anna Xiques, Jessica Zalaznick
Director of Content Production/Executive Producer: Paisley McCaffery
Associate Producer: Lauren Lampasi
Managing Director, Integrated Production: Dante Piacenza
Managing Director of Music Production: Jerry Krenach
Executive Music Producer: Jarrett Mason
Music Licensing Supervisor: Kaylyn Keane
Director, Talent Services: Sue Ayson
Business Manager: Marie Sawicki
Account Managing Director: Alaina Lovera
Account Supervisor: Ali Napier
Production Company: Missing Pieces
Director: Tucker Walsh
Editor: Liz Deegan / Missing Pieces
Editor: Steve Bell / Cutters

Kmart has a big viral hit with the guys playing "Jingle Bells" with their privates. Now, another retailer, JCPenney, is trying to draft off that popularity by tweeting a coupon for pants in Kmart's general direction. A back-and-forth ensued, with the phrase "twigs and berries" eventually being used. This is what American corporate retail has come to, people.

.@Kmart We noticed you could use some pants. So here's a 15% off coupon. Merry Christmas. #JingleMoreBells http://t.co/Ga5GOLVWBR

— JCPenney (@jcpenney) November 20, 2013

@jcpenney Thanks, but we prefer to #ShipMyPants: http://t.co/eXLuKGk9Wv

— Kmart (@Kmart) November 20, 2013

@Kmart, to be brief, we just thought your twigs and berries might want an extra layer 😉

— JCPenney (@jcpenney) November 21, 2013

@jcpenney We appreciate the support. #ShowYourJoe

— Kmart (@Kmart) November 21, 2013

Is JCPenney stocking up on slacks with extra room in the crotch? I'm inclined to think so, judging from its ballsy move of releasing a feel-good commercial from Young & Rubicam thanking consumers for "coming back" to the troubled retailer just two weeks after an ad apologizing for missteps under ousted CEO Ron Johnson. Many web commenters have posed the obvious question: "Isn't it too soon to say thank you?" Sure is. Just do the math, Einstein! Penney is set to release first-quarter earnings this week that reflect a 16 percent sales slump following a $4.3 billion loss in sales last year. In fairness, the chain has begun making changes under new CEO Myron Ullman, reviving coupons, sales and its St. John's Bay collection. And its recent mea culpa and #JCPlistens social outreach campaign have been well received. Still, two weeks of anything—and Penney offers no particulars—won't right this ship. Heck, even two good quarters probably wouldn't be enough. That doesn't mean I don't applaud JCP's moxie. For all its muted, mom-centric imagery, the new spot bespeaks a certain swaggering style—i.e., "We're back because we say we're back!" At least there's some substance here, with Penney returning to its roots and focusing on core values. That beats another troubled retailer's strategy of tossing Robin Thicke and phallic symbols into a video and hoping for the best.