Sunday, November 18, 2007

Plano-based JCPenney unveils Christmas marketing campaign

By Pegasus News wire

J.C. Penney has launched a Christmas marketing campaign encouraging customers to "believe" that their most ambitious dreams and wishes will come true this Christmas.

The new campaign, created by Saatchi and Saatchi, features innovative broadcast commercials, such as "Aviator," which includes a love song that John Lennon recorded for Yoko Ono and highlights the ultimate childhood fantasy: visiting Santa at the North Pole. The campaign also includes direct mail and online components, as well as non-traditional media elements such as mobile phone text messages, viral marketing and a special gift sitelet (new word!) jcpgifts. The sitelet (there it is again!) also showcases JCPenney's largest gift assortment ever, including "redbox gifts."

The 30-second "Aviator" commercial follows a young girl in her quest to build a rocket ship bound for the North Pole, stating "Today's the Day to Believe." The soundtrack is John Lennon's "Real Love," recorded by him at home as an impromptu tribute to Ono in 1977. This is only the second time Ono has allowed a John Lennon song and his recording of it to be licensed. The first time was in 1992. The commercials launched on Sunday Nov. 11, airing during primetime on major television and cable networks, and will continue through the Christmas season. Beginning Thanksgiving Nov. 22, an extended version of "Aviator" will appear during movie previews in cinemas across the country.

In addition to the "Aviator" spot, JCPenney will also have an additional series of 30-second "Perfect Gift" broadcast commercials that feature Christmas wishes coming true using various vignettes of people serendipitously receiving the perfect gift, at the perfect moment. The ads end stating "Today's the Day for the Perfect Gift" and feature the song "All That I Want" by The Weepies. This ad series also launched on Sunday Nov. 11 and will continue airing during primetime on major television and cable networks.

Source: JCPenney

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