The summer after my freshman year of college, I worked as a photographer in JCPenney’s portrait studio. With feigned enthusiasm, I positioned babies on Boppies, awkward high school graduates behind stacks of books and cranky toddlers dolled up in oversized hats and pearls.
To me, JCPenney was the department store that smelled a bit like mothballs and disinfectant, where your mom dragged you to look at curtains, bedspreads and endless clearance racks of women’s suits with sewn-in shoulder pads. No, it wasn’t trendy or fashionable; it was the store where your mom, or even your grandma, shopped.
Now in my mid-twenties and no longer an employee of the retailer, I still lack the interest to peruse the aisles of JCP. It was not until recently that the struggling department store caught my curiosity with a TV advertisement unlike anything I’ve ever associated with the brand.
The ad features mostly women in their late twenties to late forties, screaming in frustration at sale signs and coupons. Behind their desperate pleas, dramatic music emphasizes their contorted expressions and high pitched crescendos. Jump cuts punctuate each frame with palpable sarcasm.
Still unsure of their intended message, I decided to Google “screaming JCPenney commercial.” I was bewildered by the amount of message boards condemning JCPenney and the new campaign.
“I have never hated a commercial so much. I turn it off on the first scream. I am tuning out of shopping at JC Penney’s and hope they can figure out how to get my business back. Hopefully with a new advertising and marketing consultant.” –Posted by Terriroe on pissedconsumer.com
“To JCP: your Marketing and Ad Agency should be fired for the most Unprofessional Commercial that I have ever experienced.” –Posted by Desiree650 on pissedconsumer.com
“This commercial grates on my nerves and scares our cat.” –Posted by annonymus on customerservicenumbersblog.com
Many of the comments demand JCPenney remove the spot from rotation while others threat boycott. One post in particular suggested the creative team behind the spots be placed in front of a firing squad. Pretty melodramatic in my opinion; however, among the complaints were explanations.
Starting February 1, JCPenney plans to roll out their “Fair & Square” price structure which will eliminate cumbersome coupons and sales ploys designed to make consumers jump through hoops. Shoppers will receive the best prices on quality products all day, every day.
Although consumers posting on various forums claim a new found appreciation for the mute button, the JCPenney campaign, Enough.Is.Enough., has successfully broken through the clutter. People are talking about it, whether they like it or not and that’s probably more buzz than the department store has received in quite some time.
What do you think? Should advertisers go rogue for the sake of attracting new clientele or changing public opinion?
