JCPenney is attempting to alleviate the deal fatigue felt by consumers headed into the holiday season with a new campaign focused on value and no-fuss ways to save, according to details shared with Marketing Dive.
The retailer’s holiday campaign launches Monday across TV, online video, audio and paid social and spotlights real deal-scoring JCPenney shoppers. The brand will also help consumers navigate the season with a weekly deals cheat sheet, in-store activations and the return of its “Really Big Deals” promotions.
A 15-second spot, titled “Party Fits,” is set in Crown Point, Indiana, and stars a local barber named Raemonie, who showcases three holiday looks that she purchased for a total of $168. In the ad, a voice-over says, “Meet Raemonie — she was worried about having enough outfits for all of her holiday parties. Now, thanks to JCPenney, she’s worried about having enough holiday parties for all her outfits.”
The campaign, which builds on a “Yes, JCPenney” brand platform launched in 2025, was created with agency Mischief and follows a back-to-school effort that tapped real teachers for the creative.
“While everyone else is doing kind of their fantastical TV campaigns for holiday, ours is truly grounded in real people, real life, and showing how those real people can — and deserve to — enjoy having better deals from JCPenney,” said Marisa Thalberg, executive vice president and chief customer and marketing officer at parent Catalyst Brands.
The road map for savings
JCPenney’s latest campaign taps into the insight that consumers are overwhelmed with deals as brands attempt to break through amid a period marked by economic uncertainty. A barrage of deals may also be leaving consumers feeling skeptical about whether or not they are actually saving any money at all. Only 32% of shoppers report that they completely or mostly trust retailers to offer a fair or competitive price, according to Akeneo data cited in press details.
On the flip side, 92% of consumers say they are confident that they receive good deals at JCPenney, per information shared by the brand. To help consumers navigate its various promotions, JCPenney will release a cheat sheet each Monday throughout the season highlighting the top deals to shop each week. The “Really Big Deals” promotional offer will run every Thursday through Dec. 13.
From Nov. 5-11, 97% of JCPenney’s in-store items will be on sale. Additionally, the retailer is offering Black Friday deals from Nov. 20-29, and surprise giveaways in stores on Nov. 27 at various points throughout the day.
In hopes of attracting additional foot traffic, JCPenney teamed with Warner Bros. Global Consumer Products around Harry Potter for pop-up events and to bring a version of the Hogwarts Express train to select stores. A limited-time Harry Potter capsule offers various clothing and home items.
Consumers are expected to spend an average of $1,654 this season, a 4% increase over the year prior, as they anticipate higher prices, according to Deloitte’s annual holiday survey. While 38% percent of shoppers plan to adopt five or more money-saving strategies, that share of consumers is also expected to spend 12% more than others on average.
The holiday season will be critical for JCPenney amid ongoing sales struggles. The company saw total net sales fall over 8% year over year to $1.3 billion in the second quarter, a weaker performance than others in the department store segment, including Kohl’s and Macy’s.
Deals have been a staple of JCPenney’s marketing, both around the holidays and beyond. Earlier this year, the retailer remade Paris Fashion Week with a runway show that swapped haute couture for JCPenney looks, with prices displayed on stage. In August, the brand parodied off-price retailers as a way to tout the quality it offers despite its low prices.
With its latest move, JCPenney hopes to continue reinforcing for its shoppers that they don’t have to choose between fashionable items and affordability, Thalberg explained.
“We understand our customer,” Thalberg said. “Our customer is everyone, real people, real working middle class American families who are trying to make ends meet, and we are very cognizant and empathetic of the economic pressures that Americans are facing.”
