Last week I recapped how Target rose to become the leader of the cheap/chic retail genre, but I neglected to mention one important fact: the longtime agency they parted ways with - Peterson Milla Hooks – is now the agency of record for JC Penney (or JCP, as they now dub themselves). Which is why you may get the new JCP ads confused for Target ads, as my husband did last night. One of the new JCP ads came on TV (very similar to this one from February) and he said “wait, I thought this was an ad for Target?” He basically articulated the same thing I’ve been thinking for months: while the new JCP ads are cute, they seem awfully familiar in style and substance to the ones that put Target on the map. Even their print ads (like the sample shown here) evoke the old Target look/feel.
Several high-level Target execs have left for JCP recently, so I’m not surprised they tapped Peterson Milla Hooks as their new agency. They’re a familiar and “tried and true” entity, so it seems natural they’d hire them. And perhaps the confusion is partly intentional in order to make JCP look “young and hip” and to try to lure away Target’s customer base. It just seems as if in re-branding their company, JCP would want to try something fresh and new vs. re-hashing ideas that have already been done before.
6 comments:
I've also been thinking similar their ads are. The only difference is that they have a red quare instead of a red target at the end.
I sure hope Target didn't shoot themselves in the foot. It is kinda like how Gap lost it's luster :( Gap had such cool ads and fun things, now it is lost. They don't even do commercials like they use to around Christmas time. Watch, that will most likely happen to Target.
Elizabeth, it's funny you should mention Gap, because Target just hired a former GAP exec. to run their marketing team. Watch my next post for more information...
This is the same ad agency that is credited with making Apple "cool" as well. Personally, I think it's genius. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Sometimes you stick with what you know works.
I agree they are just a smidge too similar to be ideally effective. You shouldn't be gettting the stores confused. And I've actually enjoyed the Target campaign with the shorter/clippy ads culminating in product at the end. Don't know if that's the same agency or not. The one with the many cats is one of my favorites.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeES0fq7ekk
Then again, I like quirky things like those Blake Griffin Kia ads.
And the Gap exec idea could be good or disastrous. Depends on what era of Gap!
I knew it!!!! Wow. Guess I'm more of an ad geek than I thought :)
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