JCPenney enlists Shaq, Martha Stewart to host Prime Video promotions
Throughout the football season, JCPenney will be announcing special limited-time offers on Prime Video NFL broadcasts, with help from some famous partners.
Starting during the Prime Video gameday NFL broadcast on Thursday, Sept. 12 and continuing during each Thursday broadcast for 16 weeks, a rotating lineup of celebrities will present exclusive offers and promotions in a campaign called “JCPenney Really Big Deal.”
These offers, accessible the Friday through Sunday following the broadcast online and/or in stores while supplies last, change weekly and will include products in a range of categories including fashion, home goods and beauty. According to JCPenney, the campaign is part of its holiday shopping strategy.
Weekly celebrity hosts were selected due to their connection with JCPenney through their product lines and will include Shaquille O’Neal for big and tall apparel, Martha Stewart for home goods, Gabrielle Union for haircare, and Walker Hayes and Jenny Martinez. Each were carefully selected because of their relatability and their connection with JCPenney through their product lines including Shaquille O’Neal XLG big and tall apparel, Martha Stewart home goods, Flawless by Gabrielle Union haircare, the limited-time Walker Hayes for men’s apparel and Jennifer Martinez for dinner and cookware.
"Football season is a time for family and friends, teamwork and celebration, and we’re excited to bring that same spirit to our customers with these Really Big Deal reveals," said JCPenney chief merchandising and supply chain officer Michelle Wlazlo. "Each of the deals are some of the most popular items and services across our store and are being offered at an extraordinary value. This is a fun opportunity for JCPenney to shine in front of a primetime audience every week, creating excitement and anticipation for what’s to come next."
In addition to airing commercials, the campaign is supported by a 360-degree marketing plan, including promotion across social media, online video, email and in-store signage. A Spanish-language version of the TV spot is set to air on streaming services, YouTube TV, Vevo (HM), Univision and Peacock (SPA) and features Mexican-American chef and social media creator, Jenny Martinez, with the voiceover provided by sports commentator Miguel Gurwitz.
The campaign was developed by JCPenney’s in-house creative agency, edited by Camp Lucky and produced in partnership with Jersey Legends Productions, a multi-media company co-founded by Shaquille O’Neal and Michael Parris.
While this promotion sees JCPenney collaborating with Amazon via its Prime Video streaming service, the retailer also recently directly competed with Amazon’s annual Prime Day sales extravaganza with its new Members-Only Savings Season event that ran through the second half of the summer.
[READ MORE: JCPenney competes with Prime Day via new summerlong savings event]
"This marks the second year of JCPenney’s involvement with Prime Video’s football broadcast," said Carl Byrd, VP of creative and brand synergy at JCPenney. "Last season, JCPenney sponsored the post-game show and saw significant increases in consideration, awareness, and positive sentiment. This year we knew we wanted to make things bigger, and worked to create a campaign that delivers energy, personality and humor with our celebrity partners, which are some of the biggest names in entertainment."
