The "Penny James" character debuted this past spring, and her return finds Villaseñor in fine form, espousing a shop-til-you-drop mentality with cheeky grins and gestures that let us in on the joke.
"She is the optimistic embodiment of our JCPenney customer—the all-in, enthusiastic shopper who loves the thrill of the holidays," Carl Byrd, JCP VP, creative and brand synergy, tells Muse. "We were blown away by how Melissa made singing a single word like 'sweaters' really funny, and by the physical comedy she brought to each scene. She was trying new lines on the fly. 'Look who's cookin' now' was all her."
Tagged "We Got Your Holiday," the fresh work boasts gleefully energetic direction from Dewey Nicks, and Villaseñor sells the message with style. These spots play almost like SNL parodies of JCP ads, minus the snark—a sweet stocking stuffer.
A second set of commercials breaking next week, also helmed by Nicks, takes a different musical approach, with diverse real families raising their voices in "Joy, Comfort and Peace," a familiar refrain from past JCP yuletide campaigns.
"Rather than taking a traditional approach of featuring actors, we wanted to bring real families of all backgrounds together," says Byrd. "We started with a casting call and ultimately handpicked these six families to represent the faces and voices we see in our stores every day. This is JCPenney's holiday card to America!"
Naturally, the chain, beset by flagging fortunes in recent years—and mixed results of late—hopes folks respond by showing up in stores and buying gifts online. It's early days yet, but the overall seasonal retail forecast isn't so merry, with Deloitte predicting sales increasing about 5 percent, compared to 15 percent growth last year.
CREDITSCLIENT: JCPENNEY
John Aylward, SVP Chief Marketing Officer
Bill Cunningham, VP, Marketing Strategy
Kendra Horne, Sr. Director Product Marketing/Integration
Jenn Stern, Director Product Marketing
Stephanie Locke,
Director, Marketing Communication
Brenda Ortiz Tobar, Sr. Specialist
Carl Byrd, VP Creative & Brand Synergy
Sheazanne Ferlita, Creative Director
Michelle Freeman, Sr. Copy Manager
Brooke Diaz, Sr. Copy Manager
Betsy Jones Burgmeier, Sr. Art Manager
Ariel Saura-Bretschger, Sr. Art Director
John Mathias, Art Director
Maria Martinez, HM Copywriter
Tara Geraghty, Sr. Director Creative Services & Operations
Jamie Sancen, Director
Photography Execution
Bertha Salazar, Manager Sr. Stylist
Amanda Williams, Asst. Styling Director
Dana Boone, Sr Director Publicity
Elizabeth Weber, Project Manager
Kathleen Torres, Executive Producer
PRODUCTION: CoMPANY films
Dewey Nicks, Director
Richard Goldstein, Executive Producer
Ron Cicero, Executive Producer
Christien Tuttle, Head of Production
Richard Martin, Producer
Jacob Esquivel, Production Manager
Noel Henry,
Production Coordinator
POST: CAMP LUCKY
Logan Hefflefinger, Editor
Seth Olson - Animation/VFX Artist
Jake Odgers - Assistant Editor/Junior Animation Artist
Jessica Berry, Executive Producer
MUSIC: FRESH SQUEEZED
Brian Flores – Executive Creative Director/Founder
Kyle Flores – Executive Producer
JCPenney has enlisted comedian and Saturday Night Live cast member Melissa Villaseñor to star in its newest ad campaign, which
marks the retailer’s 120th anniversary. The commercial introduces spokescharacter Penny James (played by Villaseñor), who is a JCPenney superfan. She says that JCPenney is her shopping place, where she finds outfits to look fabulous, from jeans and blazers to killer dresses, where she finds towels and all kinds of other products, including red glasses that she gets without prescription. “It’s JCPenney, baby! Shopping is back!” she says at the end of the commercial. In another
ad, she stands in front of a JCPenney store and sings “Happy Birthday” to the department store. As part of the campaign, JCPenney is also launching a cross-country tour called “Shopping is Back!”, that will celebrate the retailer’s milestone as it travels across the U.S. During each stop, the department store chain will host a block party-style celebration, hiring local food vendors and organizing games, music and giveaways. There will also be partnerships with local NGOs within each
community to support various initiatives.
In addition, JCPenney is offering consumers an anniversary discount of 30% storewide and, for reward members, an additional $10 in bonus rewards for every $50 spent through April 12.
Tags: JCPenney 120 Years, JCPenney Melissa Villaseñor