JCPenney Takes on Fashion Elitism With a Runway Show in Paris, Texas

At the recent Paris Fashion Week, supermodels strutted down the runways, and only the elite had front row seats. 

But last weekend, 5,000 miles away in a different Paris — the one in Texas — real Texans modelled spring’s hottest looks at a fashion show where everyone was a VIP.

JCPenney designed “The Other Paris Runway” as a direct counterpoint to the exclusivity of traditional fashion shows, instead celebrating covetable, affordable style for every body type.

“The Other Paris Runway” took place in an open-air field at sunset near a replica of the Eiffel Tower, with guests and models who were local residents styled head-to-toe in JCPenney. There were no velvet ropes or seating charts, and the actual prices of all the outfits were displayed. The 43 looks — including signature brands like Worthington, a.n.a., and J. Ferrar — cost $8,710.74 in total, less than a single haute couture gown.

Hair and makeup were courtesy of JCPenney Salon and Beauty’s artists, and everyone got a backstage pass to the after-party. 

The runway show kicked off JCPenney’s spring campaign, “Exactly What You Are (and Aren’t) Looking For,” which says that the real thrill of fashion isn’t the dress you wear, but discovering other perks like affordable prices.

Creative was led by FleishmanHillard, while Mischief @ No Fixed Address was behind the TV ad, and VaynerMedia oversaw social media execution. 

“The Other Paris Runway” follows last year’s “The Other Venice Wedding,” in which JCPenney staged, styled, and paid for a real couple’s wedding for a total of $10,000 — a sharp contrast to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ lavish, multimillion-dollar Venice wedding that summer.

“Our customers aren’t billionaires. We’re for everyone else, who still deserve the brands, quality, sizes, and prices they want,” Marisa Thalberg, chief customer and marketing officer of JCPenney parent company Catalyst Brands, told ADWEEK. “We’re looking for moments to wake people up in different ways and poke at the elitism in culture and the frustration at that.”

Along with showcasing JCPenney’s affordable prices, the brand featured “actual body diversity walking down the runway,” said Thalberg, including looks from its inclusive sizing collection with model Ashley Graham, which launched in October.

The lack of body diversity in fashion is “another tension in culture we’ve been pushing up against,” Thalberg said. “That’s part of the accessibility of [‘The Other Paris Runway’]: to be able to dream and know [the clothes] are attainable to you, not only on price point but in size and body range.”

Changing people’s minds

Thalberg and her team have been pushing up against such cultural tensions since unveiling the “Yes, JCPenney” platform last year. 

Following years of declining sales, the brand revival is aimed at “getting people to see JCPenney with fresh eyes,” Thalberg said. The “Yes, JCPenney” slogan imbues the brand with confidence, turning questions about the brand’s style and affordability into a declarative statement. 

Since the launch, JCPenney’s store traffic is up 6% year over year, and it has seen significant growth across its Home, Juniors, Activewear and Fine Jewelry departments, said Thalberg.

She said the platform is resonating with customers because “it’s that cool double wow of finding surprisingly great fashion and surprisingly great deals.”

“The attitudinal pivot is being unapologetic about that,” she continued. “It’s incumbent on us to tell that story in ways that open people’s eyes.”

Like “The Other Venice Wedding” or the Ashley Graham collaboration, JCPenney’s marketing pivot has been “deliberate in making points of comparison” with a spirit that’s both “smart and welcoming,” Thalberg explained.

Another example was this year’s Super Bowl-themed campaign, which shone a spotlight on the real MVPs: football players’ moms. All the JCPenney clothes worn by the mothers cost less than a single Super Bowl ticket, Thalberg said.