JCPenney's New Logo Goes for Fun and Young
Filed under: Extracurriculars, Shopping
"We've made significant progress transforming our company over the last several years by infusing great style into our assortments, delivering world-class customer service, and introducing new and innovative retail technologies that have made jcpenney a retail leader in the digital age," said Mike Ullman, chairman and CEO for jcpenney. "Our new logo reflects the modern retailer we've become while continuing to honor our rich legacy." The new tag line declares, "We Make It Affordable, You Make It Yours."
First, the "JCPenney" of yesterday is now all lowercase, in written materials, signage and the logo. According to the company, the logo puts greater visual emphasis on a new, lowercase "jcp" by positioning it slightly off-centered in a red box, while still featuring jcpenney's signature red color. According to a company statement, "The logo was designed to evoke a sense of movement and discovery as the letters appear to break out of the box, symbolizing an emergence into an exciting, new future."
That future, according to the retailer, will hopefully allow jcpenney to be viewed as a fashion leader, one that houses brands like MNG by Mango, Sephora stores inside jcpenney, and Call It Spring by The Aldo Group. Jcpenney will also be the exclusive retailer of Liz Claiborne and Claiborne apparel and home merchandise. The Oscar night commercials will push all these points. There will also be social media components -- Twitter feeds and Facebook pages -- and new online and in store technologies to showcase these brands.
But will it accomplish the chain's stated goal of looking young, fresh and modern?
"When you go to lowercase like this, it's usually to be informal, playful, young and more accessible. I assume that's where they're trying to take the brand," says branding expert Eric Masi of Torque Marketing in Chicago. "Still, it's a pretty bland logo."
And the description of the logo, and brand's, new direction -- "to evoke a sense of movement and discovery as the letters appear to break out of the box, symbolizing an emergence into an exciting, new future" -- sounds like advertising spin. "That's just somebody trying to spin what is a nondescript logo into something meaningful," says Masi.
Still, according to jcpenney, it's the most meaningful update to the company's logo in 40 years.
Will it take? "People are incredibly resistant to change," notes Masi. Most media outlets never even adopted the one word, uppercase version of the store's name -- JCPenney -- choosing instead to call the company J.C. Penney. "There's a personal investment in a brand that has always been there. Humans are inherently drawn to patterns. There's great comfort in predictability and when you break that pattern, people are very upset."
Something The Gap discovered last year when it tried to change its logo and got slammed by furious customer comments. The move lasted just one week. Other retailers have had less negative responses and the new logo announcements are coming fast and furious, now that the recession is over and consumers are a bit more positive and open to spending. There's a new Starbuck's logo, FAO Schwarz is coming back with new stores and a new logo, and NBC's new logo even does away with the iconic peacock.
"Everybody is desperately trying to reclaim an audience. Sales were down and now businesses are scrambling reinvent themselves," says Masi. "Branding has always been a great way to say that something new is going on." As for J.C. Penney, JCPenney, or jcpenney, "I think they're doing the right thing, you either reinvent or you die."
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
2-25-2011 @ 2:15PM
Laurie said...
Too much time to waste if people are making a fuss about this logo. It's non-offensive nor innappropriate.
I'm amazed this is even an article hitting headlines on the web!
Just my two cents
Laurie
Reply
2-25-2011 @ 5:52PM
Tom said...
Here's your penney's worth of change...pun intended...
2-25-2011 @ 6:13PM
SkyBlue said...
It's an old response, but if you're worried about wasting time, then why are you commenting here? Just my penney's worth.
2-26-2011 @ 10:44AM
Sepp said...
Laurie ~
I'm surprised that you'r surprised! Cyberspace is loaded by a lot of garbage, much of which attains "headline" status.
2-25-2011 @ 2:15PM
SkyBlue said...
I don't like it. It's hard on the eyes, and lower case always annoys me.
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2-25-2011 @ 4:32PM
eulerckt said...
Yep....looks a bit illiterate.
2-25-2011 @ 2:39PM
BlueTigress said...
geez, people if you want to boost sales focus on getting people back to work in jobs that will allow them discretionary income to spend on stuff.
Idiots!
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2-25-2011 @ 2:44PM
Jean said...
It reminds me of Target. Jumping on the red and white train.
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2-26-2011 @ 11:44AM
Margaret said...
JCPenny's colors were ALWAYS red and white, they're NOT jumping on the red and white train!
2-25-2011 @ 2:49PM
steven troise said...
I can see this being in a conference meeting spending millions of dollars for this decision. WHAT A WASTE.
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2-25-2011 @ 3:23PM
AW said...
"...now that the recession is over..." WTF?
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2-25-2011 @ 4:39PM
Charles said...
Agree with AW...At what planet is the recession over?!! Gas just hit 3.38 gal. here, up 10 cents from YESTERDAY, heading for $5 gal. and we're heading for a depression with unemployment sure to rise now. That logo is hideous, go back to the original and concentrate on service and quality products instead of trying to fool consumers with another logo.
2-26-2011 @ 12:12AM
Bob Cape said...
Instead of wasting so much time and effort on a "logo", how about stocking some stores with merchandise. I go to Jacque Penay about twice a year, never find what's on sale "in-stock" and find very little in clothes to buy. It's snowing outside,and my local JCP is advertising bikins, short sleeve summer clothes, and sandals.
That logo isn't going to draw me in to buy that stuff for another three to four months, if then. What do you want to bet they'll be pushing heavy coats and sweaters in June or July?
2-25-2011 @ 3:27PM
Ca1701 said...
I DON'T LIKE IT! It's confusing to the eye. When I first saw it, my eye caught the "enney" then "jcp". It may stand out as a logo in an ad but, in an article, title or headline, no. If your company name is all lower case it will just get hidden in with all the other lower case words. You want your name to stand out as much as possible and the 3 upper case letters in the old logo did that. What did the company do, ask some teenagers and 20 somethings for ideas? Because we all know they don't capitalize when they type. Did they even ask younger people what they thought of the new logo? Most probably don't care.
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2-25-2011 @ 3:25PM
Elizabeth said...
I suggest that JCPenny hire people who are more knowledge about their products, and also have a nice personality when talking to customers on the phone. The website need revamping, thus the reason I end up calling. The three times I've called the salesperson has been rude, not helpful, and they act like they are doing you a favor by talking to you. Wake up JCPenny, it is going to take more than a redesigned logo to improve your image.
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2-25-2011 @ 3:31PM
k said...
Isn't there a war or sumptin' goin' on you can write about instead? God, are you people crass.
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2-25-2011 @ 4:27PM
ruth said...
and yet here you are reading and posting.....maroon
2-25-2011 @ 9:50PM
GladIt'sNIte said...
Yeah, maroon, what's with that? Don't that just make you turn purple and red?
2-25-2011 @ 3:35PM
janet said...
What is so great about this "new logo" I find it boring and it is not going to bring customers in, like they are hoping or distinguish them in the fashion industry, either. Looks like the same old same old, to me.
Reply
2-25-2011 @ 3:41PM
Trish said...
whether the letters are pink, purple or a combination of the two...or if they're lowercase or uppercase... makes no difference.
if penney has something on sale I want, I'll go and buy it.. if it's at sears, I will go there.
notice the lowercase letters i used? see, they don't bother me! people need to get a life!
Reply