J.Crew targets “J.Crew-aholics”

J.Crew has released a new cheeky advertising campaign, targeting lovers of the brand that they call “J.Crew-aholics.” The campaign  uses humor and a bit of creativity to speak to those who appreciate the J.Crew brand and wear the clothing  in their daily lives.

The ads feature the tagline “We know you are out there” and feature well-known “eclectic” people, such as as editors and artists, paired with the latest J.Crew styles.

The campaign is set to become one of J.Crew’s largest and most integrated marketing campaigns to date- with ads appearing in print, online, and in social media. It’s been reported that the company is more than doubling its advertising budget for 2012, and this campaign will be a major chunk of it. The company hopes to appeal to its current and past customers, creating its spot in the market as a casual goods maker with apparel appropriate for the office.

I think the campaign is a great example of a more “serious” brand to lighten up and appeal to its consumers on the basis of humor. It’s also great to see a more traditional brand open up to new forms of media. While a majority of its business used to be through catalogues, J.Crew is increasing its presence online, especially with this new use of social and digital media- especially for integrated marketing campaigns. It truly is a sign of the times, and I think we might see J.Crew doing some exciting digital marketing soon.

-Bryan Nagy