JCPenney recently moved its advertising account to Badgers & Winters.
“Badger & Winters is proud to be working as agency of record for JCPenney, an iconic retail brand,” Badgers & Winters president Jim Winters said in a statement. “We have always admired JCPenney and its commitment to bringing value to America’s hardworking families. We are very much looking forward to working closely with the company on their creative and marketing strategy.”
AdAge reported that mcgarrybowen, an incumbent on the account since 2015, would aid in the transition, with the last work from mcgarrybowen airing some time in the first quarter of 2018. It was unclear, however, whether the assignment had been preceded by a review.
Sources with direct knowledge of the matter told AgencySpy that Badgers & Winters won the assignment following a review conducted by R3.
There are contradicting reports from sources as to whether the incumbent was part of that review.
A source close to the matter informed AgencySpy that “while no agency wants to walk away from an account,” most employees working on the account had already been reassigned and the agency was actively hiring, adding that JCPenney picked an excellent new partner in Badgers & Winters.
Mcgarrybowen picked up a series of new clients in 2017, including American Express, and is part of the Dentsu team at which Subway consolidated its U.S. and Canadian accounts last month.
The agency’s work for JCPenney included the June 2016 body positivity spot “Here I Am.”