Lost in the mix during the whole JCPenney agency shuffle is a Chicago-based agency called Gorilla, which is handling a few e-commerce projects for the retailer. From what sources familiar with the matter tell us, Gorilla, which houses a staff of 86 give or take, is working closely with the JCPenney Growth Brands Division that was launched approximately 14 months ago and helped launch the brand’s Cladmen.com site.
According to those in the know, Gorilla was tapped by JCP in mid-fall 2011 and eventually helped launch Cladmen just in time for Black Friday. From what we’ve been told, it’s not AOR status as much it is an ecommerce relationship between agency and client, where the former focuses on front-end/back-end design and other digital channels for the chain. Gorilla’s relationship with JCPenney is ongoing and we can expect phase two of the Cladmen destination to roll out before Q1 of this year expires.