JC Penney’s apparently had no idea this spot was made, and AOR Saatchi & Saatchi reportedly was none the wiser, either. The guilty party, according to the Wall Street Journal, is Epoch Films — which had been working with S&S for the client.
So proud of the work, Epoch apparently entered “Speed Dressing” at Cannes, and won.
From WJS:
“In a statement late Monday, Saatchi, a unit of Publicis Groupe SA, said the ad was created by a third-party vendor ‘without J.C. Penney’s knowledge or consent…Saatchi & Saatchi did not enter the spot and deeply regrets the message this ad presents.’ Epoch Films, the New York production company that was listed as entering the ad in the Cannes Lions Awards, declined to comment.”
Question: Why would Epoch knowingly create and enter work that its client wasn’t aware of and expect that the sexually charged message would be acceptable for the traditionally genital-less Penney’s?
What’s more, the spot won at Cannes…