The tunnel walk has become basketball’s red carpet moment, with players modeling designer looks that are out of reach for most fans. Until JCPenney came along.
The retailer is breaking into women’s sports with the launch of Inside Lane, an extension of its message that great style doesn’t have to cost a fortune. The program pairs JCPenney with five collegiate and professional women’s basketball athletes: Audi Crooks of Iowa State, UCLA’s Gabriela Jaquez, UConn’s KK Arnold, WNBA champion Stefanie Dolson, and Jackie Young, a three-time WNBA champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist.
In the coming months, JCPenney will curate looks for the athletes, pulled from the retailer’s existing collections, to elevate their personal styles. The full looks will be shoppable online and in stores across a wide range of sizes and price points, no celebrity budget required.
Rather than chasing big names for Inside Lane, JCPenney chose to spotlight rising stars. Through a partnership with women’s sports company Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment, the brand selected a roster of athletes spanning backgrounds, career stages, ethnicities, and body types, said Marisa Thalberg, chief customer and marketing officer of JCPenney parent company Catalyst Brands.
“We’re not chasing the elite. We wanted to take the women who have the personality, talent, and authenticity but maybe aren’t [at that level of fame] yet,” she told ADWEEK.
The program’s mission mirrors JCPenney’s brand positioning, Thalberg added: “We are for everyone else — the 99%.”
JCPenney has invested in sports marketing in the past as a sponsor of Amazon Prime Video’s Thursday Night Football. But Thalberg was seeking something deeper than a transactional sponsorship deal. “I specifically did not see a role for JCPenney in just jumping on the bandwagon,” she said.
She sees a parallel between the retailer’s own story and the rise of women’s sports.
“JCPenney is an institution that has been in American culture for a long time but has been undervalued and underestimated. But once you get inside the doors, it’s pretty fabulous,” she said. “Suddenly the analogy with women’s sports became a lot clearer. Women’s athletes deserve all the celebration happening now but have been underestimated and undervalued for a long time.”
Thalberg said Inside Lane is meant to be a starting point, not a one-off, and the brand may expand the program beyond basketball to other women’s sports leagues.
Great fashion made accessible
Inside Lane is the latest example of JCPenney establishing itself as an affordable, accessible brand that doesn’t sacrifice style. Since launching the “Yes, JCPenney” platform last year, the brand has been pushing back against elitism and the idea that great fashion is only for those who can afford luxury prices.
