In 2025, the cultural conversation around weddings reached a fever pitch as headlines chronicled the extravagant Bezos–Sanchez wedding in Venice, Italy. This spectacle, deemed tone-deaf by many, starkly contrasted with the lived realities of most American couples, who faced rising wedding costs and mounting financial stress. The average U.S. wedding cost soared to $33,000, with 67% of newlyweds reporting wedding-related debt.
Meanwhile, JCPenney, a brand once synonymous with American milestones, was amid a reinvention. Historically known as a discount store, JCPenney was repositioning itself as a modern retailer: a champion for the everyday consumer, especially its core Hispanic audience. But perception – and sales – lagged. Before its bold “Yes, JCPenney” brand positioning campaign, the retailer’s sales were in a steady decline, -10% YOY. The challenge was clear: JCPenney needed to break through cultural clutter, not just to raise awareness, but to shift belief and reclaim its relevance as a stylish, affordable, and values-driven destination for life’s important moments.
JCPenney’s strategy was to boldly insert itself into the zeitgeist by launching a culturally resonant counter-narrative. The plan: capitalize on the global attention on Venice, Italy’s $10M wedding by staging “The Other Venice Wedding” in Venice, California, for a real, relatable couple – all for under $10,000. Every aspect of their wedding, from attire to décor, would be sourced from JCPenney; demonstrating that style and sentiment doesn’t require extravagance.
The campaign would unfold in 30 days from idea to action, launching the same week as the Venice, Italy event, with side-by-side content highlighting the contrast between celebrity excess and real love.
Literally finding a REAL, authentic couple with a love story and offering to host their wedding in 10 days, and sourcing fashionable looks for not only the couple – but every single guest, right down to the baby.
Every moment, from fashion reveals to the ceremony to behind-the-scenes content, was broadcast across TikTok, Instagram and X.
Influencers and creators were equipped with “duet” and “react” assets across socials, sparking a groundswell of UGC and commentary.
Social copy and visuals leaned into cultural conversations and formats to make affordability part of the joke, and desirable attainability a reality.
Community managers responded playfully to skeptical comments and encouraged sharing with viral-ready hashtags. Proactively engaged on budget wedding content to amplify our stance on wedding affordability.
The campaign took on a life of its own, achieving true virality. Engagements reached 4x JCPenney’s previous record and over 400,000 social-driven clicks to JCPenney.com. Brand-owned social media content also drove strong awareness for JCPenney, garnering over 40M impressions.
The campaign hashtag, #TheOtherVeniceWedding, set off a wave of memes and UGC, with fans and influencers remixing content and sharing their own “Venice vs. Venice” takes, while influencer “duets” and reaction videos extended visibility far beyond paid efforts.
Over 133 earned media placements with 123 million impressions, including Ad Age and Forbes, fueled the conversation, with lookback stories pointing to #TheOtherVeniceWedding as the turning point for the brand’s comeback. Google searches for “JCPenney” surged by 500,000 month-over-month.
Most importantly, the campaign shifted sentiment, turning the doubters into believers and transforming JCPenney into a viral symbol of value, joy, and realness for a new generation – with a +4-value perception brand lift during the time period.
