JC Penny's Sex Appeal

A couple of days ago a commercial hit the internet from JC Penny. The video featured a teen guy and a teen girl both timing themselves getting dressed.

Once the media caught wind of the commercial it was the talk of the blogs all day long. Some said the ad promoted teen sex…others said let go and live a little!

The ad could have been a success story but it turned into a nightmare as JC Penny denied knowing anything about it. Then JC Penny’s agency Saatchi and Saatchi denied releasing it.

This is why brands are scared to death about social media. They are forced to let their hair down and live a little.

I know from having conversations directly on JC Penny’s account that they are anal about everything, so they will certainly not be turning this story into a good one. Brands have a choice to be sexy, and in many cases old brands choose not to. It’s a shame because social media as unconventional as it is can be a ray of light through those boring, gray brand clouds.