I just came back inside from checking and mail and I was pleased to find the April catalog from JCPenney waiting in my mailbox. I am someone that HATES (seriously, you guys, HATE is the word) receiving catalogs or any other similar bullshittles in the mail. I hate it! However, a few months ago (January, I think) I opened my mailbox to find this slightly heavy book inside. When I opened it up, I saw a JCPenney logo and instantly fell in love with all of it. I had a pretty serious Willy Wonka moment (Yes, the snozzberries taste like snozzberries, but does this woman’s bracelet taste like tangerines? Because it sure as hell looks like it.) and became all sorts of giddy. These are not the things I do when I see a catalog in the mail.
I was and am intrigued by this new look for JCPenney. They redesigned their logo (a super clean red, white, and blue) and really seemed to do an overhaul on their entire image and pricing. While the price changes and all of that is excellent for those that regularly shop there, I am far more impressed and interested in the design work! That first catalog was so beautiful and simple – it sort of became art-porn for me (Dick Blick catalogs are my own personal sort of “Hustler”, if you’re picking up what I’m throwin’ down). February was sweet chalky, pepto pink, but it was so fun! The March catalog was a woman’s hand holding onto a kite against a brilliant sort of blue sky…frankly, the whole thing is just sexy. And now today for April, the cover is coated in shades of pastel blue with a little boy reaching for a pink egg (totally snuggle worthy).
Seeing advertising go this way is really refreshing. Or maybe I’m just not paying enough attention. All I know is that rarely do my eyes perk up when it comes to the designs and layouts from any retail company (most are so similar that they completely pass boring and venture into torturous territory), but with this new design, my eyes bugged out of my head like an animated cat-calling wolf.
