J.C. Penney is launching an augmented reality-enabled mobile ad campaign that lets brides-to-be virtually try on engagement rings to promote the retailer’s “Modern Bride” collection. The campaign is in partnership with Verizon Media, the phone company’s advertising and content unit, and will run through the end of the year.
When consumers click on ads that appear on HuffPost Life, Yahoo Sports and other Verizon Media properties, they’ll activate the AR ring try-on feature. Brides-to-be can also discover their wedding personality through ad formats that deliver a quiz about their lifestyle and fashion preferences. The experience then directs them to the J.C. Penney site featuring engagement rings that match their tastes.
The campaign also includes an ad sponsorship on HuffPost Life’s “The Look of Love” section to highlight J.C. Penney’s “Modern Bride” collection.
According to data from J.C. Penney, nearly one-fifth of wedding proposals occur in December. Aligning an interactive campaign with the holiday season could put J.C. Penney ahead of other competitors in the wedding jewelry space, which has seen more brands transition to direct-to-consumer models lately in order to fit millennials’ shopping behavior.
The 117-year-old retailer has been struggling to turn things around amid declining sales and foot traffic. It hasn’t reported a quarterly sales gain since the 2017 holiday season and reported a decrease in annual sales of 6.6 percent last year.
