Macy’s celebrates summer in its first campaign from new CMO and agency

Six months after joining Macy’s as chief marketing officer, Sharon Otterman is unveiling her first campaign for the 166-year-old retailer. “Summer’s Greatest Hits,” which celebrates the season’s unpredictable moments, is the retailer’s first campaign created with Minneapolis-based agency Mono. Anchored by a 30-second anthem spot, the campaign shows windy barbecues, fallen ice cream cones and lost road trippers alongside beach visits, carnivals and pool days. “No one reminisces about that one time everything went exactly according to plan—so soak it in, because summer’s greatest hits are often the imperfect stories we remember perfectly,” a voiceover says. 40 under 40 entries are open The final deadline for nominations is Aug. 2 Enter here The video is set to a remake of Bill Withers’ “Lovely Day” performed by Amber Mark and produced by Ryan Tedder. “We understand where consumers are at,” said Otterman, who joined Macy’s from Caesars Entertainment at the end of last year. “This is a moment to take a step back and look at the emotional piece of the things we sell—we know they’re not just things but become part of people’s lives, stories and memories.” The campaign rolls out this week and will serve as Macy’s brand platform across channels, including in stores, through the summer. Otterman said that Macy’s works with different agency partners and there was no formal review ahead of the summer work for Mono. Publicis Groupe’s Spark Foundry, as Macy’s media agency of record, handled media duties for the new campaign. The retailer previously worked for several years with BBDO—that Omnicom Group agency handled Macy’s latest holiday campaign, for example. Otterman said Macy’s does not have any “official commitment” from agencies including BBDO currently. The spot will run on linear and connected TV and digital media. The campaign includes out-of-home and radio, as well as in-store messaging and marketing at events including Macy’s annual Fourth of July Fireworks. The messaging will roll into promotional offers as well. “This is a cohesive, companywide, consumer-centric effort,” said Otterman. For its most recent quarter, Macy’s last month reported net sales of $4.8 billion, a 2.7% decline from the year-earlier period, and a 1.2% decline in same-store sales. The results exceeded analyst expectations. “Although early days, our investments in product, presentation and experience are gaining traction and reinforce our belief that longer-term, Macy’s, Inc. can return to sustainable, profitable growth,” said Tony Spring, CEO and chairman, in a statement. Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs

Macy’s celebrates summer in its first campaign from new CMO and agency

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