Generations X, Y, & Z

JC Penney has made a unique - perhaps bold - move in its latest back-to-school commercial, which targets parents instead of students.

The commercial aired on TV and in theaters beginning in June 2008 and pays homage to the film, The Breakfast Club. Several scenes are reenacted by the commercial's actors to the tune of a cover of "Don't You" by New Found Glory.



The Breakfast Club is a 1985 teen film. The storyline follows five teenagers, each representing a different clique in high school as they spend a Saturday in detention together.

The students pass the hours in a variety of ways: they dance, harass each other, tell stories, fight, smoke marijuana, and discuss a variety of subjects. Gradually they open up to each other and reveal their inner secrets. They discover that they all have strained relationships with their parents and are afraid of making the same mistakes as the adults around them. (Very Gen X traits.) However, despite these developing friendships, the students are afraid that once the detention is over, they will return to their very different cliques and never speak to each other again.



In any case, I'm surprised that JC Penney would choose a 23-year-old film to be the centerpiece of a back-to-school commercial. A 1985 film will certainly resonate with Generation X, but not with younger generations. I asked my 12-year-old niece about the commercial. She said that she and her friends had talked about it, and most of them didn't understand it or know it featured scenese from a movie.

Furthermore, the commercial features clothing for teens. But most Xers waited until later in life to have children, so few Xers have children that have reached the teen years.

Retailers everywhere are struggling to reach the elusive Xer demographic and gain their marketshare, so I'm guessing JC Penney thought nostalgia marketing would be a good start.

But I'm skeptical this tactic is going to work, simply because -- no matter what generation you're from -- it's never been cool to shop where your parents want to shop.

Labels: Generation X, JC Penney, nostalgia marketing, The Breakfast Club