Kohl’s Is Going To The Oscars

Even retailers are getting in on the Oscars drama.

It was announced this week that, for the first time ever, Kohl’s will be the retail sponsor of the Academy Awards, replacing JCPenney, which had held that position for the past 14 years.

“It isn’t about the glamor; it’s about the human emotion of having accomplished something with the help of everyone. That’s the connection we want to create with the Oscars,” Will Setliff, executive VP of marketing at Kohl’s, told AdAge.

A spokeswoman for JCPenney confirmed to the outlet that the company will not be sponsoring the Oscars this year, stating: “For 14 years, the Oscars served as the advertising platform to debut our spring collection of fashion and home furnishings found only at JCPenney. We feel now is the appropriate time to shift our marketing efforts and look for new and innovative ways to engage and inspire our customers.”

AdAge notes that, during last year’s Oscars telecast, JCPenney aired seven commercials and debuted a second-screen game. Kohl’s, for its part, has yet to share what its marketing plans will be related to this year’s 88th Annual Academy Awards ceremony — the nominations for which were announced yesterday morning (Jan. 14) — which will be hosted by Chris Rock and air live (for the East Coast) on ABC on Feb. 28.

Setliff told AdAge that Kohl’s plans to have a “massive social presence” during the month leading up to the show. As for the event itself, he remarked: “The level of engagement is through the roof during [Oscars] commercials, and we want to be there with meaningful content and keep people engaged.”