Jacamo is a courageous brand that grew through serving the fashion needs of men of all shapes, stepping into 2020 facing considerable headwinds: fashion-credible brands such as ASOS and BoohooMan were steadily gaining plus-size share, whilst the wider retail category faltered amidst declining consumer confidence.

We understood men have a limited repertoire when shopping, and they’re triggered to purchase based on specific needs (when things wear out!). We spent two years successfully targeting moments of need - but as competitors caught up and the category became cluttered, this insight was no longer transformative. 

We thought we knew men well within a fashion context, but our obsession with shopping needs was based on perceived wisdom built by marketing fashion to women. This papered over the nuanced way that men shop; they don’t actively browse to the same extent, and we were effectively waiting alongside competitors for men to come into market.  Furthermore, we understood men respond best when engaged in conversation through their passions or shared cultural moments (during the 2018 World Cup, traffic for waistcoats grew +118% YoY, a result of the “Southgate phenomenon”). 

Our audience needed a brand that reflected his values, inspiring the best version of himself; 51% value honesty and integrity above all else and 90% admire people who come from humble beginnings, battling odds to success. Therefore, our message-vehicle became relatable sporting icons - we’d drive greater SOV and efficiency by engaging 70%+ of our target watching their favourite sporting events. The media solution was a cross-platform partnership with Sky Sports, Joe Media and talkSPORT - Sporting Moments That Made Me was born.  

With Sky and Joe, we created bespoke video content with five professional sports ambassadors from different sporting disciplines to discuss their sporting-success and moments that made their careers.  With diverse backgrounds, inspirational stories to tell, varied body shapes, and the ability to showcase Jacamo’s fashion credentials. Partnering with Sky enabled us to own premium live sporting moments and integrate content within the EPG without paying inflated prices. Joe reached a younger social audience, giving access to aspirational talent, Beef Johnson, Courtney Lawes and Daniel Dubois. Sponsoring breaking sports news on talkSPORT delivered unique reach and aligned Jacamo to moments that mattered most to our audience. 

For a brand to step away from a strategy that had been working took courage and guts. But it paid off spectacularly!