The Short Version

• JLL’s award-winning Denim Days campaign used sustainability, community and trend data to power a back-to-school retail push.
• A national framework allowed for local customization, making activations feel authentic across dozens of shopping centers.
• Strong digital strategy and a well-executed QR code giveaway helped drive engagement and measurable results.
• The campaign led to increased foot traffic, sales and shopper database growth — proving purpose-driven retail works.
• Learn how the lessons from Denim Days are shaping JLL’s next wave of back-to-school marketing.

Back-to-school shopping season, the second-most important behind the holidays, is coming up. With that in mind, a recent JLL Retail Property Management back-to-school campaign, which won a Gold in the 2025 ICSC MAXI Awards, supplies secrets to success.

JLL based its 2023 back-to-school campaign, called Denim Days, on four consumer insights it researched:

1. Values-driven shopping was on the rise. Consumers were increasingly drawn to brands that prioritize purpose. “Today’s shoppers aren’t just looking for products,” executive vice president and senior director of strategy and marketing Ashlyn Booth wrote in the MAXI application. “They’re looking for experiences that reflect their values, especially around sustainability and community.”
2. Sustainability mattered. Globally, online searches for sustainable goods surged 71% from 2016 to 2021, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit. Denim’s durability makes it detrimental in landfills. “It’s not something like cotton that will eventually over time disintegrate,” wrote Booth.
3. People craved connection. In a post-pandemic world, shoppers were eager for a sense of community. Google searches for “how to make friends” and “where to meet people” hit a peak in May 2023.
4. Denim dominated back-to-school shopping. Year after year, denim was ranking among the most-purchased items during July through September, whether for kids heading back to class or college students revamping their wardrobes.

Viewed together, these insights presented a clear opportunity to drive foot traffic, support community causes and promote sustainable habits, all while promoting denim, the season’s most in-demand fashion item.

From Trend to Activation: The Denim Days Idea

The Denim Days idea came into focus during a summer 2023 retreat during which marketing leaders visited Los Angeles properties to scout retail trends. One theme jumped out: denim upcycling. “We kept seeing brands, Madewell in particular, showcasing beautiful displays around denim recycling and sustainability,” said Booth. “It just clicked.”

The team developed a national framework for local campaigns that:

• encouraged shoppers to donate used denim that would benefit local charities
• taught them how to upcycle denim they didn’t want to get rid of
• let them shop for new fall styles
• helped them contribute to their communities

“We thought: ‘How do we push the idea of denim sales but also recognize that a lot of people have denim in their closet they need to get rid of?’” Booth said. This whole idea of upcycling, donating denim to families who might not be able to afford it — it just made sense.”

Each participating center received more than 20 branded collection boxes, digital signage and a QR code to enter for a chance to win an upcycled denim item from Brooklyn, New York-based American Butt Clothing.

A National Framework With Local Impact

JLL rolled out a centralized campaign framework but left room for local teams to customize activations — via fashion shows, denim art installations, partnerships with nonprofits or student groups or other initiatives — ensuring each event felt authentic to its community. “We always create a framework of a promotion ... but what happens locally in that market? We really rely on our local marketing manager to curate the activations and events,” said Booth. “That’s what makes things authentic.”

Partnerships That Made It Personal and Digital Strategy That Delivered

To bring the idea to digital, JLL worked with its longtime marketing agency, The Dealey Group, to design campaign assets and secure strategic partnerships, including a collaboration with American Butt Clothing and its founder, Tomoko Cummings. “The Dealey Group found her and brought her to us, and we just loved the idea,” Booth shared. “She curated content for us on how to upcycle denim, and every center’s winner received a custom piece from her. She was a wonderful collaborative partner.”

The campaign saw strong results across social, email and SMS, but one of the most surprising successes came from the QR codes shopping center visitors scanned to enter the giveaway. “I’m always a little hesitant on QR codes,” Booth admitted, “but 48% of the people that scanned it actually signed up for the promotion. That is a very compelling stat for me.” QR codes only work when they offer a clear and immediate benefit, she said. In this case, scanning the QR code was the only way to register for the giveaway, and that made the action feel purposeful and worthwhile. She advised: “You really have to ask yourself ‘Does it make sense for the promotion?’ because people are busy; are they really going to take the time to scan something and sign up?” In this case, the QR code worked because JLL tied it directly to the incentive.

Results That Speak for Themselves

Denim Days succeeded in driving traffic, generating leads and boosting sales while advancing community and sustainability goals. The numbers tell the story:

• 1,519 pieces of denim collected and donated to local charities
• 5,547 shoppers added to JLL’s database via email and SMS capture
• 48.8% QR code conversion rate from scan to form completion
• 2 million digital impressions and more than 2 million shopper engagements across social, email and mobile
• 102% engagement rate across digital channels
• 8% email click-through, outperforming JLL’s average of 3.2%
• 5.6% year-over-year increase in foot traffic
• 4.6% year-over-year rise in family apparel and women’s apparel sales
• 4% higher sales at participating centers compared with those in JLL’s management portfolio that did not participate

“It was a positive all the way around,” Booth said. “People loved the idea. I got messages from JLL employees saying: ‘I’m on my way to the local mall, and I’m dropping off my denim.’”

Behind the Win: What JLL’s Team Took Away

From simplifying execution to extending the timeline, the JLL team took away key lessons they’re already applying to future campaigns:

• Simple works. “If it gets complicated, the shopper is out,” Booth said. “You have to make it easy, very understandable.”
• Make it local. “If you want to be authentic … it has to be local,” she emphasized. “We never require our centers to opt into one national partnership or program.”
• Extend the experience. “Everyone’s busy,” she said. “Knowing I can go shopping anytime in July or August and participate — that’s a good takeaway. I struggle with spending marketing dollars on something that lasts for just three to four hours.”
• Go omnichannel. “If you want a campaign to resonate, it has to have all these layers: web, social, signage,” she noted. “People have to feel it in all the different places where they connect.”

What’s Next: Denim Evolves

Though Denim Days doesn’t repeat in the same format each year, its influence is clear. “We’re calling this year’s back-to-school campaign Back in the Saddle,” Booth said. “We’ve got a fun Western spin on the creative, and denim is heavily featured.”

Booth reflected on the 2023 campaign: “We had submitted a couple [of campaigns for MAXI Awards], and I said ‘I really, really hope Denim Days wins’ because to me, it was the one that was the most local. So many fingerprints on our team touched it. Winning that was a big win for all of our teams.”