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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:
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.
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:
“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 denim donation box at Billings, Montana’s Rimrock Mall invited shoppers to “Donate Your Denim” for a chance to win a custom upcycled creation. Nearly half of those who scanned the QR code signed up for the promotion—proving that when the incentive is clear and compelling, QR engagement can be surprisingly strong. Photo courtesy of JLL
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.”
Washington’s Kitsap Mall showed off denim fashions in its 2023 Denim Days activation, while Everett Mall, also in Washington, localized the national JLL campaign with a mountain of denim. The Shops at Highland Village north of Dallas-Fort Worth publicized the campaign with signage in social areas. At top is the Denim Days team at Kāneʻohe, Hawaii’s Windward Mall. Photos courtesy of JLL
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.
Denim Days succeeded in driving traffic, generating leads and boosting sales while advancing community and sustainability goals. The numbers tell the story:
“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.’”
From simplifying execution to extending the timeline, the JLL team took away key lessons they’re already applying to future campaigns:
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.”
By Rebecca Meiser
Contributor, Commerce + Communities Today and Small Business Center
ICSC champions small and emerging businesses in getting from business plan to brick-and-mortar.
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